Patrick J. Morris, DVM Word count: 88227













"Andromeda's End"

A novel based on the Paramount television series:
Star Trek, The Next Generation

by
Patrick J. Morris, DVM

ANDROMEDA'S SONG

Ka'ana gazed out over the fuschia colored mists that rose up
from the surface of the vast, methane sea. The gentle breeze
lifted and swept the haze slowly away. Like the spirits from a
hundred million cycles of life and death, the whisps ascended
into the heavens, as if abandoning the decaying planet.

"A portent of doom, how fitting," she whined quietly, the
A'akan equivalent of a whisper. Her antennae waved through the
veilets of microprecipitating hydrocarbons as she savored the
rich aromas of the shore life that wafted past her with the
breeze. Suddenly she realized that she'd been staring,
mesmerized, for quite some time. She needed nourishment, it must
have been several cycles since she'd eaten last. There had been
a period of...waiting, perhaps out of reflex. Waiting for what?
Finally it hit her. There was no instruction. For once in her
life, there was...no master. How curious that such incredibly
intelligent creatures as the A'aka had been reduced to mindless
automatons by the Kelvan. It seemed such a waste of potential,
but then even the most intelligent species does not always abide
by the chiseled stone messages of cold, hard logic that vie for
cognition in the conscious mind.

Chancing instantaneous death Ka'ana looked up at one of her
masters. The great, many-tentacled mass anchored to a stalk that
emerged from the huge, anchoring base was limp, slumped over,
incognizant. At first she had been uncertain as to how to
proceed amidst the sudden shock of cerebral clarity. Ka'ana tried
once again to reestablish the link, although she now began to
sense that this sudden lapse in mental domination was not limited
to her master alone. There was a tumultuous absence of
telepathy, almost as if all the Kelvan had suddenly vanished.
"Master?" Ka'ana thought, daring again to arouse the wrath of
the great Kelvan Lord. However, as before she could sense no
life from the sessile creature.

She tucked her mighty, fanned tail inward and sat on the
beach as something else tugged at her. It was one of the
feelings she had focused on most during her lengthy mind brood.
A totally foreign concept had burst into her mind, yet it felt
warm and familiar, and she was quite sure that she could drink of
it without ever experiencing satiation. For the first time in
her long, long life she had a sense of self determination.

Ka'ana became frightened, more by the thought that her new-
found sensation might somehow be stripped away, much as if a
slave would have been whipped if the master returned to find the
loyal servant sampling the family vintage.

Swinging around Ka'ana leered at the great escarpment that
rose abruptly from the shore, as if the alternate vista might
somehow help shock her back into the grim reality of Kelvan
slavery. She waited for a moment, sensing the ethereal universe,
searching for some sign of the great race of beings that, up
until just moments...or longer she really wasn't sure...she'd
called master. Instead, she caught the offshore breeze, and for
the first time in her life allowed the overpowering exhilaration
of freedom invade into her soul. As the most venerated of the
Kelvan slaves, general in the supreme Kelvan guard, Ka'ana
commanded millions of soldiers, and had wielded the awesome
flotilla of the Kelvan space fleet. Yet, in her long life Ka'ana
had been but a tool, a sword in her master's powerful hand.

The Kelvan were merciless rulers, dominating with incessant
telepathic violation. The slightest error in performance of a
command always brought extreme punishment, usually resulting in
death. Luckily, Ka'ana had a somewhat lenient master who saw in
her a brilliance uncommon to her symbious species. Even after
the Kelvan artificially enhanced the mental abilities of the
A'aka, the assemblage of independently non-sentient life forms,
creativity and brilliance were terms that were seldom used to
describe the A'aka. For the gift of sentience Ka'ana could be
grateful. Nevertheless, Ka'ana was a Kelvan slave, which meant
that she had suffered long, and intolerably.

Shuddering as the memories of agonizing torment flowed still
vividly through a memory that spanned two millennia, Ka'ana
finally surfaced from the depths of her broodings. The Kelvan
had created, enslaved and then mercilessly tortured the A'aka.
Yet, in spite of it all Ka'ana had always felt pity for her
masters. Their intellectual achievements were surely
unparalleled in the universe. However, in her contacts with them
she could always sense the void, they had no conscious, no soul.
As a result, there was no bound to the atrocities they committed.
And then, one day they had apparently vanished, their motionless
bodies slumped over. Yet, they did not seem to be dead,
just...empty.

Ka'ana awoke from thirty millennia of enslavement to find
herself free for the first time in her existence. She had raised
her many tentacles high into the air, as if reaching up to touch
the very heavens, then spoke aloud.

"Masters, if you can still perceive my thoughts know this.
In all of the millennia that the Kelvan dominated the galaxy,
with the extreme intelligence you possessed you still could not
understand the most fundamental lesson of sentience. I reached
out to you time and time again in my despair. If only you had
felt my spirit you would have found the answer that would have
ended your endless, restless search for your own freedom."

Ka'ana looked out again across the vast, pink sea of methane
that stretched out to the horizon. Occasionally the endless,
frothy deep was pierced by stark, ebony islands that stabbed
upward through the soft pale pink landscape like black, jagged
scimitars. A subtle rustling behind her announced the approach
of the orvani. Ka'ana turned to face several of the small,
lizard-like creatures, waiting patiently at the bottom of a long
staircase that wound around an ebony dome. She swam slowly up to
the dock, enjoying the feel of the fluid as her powerful tail
propelled her forward. Suddenly she folded up her appendages
into the tough, protective mantle and dove headfirst into the
cold liquid. As she swam Ka'ana felt sadness at having to wait
so long to enjoy such a simple pleasure. She knew that none of
her progeny would ever live to appreciate life on this world, or
any other in the galaxy. The sadness grew almost to the point of
complete despair as she recounted the news of an incomprehensible
energy build up within the galactic core. Soon, the core would
explode and Kelvana would come to a fiery end. Somehow, the
masters had perceived the approach of the end, and had managed to
remove themselves from the physical universe. Their stalks still
showed negligible signs of life, but the mind of the Kelvana was
elsewhere. The masters had escaped, abandoning their minions to
suffer incineration as the galaxy approached a searing death.

Yet even now, balanced precipitously at the edge of the
inferno, Ka'ana hung on to the most infinitesimal hope that
perhaps 'the others' could help them. She shot through the
surface and spread her crab-like claws outward in the traditional
greeting. The orvani extended their colorful dewlaps in
response.

Ka'ana recognized the Orvani representative. Individual
orvani were very difficult to tell apart. However, this
particular one had fractured one of its two main cephalic spines
long ago. Ka'ana had affectionately named the orvani Hoa'kili
(little one horn). The A'aka were strongly matriarchal, and
expressed love and tenderness freely to all creatures. Aside
from the Kelvan and the A'aka, the orvani were the only other
sentient species known to exist in the galaxy. All of the other
sentient civilizations had been exterminated long ago by the
Kelvan empire. Ka'ana extended her eye stalks like small
periscopes and looked down at her small friend.

"Greetings, Hoa'kili. I understand the antenna array is in
place. We are almost ready to begin transmission?"

The orvani representative crawled forward a few steps, then
croaked, "We are pleased you could meet us. Time is of the
essence. The antenna is ready, however we are still not in
agreement on the directional coordinates chosen. We do not trust
the information archives as you do."

Ka'ana shifted slightly. One with less experience would be
disturbed by this show of resistance. However, Ka'ana knew that
the orvani would not have completed the final preparations to
launch the array if they did not believe in theory that this
option might have at least a slight chance of success. The
orvani loved argument. Once one understood this trait, dealing
with them was easy, it just took a while to complete business.
Of course, Ka'ana was prepared. "Agreed. However, as we have
discussed previously, other than simply pointing the antenna
randomly what is the alternative?"

Hoa'kili paused briefly, his dewlap had been folded up into
place, and now his gular region was fluttering quickly, a sign of
orvani contentment. Hoa'kili was enjoying this. "The theory of
a core assemblage of nonaestivating Kelvan still has not been
disproved."

Ka'ana was seasoned in argumentative posturing with this
species. However, she needed to politely end the discussion and
carry on with business. "That is true. However, the logistics
of projecting into the galactic core is fraught with difficulty.
The immense radiation emanating from the core will likely drown
out our efforts. In any event, I doubt that the Orvani
collective really believes that the Kelvan are there, or that
they will respond even if they are." Ka'ana raised up again,
stretching one of her appendages outward, toward a fuzzy
constellation in the dark, starry sky. "There," she continued.
"There are the others. There lies our destiny."

Again, the orvani paused. Finally, Hoa'kili croaked in
acquiescence. "The Orvani collective concurs. We are proceeding
at this moment with the final antenna adjustments."

Ka'ana bristled with anticipation. Amidst the rising
insanity of separation from the Kelvan consciousness that had
dominated them through countless millennia, she had barely
succeeded in convincing the A'akan senate to agree on her
initiative. Ka'ana too had felt the urge to give in to the
hedonists. After all, they were all doomed, weren't they? She
shook off the sudden doubt. If Ka'ana could survive through 59
A'akan generations than anything was possible. Besides, she had
a feeling about these...others. According to the archives they
were the only civilization that had ever turned back a Kelvan
invasion.

"My thanks, Hoa'kili. Please let me know when the probe has
been launched..." The relative calm of the group was disturbed
by a sudden disturbance. Multiple waves signaled the approach of
more A'aka. Ka'ana stiffened slightly, then relaxed. She spoke
to the orvani, still surveying the surrounding ocean for evidence
of other disturbances. "Only one approaches, a scout." Ka'ana
tapped at the surface with a flat, fan-like limb. The point of
the approaching wave suddenly shifted and sped toward the small
assemblage. As the wave advanced, a mantled A'akan form emerged
slowly from the drink, and approached, snakelike, with the mantle
still folded in submissive deference for an elder of the A'akan
community. The scout stopped, waiting for permission to unfold.

Ka'ana twitched subliminally. The cowering A'akan
immediately blossomed into the familiar, cobra posture of an
A'akan warrior. Ka'ana spoke to the scout, who stood like a
statue before the group. "You race like the wind, Na'kata. I
sense you bear bad tidings. Report."

Na'kata relaxed slightly, folding some of her appendages
into place along side her body, then answered. "My lord, the
core grows increasingly unstable. Gravity fluctuations are
resulting in a dramatic increase in seismic activity. The
launch, and our escape cannot be delayed any longer."

Ka'ana turned to the orvani. The time for recreational
debate had passed. Ka'ana now spoke with a faint tint of despair
in her voice. "It is as we feared, the delay in council has
nearly thwarted our efforts. We must move swiftly. Are you
prepared to commence with the mission?"

Hoa'kili turned toward the attending orvani and jittered
quickly. The small creature skittered up the steps in response,
and disappeared into the dome. Hoa'kili watched them for a
minute, then turned back to Ka'ana. "Programming for the
communication probe is complete. The launch commences even now."

The sound of grating coming from the top of the dome was
followed by the appearance of large, unfolding doors at the top
of the structure. The doors opened outward, making the entire
structure appear like an enormous, black, blooming flower.

Suddenly, an immense craft issued from the opening in the
dome. The group watched in silence as possibly their only chance
for survival sped out on its dubious mission toward the galactic
rim. As the probe diminished from view, a quake erupted,
signaling the beginning of the end of the Kelvan home world.

Ka'ana waited until the rocking had subsided before
continuing. " Na'kata, you're fear is not quelled, I sense that
there is some other evil afoot. Reveal your thoughts to me,
sister."

Na'kata shivered slightly as she responded. "Great one, I
bear most disturbing news. Ku'taka has escaped!"

Ka'ana shook violently. For the first time since she met
the great warrior, Na'kata sensed the fear and doubt in her
leader and bowed low. Not involuntarily, as she had once done
with the Kelvan, but out of respect. Ka'ana was known for her
cool competence under pressure. Seeing her unraveled like this
frightened Na'kata terribly.

Ku'taka had begun as an ambitious low-ranking minion serving
within the Kelvan worship temples. There she had gained many
insights into Kelvan thinking through constant contact with high-
ranking Kelvan lords. She had grown powerful, using low cunning
and Kelvan mysticism to manipulate many A'aka to her own ends.
Ku'taka had learned from the Kelvan that power was the ultimate
goal, and that any and all means to achieve that goal were
justified.

After the great release, Ku'taka had openly proclaimed
herself profit and ruler. Initially she was ignored as insane, a
sad product of separation madness. However, over the years that
followed the great release, Ku'taka had slowly amassed a
following of A'akan rabble. Soon her so-called holy following
began to engage in strong arm activities, seeking to sow fear in
the rows of barren A'aka that one day would bear the fruit for
her the fruits of tyranny. Gradually she led her rag tag
following down into the depths of depravity, honing her madness
and their own with perverse acts of torture, and familial
genocide against her own kind. With the accelerating swiftness
of an overwhelming cancer, Ku'taka's power had gained tremendous
momentum as her vile forces captured and controlled one major
resource after another.

Ku'taka finally tried to dominate the orvan by forcing
orvani to link with her and her evil disciples. The orvan
rejected her and ultimately withdrew from contact with the A'aka
altogether for the first time in one hundred million years.

At the brink of her ascension to dictatorial ruler of the
Kelvan empire, Ku'taka was finally exposed as an insane murderess
by the orvan, and was barely overthrown by Ka'ana herself. She
was placed in isolation on a remote, insular planetoid, there to
remain for the remainder of her tortured existence.

It would not take long for Ku'taka to weave her wickedness
like an evil spider seeking to snare the unwary. Now, it seemed
as though Ku'taka and her madness would ruin the only real chance
left for the minions of the Kelvan empire. Ka'ana screeched in
anger. "Ku'taka is mad! We can no longer wait for debate.
Na'kata, begin the evacuation. Lead all that will follow.
Assign a squadron to deal with the non-sentients. Leave Ku'taka
to me!"

Na'kata rose up, quickly folding her mantle over her
encephalon. "By your leave, my lord!" Na'kata dove into the
chilly methane, and swam off rapidly like a torpedo.

Ka'ana turned back to Hoa'kili, and lowered her gaze upon
the small, lizard-like being. "My friend, our survival now
depends on the orvani collective. Without you, we are doomed.
The choice is now clearly before you. Will you join with me?"

Hoa'kili gazed up at Ka'ana in a most unorvani-like way.
The lizard crawled up and into one of the opened appendages of
its A'akan companion, and nosed gently against the tough
exoskeleton. "The orvani have watched Ka'ana A'aka for a very,
very long time, long before this body hatched to first understand
the mind of the collective. Since the great liberation Ka'ana
has revealed in deeds of kindness and bravery that her mind and
spirit were not broken by the old masters. It was Ka'ana who led
the rescue of orvani from the core worlds. It was Ka'ana who
thwarted the Nogolan invasion. A warrior possesses strength of
mind, body, and spirit. A leader possesses the wisdom to govern
with compassion and to respect those who follow. The orvani will
follow the A'aka into oblivion if that is our fate, but only if
Ka'ana leads."

Another small quake intruded on the moment of veneration.
Ka'ana held on to her small friend until the quake had subsided.
As she placed the orvani down on the dock, she noticed that the
base of the dome had fractured. "The first crack in the final
collapse of the empire of empires. Alas! Our masters have
forsaken us. Yet our destiny has not yet been completely
decided. Let all who will follow flee to the safety of the
rimworlds! From there, we will wait for deliverance or
annihilation. May the spirit of our forbearers grace us!"

Meanwhile, the small probe sped outward, away from the
crumbling galactic core of the Andromeda galaxy. Travelling at
nearly warp 11, the probe quickly reached its destination. The
probe's antenna began to unfold, like the petals of some enormous
flower opening to greet the morning sun. As the probe bloomed
into the stark, nakedness of intergalactic space it began to
sing. The probe's designers could not have known that, to the
recipients in the neighboring galaxy the probe's signal would
resemble more an instrumental work of art than a signal of death
and destruction. It would take only a short time for the signal
to reach the others, much less than a single generation. Alone
in a bleak void, the probe delivered its sad canticle to a
distant stranger...

VOICE FROM THE VOID
55 years later...

"Dog Buggit! I hate this fricking duty! It's bad enough
having to spend Thanksgiving out here, but I promised Hanna I'd
be home for Christmas!" The corporal complained as he sat back
in his seat. He pulled out his favorite game card and placed it
into the slot in the computer.

"Hey, Christian! Are you playing that stupid game again?
I'm sick of that gol danged thing. Why don't you spend a few
credits and get a new one? Never mind, don't tell me. You're
too dumb to win at that one so you keep playing it over and
over..." the young man's babbling droned on, but Christian donned
the virtual reality headgear, effectively drowning his vociferous
companion out. Christian Stewart had joined Star fleet thinking
that he was going to be piloting a starship, or racing in an
interceptor - fighting valiantly against the cowardly
Cardassians.

Christian had barely left the mother ship en route to a
Cardassian stronghold in his AA33 Interceptor when he noticed a
small yellow light flashing in the upper left hand side of the
Virtual Reality Monitor. He'd had the light cursor installed so
that he could play the game while the computer kept track of the
scanners he was supposed to be so diligently observing.

"Shit! He spat as he pulled off the helmet. "Computer,
identify signal."

"Working..."

Several minutes passed, and the computer was silent. At
first, the corporal mistook the machine's silence for a
malfunction. "Computer! Identify signal! What in the hell is
wrong with this thing!"

"Working on original request..."

Several more minutes passed. Christian was beginning to
worry a little. Nothing like this had ever happened before.
Although the station was designed to monitor for extragalactic
signals, nothing intelligible had ever been detected in the 20 or
so years the station had been established. "Computer, status of
analysis."

"Working...first pass through Federation central database
reveals no known match for incoming signal. Second pass in
progress..."

"How many entries are there in the database?"

"There are eight trillion, four hundred and sixty three
billion..."

"Ok, Ok. I get the idea. Where is the signal originating
from?"

"Analysis of signal strength and clarity indicate Andromeda
galaxy most likely source for signal."

"Andromeda? Computer, let me hear the signal."

"Working..." There was nothing but silence for a long
second, then an ear piercing peal erupted from the speaker. The
pitch dropped off rapidly, then rose again. It terminated in a
series of guttural sounds. Christian had never heard of anything
like it before...or had he? Somewhere, in the back of his mind
he had heard something like it, when he was a kid. Some kind of
an animal. A whale. The sound coming over the speaker sounded
just like a whale. Long ago, in the early days of the
Federation, a mysterious deep space probe had entered the galaxy,
and traveled straight to Earth. He'd read it as a child. The
brave Captain James T. Kirk, commanding a stolen Klingon Bird of
Prey had traveled back in time to the prehistoric times to bring
back a pair of whales. Fear shot through him suddenly as he
remembered that the probe had disastrous effects on electrical
systems and computers. Many people located in remote outposts
had died after being stranded without power and life support. He
threw down the VR helmet and started a scan of the sectors
immediately outside of the galaxy. "Computer, regarding the
signal source, is it coming from Andromeda, or just from the
direction of Andromeda?"

"Working...patching in triangulation probes...the requested
analysis will require approximately five minutes."

"Great. Computer, before you initiate the analysis, are
there any craft within fifty light years of this station?"

"Working...no craft within fifty light years of the station
except triangulation probes."

Christian sighed with relief as he sat back to wait on the
analysis. "Computer, can you multitask while performing the
current analysis?"

"Working...multitask capability 68% of capacity."

"Good! Computer, is the signal repetitive?"

"Working...signal is repetitive."

"Computer, report on the frequency and basic linguistics
analysis of the signal."

"Working...signal repeats every 4.4 minutes. Basic
linguistics analysis reveals no significant information about the
content of the message."

"Great! Computer, play back one complete sequence of the
signal, and drop the volume down by 10 decibels."

"Working..." The wail began again, although this time at a
much more tolerable volume. As Christian listened it seemed to
him that the signal had a sad quality to it, like a slow, funeral
lament. A few moments after it had ceased the computer
interrupted the young corporal's musing.

"Triangulation analysis completed."

"Computer, report on triangulation analysis."

"Working...triangulation analysis confirms original
conclusion. Signal arises from Andromeda galaxy."

"Computer, how far away is the Andromeda galaxy?"

"Working. Andromeda galaxy...two point three million light
years distant, receding at..."

"Never mind." Christian said as he patched the feed through
to Starbase 8. It would take them a while to get back to him on
this one. He stared out of the view port after finishing.
Federation Outpost 3 was located just outside of the outer arm of
the Milky Way galaxy, eight hundred sixty seven light years from
Earth. From the starboard view port there was only one
constellation visible. Christian stared at the dim light of
Andromeda, wondering why the whales in Andromeda were singing.
TERMINAL MONOTONY
"Star date 48432.5 - The Enterprise is on a routine mission
to the Federation outpost Deep Space Nine to deliver medical
supplies and equipment to supplement a large cargo shipment
destined for transport through the wormhole. In the past year
the Enterprise has seen less and less exploratory activity, due
primarily to the access that the wormhole has provided to the
remaining, uninhabited regions of the galaxy. The crew seems
pensive, bored. I have to admit that I too share a feeling of
frustration from the tedium of what are essentially routine
delivery missions."

Jean Luc Picard sat in his ready room, contemplating some
uninteresting information on the small CRT on the table. It was
unbelievable. Service aboard the most famous exploration vessel
in the Federation had ceased to offer challenges for her crew.
Sighing heavily, Jean Luc switched off the console and rubbed his
eyes. He swiveled toward the oversized view port as he picked up
a small cup of tea. He stared intensely out of the portal,
seeking to locate the outer boundary to some pristine region of
the galactic biome. Jean Luc lowered his gaze, looking
mournfully into his cup. He whispered to himself. "There are no
more horizons here."

Jean Luc was relieved to hear the door chime that signaled
the approach of a guest. If nothing else, it would force an
interruption of Jean Luc's despondent brooding. Jean Luc called
to the visitor without looking up, "Come."

Lieutenant Worf stepped through the door, looking even more
on the edge than usual. Worf stopped in the center of the room,
stood at attention, and waited for Jean Luc to acknowledge him.

After what seemed like an eternity, Jean Luc turned to face
the welcome intruder. As he turned, he was pleased to see that
it was Worf. Here was a kindred spirit. One who could relate to
a deep-seated requirement to confront the unknown on a continuous
basis. Jean Luc found a smile to greet Worf. If the look on
Worf's face was any indication, it appeared that this social
encounter would at least bring something unexpected. "Yes,
Lieutenant?"

Worf's brow wrinkled into a deep furrow as he spoke. It
appeared that he was just barely able to maintain the very thin
veil of composure that normally clung dubiously to his face.
"Sir, I am putting in for a transfer. I hope you understand that
I cannot continue to function in this...environment."

Jean Luc actually chuckled softly. Here, he had found
perhaps the only other member of his crew who could feel more
miserable than himself. Worf stiffened menacingly, stabbing at
Jean Luc with his eyes. Jean Luc held his hands up as if to ward
off the lethal intensity of Worf's gaze. The captain stood up
and walked over to Worf, apologizing. "Forgive me, Worf. I
think the entire crew shares your feelings. Perhaps we could all
do with some shore leave."

Worf was noticeably unassuaged. "That is not it, sir. You know
as well as I do that our mission is over. The galaxy is now at
peace, and only a few outlying areas remain to be explored.
Warriors have become...obsolete."

Jean Luc was beginning to worry. Usually he was able to
ease the rising turbulence in the Klingon's fiery soul. He
spoke, but his own feelings of frustration betrayed any
confidence that his voice may have held. "Very well, Worf.
Where do you propose to transfer? I'm quite certain that our
mission will continue. There are many adventures still in store
for this ship and her crew. Besides, duty requires you to take
the bad with the good..."

Worf cut the captain off. "Excuse me, sir, but I am
requesting a transfer to the Security Squadron, Special Forces
Division."

Jean Luc completely ignored this uncharacteristic lack of
military courtesy. At the moment he was more concerned with the
well being of a fellow officer, and a friend, "Worf? You, a
bounty hunter?"

Worf fidgeted a little, readying his response when another
chime rang out from the ready room door. Although he was
actually relieved at the interruption, Jean Luc called out with
the slightest degree of irritation. "Come!"

Deanna Troi entered, and slowed as she felt the degree of
frustration coming from both of her fellow officers. She
apologized as she began to back out of the room. "I'm sorry,
Captain. I will come back later."

Jean Luc was about to reply, but Worf cut him off again.
"It's alright, counsellor. I was just about to leave." Worf
turned back to the captain, his tension had decreased a little
bit. "With your permission, sir."

Jean Luc reached up and patted Worf on the shoulder.
"Perhaps we can take up this conversation again in 10 forward,
Mr. Worf. Dismissed."

Worf grunted as he replied, "Yes sir." As he left, Worf
gave Deanna a grunting nod. Jean Luc watched intently as Worf
exited the ready room. When the door closed Jean Luc turned back
to Deanna, who was looking at the door, as if she could still
watching Worf. Her concentration was broken by Jean Luc.
"Counsellor, you wanted to see me?"

Deanna turned toward the captain, her brow furrowed ever so
slightly. "Yes, captain. I am reading a disturbing increase in
frustration throughout the crew." As she spoke Deanna turned
once again toward the door. "I am especially concerned about
Lieutenant Worf." Deanna returned her gaze to Jean Luc. "I have
even noticed a certain frustration in you, sir. The trouble is,
I don't get the feeling that shore leave will help improve the
attitude of the crew. I sense - boredom instead of the usual
stress or fatigue associated with a difficult mission."

Jean Luc closed his eyes and rubbed at the bridge of his
nose. "You are right, Counsellor. It seems this crew is
addicted to danger. I guess that would have to be the case,
given the nature of our mission."

Deanna resumed her analysis. "And now that the Borg issue
has been resolved the galaxy seems to have achieved a certain
stability that virtually eliminates the need for this kind of
mission..."

Jean Luc shook his head in affirmation as Deanna spoke, then
continued the thought, "Yes, making us all somewhat obsolete.
Recognizing the logic that all things must eventually come to an
end is easy. The difficulty is in accepting things
like...endings."

Deanna countered quickly, "Redirection is often helpful in
cases like this. Captain, I would like to begin developing a
strategy for several members of the crew who seem particularly
affected." Deanna turned once again toward the door, "Beginning
with Lt. Worf."

Jean Luc sighed, and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Very
well, counsellor. I guess it really is time to begin accepting
the fact that there are no longer any significant areas in the
galaxy left to explore or defend. Better to get a head start on
it, I guess, before more significant manifestations of this
phenomenon develop. Counsellor, I would like for you to make
this a priority. Please let me know if you require assistance."
Worf walked stiffly into the holodeck, he needed training,
badly. He called up the training program in his native
Klingonese. "KOOOCHAAA! NAGAT BARUT!" The yellow grid lines
fades and were replaced by a mist-ladened Klingon jungle. Worf
was barely able to bring his scimitar up into readiness when two
large, ferocious predators that resembled sabre-toothed gorillas
with wickedly taloned forefeet threw themselves at Worf. With
the skillful reflexes of a definitive warrior Worf quickly minced
the beasts into multiple, quivering masses of flesh. The scene
was extremely brutal. After the carnage had concluded, Worf
picked up one of the quivering limbs and buried his face into the
warm, wet flesh. He was unaware of the holodeck door opening to
admit Deanna.

Deanna was caught completely off guard by the horrendous
display, and screamed. Worf, still caught up in the heat of
battle raised his scimitar and nearly cleaved Deanna's head.
Only his finely-tuned reflexes prevented him from committing
murder. Worf looked around quickly for any sign of trouble, then
grabbed Deanna roughly and threw her down on the ground. Just as
Deanna hit the ground two more predators bounded in. Worf was
able to dispatch the first animal with a quick stroke to the
head. However, the second animal knocked him down and turned
quickly on Deanna. Worf tumbled and sprang up, only to see that
the beast had Deanna by the hair, readying a fatal rip at the
throat. In a split second Deanna would be dead. Worf quickly
raised his scimitar and shouted to the beast. "KOOOOTAAAAAH!!!!"
Worf hurled his scimitar as he shouted. It was Deanna's only
chance.

The gambit worked. The beast halted its death stroke mid-
arc, and looked up at Worf. The scimitar slid deeply into the
beast's chest. The animal fell back with a shriek, writhing in
pain. Worf yelled quickly to halt the program. "POOKAA CHUMAK
TAKOOT!!!" The scene quickly dissolved to the familiar yellow on
black grid lines. Worf rushed over to Deanna, who was still in
shock. "Why did you come in here!? You know that my training
programs are extremely dangerous! Foolish human!!!" Worf stood
up and walked over to the nearest wall. He put a fist into it.
The room resounded with a loud 'clang.'

Deanna stood up, straightening her uniform. "Mr. Worf, you
neglected to enable the program interrupt. How could you be so
reckless? I'm going to have to report this to the captain. In
the future you must remember to activate the program interrupt
when you are running these...training programs."

Worf looked up in the air, trying to gather some restraint.
Deanna turned and was about to leave when Worf called to her.
"Counsellor, please wait."

Deanna turned around to face the large Klingon. She really
wanted to leave so that she would not reveal to the large
Lieutenant that she was about to cry.

Worf looked down at his feet as he spoke softly. "I...am
ashamed of my conduct. My actions almost got you killed. I will
erase my training programs immediately. In addition, I
respectfully request for you to allow me to report my actions to
the captain. I value your friendship greatly. Please, forgive
me." Worf stepped back a step and bowed slightly.

Deanna warmed up considerably, then entered professional mode.
"Worf, don't you think these training programs are becoming a
little too dangerous, even for you? I have sensed that you have
become increasingly frustrated over the last few weeks. I would
like to talk to you about it," Deanna looked around, as if to
insure herself that there were no more boogie men, then
continued, "before this frustration gets the best of you."

Worf fidgeted, then answered, gritting his teeth as he
spoke, "Forgive me, counsellor, but you do not understand..."

Deanna waived her hand to cut the large warrior off, "Worf,
being half Betazoid, and being a woman with several brothers I
can assure you that I do understand...completely. I can help
you, Worf, if you will just give me a chance. Now, I think you
should continue your exercises down in the gym, with Kang Paiek.
I know that he has given you tough workouts in the past.

Worf seemed satisfied with this, he shook his head
thoughtfully, then answered. "Yes. Yes, counsellor, that is an
excellent idea." Worf smiled widely. "Thank you, counsellor!"
Worf actually bounded off down the hallway toward the gym.

Deanna waited until he was out of sight, then sighed deeply,
catching herself on the aisle way railing. She hurried off
toward the captain's ready room. On the way over, she almost
decided not to report the lieutenant's oversight. She knew what
the Klingon's problem was, it was only an amplification of what
the entire crew was feeling. The crew needed a break from all of
the recent inactivity. However, Star Fleet would never recognize
the lack of high excitement and danger to be an acceptable form
of therapy.

Deanna waited impatiently for Jean Luc to admit her. She
was frustrated in herself more than anything else. How could she
let herself become so...uptight? The chime startled her a bit.
She straightened herself up and entered the ready room.

She could feel Jean Luc's sense of worry about his crew.
His matter-of-fact demeanor masked his frustration to everyone
but Deanna. Jean Luc knew that he could not hide his feelings
from his counsellor, he had given up trying. "Yes, counsellor?"

Deanna wrung her hands a bit while she spoke. "Captain, I
have wrestled with myself over this. However, Lt. Worf has
become frustrated to the point of posing a danger to the crew."

Picard raised his eyes. If he was marginally attentive when
she walked in, he was fully intent on her at this point. "How
so?"

Deanna explained the events of the holodeck, while Picard
rubbed his chin as he thought. When she finished, Picard turned
and stared out of the large bay window at the stars whisking by
the ship as it sped through the galaxy at warp speed. "You know
counsellor, Lt. Worf is a damn fine officer. As a Klingon he has
certain needs that we may not fully understand. Yet, as an
individual we must give him the leeway to..."

Deanna cut him off, more to her surprise than his. "But
captain, he forgot to activate the safety interrupt on an
extremely dangerous program. What if one of the children had
wandered into the holodeck?!"

Jean Luc turned to face her. He walked over to her and held
her shoulders as he spoke softly to her. "Deanna, I am going to
do the right thing. I just hate like hell that a valuable member
of my crew made such a hazardous error."

Deanna lifted a hand to cradle her face as she slumped just
slightly. Jean Luc placed a hand on her shoulder. "Now, it
seems that you could use some rest. We'll discuss plans for the
moral rehabilitation of our crew later. Dismissed."

Jean Luc looked over at his reading chair. He considered
his next step carefully, walked over toward the chair, and pulled
a black box out from under the end table. He blew the dust off
the top of the box, tucked the container under his arm, and
walked briskly out into the corridor.

Worf was in his quarters drying his long, thick hair when a
chime indicated the presence of a visitor. Worf walked to the
center of the room, and answered the summons. "Come."

Jean Luc walked in and set the box down on a small,
ceremonial table and looked up at his chief of security. "Worf,
I hate like hell when I have to discipline one of my officers.
You are a damn fine officer, Worf. I have always tried to
recognize that as a Klingon warrior you had special needs.
However, your recklessness in the holodeck cannot go unnoticed.
I am placing you on report, and you are restricted from holodeck
activities until further notice."

Worf's face revealed no hint of emotion whatsoever.
Instead, Worf answered flatly, "Yes sir." Worf fixed his gaze on
Picard. His stare neither threatened, nor did it give ground.
It was simply the stare of a proud warrior.

Jean Luc reached down and opened the box. He picked up a
small bottle, then looked over at Worf. Now that I have
performed my duty I want to share something with you. Jean Luc
poured a small amount of liquid into two small cups, only
slightly larger than thimbles. He presented Worf with one of the
thimbles and hoisted it in a toast. "To your very good health,
my friend." Both sipped the liquid slowly. Worf felt the liquid
warming him as it travelled slowly toward his abdomen. He smiled
brightly, then looked up at Picard. "I am impressed. Most human
liquors taste more like water than spirits. What was it?"

Jean Luc smiled, then motioned the large alien over to have
a look at the bottle. Worf grabbed the bottle, squinting at it.
He looked up at Picard, confused.

Jean Luc smiled widely. "It is a secret, a very well-
guarded recipe that I learned while I was a cadet."

Just as Jean Luc was about to bestow the mystery of this
marvel upon the truly refreshed Klingon his communicator bleeped
impatiently. Jean Luc gave Worf an apologetic nod as he reached
up and tapped the device lightly. "Picard here."

"Captain, I'm receiving a top priority message from Star
Fleet Command. The message is coded TOP SECRET and marked for
your eyes only, sir." Data's voice carried the same casual tone
it always did. However, Jean Luc raised his eyes toward Worf in
welcome anticipation. "Well, it seems as if I will maintain my
deep secret for a while longer."

Data answered, confused. "Sir?"

Jean Luc relaxed a bit, he chuckled softly as he walked back
over to his desk. "Never mind, Data. Please transfer the
message directly to my ready room desk. I'm on my way. Thank
you."

Data responded obediently, "Yes sir."

Jean Luc gathered up the small cups and tucked them neatly,
along with the flask containing the mystery inebriant, back into
the box. Nodding to Worf, Jean Luc excused himself with his
familiar, neutral tone "Mr. Worf." After he had proceeded half-
way out of Worf's quarters, Jean Luc paused, and looked back at
the Lieutenant. "Mr. Worf, what is your duty schedule today? "

Worf straightened, and replied dryly "I am scheduled to be
on the bridge shortly."

Jean Luc nodded satisfaction, "I do not want to relieve the
best security officer in the fleet. Are you fit for duty, or are
you in need of counselling. I trust your integrity, I will
believe whatever you tell me."

Warf gathered himself for a moment and looked up at the
ceiling. "It is true, what the counsellor has told you. I was
wreckless. But I recognize now the risks I was placing on the
crew and guests aboard this vessel. I will not endanger anyone
else again, you have my word on that sir."

"And yourself?"

"I am a Klingon. To be born Klingon means to live in
jeopardy. I will continue to live as a Klingon. That is all I
have to say."

"Good. I'm not sure what is up, but I want you at your post
as soon as possible."

Once within his ready room, Jean Luc sat down and faced the
screen, shifting easily into his 'all-business' demeanor. The
CRT flashed up an image of the Star Fleet emblem with a red TOP
SECRET overlaying the logo. Jean Luc responded almost
involuntarily, "Computer. Recognize Picard, Jean Luc. Priority
code alpha, alpha, zero, one, alpha."

The screen cleared, then revealed Admiral Hyung Chen of Star
Fleet Command. The admiral's face could have been chiseled from
ice it was so cold. Chen was an old friend, and their greetings
always carried the ritualistic combative flavor of old shipmates,
but not this time, obviously. Jean Luc rubbed quickly at his
chin. Something was definitely wrong. Quickly recovering, the
captain pried a smile from somewhere within his sudden sense of
dread. "Admiral Chen. What a pleasure! How are you?"

The cheery greeting managed to melt a little of the
admiral's icy countenance, allowing a thin smile to break
through, only just for a moment. "Hello Jean Luc. I have an
urgent mission for you. How is your crew holding together?"

Chen was an old soldier. He knew exactly what the
Enterprise crew felt like. However, Jean Luc was determined to
maintain the veil of serenity, and lied. "Very well, sir..."

Chen sighed, lowering his head. After a moment the admiral
looked up, as if he had something to say, then bit his lip.

"Admiral, you are obviously concerned about something."
Jean Luc said, trying to inject as much self confidence as
possible into his response. "I can only guess that it has
something to do with our new mission. Whatever it is, I can
assure you that my crew can handle it."

Chen sighed heavily. "Come on, Jean Luc! You can't fool
me. You are all bored stiff to the brink of petrification. And
don't try to deny it."

Jean Luc sighed, then settled back into his chair, and let
go. Chen was a good man, a good soldier. Even though he had
been forced to assume command of a desk, his heart was still
soaring at high warp speed. "You're right, Hyung. I should have
known better than to try to deceive an old salt like you. In
truth we are all a bit pensive. It is difficult to maintain top
performance during periods of calm. However, you know that you
can count on this crew to come through whenever the need arises."

"I never have any doubts about you or your crew, Jean Luc.
You know that."

Jean Luc felt his own smile fade. Something quite serious
was afoot, and apparently Chen had no time for anything except
business. "Thank you, Hyung. Well, whatever is up it sure seems
to have your undivided attention. I too am not so easily
deceived. You are deeply troubled. What is the problem?"

Chen looked down for a moment to gather his thoughts, then
continued, ignoring the captain's inquiry. Fortunately, Hyung
knew that Jean Luc was the consummate Star Fleet officer. He
would not think twice about being cut off, especially when the
going got tough. "Jean Luc, I am issuing new orders. You are to
unload your cargo immediately, at your current coordinates.
Another transport will pick it up. You are to proceed
immediately to Star Base 12 for reassignment."

Jean Luc suppressed a twinge of fear. Something serious had
developed. "Admiral, may I inquire as to the nature of our
assignment?"

Chen made his response brief. He obviously wanted Jean
Luc's presence without delay. "Negative. You'll be fully
briefed when you reach Star Base 12. Suffice it to say that this
is an urgent matter of special concern that requires
your...special expertise."

The time for joviality had come and gone, obviously there
was to be no cheery greeting on this occasion. Jean Luc
responded in an equally business-like manner. "We will proceed
immediately. Picard out." After the image blinked out Jean Luc
allowed his fear to be replaced by a rising sense of
satisfaction. The Enterprise actually had a mission! He reached
over and switched off the console. He paused, contemplating the
message for one more moment, then suddenly allowed his face to
assume a larger than normal smile.

Jean Luc stood and walked quickly to the ready room door,
humming. As he stepped briskly onto the bridge, Riker and Jordi
pick up on the sudden change in Jean Luc's carriage. Riker and
Jordi exchanged curious looks, then both looked over at Jean Luc,
who was not settling into a comfortable position at the con.

Jean Luc picked up a report and began reading it, the smile
slowly gaining momentum. Finally, Will could not endure the
suspense any longer. He took one quick look around the room to
insure that he hadn't missed something significant. Seeing
nothing obvious he snuck over to the captain's side and
whispered. "Excuse me, captain. Is something wrong?"

Jean Luc ignored Will for a few seconds, then sat the report
down on the arm of the con chair. He rubbed his hands together
and repositioned himself at the front of his chair. At that
moment he looked as if he was going to explode with anticipation.
He glanced over at his first officer, looking a bit like a ton of
high explosives. "Nothing at all is wrong, number one."

"I see." Will said skeptically. "Then tell me, truthfully
now," he whispered. "Have you been running that new pleasure
palace program in the holodeck?"

Jean Luc looked over at his first officer, his eyes wide
with reproach. He opened his mouth to deliver a chiding reply.
The rebuke never made it to his speech center. Instead, he
frowned in inquisitively. "We have such a program?"

Will only peered back, triumphantly.

Jean Luc felt a rising sense of humiliation as he realized
that, once again, his first officer had him.

"Ass hole." Jean Luc whispered. Seeing that he'd been
defeated, he decided to come clean. "It was Admiral Chen. We
are to report immediately to Star Base 12 for reassignment."
Jean Luc paused for effect. "He would not tell me what was up,
but he was all business."

Will raised his eyes, then settled back into his chair,
while Jean Luc readjusted his gaze on Jordi. "Commander LaForge,
rig a position beacon to our cargo and have it beamed into a
stationary position at these coordinates, and please hurry."

Jordi look curiously at each of his two senior officers.
However, seeing that there was apparently an epidemic of
infectious enthusiasm developing he decided, for now at least,
that being exposed was enough. "Yes sir!" Jordi responded
enthusiastically, spinning about to face his console, which
hungrily awaited the entry of new coordinates.

Jean Luc turned quickly to Data, who had detected an unusual
set of vocal inflections emanating from the command crew. An
analysis told him that the mood of the crew was suddenly rising,
as if they were experiencing some kind of pleasure. Jean Luc had
regained his composure by this point, and was eager to get things
underway. The familiar authority had returned to his voice as he
commanded, "Data, set a course for Star Base 12, warp factor 8."

Data decided that a display of subtle satisfaction at this
change of events was appropriate, and answered with programmed
enthusiasm. "Yes sir!" After running his fingers quickly over
the console, he turned back to the captain and added, "Course
laid in and plotted, captain!"

Jean Luc picked up his hand, and with a little more
enthusiasm than normal, gave the familiar commencement,
"Engage."

Deanna stopped abruptly during her review of the command
crew's personality summaries. She had sensed a significant
change in the mood of the crew. She paged Jordi on her terminal.
His glowing face filled the screen, catching her off guard.
"Yes, counsellor?"

Deanna felt his steadily rising enthusiasm, causing her to
smile widely, in relief. "Jordi, what is going on?"

Jordi merely smiled, then excused himself. "Sorry,
counsellor, I'm busy. See you at Star Base 12!" Jordi switched
the screen off.

Deanna sat back, allowing herself to feel the sense of
anticipation and enthusiasm rise throughout the ship as word of
the sudden reassignment spread from deck to deck. There was some
trouble or problem that required the able presence of the crew of
the starship Enterprise. She was amazed at the dose-response
nature as the morale of the crew rose steadily. Nowhere else in
the galaxy could one find a group of people who could be so
satisfied by assignment to what was no doubt a dangerous mission.
"Risk junkies, all of them!" Deanna folded her hands, perplexed.

As soon as they were underway, Jean Luc excused himself from
the bridge and made the long and difficult trip to Worf's
quarters. Jean Luc waited outside after ringing the door chime.
Finally, Worf grunted acknowledgement. Jean Luc strode into the
room. He wore his business like exterior like a coat of armor.
Yet those who knew him well recognized that Jean Luc held nothing
but the highest regard for his officers, both as military
professionals and as human beings. Worf knew why the captain was
here. He understood that his actions demanded an official
reprimand from his captain. Surprisingly, Worf smiled as the
captain stood rigid in the center of the room. "Captain, I know
why you are here. Please, relax. My honor demands of me that I
accept punishment and reward with dignity. You are my friend,
and I know that nothing can erase that. You are also my captain,
and as such you are responsible for the conduct of the crew under
your command."

Jean Luc remained at attention for another second or two,
then spoke sternly, "Mr. Worf, you are right. I wish to hell
that I did not have to do this. I won't prolong this unsavory
chore with any unnecessary verbiage. I am officially relieving
you of duty. You are to report to Counsellor Troi immediately
for stress therapy, and I want you in sick bay in exactly three
hours for a complete medical examination." Jean Luc softened up
a bit and continued. "I would also appreciate it if you could
join me in 10 forward tonight so that I might speak to you in
less official surroundings." Jean Luc turned without waiting for
an answer from his Klingon compatriot and swiftly exited out into
the busy corridor.
HEARKENING

Star Base 12 was once a bustling galactic center. Millions
passed in and out of the base each solar year. At one point, the
base was known as a cultural center of the galaxy, playing host
to many cultural exchanges. The Galactic Community Church was
founded on Star Base 12. There were over 140 ambassadorial
offices on the base. The political science campus of the
Galactic Central University was established on Star Base 12.

However, after the discovery of multiple, stable wormholes
virtually all of the traffic was eventually diverted away from
the quadrant. As a result, Star Base 12 had become a ghost town.
Actually, this turned out to be quite advantageous for the
Federation. The base still represented a key strategic hold fast
for Federation operations. Recently, most of the civil
facilities of the base had been converted to military use. With
the quadrant nearly empty prying eyes were much easier to detect
and monitor. However, there were no absolutely secure hiding
places left in the galaxy. The diversion of the Enterprise had
no doubt been monitored. The eyes and ears of certain
adversarial parties would be trained intently on this quadrant.

Deep within the core of the base, the Federation had built a
secured briefing room, known to privileged staff as 'the hole.'
The hole was heavily shielded to prevent spying devices any known
carrier signal from piercing the sanctity of the board room. The
command crew of the Enterprise was quickly ushered into the room
after changing into special outfits. Jean Luc had briefed the
crew on the special requirements for entry to the room. Security
was strict to the point of requiring all personnel attached to
that section of the base to undergo a deep mind meld by a special
vulcan detachment.

To ease the anxiety of the intensity of security
precautions, each meeting was preceded by an 'ice-breaker' of
sorts, including provision of mildly intoxicating beverages to
create a mood of relaxation and free-thinking. In addition to
Jean Luc, the Federation had requested the presence of Commanders
Riker, Data, LaForge, Counsellor Troi, and Doctor Crusher. In a
way, it was like a reunion. The Borg representative was Hue, the
first of the 'liberated' Borg, who had ascended in stature within
the newly emerging Borg society. Besides, Hue was a close
acquaintant of the Enterprise crew. It was only natural that he
attend the briefing as the Borg representative. In fact, many of
the attending representatives were acquaintances of one or more
of the Enterprise crew. It was clear from the representatives
assembled that the focus of the briefing was the Enterprise and
her crew.

Jean Luc slowly scanned the group. After finishing, he
lowered his head for a moment, then sat down at the table without
speaking to anyone. He crossed his legs, folded his hands over
his knee, and cast a sullen gaze down on the table top.

Deanna noticed that Jean Luc had isolated himself. As she
scanned the group Deanna could sense that many were apprehensive,
the mission might be more difficult than the captain anticipated.
However, no one was down or depressed, except her captain. She
bit her lip as she analyzed the meeting demographics. There were
no other personnel present who were currently assigned to space
duty, and the room was at capacity now. So, whatever the mission
might involve the Enterprise was certainly going to be an
integral part. Deanna decided to try to buoy Jean Luc's spirits
a little. Sighing sharply, she lifted her head confidently and
strode quickly over to Jean Luc, who was standing alone,
brooding. "Sir, I sense that you are a little depressed. Is
there something I can help you with?"

Jean Luc looked up at her, there was a cheerless glaze over
his eyes, but he managed to squeeze out a slight smile. "Yes,
counsellor, as a matter of fact you can. I noticed that there
were no vulcans represented. Most of the significant member
species of the Federation are represented, I was hoping that
Spock would be here. You know, I really envy Jim Kirk for the
time he spent with Spock. When I didn't see him here I
remembered what we were talking about this morning, about
endings. I felt a sudden pain, a loss, like Spock had slipped
out of reckoning in Federation affairs."

"Captain," Deanna started, "do you really believe that
Spock's productivity has diminished to such an abysmal degree? I
mean, would that be consistent with what you know about your
friend?"

Jean Luc smiled suddenly, feeling that he'd been caught in
some kind of benevolent, psychologic manipulation. "I suppose
you're right, counsellor."

Deanna locked her elbow around his and tugged gently,
leading him over to the food replicator. "If doctor Crusher were
here I'm sure she'd prescribe something pleasant to distract you
until the meeting begins." Deanna paused in front of the small,
empty covey and dipped her head in thought for a second.
"Chocolate sundae," she said, then added quickly, "and make it a
double."

Jean Luc actually laughed. "I certainly hope the mission
will involve some rigorous activity," he said as he patted at his
trim abdomen. "On second thought, perhaps we should meet
afterward in the gym to work off this remedy."

Deanna closed her eyes and curled her arms around herself as
she savored the first spoonful. Within a few minutes the
captain's mood was rising steadily toward healthy anticipation.
She giggled softly to herself as she savored her small victory,
like a mischievous child having scored a victory over her
oblivious parent. The combined sensory effects of the rich
dessert, along with the caffeine had a profound positive effect
on the hippocampus. "Thank God for chocolate sundaes." Deanna
whispered softly to herself.

Just as Jean Luc was seriously considering a second helping,
chimes rang out to call the group to business. Jean Luc took in
a deep breath, then straightened his uniform. His confidence as
a mover of mountains restored, he focused his attention on the
podium, a symbol of what would no doubt be yet another leap into
the jaws of uncertainty.

Admiral Chen emerged suddenly from a curtain behind the
podium, and broadcast the urgency of the mission with some hasty
paper shuffling. The admiral looked up, scanning the audience.
When he Jean Luc, and seemed to relax just a bit, otherwise no
hint of acknowledgement could be discerned from his patented,
poker face.

Just before the doors closed, a young vulcan slinked quietly
in to the room and seated himself close to the podium. Jean
Luc's eyes widened when he saw the newcomer, who returned the
acknowledgement with a subtle, vulcan nod of recognition. Will
picked up on the exchange and turned to his captain with an
interrogatory brow lift. Jean Luc leaned over to whisper
something, but was interrupted when an ensign stepped forward and
silenced the audience with a traditional blast from her bosun's
whistle.

As the ensign blew, the intonation activated a small
recorder, carefully crafted and hidden within the whistle. After
calling the meeting to order, the ensign removed the whistle from
around her neck, and placed it down on a shelf within the podium,
and exited the room.

Admiral Chen wasted no time in setting the tone of the
meeting. "At ease. We have asked you here today to participate
in an historic effort, code named Project Starwalker. Before I
discuss details of the mission I have requested a background
briefing from one of the key consultants to this project. The
floor recognizes Spock, special consultant for Project
Starwalker."

Spock stepped out from behind a curtain, followed by a man,
probably in his early 40's. The gentleman was oddly familiar,
but somehow out of place. Spock stepped up to the podium,
nodding slightly at Jean Luc as he gave the room a quick scan.
As usual, his austere mask betrayed no sign of the human half
that lurked beneath. He opened his mouth as if he was going to
begin address the crowd, then paused for a fraction of a second.
A furrow formed between his brows as he concentrated
on...something. Just as suddenly his expression reverted back to
the familiar, all-business quality that was vintage Spock. Once
again he surveyed the room, slowly, purposefully. He finally
cleared his throat to speak. "Greetings. I stand before you
today to discuss a matter of profound galactic importance. Not
since the earliest days of the Federation has a mission of such
magnitude arisen. For the last 5 years Star Fleet Command has
been monitoring a subspace signal emanating from the Andromeda
Galaxy."

A minor wave of intrigue washed across the audience in the
form of quick glances and a few quick whispering exchanges which
died down quickly. Jean Luc rubbed at his chin as the made the
connection. "Rodan." He whispered to himself as he finally put
a name to Spock's companion. Everyone in the group was certainly
aware of the nefarious Kelvan race, and of the thwarted invasion.
Some in the Federation still feared that this seemingly
omnipotent, highly aggressive species would some day make another
attempt. However, Rodan had indicated many times before that the
Kelvan would not return, although he would not say how he could
be sure of this.

Spock waited for a strategic ebb in the discussion before
continuing. "The signal is essentially indecipherable with even
the most sophisticated communications equipment available to the
Federation. However, while the signal is unintelligible, it has
regular, repeating aspects that are undoubtedly language related.
The conclusion is that this signal is being emitted from an
intelligent race of beings on Andromeda, most likely the Kelvan.
You will recall that this species once mounted an unsuccessful
invasion of our galaxy. In addition, the signal is of such
strength as to indicate that the intent at the source was to
focus the communication; in other words, someone or something
from the Andromeda galaxy is intent on contacting our galaxy, and
our galaxy alone. The fact that the Andromeda galaxy is our
closest neighboring galaxy logically gives us some clues as to
why we are being contacted. The magnitude of such an effort
clearly indicates that considerable urgency is associated with
the signal."

Data, sat up in his seat, with a look of android awe on his
face, then whispered to softly to himself "A distress signal."

Spock raised his head, focusing his piercing glance upon
Data. "A distress signal, commander? Possibly. However, the
signal could also be a warning. Logically we must consider
either as a likely possibility." Spock paused to take a sip of
water.

Will took looked around the room, perplexed. Finally he
raised his hand. Spock nodded toward Riker, indicating that Will
had the floor. "Excuse me, Spock, but weren't you involved in
preventing the Kelvan invasion into our galaxy?"

Spock answered in near monotone, "That is correct,
commander."

Will continued, now making the inquiry sound more like a
cross examination. "You were also able to make a first hand
assessment of the degree of intellectual and technological
prowess of the Kelvan, right?"

Spock raised his eyebrow as he deduced Riker's train of
thought, "To a very minor extent, yes. You are no doubt about to
ask me why a race that is so far above us in technologic terms
would bother asking us for help. Indeed, that is the crucial
question. At this point we must consider this aspect carefully.
If the Kelvan are asking for assistance, then we must assume that
a catastrophe of such overwhelming proportion must have occurred
that one must wonder whether we could realistically lend any
assistance. On the other hand, if the signal is a warning then
an even more disturbing situation exists."

Spock motioned to the gentleman standing behind him. "When
we received the signal, I was asked to make a journey to the
Bataran system. Those historians among you may remember that the
Bataran system is home to a group of Kelvan colonists who were
part of a scouting party intended to precede the invasionary
force. While the details of the invasion are a matter of record,
suffice it to say that the invasion attempt was thwarted, and the
Kelvan survivors were trapped forever in human bodies. There I
sought Rodan, leader of the Kelvan scout force, who has agreed to
help us. He has asked me to allow him to address this company."
Spock stepped back and allowed Rodan to approach the podium.

The Kelvan-turned-human stood at the podium, staring out at
the crowd for several minutes. Although he appeared to be human,
his silent, visual assault was wholly alien. He scrutinizing the
group much as an eagle surveys a meadow for unsuspecting prey,
measuring each member of the audience individually for
weaknesses. His jaw stuck out proudly, his hands gripped the
podium like two vices. Jean Luc was impressed by the sheer level
of presence the Kelvan possessed. Here was a being, in human
form, who was a leader, a conqueror. The Kelvan scouts had
become so human they had ceased to be Kelvan. Yet, so much like
his friend Spock, they were trapped between races.

The Kelvan spoke in a deep, bold voice, "I am Rodan, leader
of a small force sent to your galaxy as an advance scout party to
provide intelligence for a Kelvan invasion. As you are no doubt
aware from your own reports our craft was severely disabled upon
entering the galaxy. Unfortunately for us, we panicked and made
the mistake of transmuting to human form in order to lure one of
your starships to come close enough for us to attempt an escape
back to our home world. Once we had transformed into humanoid
bodies, we were unable to return to our original form."

Rodan dropped his head for a moment, searching for the right
words to follow. "I do not mean to insult you, I speak only as a
weary traveller who once had an intellect, and a glorious past
that is far beyond anything that you possess even now. That was
over two hundred of your years ago. Tears began to well up in
his eyes, although his face remained chiseled in stone. "And
now...now we are quite human. Only vestiges of our memories
remain Kelvan..."

Rodan faltered for a moment, and looked down at the podium
as he was suddenly overcome with emotion. Spock stepped up and
placed a hand on the warrior's shoulder and was about to relieve
him when Rodan stiffened with resolve, brushing Spock's hand away
as he continued. "Mr. Spock played the transmission in question
for me. The technology is Kelvan, but the message is A'akan.
The A'aka are soldiers, bred and elevated into sentience to serve
the Kelvan empire. These beings are literally walking arsenals,
their bodies have appendages that were genetically engineered to
become powerful weapons. With the A'aka, the Kelvan empire
washed across the Andromeda galaxy, conquering and enslaving
thousands...thousands of worlds."

"And now these monsters of yours are trying to lure us into
another trap I'll warrant!" Scotty could hardly contain his
anger, he had not forgotten the lives that the Kelvans
senselessly took in their extreme arrogance.

Spock stepped up to intervene, but Rodan held up his hand,
and answered softly. "No, Mr. Scott. The A'aka do not need to
be so devious. They are ruthless and bold in battle, but they
were bred, altered by us to do so. They are actually very gentle
by nature, and they hold truth and honesty in the highest regard.
The signal is from Ka'ana herself, venerated leader of the A'akan
guard." Rodan turned toward Data. "And you are correct Mr.
Data. The transmission is a distress signal."

"Can you give us a better idea of what these A'aka are
like?" Jean Luc asked.

Rodan smiled. It was not the kind of smile that Jean Luc
associated with anything nice or beneficial, the feeling behind
the gesture was more like...morbid, carnivorous zeal. "Of
course, captain Picard. The A'aka are...well, like large
lobsters. They have 48 appendages, all are tools, weapons, or
manipulating arms. They are deadly powerful as I have indicated.
You see, my ancestors were savagely carnivorous. The A'aka
evolved their appendicular weaponry in response to the tremendous
pressures my ancestors placed upon the evolving A'akan
population. Long after we gained sentience, we recognized the
tremendous potential of this species as warriors, so we elevated
the A'aka into sentience and genetically engineered them so that
their arsenal was even more powerful than what nature had
provided. The result was the ultimate, remote-controlled
warrior."

Worf bristled at this, his eyes burning with a deep-seated
desire to engage one of these A'aka in battle. Already his
thoughts drifted toward a holodeck simulation. The Klingon
wondered whether Rodan might have any visual data on these
creatures that he'd be willing to share.

Jean Luc adjusted his position slightly, Rodan's stare was
making him just a bit uncomfortable. Rodan caught the motion,
correctly interpreting it as a slight shiver of fear. "You
should squirm, captain. If you ever confront the A'aka, pray
that they take you quickly. You see, the A'aka also have a
potent venom that can be altered to match the nervous system of
any life form. Once envenomated, the victim lingers,
experiencing a slow, excruciatingly painful death."

"I will be sure to remember that, should the need arise."
Jean Luc said, allowing a small measure of overconfidence ooze
through to the surface. After all, the Federation was not
exactly chopped liver, and the Enterprise crew were the cream of
the crop.

Rodan chuckled. "Captain, there is no need for posturing
here. You do not have to impress me. Just remember what I say
here. It may save your life some day, or unless I am mistaken
you and your crew are somehow destined to meet up with them. In
addition to the A'aka are the orvani. The orvan is a collective
consciousness, much like the Borg were before their dramatic
emergence into individuality. When the Kelvan became telepathic
we instantly recognized the presence of the orvan and overpowered
it. The orvani are small, lizard-like creatures. Each
individual orvani is a part of the whole, part of the orvan. The
orvan had co-evolved with the A'aka in an incredible mutualistic
relationship. Within the ventrum of each A'akan is a small
concavity. The orvan seeks refuge within this cavity, and thus
is provided shelter from predators, from ancestral Kelvan
specifically. In return for the protection the orvan links
telepathically with the A'akan, through the small orvani subunit,
forming an extraordinarily powerful, telepathically linked
superorganism. We harnessed this power to provide each A'akan
with an undefeatable communications and intelligence network.
With this system the A'aka were virtually impossible to defeat,
since what one A'akan knew, all A'aka were capable of knowing,
through their orvani. The orvan is very intelligent, but passive
by nature." Rodan threw a small computer chip onto the table.
"The rest of the information you seek is contained within this
isochip. I have provided as much useful information about the
Kelvan empire as I can remember. As for the message, the A'aka
request assistance from any and all recipients in the neighboring
galaxy, this galaxy. I must assume from all of this that the
worst has happened. The Kelvan empire must has collapsed, and
the slaves have been left to fend for themselves. I must warn
you now that you must not attempt to provide assistance, or in
any way acknowledge the signal."

Admiral Chen spoke up. "Why, Rodan? Why should we fear
making contact with your galaxy?"

Rodan chuckled again softly as he shook his head from side
to side. "You can never be made to understand. The Kelvan
empire controlled an entire galaxy for over a million years. Our
might was unlike anything you could possibly understand.
Whatever has happened in our home galaxy, it is best left
alone...for your sake."

The Kelvan commander began to step down from the podium when
Jean Luc spoke up. "Rodan, we are receiving a distress signal
from your home. Don't you want us to help your people?"

Rodan paused for a moment as he searched for the right
response, then cast a sarcastic, condescending smirk. "Captain
Picard, my kind would never send such a signal, nor would they
allow their slaves to do so. As I told your Captain Kirk long
ago the Kelvan do not ask for anything, we...they take." His
face became painfully solemn as he continued. "The Kelvan are
dead, and now my small contingent are all that remains of
Kelvana, the mightiest of empires."

As Rodan left, almost as an afterthought, he paused and
turned back to face the silent stares that followed him. "I do
not want to seem ungrateful. Imagine if you awoke one day, far
from home, to realize that your family, your friends, your entire
universe was gone. The feeling is inexpressible. We, the
vestiges of Kelvana thank you for choosing to spare our lives
after our invasion was thwarted. And now...

Rodan paused, his face softened, his eyes lost their cold
ebony edge. His wolfish countenance melted, and he continued,
now much more comfortably human. Well, now we are no more Kelvan
than you are. I no longer possess the extreme intelligence I
once wielded. However, it seems plain to me that your Federation
has developed the means to somehow answer this signal or you
would not have gone to such lengths to assemble this briefing.
Since you have asked me here to assist you in your evaluation of
this situation, I will give you some good advice - avoid the
Andromeda galaxy at all costs. Whatever disaster has befallen
Andromeda you are powerless to intervene. You would only be
destroyed yourselves in the attempt, and you may endanger your
own galaxy in the process. Now, if you will excuse me, I find
all of this quite disconcerting. I wish to return to my colony,
my home. I suggest for you all to do likewise. Leave the Kelvan
and their subordinates to meet their fate in their own way. If I
may, I would like to request that you make no further attempts to
contact us. We want to exist in peace, and in privacy. Thank
you."

Spock nodded to Rodan, who left the proceedings quickly.
Jean Luc watched the man as he left. So proud, yet robbed of
spirit, like an eagle with a disabled wing. They were elite
predators, now helpless captives, having to spend day after
humiliating day in a cage, able only to stare out, and remember.
Rodan had become a living fossil, once immensely powerful, now
dominated by inferiors, reduced to a side-show curiosity. Jean
Luc felt a great sense of loss come over him as he watched Rodan
disappear out the door.

He watched the door for a minute or so, then felt the soft,
warmth a hand being laid upon his own. He looked over at Deanna.
She smiled at him, and patted his hand, whispering, "Captain, he
and his people are free of the responsibility of being Kelvan,
they are at peace. Believe me, I can feel it. How many other
vanquished warriors are as fortunate?"

Jean Luc sighed, then placed his hand on Deanna's. The two
exchanged light squeezes of acknowledgement.

Meanwhile, Will was fidgeting like a kid with chicken pox in
Sunday school. Spock raised one eyebrow before responding. "You
have something to contribute, commander?"

Will answered with an apologetic tone. "Forgive me, Spock,
but even if we were able to decipher the signal, what could we
realistically do about it? I mean, it's not like we can just pop
over for a visit, that is unless Rodan was on to something..."

This time Spock waited for Riker to finish the sentence
before answering. "Prophetic, commander. I have just returned
from the Delta quadrant, where final testing of a new
transportation technology is underway. In fact, the most
significant development in transportation yet realized has been
achieved. A new age of travel has dawned. My friends, we have
found the hyperdoor."

The surprise of the audience could not be suppressed. All
at once the participants broke into enthusiastic discussion,
except the seated vulcan. Spock stepped back away from the
podium to allow the pandemonium to run its course. As he stood
back, Spock allowed his mind to clear for a moment. So much had
happened in his long, long life. Each era brought with it a new
set of problems. However, the basic solutions were almost always
the same. One had only to peel back the shroud to uncover the
source...Suddenly, Spock sensed that something was wrong. He'd
sensed it once, at the beginning of the meeting. However, he had
chosen to ignore it as one of the many dark thoughts that creep
around in the shadows of subconscious thought, destined never to
ascend to the level of voluntary action. But the sensation had
returned; a dark threat...covert observation. Spock's brow
furrowed again as he focused on the source, but it was gone.
After a few more moments in contemplation Spock stepped back up
to the podium and took another look around the room. Nowhere was
there a hint of the source of the maliciousness as each of the
audience was still engaged in enthusiastic extrapolation of the
benefits and uses of the new device. Finally Spock motioned
toward the seated vulcan, who had remained silent and detached
from the enthusiastic tumult that was taking place around him.
The spirited disputation quieted significantly as the young,
stone-faced lieutenant rose to approach the podium. Although
younger by at least 200 years, the vulcan was Spock's double.
The din was well on its way toward extinction as the audience
watched in astonishment as the mysterious Spock-doppleganger
prepared to address them.

Spock displayed no emotion, as expected. "I turn the podium
over to lieutenant Sirock, director of research for project
Starwalker."

Picard leaned toward Riker. Will responded by leaning over
toward his captain. Picard whispered, "Uncanny! He could pass
for Spock's son."

Riker's eyes widened. Both returned their attention back to
the podium. Sirock spoke with the same emotionless dexterity as
his uncle. "For security reasons I will omit details. If there
are any questions, I would be glad to discuss them with you after
the briefing. However, the information I am about to discuss
with you has been declared as the highest Top Security.
Recently, a hyperdoor was discovered quite by accident." Sirock
turned his attention to the center of the table. A 3D holograph
blinked into existence above the middle of the table.

"When we realized what we had happened, we began to
experiment with the effect." As Sirock spoke, two, highly
reflective funnels appeared, oriented point to point. The image
roughly resembled an hourglass lying on its side. The surfaces
of the image appeared to be liquid, as if made of mercury. "What
you are looking at now is a representation of the hyperdoor
effect as produced within our lab."

Silence gripped the audience as the image faded and was
replaced by a squat torus. Sirock continued as the torus began
to lengthen to form a tube. "We were observing the effects of
warping gravitron fields into various shapes. We were working
with the toroid shape when we noticed some unusual phenomena
associated with the shape. We decided to hold this configuration
to make some additional observations. A particle beam was passed
through the center of the portal, and was apparently unaffected.
However, we were startled to observe that the beam had traversed
the distance between the projector and the image enhancer at a
speed slightly greater than the speed light." The funnel image
was suddenly pierced by a brightly lit laser to give visual
assistance to the description.

Sirock continued. "Further experiments revealed that the
velocity of particle beam increased proportionately to the
increasing length of the toroid. We later discovered that this
was due to the fact that the beam was travelling through the
inside of the toroid as if the distance from the entrance and
exit points was zero...as if the space lying immediately on
either side of the toroidal openings were two points lying
directly next to each other in normal space."

The funnel lengthened as the particle beam continued to pass
through. Sirock paused to take a sip of tea. "Subsequent tests
of the toroid proved that this configuration represents the long
sought after hyperdoor. Travel through the hyperdoor between any
two points is, as far as we can determine, instantaneous."

The projection image shifted to a representation of the
Milky Way Galaxy at a slightly tilted angle. The diagrammatic
toroid funnel was overlaid on the galactic projection such that
the funnel ends stretched nearly from edge to edge through the
galactic core. Satisfied that the new image would approximate
the actual effect, Sirock concluded. "The ultimate test of this
new finding took place just a few days prior to this meeting. A
member of the team was transported through the hyperdoor into
this quadrant directly from the research station Dryphon, near
the Brulak double star system."

The assemblage resumed enthusiastic discussion. One of the
attendants was fidgeting, obviously anxious about the
developments. Scotty dropped his jaw as he spoke. "Brulak!
Why, that's nearly across the entire diameter of the galaxy!"

Riker raised his hand again, trying to mask his likeness to
'Doubting Thomas' with a look of innocent curiosity. Sirock
nodded to Riker to take the floor. "At the risk of sounding at
all critical, what tests were made in advance of this trial?
What is the condition of the subject?"

Sirock raised an eyebrow in an uncanny likeness of Spock,
then looked down at himself as if inspecting for some unseen
damage. "Well, commander, I seem to have suffered no ill
effects."

An approving chuckle broke out. Sirock paused to allow the
wave of nervous giggles and soft whispers fade before concluding.
"In addition to the transgalactic jump, tests using other
volunteers of several races have demonstrated that travel through
the hyperdoor appears to be quite safe. Unfortunately, the
portal is currently limited to a total inside diameter of 3
meters. With this, I will turn the podium back to Admiral Chen."

A chorus of discussion broke out as Sirock surrendered the
podium to the admiral. Chen looked suddenly very grim as he
addressed the group. "This is not going to be good," Picard
whispered softly to himself.

Chen cleared his throat, then raised his voice to match his
solemn mask. "I won't beat around the bush. Commander Sirock
has successfully established a hyperdoor link to within 0.1 light
year of the rim of the Andromeda galaxy. A probe was sent
through the portal, and has returned with preliminary
intelligence of the what appears to be a vast civilization at the
rim of the galaxy. We have charted what appears to be the center
of the civilization. In addition, we have found a probe
stationed just outside of the galactic rim, away from the
influences of nearby stellar gasses. The configuration and
position of the device confirm Spock's supposition about the
directional nature of the signal. The Andromeda galaxy is
attempting to contact us."

Chen turned his attention to the table center, where a new
projection of the images from the probe flashed up. Several
highlighted dots with coordinate legends indicated planetary
systems. "We have already begun sending equipment and supplies
through the portal to mount an expedition into the Andromeda
galaxy to investigate the source and meaning of the signal
beacon. Obviously, an expedition of this kind carries with it an
extreme degree of uncertainty."

Spock was staring down at the podium. Suddenly, one eyebrow
crept up his brow and into the position of 'fascination.' All of
the members of the audience mistook this gesture for some pre-
speech preparation. All that is, except Deanna. Deanna was
sensing that growing concern was creeping over the ancient
vulcan. She looked over at Jean Luc. He smiled curtly, an
indication that his counsellor was distracting him unnecessarily
from the fantastic proceedings. She could read a tremendous
sense of satisfaction and anticipation in her captain. He was
ready, eager to deal with what was to come next.

Deanna began to survey the visitors. In every case she
sensed the same preoccupation with the proceedings. As she
panned the room her eyes met Spock's. She had a slight start as
she realized that Spock was speaking to her. "Deanna, everyone
knows you are an empath. I am sure we are being covertly
monitored. Do not allow our uninvited guests an opportunity to
suspect that we detect their presence. Meet with me during the
recess."

Deanna immediately swiveled her chair and pretended to
adjust her seat into a more comfortable position. She returned
her attention to the podium as Spock stepped back up to the
podium, and stood directly behind Admiral Chen.

Spock stared down at the shelf under the podium, a pair of
bosun's whistles lay on the shelf. He noted this, then retrained
his attention on Chen.

"...which is why we have ordered the command crew of the
exploratory vessel Enterprise to attend these proceedings. It is
our intent to send the command crew of the Enterprise, under the
command of captain Picard, into the Andromeda galaxy to
investigate this situation. Due to the obvious need for security
in this matter, the other member nations of the Federation have
not been informed yet of the existence of the hyperdoor, or of
this mission. In addition, we must assume that if the Kelvan had
discovered this form of travel, that they would have invaded our
galaxy long ago. I do not need to remind you of the fact that,
if we are not careful, we could hand this highly advanced,
aggressive species a gold-plated invitation to mount a successful
invasion of our galaxy.

The audience sat silent, each member contemplating on the
full significance of the situation. Slowly, each turned to face
Jean Luc as Chen concluded. "While there are a myriad of details
left to discuss, I am sure that you all grasp the basic nature
and intent of this mission. Due to the unusual nature of this
mission, we are asking for volunteers. Refusal to accept will in
no way reflect on your stellar service records, on or off the
record. Jean Luc, I told you this was going to be difficult.
Will you share your thoughts with us?"

Jean Luc was now enshrouded in contemplation, staring at the
projection in the center of the table, rubbing his chin. After a
moment a philosophic grin washed over his solemn countenance.
Jean Luc stood and walked slowly over to the podium and looked
over the group quickly before speaking. "This is indeed a
difficult task. I am sure I speak for the Enterprise crew
present when I say that we are certainly appreciative of the
confidence you place in us. Clearly the element of danger and
responsibility associated with every aspect of this mission is
immense." Jean Luc paused, shifting position on the podium as he
gathered his thoughts, then continued. "Just before attending
this conference I spoke with my counsellor of the distress
associated with the recognition of endings. At the time I was
afraid that our mission might be coming to an end. To some
extent one ne can say the same of beginnings. This clearly
represents the beginning of a new age for all of us. Those of
you who know me best understand that I am an archeologist at
heart. In addition to the attraction that this kind of mission
represents to me, there is an opportunity to explore the unknown.
Personally, for me to refuse this opportunity would be an
admission of the waning of the human spirit. As a result it
seems that I must accept this assignment."

A subtle rustling erupts at the table. Worf gripped the
table, digging his nails into the ironwood surface. Jean Luc
turned to Worf first, fully aware that this was exactly what Worf
was looking for. Worf's eyes were on fire, as if his body had
become a cauldron of magma on the brink of terrible eruption.

Jean Luc smiled wryly and turned back to the group. "I will
not order any of you to join me. I can offer you nothing but
danger and uncertainty. I will need a scientific advisory crew
to accompany me. Commander Data, commander Sirock, can I count
on you to join me?"

Sirock merely bowed acceptance with the characteristic lack
of sentiment. Data was similarly unemotional. Yet, he not
callous. There was a veiled human buried somewhere in that
positronic brain, simple, and uniquely pristine. Always
innocent, with selfless dedication to advancing the body of
scientific knowledge despite the danger to himself "I am
completely intrigued. I accept, captain."

Jean Luc turned moved down the table to his chief engineer.
"Jordi, we will no doubt require the services of a competent
engineer. Are you in?"

Jordi smiled widely. "Absolutely, captain."

Jean Luc smiled and motioned to Dr. Crusher, Deanna, and
Will, who were sitting next to one another. "Number one,
counsellor, can I count on you as well?"

Deanna and Riker looked as each other, smiling. Deanna looked
back over at Jean Luc and answered with her patented cool aplomb.
"We are both with you, captain."

"A physician will no doubt be required. Jean Luc glanced
over to Worf, who looked as though he was about to crack into
pieces out of sheer anticipation. "Not yet, my Klingon friend."
Jean Luc thought to himself. He continued, speaking to the
doctor. "Beverley, will you join us?"

Beverley leaned forward, scowling facetiously. "I'll go if
you all promise me that I won't have anything to do."

The group responded with mild chuckling. Jean Luc finally
turned to Worf, who had been simmering at just under nuclear
melt-down during the round-table invitational. Jean Luc suddenly
lost his smile. His face seemed to turn to stone as he fixed a
cold, icy stare squarely upon the Klingon.

For just a moment Worf was confused by the sudden change in Jean
Luc's demeanor. Then, he stiffened, the slightest smile escaped
to the tough Klingon exterior when he realized what Jean Luc was
up to.

Jean Luc lifted his head and let out a blood curdling yell. He
spoke gruffly, in native Klingonese "KAAACHU! HOAK! CHU AAHK!"

Jordi leaned over to Data. "Data, what is he saying?"

Data whispered back. "I seek a warrior, worthy of battle!"

Worf was beyond joy, or relief. In fact, only another
Klingon could have understood what this moment meant to a
warrior. Worf had transcended the bounds of time to unite with
his ancestors in a moment of barbaric purity. He rose, towering
above the table, and answered the traditional Klingon call to
battle with a guttural roar.

"NOK. CHATUK. KAT CHA NO MI LUK KATCHUK. Worf, NI MAH KON CHA
MOG. KAAAAH NOTAAAH KAAATCHAAH!"

Data continued the translation. "You honor me and my family with
your challenge. The warrior Worf, son of Mog answers your
summons!"

Jean Luc clasped his hands together, then answered, bowing
slightly. "KAAAAAHHH TAAA-CHAK! Worf KOCHAAAAAH! He raised up
suddenly, lifting his hands up as if making a heavenly offering,
and finished, howling at the top of his lungs. "NO MI TU LA TAK.
CHUUUU MAK!"

"We are honored by the presence of Worf, a warrior! Will
anyone dispute this warrior's worthiness?" Data looked around
the table, naturally having taken the question seriously.

Worf and Jean Luc peered at each other for another minute,
as silence saturated the room. After a long minute, Jean Luc
extended his hands as if warming them over a fire just beyond
arm's reach, and uttered softly, but with Klingon finality, "NOK
CHU KAAAH!" The captain lowered his hands to his sides and bowed
low to Worf as he repeated the final phrase in English "It is
done!" Jean Luc smiled at Worf after the ritual, speaking more
softly now, "thank you, my friend."

Worf seemed to withdraw suddenly, as if in meditation. Yet
his fiery spirit still burned steadily.

Jean Luc turned stepped back away from the podium, motioning
toward his crew. "Admiral, God willing I believe we are ready
once again to venture into the abyss. However, at this moment I
would like to have a word or two in private with the members of
my crew. Events of this magnitude require some discussion in a
less official atmosphere."

Admiral Chen stepped forward and placed his hand on Jean
Luc's shoulder. He leaned forward over the podium. "I don't
have to remind you of the critical nature of this mission. You
have all sworn to obey the principles of the prime directive.
You must now swear to withhold any and all information about your
mission, the hyperdoor, and Federation involvement from anyone
outside of this room. You must swear this oath on your lives."
UNWELCOME GUESTS
A black glove reached up and switched off the subspace
receiver. Colonel Gul DuMeer rapped his fingers thoughtfully on
the table as he considered the possibilities. "The Hyperdoor, at
last! The Federation stands at the edge of it's own downfall.
The fools! With this tool, we can reach out to the very boundary
of the universe!" He looked up as a Romulan woman entered. She
was dressed in the uniform of a squadron commander of the Tal
Shirah, the Romulan version of the SS. Gul DuMeer continued,
smiling brightly. "There will be no limit to the technology we
can gather, beginning with that of the Kelvan! Afterward, we can
redefine the role of the Federation...as foot servants to
Cardassian/Romulan Rule!"

The Romulan halted in the center of the room, hands on hips.
Her tone carried suspicion, and a hint of disdain. "Why wasn't I
advised of this sooner? How long have you known of this?"

Gul DuMeer waved his hand as he spoke, in sugar-sweet
deceit, "relax, my suspicious friend. We received only sketchy
reports from our contacts within the Federation. Our knowledge
of this development is as infantile as your own. Besides, with
this knowledge we would have the ability to destroy each other,
wouldn't we?" The Cardassian walked over to a table and uncorked
a bottle of Romulan spice rum. "And your empire is still
standing, isn't it? "It has suddenly become more imperative that
we seek to establish an even stronger bond of trust between our
two peoples, lest one party moves to establish an unfair
advantage over the other."

The Romulan forced herself to return the smile, making both
look like twin thieves about to pick each other's pocket. "Do
you have a plan?"

Gul DuMeer lifted the vial to take in the bouquet of the
liquor, wafting the vapors toward his uplifted nose to enhance
the effect. "Of course! Simple, and efficient. We will merely
ride on the coattails of this foolish expedition until we have
acquired the necessary information to seize the hyperdoor from
the Federation. Of course, the expedition will meet an
unfortunate fate, resulting in the loss of all involved. An
explosion at the Dryphon station will seal the door, marooning
the brave crew of the Enterprise in the hostile realm of
Andromeda, forever! With the technical information gained from
the Kelvan, we will first eliminate the Federation, then proceed
with the establishment of joint Romulan/Cardassian rule of the
entire universe!"

An alarm at the CRT signaled an incoming message. Gul
DuMeer reached over to activate the device with vicious
enthusiasm. He answered gruffly. "Speak!"

A submissive Cardassian apparition materialized on the
screen and answered. "Gul DuMeer, Imperial shuttle arriving."

Gul DuMeer "Signal transporter platform, two to beam to the
shuttle."

The Cardassian signalman bowed his head in respect. "Yes,
my lord."

Gul DuMeer switched off the CRT and returned to the serving
table. He poured a small aliquot of rum into two, small crystal
vials, and offered the tray to his Romulan accomplice. "To
Cardassian/Romulan rule, and to the beauty of Wing Lord Tona
Shah, who provides her empire with the overwhelming advantage
that transformed the Federation and the Borg into menial foot
servants!" Tona Shah picked up the drink, smiling
enthusiastically under the stroking influence of her deceitful
confederate. S

Seeing that his many seeds of deception were beginning to
take root, the Cardassian swiftly hefted his drink to seal the
evil partnership with a toast, and an oath. "The Federation will
not fade in a stately fashion, like a noble matron. I want her
to crumble..." Gul DuMeer threw the liquor down his throat, then
closed his fist around the tiny chalice. "I want her to crumble,
like fine crystal under the irresistible power of an iron fist!"

Tona Shah bore only a slight smirk, admiring the style of
the Cardassian, yet fully aware of the Cardassian's attempt to
woo her into oblivious vulnerability. She would play along, of
course, allowing him to believe that she was captivated by his
virility. The absurd notion that Cardassian men had of
themselves was exactly why Tona Shah, an extremely attractive
Romulan, was chosen for this assignment. In the end, it would be
Tona Shah, and not the mighty Gul DuMeer who would return to
bestow this gift upon Romulus.
PREPARATIONS
In the subdued lighting of 10 Forward a recently assigned
ensign sat alone in a small booth, completely unnoticed.
However, ensign Butler could see the command crew of the
Federation Starship USS Enterprise very clearly, just as planned.

Jean Luc lifted his glass in a toast. "Before I make this
toast, I must first take care of a little business. Mr. Worf,
report to duty."

Worf sprang to attention, smiling uncharacteristically. The
command seemed to energize him, filling him once again with
strength of mind and spirit to match that of his iron body. "Aye
sir!"

Jean Luc motioned his security chief back to his seat. "At
ease, Mr. Worf, you're shift just ended." Worf obediently took
his seat as he smirked dubiously at the captain's jest. Jean
Luc, still holding his glass aloft toasted his crew. "You are a
fine exec staff, and I have been proud to command this vessel
with your help. We have encountered and overcome many perils in
our tour of duty, but now we enter into the most challenging
mission of our careers. I am your captain, not your master. As
such, my command is only as good as your talents and your
experience. Keep sharp, and remember that things aren't always
as they seem. To your very good health." Picard downed his
glass, and glanced over to Deanna, who looked a bit stunned.
Jean Luc raised his eyes in mimicking surprise. "Oh, yes,
counsellor! We humans are empowered with our own measure of
empathic ability. I sensed that you discovered something amiss
during the briefing. Can you tell us about it?"

Deanna turned as red as a beat. She looked around to see
that everyone seated with her had picked up on her subtle, but
unmistakable start. Every one of them had seen it before, many
times. Each knew the sudden change in her posture or the look in
her face when she sensed a problem. As she looked around, only
disclosing smiles were returned. "Why, I thought I was being so
cool about it!"

Jean Luc's demeanor chilled as he spoke seriously. "We've
worked together for too long for that, Deanna. But
unfortunately, we are not the only ones capable of reading subtle
clues. Spock also sensed that something was amiss. I assumed
that you and the vulcans, being the only telepaths in the group,
had elected to keep it quiet, a wise move."

Mouth agape, Deanna could only look at the group. "Uhhh..."

Jean Luc interrupted. "However, the stakes in this game are
too high for any of our group to be any less than fully aware of
the risks."

Deanna gave an acknowledging nod. "You're right. Spock
told me not to discuss it with anyone until he had a chance to
conduct a preliminary investigation."

Will's curiosity got the best of him. "What was it,
Deanna?"

"I'm not really sure." Deanna started, a furrow blemishing
her otherwise pristine complection. "I just began to sense that
something was wrong with Spock. He must seen it in me, so he
contacted me telepathically and warned me that the briefing was
being monitored, and for me to keep it to myself. That is all I
know. I haven't heard from Spock since then."

Jean Luc rubbed at his chin for a moment, then began tapping
lightly on the table.

Riker saw what Jean Luc was up to, so he improvised, picking
up an uncorked bottle. "Worf, it's time for you to experience an
old Earth tradition, Everclear."

Worf looked on curiously, but was unable to mask a slight
smirk. "I do not mean to offend you, commander, but I have
tasted human liqueurs before, they do not produce the desired
effect in Klingons."

Undaunted, Riker finished pouring: "Well, maybe you just
never tried the right brand." Will lifted his glass.

Unable to resist a challenge, the Klingon grabbed the glass,
sloshing a small amount of the liquor onto the table.

"Prost!" Riker half shouted.

"NAKUT TAAAAH!!!" The Klingon replied. Each lifted their
heads as they gulped down the clear liquid.

Worf sat the glass down and looked at Will as if he'd just
had a drink of water. "This liquor goes down like water."

Will simply smiled, and waited. Suddenly, Worf lifted his
hand up to his chest as he cocked his head and exhaled sharply.
"But it has a fire that grows on you."

Will looked at Jean Luc, who had stopped tapping. The
captain wiped his mouth, and rose to address the group. "Mr.
Data, I want to go over the final preparations for our mission
with you. Please report to my ready room in 10 minutes.

Data looked confused. The final preparations had been
checked and double checked days ago. Yet, he'd learned not to
question seemingly dubious orders, since humans often used this
technique as a ruse. Picard might be suspicious that they were
being monitored. Just in case Data took a slow, steady pan
around the room to keep as a record, just in case.

Picard was not too surprised to find Spock and Sirock in his
ready room, waiting for him. Spock motioned to Picard,
indicating that he wanted to meld with the captain. Picard gave
his permission. Spock peered at Picard's head as he brought his
fingers up and slowly, carefully, placed them at just the right
points. Picard felt the usual calming effects that were the
hallmark of vulcan telepathy. The effect was intended more to
sooth the subject, thereby reducing the flood of emotion, which
of course all vulcans found quite bothersome. "Jean Luc, we do
not have much time. Please, just listen. Forgive me for keeping
this from you, but I was worried that if a Star Fleet Top Secret
briefing could be infiltrated, then security measures in general
would have to be considered suspect. During the briefing I
noticed that the bosun had left her whistle behind, right beside
the board room whistle normally kept in the briefing room for
security purposes. The whistle had a transmitter in it, the
carrier signal was Cardassian. We were expecting something like
this, but we had to keep the actual plan a secret until the last
possible moment..."

After a few more minutes in the meld Spock backed away from
Jean Luc, and motioned to Sirock, who had been carrying on a
conversation with a patched together set of recordings of Jean
Luc's voice. Jean Luc said nothing as Sirock finished his mock
conversation, and bade the captain good luck. Both vulcans bowed
quickly, then exited. Jean Luc sat in his chair and sighed. He
looked over to the replicator and called out, "Tea, strong, with
lemon and honey." It was time to get to work.

***

Chief Engineering consultant specialist Montgomery Scott
settled into the control console of the hyperdoor field
manipulator. It was a whole new kind of thrill, driving the
hyperdoor to places millions of light years away and establishing
a corridor for instantaneous travel.

Of course, crossing such vast distances required skillful
balancing of the extreme relative velocities of the various
celestial bodies within the galaxy. After all, an object at one
end of the galaxy would most likely have at any point in time an
extremely high relative velocity with respect to objects at the
opposite end of the galaxy. If the hyperdoor tube was extended
in a strictly linear fashion across such a vast expanse, the
person or object exiting the tube could have a relative velocity
to local bodies that could approach the speed of light. To
correct this potentially disastrous result, a computer was needed
to set up a sort of 'wiggling' tube that could set the entrance
and exit velocities to zero with respect to major celestial
bodies in the vicinity.

Somehow, and this was not quite understood yet, inertia was
completely dampened by the tube effect. In fact, virtually
nothing about the hyperdoor effect was known except to Sirock and
two other vulcans. Even Scotty and Spock did not know the
details of the effect.

What the rest of the universe did not know was that a means
of shaping gravitron fields had been developed. Sirock's main
focus of research was investigating the effects of differing
gravitron field shapes. One day, while attempting to create a
gravitron field torus, the unusual, dual-funnel effect that was
the hyperdoor resulted. Sirock theorized that since the
gravitrons generated from surrounding matter are essentially
excluded from the torus, the realization of the phenomenon known
as inertia must somehow be dependent on the presence of
gravitrons within a normal space-time environment. But when
asked, Sirock would only reply. "That information is
classified."

"Just as long as the bloody thing works." Scotty whispered
softly to himself. He ran the test program once more, just to be
sure. The relative velocity between the Milky Way and Andromeda
Galaxies was approximately 0.5 light speed. Actually, since the
exploration team would be placed outside of the rim of the
galaxy, anything less than a few hundred thousand kilometers per
second would have sufficed. However, Scotty knew that he could
do better than that. "I'll put them right on the bloody
doorstep." The calculations took just under five seconds to
complete. In the days before positronic processor chips it would
have taken up to half an hour to complete the 4.5 billion sets of
calculations to complete the anticipated 8 hour hyperdoor window
they'd need to complete the transfer of personnel and equipment
to Andromeda. Scotty smiled as he polished up the console window
before shutting the system down for the night. "I'd settle for
an nice, old warp nacelle all the same."

In a nearby bay a smaller version of the hyperdoor opened up
to eject two travellers. Sirock emerged first, followed
immediately by Spock. The two vulcans paused, staring back at
the still open hyperdoor. Spock finally turned to the younger
vulcan. "Sirock, your departure is drawing near. Have you
selected a steward to safeguard your Katra?"

When the hyperdoor winked out of existence Sirock turned and
looked at Spock, eyebrows raised. "Commander Spock, I am aware
that you are half human. Vulcans would consider such an inquiry
to be rather insulting. Nevertheless, I have considered it.
Have you considered that with my Katra, must come the secret of
the hyperdoor?" Sirock stared, stone faced at his father.

Spock turned away and walked over to peer out a small
portal. "Galactic distances can dworf the mind. Early space
travelers were often driven mad by just the thought of it. And
now, you are travelling one million times that distance." Spock
turned slowly to face Sirock, a single tear flowed down his
cheek.

Sirock took a step back, unsure of what to make of the
elderly vulcan's sudden concern. The only sensible explanation
seemed to be that it might have something to do with the fact
that Spock was half human and had come back from the dead through
the fusion of his own Katra with a former ship's doctor. "Spock,
you are obviously moved beyond self control. Is this a function
of your human half, or is it due to some powerful emotional
sensation that overwhelms your vulcan control?"

"There is something I must tell you, something of the utmost
importance to both of us. I was content to simply follow your
life and your career with the greatest feeling of pride. You
never knew your mother and father."

Sirock nodded in agreement. "That is correct. My mother
died when I was six months old. Her name was Saavik. I was
fostered by your own father, Sarek, before he began to suffer
from Bendai disease. I tried many times to find out about my
father. But no matter where I turned there was only a highly
suspicious lack of information, as if he never existed.
Ultimately I allowed myself to escape from the emotional trap I
was setting for myself. But somehow I always felt that fate
would reunite me with them..."

Spock nodded understanding. "Sirock, for a vulcan to place
any faith in fate is clearly illogical, how do you defend such a
position?"

Sirock stared long at Spock, peering intently through half-
closed lids. "And now that I am about to accept a highly
dangerous mission you are going to reveal to me that which I have
sought after for the past thirty seven years." Sirock reached up
toward Spock's temple with two fingers. Spock allowed the
contact as Sirock and Spock melded. After a few long minutes
Sirock broke the meld, clearly troubled by what he discovered in
Spock's thoughts. In fact, Sirock suddenly seemed to be
downright angry. "I cannot believe that you would willingly
withhold this information from me! All this time, why? Why!?"

Spock folded his hands together and pushed up on his lower
lip with his index fingers. He stood, motionless for a few
minutes while Sirock waited in shock for some kind of
explanation. Finally he dropped his hands and smiled softly,
startling Sirock. "I did not want you to suffer the way I
suffered. You do not know what it is like to be trapped between
species, part of both and yet belonging to neither. I wanted to
spare you the shame of being the son of a half breed."

Sirock held up his fingers in the ceremonial final joining
of a father and a son at the Sochot Karat, childhood's end. "I
was already enrolled at the Vulcan Science Institute by the time
the ceremony would have been conducted. I had one of the
janitors help me with the ritual."

Spock whispered to his son, "I know."

"How do you know? I told no one." Sirock was piecing more
and more of the evidence together, his father had watched him,
like an observer, peering through a one way mirror.

"I asked the janitor to befriend you, that one day you would
need his help. I melded with him so that, in time, you would
receive the ritual that you required to attain spiritual
independence." Spock raised an eyebrow as his son frowned in
frustration.

"Was there anything I did that you did not know about?"

Spock placed his hand against his son's. "There are an
infinite number of things you did that I will never be able to
know, and I feel the painful void left within my soul as a
result. And now, you are about to go where I cannot follow. You
have achieved full mature mental and spiritual stature in the
strict Vulcan tradition. You are ready to accept the full truth
about your past. Indeed, you must prepare yourself for what is
to come. You must be free of any doubt, any torment that your
mysterious past may place upon your soul."

"Spock...Father, please, tell me of my mother."

"When I was reborn, on Genesis, Saavik was stationed aboard
a routine science vessel assigned to study the Genesis effect.
When they discovered my life signs Saavik and the son of my
friend and captain, David Kirk beamed down to the planet to
investigate. As it turned out the Klingons had gotten wind of
the Genesis experiment and embarked on a covert expedition into
federation space to obtain the secret of Genesis. The Klingons
destroyed the Saavik's vessel, stranding David and Saavik on the
planet with me. Unfortunately, David had used protomatter in the
Genesis torpedo, resulting in global instability. When they
first found me, I was but a child. However, due to the effects
of the protomatter in the Genesis device I was aging at an
incredible rate. By the time the Klingons learned that Saavik
and David were on the planet I was entering adolescence. I
entered the Pon Faar in the midst of attempting to escape from
the Klingon away team. Saavik gave herself to me so that I could
focus on surviving the ordeal. After we were rescued, I had to
return to Earth to testify on behalf of my friends. We
encountered the cetacean alien probe, and I was committed to
assisting the efforts to deal with the destructive effects of the
probe. Saavik presumed me dead and took another assignment in my
absence. She was lost when her vessel disappeared into a mobius
wormhole. Thirty seven years ago the ship emerged when a Romulan
vessel strayed close to the wormhole and disrupted the mobius
effect. All aboard were spared, but the space-time disruption
caused by the mobius wormhole had resulted in complete
physiologic stasis. When she emerged, she realized that she bore
our child. The galaxy was in the midst of sociopolitical
upheaval. Species purity was considered among the highest of
virtues, and many 'brids,' short for hybrids, were rejected from
society. We agreed that, in order to protect you from the truth
the identity of your father would be hidden. Saavik died on a
routine mission to Regulus 4 when her ship struck a cloaked
Romulan photon mine. When that happened, I was left with no
other option but to seek the help of my father in raising you.
The gambit paid off as well as I could have expected, but now..."

Sirock placed a hand on Spock's shoulder. "Your plan was
logical, father. You took the only course available to you at
the time. Now I know why I wrestle more with my emotions than
other vulcans. And yet they give me a dimensionality that my
peers do not have. With this added ability to sense human
emotion I am more than I would be if I were merely Vulcan. I am
proud to be called your son, and I consider myself lucky to be
blessed with an advantage over others of my species."

Sirock and Spock stared at each other in silence for another
minute or two, then Sirock cocked an eyebrow at his father, just
about the same time Spock did at his son. Simultaneously they
reached up to touch each other at the left temple, so that they
could share with each other that which had been denied them both.
Along with the fusion of their individual Katra, flowed the
secret of the hyperdoor.

"Sirock, it is my duty as a Star Fleet officer to inform you
that by revealing to me information classified as Absolute Top
Secret you, are in violation of the Star Fleet code of conduct.
Consider yourself under arrest."

Sirock nodded. "I stand informed." The two left without
further discussion to savor the sharing that each had waited so
long to experience.

***

Tona Shah beamed down from the Romulan shuttle that had
delivered her back to the Warbird parked just outside of the
Cardassian/Romulan neutral zone. She walked quickly past the
security nets set up all over the ship until emerging in a
briefing room adjacent to main engineering. Winglord Rimau
V'taal, venerated supreme director of the Imperial Romulan Host
greeted her in the transporter stall. Tona fell to one knee
immediately and bowed her head. "You may rise, commander.
Romulan intelligence indicates that you have performed even
better than we had hoped. Do you share this optimistic
appraisal, Ilyana?"

Tona stood and faced the Romulan warrior who over the years
had come to be known as the Bryvat Nalav, the stone warrior. She
cringed inside at being called Ilyana, colloquial Romulan for a
small, vulnerable child. V'taal was notorious for excluding
females from his forces. His reference was intended to diminish
Tona's deeds, and to set the stage for what was to come.
However, she must have done quite well in the eyes of Romulan
intelligence. Now that the noble Romulan campaigns were a thing
of the past, intelligence forces were gaining more and more
influence over the supreme council. It was a well-known fact
that Romulan intelligence preferred female agents because of
their ability to adapt and improvise in novel situations. For
her to be rebuked by the supreme director of the Romulan Host was
a sign of desperation. V'taal was no doubt attending the
briefing, and wanted to place as much apprehension if not fear
into Tona as possible. "Who am I to question the noble efforts
of Imperial Romulan Intelligence Forces, my lord?"

V'taal stiffened slightly, then lowered his voice. "Do not
mock me, child bearer. I still wield power beyond your
comprehension. On this very day I am going to save your precious
empire from fools like you."

Tona cast a denigrating look at the warrior. "Has the
military taken control of the supreme council in my absence?"

V'taal laughed loudly, startling Tona just a bit. "Child,
the supreme council has changed tremendously since I was a young
cadet. In my day the council ruled by terror, and I do not refer
to the prattle that Central Information Services spews to keep
the weak at bay." They paused at the threshold of the briefing
chamber. V'taal reached over and touched Tona's cheek ever so
lightly with his battle glove. "Today I will give you your first
lesson in leadership."

Tona recoiled, and turned to enter the briefing room, her
confidence waning. V'taal's tactics had succeeded! How could
she let that...Bolrasch manipulate her so? Tona was so upset
with herself that she almost forgot that she was now in the
presence of two of the most famous supreme council members in
Romulan history. Council members were so remote that most
Romulans never saw or heard them in their entire lives. She
quickly collected herself and knelt in traditional fashion,
baring her vulnerable neck as a symbol of faith. "Please be
seated commander. We anxiously await your report." It was
V'taal. The sound of his voice instantly threw her back into a
state of emotional disharmony. Here, in the presence of the most
exalted rulers of Romulus Tona, instead of ascending to the
pinnacle of her career, felt as if she was about to impale
herself on V'taal's drawn saber. Tona closed her eyes as she
saluted, trying to recover her composure. She sighed, then
relinquished a small recording chip to the room steward before
taking her seat. "Winglord V'taal, I am honored to pledge
service to the glory of Romulus! Lord, the mission is proceeding
as planned. The Cardassian, Gul DuMeer seems to be distracted by
my presence, as anticipated. I am certain that he will be
fatally preoccupied at a pivotal point in the mission."

V'taal sported a lecherous smile as Tona spoke. When she
was done flirting with the Cardassians perhaps she would find
refreshment in a virile Romulan warrior. He sobered quickly as
he recognized that Tona awaited further interrogation. Such a
dazzling beauty was indeed mesmerizing. Perhaps after the
mission she would consider him a worthy suitor..."Very good
commander. The preliminary report that the Federation has a new
weapon was not entirely accurate. The discovery is not a weapon
as such. Instead, the Federation has developed a hyperdoor
portal far superior to the Borg tachyon conduit. This
development is the nearly pure expression of theory - the range
of the device is virtually limitless."

V'taal leaned back against her chair and sighed heavily.
"Gods of glory! Tell me commander, what is the transit time
through this conduit?"

"Winglord, according to the account of the Federation
research director himself the transit time between any two points
is negligible. The device has been tested and found to function
perfectly virtually across the diameter of the galaxy."

V'taal stood, his face twisted into contempt.
"Instantaneous travel across the galaxy! With this device the
Federation could move an armada into our most guarded sector and
decimate us and retreat before we could have time to curse their
ancestors. These Federation villains have the gaul to invent
this device. They leave us with no alternative.

My confederates, I stand before you here and now to declare
that our way of life, our future rests on what we do now. If I
may be so bold as to speak my mind to the representatives of the
supreme council, I say we take this weapon and use it to allow
the Romulan empire to fulfill its destiny. The Galaxy, the
Universe! Hail to Romulus!"

The representatives stood at once and began shouting.
V'taal had a silver tongue, unusual for a Romulan. Something
else V'taal had was timing. Under normal circumstances he would
have been run through where he stood for daring to attempt to
sway council representatives in such a manner. However, his
assessment of the situation was as precise as a stroke of his
broad sword. This was clearly a high stakes game, and V'taal had
just dealt himself a killer hand. Judging from the response, the
Romulan empire itself was about to place a wager on the gamble
for ultimate, immutable superiority.

***

Gul DuMeer adored himself in the mirror while fantasizing a
passionate interlude with his new partner in this fantastic,
galactic chess match. "There's men, and then there's Cardassian
men." He primped his slick hair and continued. "And then
there's Gul DuMeer."

He punched at the intercom button with a gloved digit, and
barked into it. "Lieutenant! What is the status of the stasis
tubes?"

The response was instantaneous. "Lord, the tubes are ready
and await final inspection."

Gul DuMeer thought for a second, then snarled again, "have
them stowed on the Bejoran shuttle and announce to the high
council chamber warden that I am beaming down immediately."

"Yes, my lord."

Gol u Meer took one last look at himself before heading out
of his quarters.

The chamber of the Cardassian High Council was renown
throughout the galaxy, although none other than Cardassians had
ever seen it. Representative skulls of vanquished species were
impaled on Cardassian traditional lances and placed in the ground
to line the entrance way to the chamber. The morbid tradition
served as a reminder to all Cardassians of their perceived
station in the galaxy - as the paragon ruling-class species.

Gul DuMeer strode confidently into the council chamber,
taking just enough time to impart the required salute of
reverence to the council members before taking his seat in the
center of the table.

The council magistrate rapped loudly on the table with the
leg bone of a Mahout, a carnivorous, ape-like creature native to
the planet of Cardassia. "All those loyal to the Cardassian
banner may witness these proceedings. Gul DuMeer, we anxiously
await your report of the latest Federation developments. Speak!"

Gul DuMeer stood and allowed his full, larger than average
stature reach full height before starting his well-rehearsed
oration. "My comrades, I stand here before you to report on a
development of such significance that all of the prior
achievements and developments in galactic history dwindle to
insignificance in comparison."

"A haughty claim, Gul DuMeer. Pray, continue!"

"I have learned that the Federation has knowledge of the
strange signal that emanates from our nearest neighboring galaxy.
This is not the first time we have had contact with native
Andromedans! I have learned that the Federation barely thwarted
an invasion of our galaxy from the Andromedans, and that this
signal is apparently some kind of distress signal. More
importantly, the Federation has discovered the elusive hyperdoor
portal!"

The council members rapped thunderously with their osseous
ornaments while Gul DuMeer was content to allow the tide of
excitement ebb before continuing. "In keeping with the ultimate
folly of our Federation neighbors they actually intend to use
this device to respond to this trick, this cunning deceit! In
the words of the Federation's most venerated Vulcan spokesman,
Spock, these creatures possess intelligence and abilities that
far out pace even the great accomplishments of Cardassia!"

"Gul DuMeer, your report is most disturbing. Obviously you
have had more time to consider these developments than any
present. What counsel can you provide?"

"I propose that we act to save our galaxy, and to place
ourselves in control of this hyperdoor device. With it, we would
be invincible. We begin by sending operatives to Andromeda,
along with the foolhardy Federation wayfarers. We will learn the
secrets of the Andromedans and, along with the hyperdoor we will
gain an even more secure advantage over all opponents. With this
new knowledge Cardassia will plant her banner across every
stretch of this, and ultimately every other galaxy in the
universe!"

"Universal conquest, a truly lofty goal! Yet, you claim the
prize before the contest!! We are not in control of this device,
nor do we command this supposed superior knowledge of the
Andromedans. How do you propose to achieve these goals?"

Gul DuMeer was either too oblivious or too narcissistic to
pay any attention to the rebuke. "We happen to have an agent
within the Dryphon station. The plant is so old, we never
thought it would pay off, but that is the way of serendipity. At
an appropriate moment, a Romulan agent and myself will be
transferred into the cargo bay of the Dryphon station in stasis
tubes that have been configured to resemble Federation emergency
shuttle warp nacelles. Since Federation scientists do not fully
understand the effects of transferring antimatter through the
portal, they will evacuate nearly all of the personnel from the
cargo bay when they transfer the nacelles. This will allow us to
be transferred to Andromeda unnoticed, and before any of the
others. Once in Andromeda, we will remain in stasis. When the
expeditionary forces set out to explore the galactic rim, we will
emerge from stasis, tap the computer banks. When we have
extracted sufficient information from the base computers, we will
send an emergency distress signal through the portal, indicating
that the Andromedans have surrounded the station and will obtain
the secret of the hyperdoor. In such situations Federation
regulations require all personnel to don deep space gear until an
'all clear' has been sounded. The Romulan and I will emerge from
the hyperdoor appearing to be Federation survivors. While the
stations forces are distracted with the emergency evacuation, we
will take the station by force. We will have no choice but to
destroy the station. All hands will be lost, and the Federation
will not realize that they have been duped until Cardassian
forces hand deliver our terms of surrender to the Federation
president himself!"

Not a word was spoken. Finally the high council director
cleared his throat and asked hoarsely, "I see two weak points in
this plan. First, at what point will you 'take' the base camp?
Second, how will you handle the Romulan? You know as well as I
do that they will plan to take this device for their own, to
exclusion of all others."

"As for the first concern, I agree with you, we will have to
wait for the right opportunity. But then, that has been my mark,
my forte, hasn't it, my lord?"

"The council director answered pensively, "yes, it is true
that Gul DuMeer has a reputation for achieving the implausible.
However, the council is reluctant to place too high a stake on
the luck of Gul DuMeer. However, I would be willing to sanction
an attempt to obtain this device, if the risk was not too high."

Gul DuMeer smiled wickedly, licking his lips as he
continued. "My lord, Be at ease! Gul DuMeer has anticipated the
council's apprehension, and I have a plan that I believe will
address the council's concerns. A bit of micro bionics magic is
the key. I have had a small transporter implanted into my
abdomen. The Romulan will stick to me like glue, petting me and
trying to bolster my ego with her charm, believing the whole time
that I have become so enraptured with her beauty that I failed to
distrust her. The Romulans will probably send an armada of
cloaked vessels to command the sector. After all, at that point
what will it matter if the Federation truce has been breached?
To the owner of the hyperdoor will go the spoils. The
transporter unit is good for only one trip. The range is
incredible, as much as 0.033 light years without signal
distortion. Of course, I'll only need a fraction of that
distance to avoid the incredible explosion that will vaporize
everything within a parsec of the station. And, when it is all
over, the only recognizable matter within a light day of Dryphon
will be Gul DuMeer! With a chartered shuttle, Gul DuMeer will be
speeded away into obscurity while the Federation and Romulans
focus on each other, Gul DuMeer will return unheeded, carrying
the computer record that will herald the rebirth of Cardassian
dominance!"

The council director thumbed his long, trim chin for a
moment, then stood. "I am honored to accept the proposal set
forth upon this council by Gul DuMeer, who is compelled to risk
his life in the interest of the Cardassian way of life. To
success!"

Gul DuMeer turned slowly around the room, basking in
the light of his own glory. All around him the shouts of the
council members echoed with a chilling sound as they cheered,
"Success! Success! Success!"
TWILIGHT AT DRYPHON
Data sat at the engineering console, his hands flew over the
buttons as he checked manifests, organized and outlined
expedition plans and goals, and took care of reassignments for
the crew. Jordi stood over him, wringing his hands nervously as
he watched. Data turned suddenly, expressing as much of a
concerned look as his positronic circuits would allow. "Jordi, I
noticed that you seem to be rather pensive. I am tempted to
accuse you of behaving similarly to a worried mother. I can
assure you that my work will not vary at all from the usual
0.0047% error that you are accustomed to. I was assigned this
duty by Captain Picard specifically to prevent the 0.5% error
that would be expected..."

Jordi rolled his eyes, and finally put his hand gently over
Data's mouth, shushing him. "Data please, just let me worry,
will you?"

Riker entered, dressed in combat gear. Jordi and Data both
looked at him curiously. Will looked down at his garb and
smiled. "Worf and I are going to work out a bit. I can't stand
to sit here and pour over the plans like a worried mother.
Besides, Data is perfectly..."

Jordi folded his hands and stabbed at Riker with a look that
pierced through his visor. Will put a hand over his mouth and
began backing out of the room slowly as he fumbled for words,
"Aaah, I see that this may not be such a good time. Data, I just
wanted to remind you to bring some playing cards and chips. I'm
sure that we're going to need them."

Data's eyebrows raised slightly. "A very good idea,
commander! Entertainment was one contingency I had not
considered. Would you also like to consider...?"

Riker was out in the hallway before Data had a chance to
finish. He looked up at Jordi, who had resumed wringing his
hands as he punched up one of the equipment manifests. Data
shrugged and returned to the console, washing over the buttons
with a wave of digital input activity.

Riker met Worf at the entrance way to the holo deck. Worf
was waiting for him, fidgeting noticeably in keeping with his
usual impatient carriage. The Klingon folded his arms as he
glowered at Riker, who in turn raised his eyebrows in mocking
innocence. "What? I was delayed, with business!"

Disbelief gushed over Worf's face as he turned to punch the
hyperdoor. He twirled his battleaxe menacingly as he waited for
the door to open. Riker hefted his lance, and paused just before
entering the doorway, "I was unavoidably detained."

Worf chuckled slightly, then motioned for Riker to enter the
chamber. "It is alright, commander. It is well known that
punctuality is not your strong suit."

Riker looked at Worf in disbelief. "I'm punctual!" Worf
brushed past Riker, trying to hide the smile that was rapidly
covering his otherwise gruff Klingon countenance. Will searched
the corridor for anyone who would heed his testimony. An ensign
happened to pass within earshot of the battle-ready commander as
he stood just outside the holo deck entrance. "I'm punctual,"
Riker appealed to the passerby.

The ensign paused to acknowledge her superior officer. "Yes
sir. Request to return to my duties sir."

Convinced that his honor had been restored, Riker nodded and
turned to pursue the Klingon to deliver the exonerating
deposition. "See, Worf, she said it, I'm punctual! Worf?
Worf?" The door closed silently on the empty hallway,
temporarily locking the two warriors in a not too safe practice
battle program.

***

Deanna looked over at Beverley as she sighed in relief. The
masseuse dug into a particularly tense muscle group, causing her
to wince suddenly. As the talented fingers continued to work on
the abused fascicles Deanna moaned in relief. Beverley opened
her eyes and looked longingly at Deanna's masseuse. "Maybe we
need to switch places!"

Deanna smiled broadly, "over my dead body, Dr. Crusher."

"Well, you'd better enjoy it while it lasts. I have a funny
feeling that it will be quite a while before we get another
massage." Beverley reached over to pick up a glass of juice.

"That is exactly why I'm being so stingy now." Deanna
turned on her side at the prodding of the masseuse. "Beverley,
what do you think we'll find in Andromeda?"

Beverley put her drink down, looking suddenly more solemn.
"Maybe it's best not to think about it. After all, we have no
idea what we'll find. I think that a clear mind will be able to
cope with whatever we find far better than if I develop too many
preconceived notions.

Deanna frowned, "yes. I'm sure you're right. Are you
frightened?"

Beverley looked over at Deanna, and smiled brightly.
"Deanna, I joined this crew with the knowledge that I would be
frightened. Sometimes I am so frightened that I almost feel like
losing control." She reached over and held Deanna's hand as she
continued, "but when I realize what an excellent crew I serve
with, my fear and apprehension shrink to almost nothing. Sure,
I'm scared. But I'm more scared of what might happen to my
friends if I don't go. We belong together, we're family."

Deanna smiled back, sighing again as the masseuse hit
another bundle of strained muscles. "Have you ever considered
becoming a ship's counsellor?" Deanna's communicator pin chimed
before Beverley could answer. Deanna reached over and tapped the
pin, still clinging to her uniform top. "Counsellor Troi."

It was Picard. "Counsellor, please report to my ready room,
immediately."

"Yes sir." Deanna sat up quickly and gathered up her
uniform. "Don't get up on my account Beverley, please."

Beverley just closed her eyes, smiled, and moaned.
"Mmmmmmm."

Deanna rolled her eyes and hurried out the door. As she
passed by the engineering corridor, she stopped. Something was
not right. She looked around and spotted someone she hadn't seen
before, an ensign. She could feel treachery, deceit, hatred
emanating from him. She withdrew from the sensation and resumed
her hurried pace past the ensign, who turned slowly as she passed
by, obviously trying to nonchalantly avoid being seen by her.
Deanna strode by, purposefully ignoring him. She made her way
quickly up to the captain's ready room, and rushed in as soon as
the captain acknowledged her presence.

Jean Luc looked up from his desk and motioned for her to
have a seat. "Counsellor..." he frowned, seeing that she was
obviously troubled by something. "What is it counsellor?"

Deanna sat down in the chair next to Picard. "Sir, I think
we have a saboteur on board. I just saw an ensign I'd never seen
before near engineering, he was obviously spying on someone in
engineering."

Picard frowned. "Jordi and Data are in engineering, making
final plans for the expedition. Where was the ensign when you
saw him?"

Deanna thought for a second, "he was standing over the
auxiliary console just inside the engineering door."

Picard smiled. "Yes, of course. From that angle, he could
monitor the planning efforts, gathering intelligence. Whoever is
conducting this infiltration is certainly putting their all into
it." Jean Luc turned back to his desk. "Computer, list all new
assignments in the last month." The computer bleeped readiness.
Jean Luc looked over the list, and punched on his communicator.
"Picard to lieutenant Worf."

Worf answered, out of breath. "Yes sir!"

"Mr. Worf, I need you in my ready room immediately. Is
commander Riker with you?"

"Yes sir."

"Good. Please inform the commander to report as well."

"Yes sir."

Picard punched the direct line to security. The response
was instantaneous. "Security!"

"This is captain Picard. Priority 2 alert. I am routing a
list of all new assignments over the last month. Round up
everyone on this list and escort them to the main assembly hall
immediately. Have extra guards posted out of sight with weapons
drawn and set on stun. In the event of any trouble, fire at
will. Picard out."

Jean Luc turned to Deanna. "Spock warned me about this.
Until now I was hoping it would only amount to a suspicious hunch
that withered away. Someone is very serious about getting their
hands on the hyperdoor. Yet..." Jean Luc looked around as if
the walls had ears and said no more. He motioned to Deanna to
join him and the two rushed out onto the bridge.

"Captain on deck!" The bridge security guard called out as
Jean Luc rushed by and into the turbolift.

"Mr. Crusher, you have the con," Picard called out just
before the door swished shut. As the lift raced down toward the
briefing room, Jean Luc whispered to Deanna. "This plant is too
obvious. It has to be a ruse. Something else is going on.
There is someone else on board...Computer, stop the lift." Jean
Luc rushed out into the hallway to the nearest corridor console
and activated the computer again. "Computer, list all personnel
who have had shore leave in the last three months."
Surprisingly, only two names showed up on the console. Jean Luc
nodded understanding. Deanna came up from behind him and looked
over his shoulder. "The plant would have come on recently, but a
new assignment would be too obvious. Returning from shore leave
on the other hand would be far less suspicious, especially if a
new assignment was doing something suspicious to distract us.
Ensign Butler just returned from shore leave 4 days ago." Jean
Luc's eyes widened as he read the notes on the screen. "Just
returned from an archaeologic exhibit of rare Bejoran artifacts,"
Jean Luc looked up at Deanna, smiling, "how interesting!
Computer, what is ensign Butler's current location?"

"Ensign Butler is currently in transporter room 4."

Jean Luc lost his smile. "Computer, lock out all
transporter requests." He thought for a moment, then continued,
"Lock out all of the disposal units as well, priority command
override, Picard, Jean Luc."

"All transporter and disposal units have been locked down."

Picard touched his communicator. "lieutenant Worf."

"Yes sir!"

"Worf, please assign a detachment to search through all of
the disposal units, starting with engineering. And send a detail
up to transporter room 4. Detain ensign Butler in security
station 1 until I get there."

"Right away, sir!"

Jean Luc looked up at Deanna. Despite the fact that two
serious security breaches had occurred on his ship, Jean Luc was
actually smiling. Deanna's jaw dropped. "Sir! You are actually
enjoying yourself! It's true, you are all a bunch of action
junkies!"

"Oh don't try to act so innocent, counsellor. If you didn't
like a bit of action you wouldn't be here either. Now, I want
you to go down and pick out the ensign you saw out of the group
assembled in the briefing hall. Tell them that this is a routine
advisory briefing. Take them one by one into one of the side
booths for a short interview. As soon as you have made the
ensign you saw in engineering, stun him and bring him up to
security. And be careful, councillor. Anyone who would try to
infiltrate a Federation starship won't be fooling around. These
agents are probably wired for self destruction."

Deanna shook her head, then smiled herself. "I'm going to
write a paper on this phenomenon when our mission is over." Jean
Luc just raised his eyes as she took off down the hallway toward
the aft turbolift while Jean Luc jumped back into the lift they
had just exited and headed back up toward the security deck to
meet Worf.

Jean Luc was in security for less than 10 minutes when Worf
entered with ensign Butler in tow. Worf stood at attention by
the door as Jean Luc smiled at the ensign. "Ensign...Butler, you
must have been hiding from me, I don't recall seeing you before!"

The ensign retained his cool, answering softly. "It's a big
ship, sir. What's up?"

"We have reason to believe that one of our recent
assignments is a spy. You recently attended a Bejoran
archaeologic conference, didn't you?"

The ensign remained cool. "Yes, I did. Is there some
connection between this person and the conference?"

"There may be. Tell me, did you attend the seminar where
pre-Verrulean glyphs were compared with those found on the
pottery from the Falsana dig?"

The ensign smiled. "Sir, the Falsana dig is on Vulcan, not
on Bejor."

Jean Luc nodded. "I see you know your archaeology, ensign."

"Yes sir, it's a hobby of mine."

Jean Luc gave the ensign a practiced smile, then lowered his
gaze and spoke. "King's rook to Queens knight seven."

The ensign looked confused. "Sir?"

Jean Luc raised his eyes and repeated. "Ensign, king's rook
to queen's knight seven. Do you have a response?"

The ensign shot a glance toward the door, then back to Jean
Luc.

Jean Luc walked over and leaned against the security desk.
"I see. Tell me ensign Butler, or whoever you really are, what
is your mission aboard this vessel?"

The ensign sprang away, over toward the door, and jumped
through it. Jean Luc smiled at Worf, then raised his voice,
speaking to the near wall. "Computer, end program."

The security scene faded, and was replaced by the familiar
checkerboard effect of the empty holodeck. The ensign had jumped
into a containment chamber, which was activated when the ensign
jumped through the holodeck door image. The ensign looked around
for a moment in shock, then focused on Jean Luc. "Wherever you
are, we are."

"Who are we, ensign?"

The ensign smiled, then punched this communicator. The
ensign, and everything else within the force field was instantly
vaporized. The group shielded their eyes away from the intense
light of the phaser discharge. Jean Luc looked over to Worf.
"Well, it seems as thought this mission is going to be a little
more difficult than we thought. Mr. Worf, will you please ask
your security team to carefully remove the communicator on the
other ensign?"

Data, Jordi, and Beverley entered and began looking around
at the odd scenario, obviously confused. Jordi spoke up first.
"Captain Picard, what...happened?"

Worf interrupted. "Sir, this is my responsibility. I
request to be placed on report..."

The captain waved him off as he dropped his head in thought.
"Fine Mr. Worf, I'll kill you later. Right now I need you to
help me secure this ship. These are very carefully planted
agents, I doubt that anyone could have prevented it. I suspect
that these are the only two plants, but by now they have no doubt
placed a number of bugs throughout the ship. What is your
recommendation?"

Worf shot the captain a nervous glance, then stammered.
"Sir...I took...uh, that is, I..."

Jean Luc gave Worf a look that straightened him up like a
stiff uppercut. If there was one thing the captain hated most it
was indecision. If any member of his crew had anything to say
they had better say it. Otherwise, one was likely wind up with a
quick transfer to a sub light cargo barge in the galactic back
40. Worf spat out the remainder of his thought. Sir, "I took
the liberty of instructing Commander Data to make a series of
fraudulent plans to thwart just such an attempt. I know that I
should have consulted you earlier sir, but the additional time it
took Data to concoct the deception resulted in no significant
reduction of his efficiency."

Jean Luc brightened considerably when he heard this. "Mr.
Worf, it seems that I may not have to kill you after all. How
many bogus scenarios did you have Data input?"

"Six thousand, sir."

Jean Luc laughed out loud, then slapped the Klingon on his
shoulder. "Worf, I do believe that the Romulan and Cardassian
situation teams are probably inventing new explicatives to
describe Klingon ancestry right about now."

Worf tried to maintain his tough Klingon exterior, but his
audible sigh revealed his profound relief that he had not
severely pissed off Picard. "My step father told me to never to
take a trip without having an alternate route. In this case I
thought this was one of those rare instances where the more is
better concept would be well applied."

"And you were right, Mr. Worf. Thank you, my friend." Jean
Luc turned to look at the group. "Well, we've had a hell of a
day, and we haven't even begun to pack. I think we're in for an
exciting time. Tomorrow is going to be a long day. I suggest
that we all turn in."

The group filed out past Jordi, Data, and Beverly. Jordi
called after Jean Luc as he exited. "Sir?"

Jean Luc turned around. "Yes Jordi?"

"Sir, this confinement field unit is full of residual traces
of organic compounds. Sir, it looks as if someone was vaporized
in there!"

Jean Luc looked over at the empty field, then peered at
Jordi's visor, shaking his head. "It is amazing what that visor
can do. Good night, commander."

Jordi opened his mouth as if he was going to say something,
then decided otherwise. He looked over at Data and the doctor.
Beverly turned and walked out, apparently satisfied that things
were as they should be. Data's programming indicated to him that
in these situations humans often make a joke to ease anxiety.
The android cocked his head and said "I hate it when that
happens."

Jordi shook his head, then walked slowly out of the room,
muttering to himself unintelligibly.

Data walked over to the confinement field unit and punched
the power button, then walked quickly out of the door to busy
himself with the many functions that he had become entrusted to
him.

As the evening passed, Jordi paced back and forth in his
quarters. He sat down, silently listing items for some facet of
the mission. As he finished, he nodded with apparent
satisfaction, then chimed his communicator. "Worf, I'm sorry to
bother you. I'm having some problems with the volume computation
for my supplies. I'd like to discuss it with you if you don't
mind."

A moment's hesitation followed before the Klingon responded.
"Now?"

Jordi nodded to himself. "Now."

Worf responded to the hail at his door. "Come."

Jordi smiled innocently as the enormous Klingon frowned at
him. "Well?"

Jordi sat down at the small coffee table and pulled out a
recorded. He motioned with his fingers for Worf to be silent.
He activated the switch, which started a synthesized conversation
between himself and Worf. Worf gave Jordi a confused look as the
engineer began to jot something quickly on a pad of paper. Worf
raised his eyes as Jordi placed the first page down on the table.

Worf, I'm worried about our mission. I've spoken with Will and he agrees
with me. After all, we're the ones risking our lives here, and when the time
comes it'll be up to us to insure that we'll be able to make it out of this with
our skins...

***

Gul DuMeer checked the instruments one last time before
crawling into the tiny compartment. "Activate the stasis field
immediately, do you hear?" the Cardassian's face revealed a hint
of claustrophobia.

"Do you fear confined spaces, lord?" The Cardassian aide
spoke timidly, cowering as he did like a scolded puppy. He was
about to suggest a mild tranquilizer to take the edge off.

Gul DuMeer reached out with a gloved hand and gripped the
cringing aide by the throat. "Just turn the damn thing on, will
you?!"

"Yes, my lord!" The aide locked the tube down obediently,
then activated the stasis field. Checking the energy signature
of the tube, the nervous Cardassian relaxed just a bit. The
reading matched the signature of a Federation emergency warp
nacelle perfectly. As long as no one tried to use the unit,
there would be nothing to worry about, and the aide would keep
his head. And, since these were emergency reserve tubes, no one
would do more than run a diagnostic, which of course was a
simple, pre-programmed response designed to indicate that the
tubes were functioning perfectly. The aide activated the
transporter, sending the tubes back into the Federation long-
range shuttle that was moored alongside of the Cardassian
warship.

The Federation long-range shuttle carrying the emergency
warp nacelles had been intercepted by the vessel, utilizing a
Romulan cloaking device - a clear violation of the
Federation/Cardassian treaty, and an act of war. The crew had
been subjected to the same dream program that had been used on
Jordi when he was abducted by the Romulans several years earlier.
The crew of the shuttle would believe that they made a routine
flight through Federation space to deliver the warp nacelles.
Even the recollection of the pattern variances that the
technician had observed during en-route checks were programmed
into the tube's diagnostics ruse. Every detail had been
painstakingly attended to so that no one would be able to tell
that the shuttle had made anything other than a routine trip from
Starbase 8.

The ship's surgeon waited for the signal that would indicate
that a duty change was taking place within the main sensor
station at Dryphon.

As the shuttle left the bay, the crew's dream control was
terminated nicely as the autopilot awoke the crew members right
on time. Romulan vessel had sent energy signature whispers that
were designed to suggest that a vessel, probably a long-range
shuttle was approaching. The warbird had parked just outside of
the sensor range of the station, in a very narrow zone between
Federation sensor arrays. All in all, the plan was seemingly
flawless. Not even the most experienced observer would be able
to tell that anything out of the ordinary had occurred.

***

Spock looked up from the sensor scanner as the shuttle
approached. "Ensign Dahl, please signal the commander of the
shuttle. I'd like to take a look at his telemetry readings.
Please hurry."

Spock looked down again at the sensor screen as the shuttle
approached. He had taken it upon himself to investigate what he
was certain amounted to a full scale infiltration effort by the
Cardassians and the Romulans. Somewhere near here, one or more
cloaked warbirds waited and watched. "They know," Spock
whispered to himself. As he scanned the monitor he recalled all
of the events of his long, full life. His tour of duty as one of
the crew on the original Enterprise, his death, his rebirth, and
his phenomenal scientific and diplomatic feats since then. Spock
had amassed enough achievement to fill many ordinary lifetimes.
His vulcan upbringing forced him to adopt a philosophy of
humility, but logically he knew that whoever or whatever was out
there, scheming and planning, the Federation had a formidable
opponent in Spock. He thought of his long departed friend, Jim
Kirk. Kirk had always thought of Spock as human. He and McCoy
were constantly trying to break through his vulcan exterior,
convinced that somewhere within was an incarcerated human spirit,
waiting to be released. Spock thought for second, then added,
"yes. You know there is a great prize in here, but what you do
not know is that Spock is here. And when the time comes I am
going to...kick your ass."

The ensign seated next to Spock shook his head in disbelief.
The watch had been too long. The ensign turned sheepishly toward
the vulcan and asked, "Sir?"

Spock peered into his scanner, his hand reflexively covered
the side of his face to reduce side glare, even though the new
screens eliminated the problem. "Eavesdropping, ensign?"

The ensign nodded. "Sorry sir, I couldn't help but
overhear. Did you say you were going to...to kick my ass?"

Spock remained poised over the screen. "I was referring to
them."

The ensign looked at his own screen. Aside from some minor
fluctuations along the E-band spectrum, no other evidence of
activity was registering. "Who's they?"

"Ensign, there are several warbirds in this sector." Spock
said matter-of-factly.

The ensign literally jumped out of his chair, launching his
coffee cup across the room in the process. "Wh...What??
Where!!?!"

Spock finally stood up from his scanner and looked at the
ensign with deep-set, coal black eyes that pierced into the young
ensign's soul. His eyes followed the trail of coffee that led
over to an empty cup lying in one corner. "I am not sure where
they are," Spock returned to his scanner, making a few minor
adjustments on the keypad next to the screen, "but I assure you
that they are here."

The ensign gave up on his scanner and tiptoed over to one of
the windows, causing Spock to raise an eyebrow. The ensign took
a long look out into the black void, peering intently at the
unseen intruders. Romulans, known throughout the galaxy as the
most treacherous, heartless species yet encountered. The sound
of the command center door opening startled the young man,
causing him to launch himself headlong into the thick alumiplast
window. As the young man rebounded from the hard plate, his
slipped and landed flat on his ass.

Scotty came waltzing into the command center, hardly
noticing the ensign sitting on the floor, rubbing his head and
his bottom. As he strolled past, he commented to the injured
man, "do ya walk much, son?" He chuckled as he approached the
engineering console, and began to flick switches with the
practiced aplomb of an accomplished pianist.

The ensign picked himself up off of the ground, rubbing his
butt now. "Mr. Scott, commander Spock thinks that there are
Romulans out there!"

Scotty barely paid attention to the flustered ensign as he
answered. "Aye Romulans, and probably a few of those bloody
Cardassians as well."

The ensign stumbled back to his seat, dumbfounded. "But,
that would mean that they've crossed the neutral zone, which
alone is grounds for war!"

Neither of the elderly gentlemen budged from their consoles.
The ensign finally put two and two together. Spock and Scotty,
assigned here during the last few months. Sirock's lab, locked
down in some kind of spooky Top Secret research. And now
Romulans and Cardassians waiting to bang down the front door!
"Sirock's research must be something really important I guess."

Scotty only chuckled. Spock cleared his throat, suggesting
to the ensign that it was time to pipe down and get back to work.
The ensign resumed his duties without further discussion, a
little wiser, and a little frightened.

Scotty sensed the ensign's sobering condition and offered a
little reassurance. "Relax laddie. It takes more than a few
bogeymen to get the better of Star Fleet, eh?"

The ensign sighed, and replied, "yes sir!"

"That's a good lad. Now stay sharp, and we'll be nipping a
bit of old mist in the lounge when this is all over."

"Yes sir!" Just being in the same room with these two made
his spirits start to rise. There was pride in here, pride,
wisdom, and lots of experience. The ensign settled back down
into his chair and refocused on his scanner with a renewed
vitality. Scotty and Spock exchanged acknowledging glances, then
returned to their consoles.

"There is a Federation shuttle approaching. Ensign
As they scanned, two more Romulan warbirds coasted silently
into position just outside of sensor range. Ensign Dahl, please
request their security clearance."

"Yes sir!" Dahl quickly punched away at his console. The
clearance code flashed back almost instantaneously. "Code
clearance confirmed sir. Your orders?"

Spock peered at the scanner again, shaking his head.
Everything was as it should be. "Mr. Scott, will you please scan
for Beryllium contamination?"

"Aye, Mr. Spock." Scotty flipped a few switches, then
answered. "There is a moderate amount of Beryllium
contamination. But their course took them close enough to the
Antaries nebula, I'd expect them to pick up a little Beryllium."

"Yes, so would I." Spock gave up. "Ensign, give them a
code clearance. Inform me immediately when the shuttle is on
board. I want to have a look at those warp nacelles."

"Aye, sir." Dahl punched in the code clearance signal, and
the shuttle quickly floated in toward the base.

Meanwhile, two more cloaked warbirds floated into the system
and halted, just outside sensor range.

Spock headed over to the ship's main computer console and
began looking carefully at the shuttle's flight record as it
approached. Everything seemed as it should be. The vulcan
rapped his fingers on the chair back, bowed his head in thought
for moment, then headed down to the shuttle bay and waited for
the vessel to land.
ANDROMEDA DAWN
Worf and Riker looked at each other for a long minute
through their suit helmets as they descended in the turbolift
toward the holodeck. Worf's nose was strangely wrinkled, but he
was not frowning. "Mr. Worf, are you smiling?"

"Surely you jest, have you ever known me to smile?" Worf's
nose remained strangely wrinkled.

Will shook his head, "Don't call me Shirley and yes, on
occasion you have been known to smile."

"Smiling is a sign of weakness. I have never smiled in my
life." The turbolift slowed and stopped.

Riker looked carefully at Worf before stepping toward the
door activator. "Mr. Worf, I know a smile when I see one, and
you are bearing an ear to ear, old-fashioned, shit-eating grin."

"Commander! I am insulted that you would accuse me of
coprophagy! And even if I was to do such a thing, I certainly
would not smile about it."

A light knock sounded on the door. Will stepped toward the
activator, and the door slid open with the familiar swishing
sound. "YOU, were smiling." Riker walked quickly out of the
turbolift and around the corner before Worf could recover.

The complement of the expeditionary team was waiting in the
holodeck as Will and Worf came in. Everyone but Data was dressed
in deep survival gear, designed to keep a person alive for up to
three months in deep space, if necessary. Jean Luc waddled
forward and spoke through his communicator. "I've ordered Data
to program a simulated hyperdoor jump to Andromeda, just as a
precaution. I wanted everyone to divest themselves of any last
minute jitters before the actual jump. While this is only a
simulation, I expect everyone to act as though it is the real
thing, down to the last detail. This will be your only chance to
practice the jump, so make it good. Are there any questions?"
Jean Luc looked at Deanna and winked. "Very well. Computer,
holodeck program 001, authorization Picard, Jean Luc." The
command crew looked around at one another as the captain spoke,
then readied themselves. A small, silvery disk appeared in mid
air, near the ceiling and moved down to about eye level.
Everyone but Jean Luc took a cautious step backward as the disk
suddenly widened into a mirrory funnel. Jean Luc turned to face
the group once more. "Remember, we won't get a second chance to
make the jump so make sure you get it right the first time.
Sirock reports there are no adverse effects, but you may be
slightly disoriented as you step through." Without saying
anything else Jean Luc stepped into the disk and sort of dwindled
into nothingness. One by one each of the crew disappeared into
the funnel.

Jean Luc stepped out onto the hyperdoor deck of the new
hyperdoor station. He turned just in time to see Deanna emerge
from the door. The councillor waddled over next to Jean Luc and
remained there until the rest of the crew were through. When
they had all made the jump Jean Luc called them to attention.
"As the leader of the first Federation expedition to the
Andromeda galaxy, I want to congratulate you on your first
hyperdoor jump. We are now at a secret location, far from the
Enterprise and Dryphon. I apologize for withholding this
information from you, but Intelligence sources indicate that the
Cardassian/Romulan alliance has learned of the hyperdoor. There
can be no doubt that they will attempt to seize it. The actual
location of this base is known only to Spock and Sirock. A sham
base has been established at Dryphon to maintain the illusion
that the expedition headquarters are within the original
hyperdoor station. I hoped that by using an obsolete
authorization code you would all catch on that something was
wrong. You are going to encounter a number of surprises on this
mission. For security reasons none of you will not know which of
the jumps we are going to make over the next few days will be the
real thing. The only participants in this venture who will know
when the jump will occur will be Mr. Spock and myself, and we
will agree upon the exact departure time by mind meld only. As a
result, I want you to be mentally ready at every juncture."

Jean Luc removed his suit helmet, and continued.
"Intelligence sources have revealed to us that the Cardassians
and the Romulans are both aware that we have the hyperdoor, and
there will no doubt be an attempt to seize the device. They are
probably also aware of our mission. If they make a move, it will
most likely be at shortly before we return, so they can gather as
much from the attempt as possible. We have no idea when or how
they will strike, but then that is why you have been chosen for
this mission. You're the best in the Star Fleet, now return to
your duties and make me proud." The group dispersed without
saying a word. The time for talking had passed, and now the time
had finally come for them to fear.

***

Spock checked the warp nacelle again. "Completely normal
readings. No anomalies, only the expected background
fluctuations." Spock walked over to the hyperdoor control panel
and keyed in the command code to relocate the distal end of the
hyperdoor portal. By convention it was decided to call the door
located at the base the proximal portal. The opposite door was
then called the distal portal. The computer made some quick
calculations, then stopped. "Hyperdoor portal positioning
completed. Travel through the portal is now safe."

Spock stepped on to the stage, then hopped quickly through
the portal. As he emerged from the portal at expedition
headquarters, the portal vanished quickly, and began the tedious,
random relocation to over 5,000 different locations in an attempt
to throw off anyone who tried to search the computer record of
where the distal portal had been located. Spock hit his
communicator. "Commander Data."

"This is commander Data."

"Are you available to meet me in the hyperdoor room, I have
a problem that requires your unique abilities."

"I am on my way, commander."

Spock walked slowly around on the stage, sorting and ranking
the various scenarios for enemy interference. Finally, Data
entered the room and waited patiently for Spock to acknowledge
him. Finally, Spock emerged from his thoughts. "Data, I need
your help to inspect the emergency warp nacelles."

"Yes sir. May I inquire why you need my help with the
nacelles?"

Spock walked over to the hyperdoor stage, readying himself
for the programmed return jump, now about 5 minutes off. "I
believe that the nacelles are a carefully constructed ruse
designed to hold one or more spies. I need you to help me
evaluate the tubes for possible flaws that might substantiate my
suspicion."

Data looked mildly confused. "Sir, the computer system at
Dryphon is perfectly capable of assisting you with the
evaluation. I do not understand why you need me in particular?"

Spock looked up at Data and spoke softly, still troubled by
something. "I value your companionship, commander."

Data looked pleasantly surprised. "Thank you, sir."

Spock let the pun die in obscurity. "Data, how long would
it take you to run a complete diagnostic of these nacelles?"

Data cocked his head in thought for a second then answered.
"It would take 4 milliseconds to run a complete diagnostic
routine on each nacelle."

"I want you to run a complete diagnostic program on each
nacelle ten thousand times, then bring the results directly to
me. Do not transfer the results of each routine into the ship's
main computer."

Data looked confused. "Commander Spock, according to my
calculations, it would take only 20 such diagnostic routines to
pick up any significant flaws in these warp nacelles."

Spock began to walk slowly out of the shuttle bay. "I am
aware of that commander, and I would like to have a full
diagnostic program run on each nacelle ten thousand times."

Data looked down at the first nacelle, then answered, "Sir,
may I inquire as to whether you are making an attempt at a joke?"

Spock stopped and turned. Although Data could not have
known it, Spock almost smiled. "Now you ask? Ten thousand times
each, commander. Please."

Data answered obediently, "yes sir."

The silvery portal reappeared. Spock motioned for Data to
go first. Spock followed immediately, then walked back over to
the control panel to send the portal on another red herring run
around the galaxy. He walked around the closest nacelle, peering
at it as if he was trying to see through it. He suddenly placed
his hand on the center of the tube, and closed his eyes.
Nothing, no hint of life or thought. He could not have known it,
but his hand rested only half a meter from the skull of Gul
DuMeer, held in silent stasis within a cleverly devised facsimile
of a Federation emergency warp nacelle. Only the time stasis
field stood between Spock and complete understanding of the
bizarre plot that had the best intelligence efforts of two
powerful civilizations working round the clock.

Spock went over it one more time. Naturally, since the warp
nacelles were filled with antimatter they could not be inspected.
It would be irresponsible for him allow such an obvious weak link
slip by without the closest possible scrutiny.

Data approached, nudging him softly from his examination.
"I am ready to begin, commander."

Spock stepped back, allowing Data access to the first
nacelle. "Please do not use any of the station's computers in
your evaluation. When you are finished, notify me immediately.
I will be in the command center."

"Yes sir." Data moved over to the first tube and began
punching on the console.

Spock no sooner poked his head through the command center
door when Scotty spoke up. "Spock, we have a problem...I should
say we have 27 problems. Look here." Scotty motioned toward the
main sensor screen.

Spock nodded in agreement as he peered carefully at the
screen. "Yes. There can be no doubt. Has the Enterprise
departed?"

"Nearly two hours ago, sir. I thought it would be best to
let her go a little early, since we seem to be in for some
unwanted guests."

"Very good, Mr. Scott. They can inform Star Fleet when they
get out of range, although by now the Romulans must realize that
we can detect them. They apparently do not want to take a
provocative action at this point." Spock punched the
communicator button. "Commander Data, a situation is developing
here that will require you to depart immediately. Are you
finished with your analysis?"

"Very nearly finished, sir. I should be done by the time
you arrive to...see me on my way."

Ensign Dahl looked up from his console. "Mr. Scott, we're
being hailed."

Spock raised his eyebrows. This was unexpected, but
interesting. "By whom?"

"No I.D., sir. They are insistent on speaking to you, sir."

Spock moved to the center of the room. "Mr. Scott, please
answer the hail. Tell whomever is hailing us that I am currently
unavailable. Mr. Dahl, start evacuation procedures in exactly 5
minutes. I will be in research suite 29B."

"Aye sir."

Spock shut down his console, and started to leave. The
vulcan paused, then pointed toward a lone, crimson button, which
was blinking steadily.

Scotty saw that the self destruct sequence had been
authorized, and was awaiting the final initiation sequence. He
gave Spock an acknowledging nod and turned back toward his
console. "Attention, all hands. Commence emergency evacuation
procedure alpha. Repeat, commence emergency evacuation procedure
alpha. This is not a drill. Repeat, this is not a drill."
Scotty turned to the front of the room. "Ensign Dahl, please put
our guest on the main viewer."

The screen flashed, then revealed a stern, Romulan visage.
"This is Winglord Rimau V'taal of the Romulan Imperial Forces."

Scotty had seen many, many tough guys in his career, and was
not about to take any machismo crap, from anyone. He activated
the emergency evacuation switch as he moved over toward the
"Winglord Rimau V'taal! Well sir, my name is Mr. Scott,
Engineering Consultant for this station. I must assume that
you're navigational equipment is not functioning, you seem to be
a few thousand light years off course. We have some extra
navicomputer equipment on board here that we would be willing to
sell you if you would like to be able to navigate competently."

"Don't play with me, human. We know about the hyperdoor.
We are here to prevent the Federation from destroying our
civilization. Drop your shields and prepare to surrender." As
V'taal spoke all twenty seven war birds simultaneously uncloaked.

"Sir, they're powering up disruptors!" Ensign Dahl shouted
to Scotty, who looked over at the ensign calmly. "Easy laddie,
they dinna bring all this hardware just to impress us. They're
as you are."

Dahl swallowed hard, then mumbled softly. "He doesn't look
too scared to me."

Scotty smiled. "Laddie, he gets paid not to look scared."

Dahl actually chuckled a little, his face brightened some.
"Sorry sir. I got a little excited. I'm OK."

Scotty turned back to the main viewer. V'taal was smirking
confidently at him. "V'taal, we have two emergency warp nacelles
on this base. If you fire on us, everything in this sector will
be vaporized."

V'taal laughed, then feigned fear. "Oh my! I'd better turn
tail and run then!" His face turned to a scowl as he continued.
"I am not concerned about warp nacelles. You have five minutes
to surrender this station or I will start firing!"

Scotty decided to play his last trump card. "V'taal, I am
certain you monitored the departure of the Enterprise."

"We saw the starship depart, yes." The winglord paused,
feigning contemplation. "Ahh! Your starship is no doubt going
to contact your Star Fleet to come and attack! Well, by then my
friend there will be nothing to defend but a cold cinder. What
do you take me for?"

Scotty chuckled softly to himself. "V'taal, I am authorized
to tell you that an armada of Federation vessels are en route.
They are using Borg tachyon conduits, so I'd say that they should
be arriving in just about...15 minutes. You have that long to
take your Romulan ass out of Federation space or we will be
sending every one of you thieving dogs straight to hell."

Scotty turned to the young ensign, whose jaw had just hit
the floor. "Ensign Dahl, terminate the communication."

The station was rocked as disrupter fire struck the shields.
Oddly enough, Dahl seemed to collect himself, now that things had
started to heat up. "Shields holding, sir. Power down to 92 per
cent."

Scotty smiled. "Chicken shits. They're just trying to
shake us up a bit. Although they mean to take our little toy.
They're probably trying to get a jump on the Cardassians.
Computer, transfer command functions to holodeck one. Load
program sequence command center 1 alpha."

The computer replied calmly, "command functions relocated.
Program sequence loaded, awaiting activation command code."

Mr. Dahl looked at Scotty in shock. "Mr. Scott, you're
going to the holodeck...now!!??"

Scotty winked at the startled ensign. "Why of course,
laddie! We can't let these Romulan bastards push us around, can
we?"

"No sir!" The ensign stiffened suddenly as his pride welled
up, and even though he felt like a one legged man in an ass
kicking contest, he sat up in his chair and tried to look
confident.

"Good lad. Now, I want you shut down all command functions
except life support. When you're finished here, head on down and
see if ya can help Mr. Spock with the evacuation procedures.
I've got some tidying up to do before I come down." Scotty
placed a comforting hand on the young man's shoulder, then called
to the ensign as he shot out the door, "Mr. Dahl, for what it's
worth, you have the con."

***

Spock entered the shuttle bay to find Data staring off into
space. The android aroused. "I have completed my analysis, sir.
There are no anomalous readings in either of the tubes in ten
thousand diagnostic evaluations. I have to conclude that the
tubes are emergency warp nacelles, as they seem."

Spock nodded slowly. He suddenly looked every bit the
ancient vulcan that he was. In a life spent being so efficient,
so flawlessly logical, it was hard for anyone, and even for Spock
himself to believe that he could ever be wrong. It seemed to be
such a sure thing, a veritable certainty. Now, it appeared that
he was wrong, clearly wrong. He thought back on his long, long
life and career as a Star Fleet officer, remembering something
that he'd been told by his best friend, Jim Kirk during their
last voyage together. Kirk's voice came to him from the depths
of time, materializing in his mind as if it was happening all
over again. Kirk always had an almost elfin quality about him,
managing to find a way out of the most incredible binds. It
almost like magic. "Spock, everyone's human."

Spock relaxed, although no hint of an internal struggle
surfaced to mar his stately exterior. "Thank you, Mr. Data. You
must return to base now."

Data stepped up on to the hyperdoor stage as Spock began to
enter the hyperdoor control codes. As Spock was working, Data
spoke up. "Mr. Spock, if some kind of an infiltration attempt by
enemy agents was going to be made, it is logical to assume that
the warp nacelles would be the vehicle."

Spock nodded thanks, and was about to reply when the shuttle
bay was rocked suddenly by an unseen force. Spock quickly
finished entering the control code. The hyperdoor portal popped
into existence. Spock motioned toward the portal. "Mr. Data
hurry, I am not sure how long I can maintain the portal opening."
Data headed for it without replying. Spock called out to the
android just before he entered the portal. "Mr. Data, tell
Captain Picard not to wait for me. He must prepare his team for
the jump immediately." Another jolt shook them. Data jumped
into the portal, and disappeared.

Data was about to ask Spock for a less figurative report,
but decided that captain Picard could probably translate the
message with maximum efficiency. He slipped silently into the
hyperdoor funnel, and shrank away to nothingness. Spock quickly
entered more codes as the skeleton crew began to arrive. The
vulcan spoke without looking up. "The hyperdoor portal is ready,
please begin entering the tube one at a time at two second
intervals." Spock noticed that ensign Dahl had arrived. "Mr.
Dahl, will you please assist in the evacuation by timing each
member's escape."

The young ensign looked at the emergency nacelles, still in
position and asked a little nervously, "Mr. Spock! What about
the emergency nacelles?"

Spock continued working the hyperdoor console. "Please
hurry, Mr. Dahl, time is not a luxury we currently possess."

Without further discussion, Dahl sprang to the task, quickly
organizing the evacuees into position, and began calling out to
each in turn as he issued them toward the waiting portal. "Now!
Now! Now!"

***

Scotty rounded the sharp corner of the empty hallway as
quickly as his old legs could carry him. he entered the main
engineering room and raced to the center console. He began
punching buttons when the station was rocked again by a powerful
blast. Scotty heard something explode a few decks about him.
"Whew! I musta really pissed the old bugger off. Computer,
activate program center 1 alpha, authorization Scott, Montgomery,
Engineering consultant."

The computer answered back softly, "program activated."

"Good! Now, computer, initialize self destruct sequence,
authorization Scott, Montgomery. Activation code 1 alpha zero
destruct, zero.

Sirens began to sound as the self-destruct sequence was
initiated. Scotty started to leave, but the hallway doors
wouldn't open. He opened a small compartment in the wall next to
the door and fiddled with a few circuits until the door jerked
open. Servos whined as door jammed. Suddenly a shower of sparks
flew out of the junction box. "Aaah! That does it, alright."
Scotty mumbled to himself. He began to pull at the door in vain.
He heard a rustling behind him and turned to see a burly
engineering technician standing behind him. "Ah! I thought
everyone was out! C'mon laddie, help me with this door, will
ya?"

The young man just stared blankly back. Scotty spoke
impatiently, "well come on, man. What's wrong, are ya injured?!"

The technician suddenly drew a phaser and trained it at
Scotty's chest. "Laddie, I dunno why you've sided against your
own, but this station, and everything in it is gonna blow, and
nothing in God's great universe can stop it now. There's nothin'
here worth taking." Scotty held out his hand, palm up. "Now,
give me the weapon, son..."

The phaser blast his Scotty square in the chest, sending him
reeling across the room to collapse in the corner, a lifeless
heap. The technician holstered his weapon and wedged his back
into the door and pushed with all his might. The door creaked,
then slid open. The man looked at Scotty, then started dragging
him down the hallway toward the hyperdoor portal.

***

In the holodeck, an exact duplicate of the command center
suddenly blinked into existence. An computerized image of Scotty
spoke to an similarly contrived image of ensign Dahl. "Mr. Dahl,
will ya put our Romulan neighbor back on the screen please?"

The real image of the Romulan winglord materialized on the
screen. "So, I see that our little calling card got your
attention. Your time is up, Mr. Scott. Surrender immediately or
face the wrath of V'taal, winglord of Romulus!"

The computer's version Scotty shot the winglord an icy
stare, then answered. "V'taal, I wasn't sure if I informed you
earlier that your presence here is an act of war. If you retreat
outside of the neutral zone, I am sure your cooperative gesture
will be taken into consideration. At this point it just might be
the only way for you to avoid having your butt kicked all the way
back to Romulus."

V'taal scowled. His face became livid with rage as he
screamed. "You imbecile! There can be no peace while the
hyperdoor exists! We risk nothing in this. Surrender,
immediately!!"

V'taal turned suddenly as if his attention was being
diverted elsewhere. On the bridge of the lead warbird one of the
sensor observers shouted out. "Lord, sensors detect many vessels
moving out of a tachyon conduit into this quadrant. I count
fourteen Borg interceptors, five Federation galaxy class
starships, and 10 Klingon birds of prey. The first wave of
vessels will be in firing range in 8 minutes."

"V'taal ushered quick orders to his fleet sub commander.
"Deploy the fleet, and provide a corridor for our retreat while
we have some target practice."

The Romulan winglord turned back to the holodeck image and
spoke harshly. "Federation fools! You preach about the virtues
of sovereignty while you plot to overthrow the galaxy with your
unholy weapons! You have brought armageddon upon yourselves.
Fire at will!"

***

The real ensign Dahl ushered the last of the evacuees into
the hyperdoor funnel just in time. Spock quickly realigned the
distal port within the expedition base and called out to Dahl.
"Ensign, help me with the warp nacelles." Spock grabbed one of
the nacelles and started moving it toward the funnel. Dahl put
his shoulder into it and together they managed to send both tubes
through the portal just in time. A violent jolt rocked the
shuttle bay, causing the hyperdoor circuitry to explode into a
shower of sparks. Spock hit his communicator and called out in
the ruckus "Commander Scott, what is your location?" There was
no answer. Spock tried again, "Commander Scott! Scotty!"

Spock grabbed ensign Dahl and barked at him over the din of
multiple Romulan blasts. "Mr. Dahl, ready shuttle number two,
quickly!"

"Yes sir!" Dahl raced into the shuttle, nearly smashing
into the strange, cylindrical device that had been hastily
erected in the center of the shuttle's main cabin space. He
looked at it curiously for half a second, then hastily began
powering up the ship.

Spock darted out into the hallway and stopped abruptly.
Standing in the aisle way was the technician, dragging Scotty
behind him by the collar. Spock mistook the intentions of the
large man and started over to help him. "Good work, ensign!
I'll assist you." The technician dropped Scotty's hand and
pulled his weapon.

Spock rose up, staring icily at his assailant. "Ensign,
give me the weapon. There is absolutely nothing for you here.
The portal has been destroyed."

The ensign spoke as if in a trance. "You will give me the
information on the hyperdoor. You have five seconds to comply."

Spock's eyes widened just a bit as he stared into his
opponent's. suddenly, the rising violence of the Romulan attack
seemed to fade into the background as Spock focused on the young
man. The technician batted as if at some flying insect as the
vulcan fought to invade his assailant's consciousness. Realizing
what Spock was trying to do the young man brought the weapon up
to bear and aimed it at the vulcan's head. Spock launched the
sum total of his being into a single, mental effort. The
technician lowered his aim just a few degrees in response. Lower
and lower the weapon fell. The chaos around them was rising to a
tumult, causing the technician began to arouse from the trance.
Spock jumped just as the technician fired. The beam struck Spock
in the lower leg, but his momentum carried him toward his enemy.
Spock managed to reach out and grasp the young man by the
shoulder, deftly positioning his hand at just the right spot
beside his neck, sending both slumping to the ground. Spock
looked down at his leg, it sizzled sickeningly as thick smoke
poured up from his wound. Ensign Dahl jumped out from the
shuttle and raced over to Spock, who shouted at him. "Ensign
quickly, get Mr. Scott on board! I can make it."

The ensign grabbed Scotty and started dragging him into the
shuttle. "What about him?" The ensign nodded toward the large
technician.

"Forget about him. His mind has been erased. Get on board,
now!" Dahl pulled Scotty into the shuttle, and strapped him
hurriedly into one of the chairs. He flew back toward the main
shuttle hatch and helped Spock limp into the co-pilot's seat.

"Ensign, have you piloted a shuttle before?"

The ensign didn't answer, his hands flew over the controls
with a competent flair. Spock raised an eyebrow in pleasant
surprise. "Well, it seems that today is my lucky day. Ensign,
set course 174 mark 5, one quarter impulse power, and wait for my
signal!" Spock turned painfully and fidgeted with the strange
contraption. The device hummed to life, sputtered, then began
emitting a strange, bluish light. "Now!" Spock shouted as he
activated the Federation cloaking device. The shuttle faded,
then disappeared.

Dahl looked at Spock as if he was mad. "Blow the doors!"

Spock reached over and hit the thrusters. Dahl only had
enough time to throw his hands over his face as the shuttle
rocketed harmlessly through the bay doors. After they had
cleared the bay, Spock reached over and activated the explosive
bolts on the shuttle bay main doors, causing an explosive
decompression. "The flying debris might cover our escape."
Spock sat back in his chair, trying to maintain consciousness
through the pain. "Mr. Dahl, set course to 227 mark 9. The
warbirds will be leaving soon. Scan carefully for E-band
radiation, when the levels drop to background, switch on the
distress beacon and try to attract any approaching vessel."

The ensign's face lit up as he finally put the pieces
together. "A cloaking device? We have a cloaking device?"

Spock looked at ensign, his breath came in short gasps. He
pointed weakly over to the navigation console.

Dahl looked over at the console, then remembered what he was
supposed to be doing. "Oh! Sorry sir! Orders understood,
course laid in."

Spock was fading, the pain in his leg was intense, and he
felt weak. He looked down at his leg. Greenish fluid oozed from
the wound. He shouted to the ensign as he felt mental control
slipping. "Mr. Dahl, place Mr. Scott into stasis. We must get
him...to S-Star...base 8. Dr. Pulaski is there. Y-you
must...you must send a message to captain Picard. The...w...w"
Spock slumped into unconsciousness. the shuttle sped away as the
Romulan flagship fired the final volley into the station,
disintegrating it.

On board the Romulan vessel, V'taal turned to his sub
commander. "Did they get away?"

"I am detecting a faint signature that is consistent with
the newly developed Federation cloaking device. It appears that
they just managed to escape, lord!"

V'taal sighed with relief, then turned to his navigator.
"Good, then perhaps our little diversion will yet pay off. Do
you have a fix on the conduit?"

"Yes, my lord! Course plotted and laid in!"

The scanner observer shouted. "Lord! Federation forces are
closing in, we will be surrounded if we do not act now!"

V'taal turned to his communications officer. "Quickly, tie
me in to all vessels. "This is V'taal. Set a course to 069 mark
7 and follow me into the tachyon conduit as quickly as you can.
When we reach the exit point, cloak and disperse at random.
Regroup in quadrant 17 near the Cardassian border. Fly!"

The Romulan ships shot off toward the tachyon conduit and
began disappearing into it one by one. Before the Federation
ships could respond the enemy fleet had disappeared.

***

Jean Luc placed a few personal things into a small
container, then walked over to his small but significant
collection of Earth writings. After several minutes of careful
consideration Jean Luc pulled out an old copy of "The Adventures
of Huck Finn" and placed it on top of the other things, then
snapped the box shut. He stacked the box next to his deep space
gear.

He reached over and plucked a small box from his dresser.
After opening it he pulled out a small necklace, a gift from
Sarek. The necklace was made of woven Kara root, a woody vine
that was cultivated for weaving. The vine was as strong as
plasteel, yet it felt supple, like a silk rope. On the necklace
hung the Pfor Punyat, the vulcan bonding stone. When exchanged
between sexes, the stone was a symbol of the bond between husband
and wife. When given to a member of the same sex, it symbolized
great friendship, trust, and respect. Jean Luc put the necklace
on and peered at the stone for a moment. He signaled for one of
the aides to place his things into his section of the staging
area.

Jean Luc felt a twinge of guilt at having to withhold so
much information from his crew. But the level of infiltration
into Star Fleet activity was more profound than anything they had
experienced before. All other confrontations up to this point
had been mere child's games in comparison. The Federation had
taken the opportunity to issue a reminder to the Cardassian and
Klingon governments to remain outside of the neutral zone, and
that any infractions would be taken in the most serious light.
Not that it would do them any good. The arrogance of the
Romulans and Cardassians knew no bounds. Sure, the Federation
could wipe them out in a battle, but to what end? The result
would be a massive loss of lives, and the socioeconomic collapse
of the galaxy. The Federation did not want war, and their
enemies knew it. Both were proud races, perhaps a bit too proud.
The strength the Borg brought to the Federation was overwhelming.
Logically, the Cardassians and the Romulans would try to acquire
the secret of the hyperdoor. As a result, they would push the
situation to the breaking point, and just maybe beyond.

Jean Luc's communicator beeped. He reached up and punched
the gold medallion. "Picard."

"Sir, I just returned from Dryphon. We were under some form
of attack. Sir, I am afraid that Dryphon may be lost."

Jean Luc stiffened as realization washed over him. "Such an
attack could only be conducted using cloaked vessels...Romulans,"
Picard whispered to himself.

"Sir?"

Jean Luc aroused from his thoughts. "Understood, Mr. Data.
Have the command crew assemble in the briefing room. Picard
out."

Jean Luc called out toward the computer console. "Computer,
establish an emergency channel with Star Fleet Command,
authorization Picard, Jean Luc, captain."

The screen flicked on the Federation logo, followed by
Admiral Chen. "Jean Luc, I was just about to signal you. The
Romulans have attacked Dryphon. The station has been destroyed.
Spock managed to get everyone off, but..."the admiral's face
became drawn as he continued softly..."Spock and Mr.
Scott...they're missing in action."

Jean Luc lowered his head, nodding. He felt tears beginning
to well up in his eyes, then clenched his fists. "Admiral..."

"Jean Luc. Listen to me. We're doing everything we can to
help them. There is nothing else you can do. Concentrate on
your mission."

"But admiral, those Romulan bastards..."

"I know, Jean Luc. I know. Look, I promise you we will
kick the living shit out of these bastards. Get your team ready
and commence the mission, that's a direct order. Good luck, Jean
Luc. Chen out."

Jean Luc stiffened. He gripped the back of his chair until
his knuckles turning white as he tried to control his rage. He
reached up and gripped the bonding stone. He whispered an icy
vow. "V'taal, you son of a bitch. If these men die you will
pay...dearly." He gripped the bonding stone, then headed out
into the hallway toward the briefing room.

The captain paused outside the briefing room door, trying to
restore calm to his fiery soul. He was still clutching the
bonding stone. Several minutes passed by, but Jean Luc could not
make himself enter the briefing room. He whispered to himself,
"what is wrong with me? I can't decide whether I'm too upset to
go, or have I simply lost my nerve?" The chime on his
communicator broke his concentration. "Picard here."

"Captain, message coming through from Star Base 8, coded
urgent, for your eyes only."

Jean Luc glanced around, then answered. "I am still rather
unfamiliar with this station. I am just outside of the briefing
room. Is there a secure console nearby?"

"Yes sir. Head starboard down the hall, two doors to the
left, in deck C security. I'll tell them you're coming."

"Understood. Thank you."

Jean Luc sat down at the console. "Computer, ready to
receive priority 1 signal. Authorization Picard, Jean Luc."

The screen cleared. It was Admiral Chen. "Jean Luc, I have
good news and bad news. I'll give you the good news first. Less
than 10 minutes ago I received a report from Star Base 8. An
ensign Dahl reported that he was en route with two casualties.
Spock and Mr. Scott are injured, but alive. The details are very
sketchy, their communications equipment must be damaged. From
what I can gather Scotty is severely injured, and is currently in
stasis. Spock is unconscious, but seems to be OK."

Jean Luc smiled. "Thank you, Admiral. That is tremendous
news!"

Chen's face showed the concern. He waved his hand to clear
the stage for the bad news. "The Cardassians have formally
allied with the Romulans. They are insisting that the secret of
the hyperdoor portal should be shared with all, citing treaty
stipulations governing the dissemination of beneficial
technology. They indicate that they are willing to go to war if
necessary to defend their rights. The arrogant bastards are more
than I can stand. But, the situation is in the hands of the
diplomats at this point. We are not to launch a counter
offensive at this point. We still aren't sure whether they have
acquired the location of the base, but we are not going to take
any chances. Jean Luc, can you have your team ready within six
hours?"

"By all means, admiral. It will be close, but we are
ready." Jean Luc straightened his uniform. His confidence
restored, he was ready to tackle his part of the mission with the
calmness and aplomb of a Star Fleet officer.

It was Chen's turn to smile. That was the Jean Luc Picard
he knew. "Good luck to you, my friend. There may be a few
changes in this galaxy when you return, but I'll warrant we'll
still be around."

"I'll count on that, admiral. Now, if you'll excuse me I
have a mission to accomplish." Jean Luc waited until the admiral
terminated the transmission, then stood and looked around the
room. Seeing that the cubicle was empty, Jean Luc lifted one leg
and pulled his fist back quickly as he exclaimed softly to
himself, "Yes!"

The command crew had gathered in the briefing room, dressed
in their fatigues. Will was going over a few last minute details
with Jordi. "Well Jordi, that looks like everything but the
emergency nacelles. Are they ready to go?"

"They're ready, Spock got them through before the base was
destroyed. I had Data repeat the diagnostics on them after the
transfer." Jordi lowered his gaze, "Spock and Mr. Scott were
supposed to return with the nacelles. I don't know what happened
at Dryphon, but no one has heard anything from them since.

The captain came through the door, and overheard the end of
Jordi's statement "I have new information about Dryphon. I
just spoke with admiral Chen. The station was attacked by
Romulan forces, nearly thirty warbirds in all. Spock and Mr.
Scott got everyone off of the station before it was destroyed.
They barely escaped themselves. Apparently they were unable to
escape through the hyperdoor, but they did manage to get away in
a shuttle. They were picked up by a Borg Interceptor, and are
currently en route to Star Base 8. The Romulans and Cardassians
have formally allied and are threatening war on the Federation
unless the secret of the hyperdoor is revealed to them. As a
result, we have been ordered to commence with the mission within
six hours. Will, are we ready?"

"Yes sir. We only have the warp nacelles to transfer
through. We were a little concerned about possible anomalous
effects that might result from transferring them through the
hyperdoor, but when Spock pushed them through we ran additional
diagnostics on them. The nacelles check out. All of the non-
active equipment and supplies have been transferred, so I'd say
we can be ready in...three hours."

"Excellent." Jean Luc turned to Data. "Mr. Data, can you
fill us in on the events at Dryphon, that is immediately before
you returned?"

"Sir, Spock was concerned that the emergency warp nacelles
were bogus. However, he required assistance to confirm his
theory. He asked me to run an extensive diagnostic routine on
each nacelle. Just after I finished my analysis, the station
came under attack. Spock ushered me into the hyperdoor before I
could gather any information about the attackers, but he told me
that you should consider making the jump to Andromeda as soon as
possible. His concern about the nacelles was valid, however my
analysis failed to reveal any problems with the nacelles. I
cannot give you any more assurance about the authenticity of the
nacelles unless I actually test them."

"Which is against regulations." Jean Luc shook his head.
"Yes, I can see why Spock was so concerned. You can't trust
something you can't inspect. Did Spock make any recommendation
before he sent you back?"

"No recommendation per se. However, since he did send them
through the portal, I have to conclude that he intended to send
them on with the expedition."

Jean Luc rubbed his chin, then sighed. "I'm out of time.
Data, assemble the rest of the team. We will take the emergency
warp nacelles. We will probably need them and I don't want to be
stuck in a strange place without a full complement of equipment
and supplies. The nacelles are going."

Jean Luc stood, his face beaming with renewed confidence.
"As I have said before, you are a fine crew, the finest Star
Fleet has to offer. Very soon we will be out of our element. We
will be alone, marooned essentially in a strange, new place.
Only our efforts as a team will insure our success. Now, if
there are there no further questions, we have a mission to
accomplish...in Andromeda!"

***

Ka'ana rubbed her resonating plates together vigorously as
she approached the center of the assembly place while her
antennae swept around in broad, agitated circles. The effect was
roughly equivalent to a human shouting while waving the arms.
"Ku'taka is leading you into oblivion! Surely you all can see
that the Kelvan saw us as objects, toys created by them for their
own amusement. They have abandoned us in these final hours of
existence. They will not return!"

Ku'taka rattled her antennae against one of the stone haul-
outs while Ka'ana bellowed, which was much like a human rapping
the fingers against a table top. She was content to let Ka'ana
dig herself deeper and deeper into a rut. What the A'aka were
looking for now was cool confidence. All Ku'taka had to do was
let her opponent continue to rant and she would soon have the
populace flocking to her banner.

One of the elderly A'akan representatives waved her antennae
in the interrogative. Ka'ana recognizer her as Nikito, fellow
general and long-time friend. Ka'ana called upon her, "Nikito,
dear friend. Please, be not silent."

Nikito rose up from her recumbent position. "Ka'ana, you
and I have served together in many campaigns. In battle I trust
to your wisdom like none other. However, when it comes to
matters of intangibility such as these even the most stalwart
among us is inexperienced. On the other hand Ku'taka, having
served long in the great temple of Kelvana on the home world, has
great experience in the mysticism that shrouds the designs of our
glorious masters. Now it may be true that Ku'taka leads us into
the inferno that builds in the galactic core. But if the masters
are there, waiting for us as Ku'taka says, then isn't it our
place to be at their side?"

Ka'ana rustled her under appendages noticeably, indicating
that she was nearing unrestrained frustration. Ku'taka was
barely able to restrain herself as well. The sight of Ka'ana
exposing her appendages, an outright breach of A'akan council
tradition, would almost be worth all of the torment Ku'taka had
endured when generation after generation of Kelvan and A'akan
sought the great Ka'ana to train and lead their forces. Never
Ku'taka, whose strength and experience outmatched Ka'ana's by
nearly a full measure. No. It was always Ka'ana, her compassion
and kindness were valued to temper the savage Kelvan conquests,
to sooth the enslaved into constructive submission.

Ka'ana became suddenly still, her nervous rustling had
stopped. Initially Ku'taka thought that Ka'ana was actually
going to attempt some aggressive move. Then Ka'ana relaxed.
"Nikito, we have known each other since our first instar. You
know my mind better than any other present, except for the
orvani...

That was the opening Ku'taka had been waiting for. "Yes!
Let us speak of the orvani! They are manipulative and deceitful!
They seek now to occupy our minds, to replace the masters and
drive us back into mindless servitude! Already they control the
mind and the spirit of the great Ka'ana. Heed not to the counsel
of the orvani. The time has come for the A'aka to act!"

Once again Ka'ana froze. Slowly, very slowly, she turned to
look upon Ku'taka, who stood ready, but relaxed. Ka'ana peered
at Ku'taka for several minutes before returning her gaze to her
friend. "Nikito, you know as well as I do that the orvani have
been valued friends for millennia, and long, long before our
emergence into sentience that we sought shelter in the each
other. We are what we are in part because of the orvani, they
are part of us. Now Ku'taka seeks to undo in one council meeting
what has taken nature two million cycles to create! Yet, I will
address the accusations of Ku'taka. The orvani do not control
the A'aka, and at this point in time neither do the masters. I
give my final counsel to any who will hear it. I have placed my
faith in the signal we have sent to the others in the near
galaxy, for it is truly our last hope of escape from oblivion. I
welcome any who will follow me into the rim worlds to resist the
cataclysm that is to come until the very end. All I ask is that
the A'aka grant me the resources I will need to escape to the
outer rim."

Ku'taka waved her antennae as she responded. "A wasted
effort. Ka'ana, when are you going to realize the truth about
these others?! Even if they do exist, and even if they received
our message, these others are at least 14 million cycles distant!
These beings would have to be even greater than the masters to
render any assistance. And then again, why should they? After
all, the Kelvan tried to conquer their galaxy! Why would they
help us?"

Ka'ana responded with growing irritation. "In response to
your argument I will say only this. Reports from the invasionary
scout party indicate that they arrived safely at the other
galaxy. They had encountered an energy field at the galactic rim
and were attempting to pierce it. By their own analysis the
worst that could have happened was for them to abandon their
vessel. What could have happened to the great Kelvan scout
force, empowered sufficiently not only to repel any attack from
this galaxy, but able to launch an attack as fierce and powerful
as any in the history of the A'aka?! How else would you explain
the only failure in the long history of the Kelvan empire, except
that these others outmatched even our great masters? Besides,
what do we risk in this? The resources I require amount to only
a fraction of the those that soon will be swallowed up by the
exploding core! I have spoken. I wish to make the exodus to the
rim worlds as soon as possible. Do I have your approval?"

Ku'taka rose and slid slowly over to where Ka'ana rested.
"I object to this plan. I object to this plan because we are
being tested. This is the final trial for the A'aka. The
masters try our loyalty as they move into some other form of
existence. If we are faithful to them we will make the journey
with them. If not, we will be allowed to perish in the flames
that they have set upon the heavens. Ka'ana, we do appreciate
your effort in this. But we must be united as one, we must not
falter, even to the last individual we must remain true to our
masters, or we will all perish."

Ka'ana gazed long at Ku'taka, wishing to speak her mind, but
she could see that the representatives had lost their
individuality even before they knew they had won it. The A'aka
had been dominated for so long, they could not bear the thought
of having to become responsible for determining their own
destiny, such as it was.

Ka'ana finally spoke. "You all know my mind. Is there no
rebuttal? To be silent now is to follow the lead of Ku'taka. Is
there none here who would speak from a free mind and spirit?" As
she cast her gaze around the room, Ka'ana was met with
frightened, quivering antennae. The masters had always cared for
them before. It was not always pleasant, but they had been
provided a place in the scheme of things. And, now that their
masters had become silent, they were lost. The A'aka needed to
know that their masters were still in command, and that they
would be spared if they only remained faithful. Yes, Ku'taka
knew how to play to this audience. Ka'ana could not win here.

Yet Ka'ana knew that trapped within each individual was a
seed that had waited through the long, cold winter to flower now,
only then to be cut down and cast aside. She would make her
plans. Covertly, she would betray her own race in order to try
to save them not only from the terrible, imminent cataclysm that
would come soon, but from their own deadly, fatalism. Ku'taka
was truly a potent adversary, but her tactics were predictable,
her mind had not the creative edge that Ka'ana possessed.
Already Ka'ana worked on stratagems that would help to reduce the
overwhelming odds she would be up against when the verbal
conflict deteriorated to open combat. She would be outmatched in
numbers only. In all else, the advantage would belong to Ka'ana.
She lifted her antennae and held them still as she answered, "So
be it, but I will not lead you into the heart of the fire."

Again, Ku'taka took advantage of the opening. "And we would
not want Ka'ana to make such an attempt if her mind and spirit do
not rest well with this task. For Ka'ana, only time, and careful
meditation will allow her to mend her wandering spirit. But
alas, the time grows neigh, and we need a leader!"

A rustling among the group ensued. Each felt as Ka'ana did,
torn between the exhilaration of freedom and the terror of self
determination. Finally, Nikito spoke up. "Ku'taka sees the way
clearly back to the masters. Ku'taka should lead us."

The motion was seconded by nervous A'aka, anxious to place
themselves once more in the comfortable confines of subservience.
Soon the entire palladium resounded with the shrill cries of a
dying species.

As she swam out toward the open silica sea, Ka'ana saw
Hoa'kili perched alone upon an ebony outcropping. She swam up to
the small creature, who was soliciting in the ancient manner, now
almost a forgotten ritual. Ka'ana instinctively opened her
mantle in response, exposing the small depression within her
ventrum where the orvani had, for millions of years, found
refuge. When they joined, her crimson exoskeleton slowly changed
to a brilliant blue. As she became aware of the orvani
consciousness she thought "it is dangerous for me to be exposed
like this, to display the union hue. It will appear to all that
Ka'ana and the orvani are in opposition to Ku'taka."

The orvani consciousness responded, The orvan would remind
you that everything is dangerous at this point. We require a
clear pathway of thought in order to plan effectively. Ku'taka
is a fool, and when the time is right we will take advantage of
her inflated confidence. But now, matters of a more urgent
nature have arisen."

Ka'ana was confused. "I do not understand. At this very
moment what could be of greater importance?"

Ka'ana could sense that the orvani was extremely excited.
She prodded them telepathically as her sense of curiosity peaked.
"I feel your excitement. Please, delay no longer. What is it
that fills you with such ardor?"

The orvan paused for just a microsecond to allow Ka'ana's
sense of anticipation to rise just one notch higher. Alone, each
individual orvani was a simpleton, a mindless automaton.
However, together the orvan collective was as sophisticated an
intelligence as any in the universe. And, just like so many
conventional, corporeal entities the orvan also possessed
emotion, and a finely tuned sense of humor. The consciousness
was literally millions of years old and yet, like a playful
puppy, it could not pass up the opportunity to play. Finally, as
it extracted the necessary aliquot of playful anxiety from the
anxious A'akan, the orvan answered. The impossible has happened.
Out of the wisdom of Ka'ana, we are on the verge of salvation.
Great one, the orvan is aware of another presence within our
galaxy. The others have arrived."
HOUSEWARMING
Oddly enough, just as the theory predicted, the jump to
Andromeda was as easy as stepping through a door. The logic of
it was astounding. To traverse one hundred million light years
in the same time it takes to blink one's eye was, in a word,
"awesome!" Jean Luc mouthed as he emerged to a star-studded
scene that could have been like any in his own galaxy. He looked
carefully for some familiar celestial reference point. Seeing
none in front of him, he turned around, and froze. He recognized
it instantly, there could be no doubt. There, unobscured, and
set as if it were a stone placed upon black velvet was the Milky
Way Galaxy.

Riker floated up next to him, followed by Jordi, Worf,
Deanna, and Beverly. It was only when Data spoke that they
aroused from their mass hypnosis. "Captain, please excuse me,
but I noticed that none of you have moved or spoken for quite
some time. Is something wrong?"

Jean Luc realized that he had been quite mesmerized by the
sight of his own galaxy, now so distant by conventional standards
that it would take generations of humans travelling at the
fastest warp speeds to reach his galaxy, his home. He remembered
the words spoken by the first lunar travellers, words that had
been frozen in time, and passed down through generation after
generation of hearty, space faring hearties. Jean Luc whispered
them now, and although he meant them only for himself, they were
appropriately transmitted for all among them to hear. "One small
step for man...one giant leap for mankind."

"Neil Anderson, first man on the moon." Jordi spoke, barely
realizing that he had done so."

Jean Luc blinked, then turned to address the group. "On
behalf of the United Federation of Planets, I hereby declare
this, the first expedition to the Andromeda galaxy, a success.
You are all to be congratulated. Now, if there are no
objections, we have a base camp to establish. Sirock, why don't
you, Jordi, and Data work on getting the power and communications
systems ready. Start with the telemetry umbilical. Worf, Will,
I want you to begin assembling the cabin modules together. As
soon as possible get life support up and running. Beverly, you
will set up a first aid station until we get the equipment loaded
into the living cubicles. Deanna, you help me establish some
reference points for us to use as preliminary landmarks until we
can get some real scans going.

The team split up and began to make progress on the base
camp.

The dark void twinkled with hundreds of tiny beacons from
the many crates that floated nearby. Deanna sensed that Jean Luc
was in an oddly nostalgic mood. "Jean Luc, what are you thinking
about right now?"

The captain was floating a few feet from her. He spoke as
he turned slowly toward her. "I was just thinking that these
beacons look like fireflies. How long has it been since I saw
fireflies on a balmy spring night in New Orleans, relaxing over a
good liter of wine, and sharing a bit of bread and cheese with a
lovely woman. When we get back, would you like to join me, we
could make it a date?"

Deanna laughed. "Jean Luc, that sounds absolutely
wonderful."

The captain reluctantly decided to reel in his imagination,
and focused more to the job at hand. "How is the crew doing, so
far?"

"Overall, they're doing very well. I sense that Jordi is
worried about details, circuits, power cells, and such things.
Will and Worf are forming a close friendship, challenging each
other to minor competitions. It is helping them to keep their
minds from wandering too far from the task at hand..."Deanna
chuckled softly..."they're busy being typical males. Beverly is
afraid, she wishes she had someone to work with, but she is
coping with it. Sirock is, well what can I say, he's vulcan."

"And how about you, counsellor?"

Deanna went strangely silent. Jean Luc waited patiently,
but it was already too late for him to feel comfortable about her
lengthy silence. Finally, she spoke. "I feel fine. But I am
sensing something odd, a presence. It's almost as though the
entire galaxy was alive. It's very strange, and very
interesting. Captain, I believe that I am sensing the orvan, the
collective conscious that Rodan referred to. It's almost like a
larger version of the Borg."

"Could it be the Kelvan?"

"I can't be sure, but this entity is much different than
Rodan, almost passive. Besides, you know how emphatic Rodan was
about what this all means. If we are to believe him, the Kelvan
are either dead or gone."

Jean Luc did not seem relieved. "Counsellor, do you suppose
that if you can sense this presence, the orvan I mean, that it
can possibly detect us?" Jean Luc carried a hint of concern in
his voice.

Again Deanna paused, looking off toward the thick cluster of
stars. "Hmmm, I don't think so. The orvan is a very large and
powerful entity, so it is not surprising that I would be able to
sense such a presence. On the other hand, it is very unlikely
that anything would be able to detect us. It would be something
like trying to find a needle in one out of a million haystacks.
If they know we're here, I doubt it is the orvan sensing us. Of
course, if they were focusing on this particular sector..."

Jean Luc took over where Deanna left off. "Yes. And since
we are near their distress beacon they will be doing precisely
that. We would watch the beacon day and night to see if anyone
responded if the situation was reversed. I hope Rodan was right
about the Kelvan, somehow I don't think hospitality is their
strong suit. But, I suspect you are right. Even the Kelvan
could not be aware of every speck of dust within their own
galaxy, and we do not even rate as a dust speck."

"And, captain, we're half a light year from the probe, just
barely within range of our sensors, and we're running at an
extreme low power level, and our emissions are designed to echo
background radiation." Deanna folded her hands, satisfied that
her analysis was accurate. In all of her empathic experiences,
she had never come across an entity that could discriminate
individual thoughts to such an extreme degree.

"Nevertheless, we can't be sure that we won't be detected.
And despite my gut feelings to the contrary, I can't help
thinking about Rodan's doomsaying." Jean Luc paused for a
moment, as if to savor the ex-Kelvan's sooth. After several
minutes he sighed, adding. "Enough. Back to business."

Jean Luc's tone had a finality that Deanna was accustomed
to. She said no more, and both resumed in silence with the
preliminary astrogation.

***

Spock woke in a haze of confusion. As the blur that filled
his visual field slowly clarified, he recognized the equipment
and setting of an infirmary suite. His memory began to fill in
the large gaps in his consciousness. Bit by bit the events of
the last few months began to organize, like pieces of an enormous
jigsaw puzzle. He folded his hands behind his head and allowed
the pieces to cement themselves together. He was obviously safe,
for the moment at least. With his eyes closed, Spock began to
take some slow, deep breaths. He lay there for many minutes
before bolting up suddenly, his face shrouded in a confused
frown. "The warp nacelles."

Spock arose from his bed and fell onto the floor. where his
right leg had once been was a stump of flesh, ending just above
his knee. He raised an eyebrow as he quickly recalled the rest
of the incident, uttering his favorite understatement as he felt
the fleshy stub, "fascinating."

Of course, he would soon be fitted with a transplant, or
possibly a temporary bionic prosthesis, so there was no need to
panic, although as a vulcan he would not be expected to do so in
any event. He clutched the bed post and began to pull himself
back up into his bed, looking around for a means of communicating
with his benevolent captors. Finally, he found the intercom
switch. "This is Spock, I require assistance."

"Ambassador Spock! Please hold on. I'm on my way." Spock
recognized Dr. Pulaski's voice, and positioned himself back into
a comfortable position. He straightened his blankets into a more
orderly presentation while he waited for the good doctor to
arrive. Finally there came a light knock on the door. "Come."
Spock said softly. To his surprise an orderly emerged quickly
and looked at his readings.

"Hmmpf." The orderly mumbled to himself and pulled out a
hypospray kit. As the orderly approached, Spock asked calmly.

"What is that in the hypospray?"

The orderly looked at the hypo, then replied sarcastically,
"it's chicken soup, now give me your arm."

Spock stared, then restated his question. "Your sarcasm is
wasted on me. Again, what is in the hypospray?"

The orderly seemed agitated, nervous. "Oh, I see. You have
been in a coma and you don't know yet what is going on. Well,
I'll explain it to you. You are sick, that makes you the
patient. Your doctor told me to give you this medicine so that
you could get better, now give me your arm?"

"I am awake. My memory has returned, my body is gaining
strength, what medication could I require at this point?"

the orderly feinted and tried to inject the spray with a
quick stab. Spock slapped the device, which flew across the
room and landed against the far wall. Spock reached out and
latched on the man's wrist, pulling him down, onto the bed. He
started to use a neck pinch, but the orderly grabbed his hand
just before he could position it. Spock let go with his other
hand and quickly positioned it on the man's temple. The orderly
jerked back, pulling Spock off of the bed. Spock managed to keep
his fingers in position, and fell down on top of his would-be
assailant. Spock watched intently as the man's eyes glassed
over. Spock began to whisper, "our minds are one..."

"Eeek!" Dr. Pulaski failed to suppress the murine
explicative. However, since Spock seemed to be in some trouble,
she decided not to dwell on the matter.

As she knelt to give assistance Spock whispered to her.
"Doctor, a moment please..." Spock closed his eyes and
concentrated. Pain came over the orderly's face as he was
pressed to reveal his thoughts to Spock. After a few more
moments, Spock whispered to the doctor. "This man has an phaser
overload implant. He is trying to activate it now. I can keep
him from triggering it, but I suggest that you beam him away from
here immediately. I do not know how long I can keep him from
activating the device."

Dr. Pulaski bolted from the room, trying to piece together
what in the hell was happening. She tapped at her communicator.
"Transporter room, this is Dr. Pulaski."

"Yes, doctor. Is something wrong?"

"Very wrong. There is a phaser overload hazard in room 34C.
It's some kind of suicide implant. There are two men in the
room, can you get a fix on one with the phaser?"

"I've got them, but they're too close for me to pick out the
one with the phaser."

The doctor cringed. "You mean you'll have to transport them
both?"

"Maybe not, doctor. Give me a minute..." The communicator
went silent.

Suddenly, she heard a rising trill emanating from Spock's
room. She yelled into the communicator. "Transporter room, the
phaser has been activated! It's now or never, do something!"

The sound of a transporter beam replaced that of the phaser,
then all went silent. The doctor sighed, then lowered her head.
Surely Spock and his assailant were vaporized by now. She crept
back into the room with the vain hope that, somehow...Spock and
the orderly remained in position. Spock released the man and
began to crawl back up on to the bed. The doctor raced over and
helped him back up. "Spock, I don't understand. I heard the
phaser overloading!"

Spock straightened his gown. "Well, doctor, I imagine that
your attempts to rectify the situation were successful."

The doctor looked perplexed. "But how...??"

"Actually, that is not important. What I learned from my
assailant is. May I inquire as to the status of Mr. Scott?"

The doctor lowered her eyes before speaking. "He's still in
stasis. You got to him just in time. As it is, he'll need a
full thoracic transplant, we're growing the organs now. It'll be
quite a while before he'll be back on his feet, but I think he'll
make it."

Spock nodded. "That is very satisfactory, doctor. I feared
that he was dead." Spock looked down and motioned to his missing
limb. "Before I can make any progress there is also the matter
of my missing leg. Doctor, may I impose upon you to consider
installing some kind of prosthetic device?"

The doctor scratched at her head. "Spock, I know you're a
vulcan and everything, but can I just have a moment to recover
before we go on?"

Spock raised an eyebrow. "Yes, of course, doctor. Do you
require medical assistance?"

Dr. Pulaski frowned. "Are you sure you're only half human?"

"Quite sure, why do you ask?"


"Your sense of sarcasm is way too refined for you to be any
more than...one quarter vulcan."

"Honestly, doctor. To endure such abuse from someone who
calls herself a caregiver..."

Pulaski's frown crumbled, giving way to a smile. "One
eighth!"

The room communicator sounded. "Transporter room to Dr.
Pulaski."

The doctor punched at her communicator. "Pulaski here.
Good work chief."

"No problem, doctor. Then I can assume that the situation
is normal now?"

"I think we can handle things from here. Thanks again,
chief. I owe you, big time!" The doctor picked up the hypospray
and scanned it with her medical tricorder. "Interesting!
Butorphanol tartrate. An innocuous enough pain killer for
humans, but deadly to vulcans. She returned her attention to the
vulcan. "So, tell me Spock. Why would an enemy send an agent on
a suicide mission to kill you?"

Spock raised an eyebrow as he straightened his smock out a
little. "First things first, doctor. Now, about my leg..."

***

"Worf, you'll have to get that last bolt connected, I can't
hold it for very long!" Will strained with all his might to keep
the last two cabin modules together while Worf struggled with the
bolt.

"KOOOHHH NNAAAGHHHK!" Worf growled menacingly at the
reluctant fastener while he wrestled with it. "They are
obviously not of Klingon design!"

"Obviously not, since they require some finesse to attach
them." Will held the module while the Klingon finally managed to
tighten the bolt.

"I suppose you think that is humorous, commander?"

Will chuckled softly to himself as he let go of the hold
fasts. "I know it was humorous, Worf." Will sighed as he shook
the fatigue out of his aching arms. "Well, that's the last one.
Riker to Data."

"Data here. Go ahead, commander."

"The modules are all fastened. You can begin
pressurization."

"Yes sir."

"I think our work out here is finished, Worf." Riker said
as he fastened his tool kit back on to his utility belt.

Worf was staring silently at Andromeda. "You are wrong,
commander. Our work here has just begun."

After a few hours the station had pressurized sufficiently
to allow the crew to remove and stow their deep space gear.
Famished, the group set down to dinner while Data continued to
set up the various systems.

Jean Luc pushed away his plate and sat back in his seat.
"Well, we've had a productive first day. When Data finishes with
the umbilicus, I want to go over duty assignments. In the
meantime, I suggest that we all get some rest."

Jean Luc's communicator chimed as he finished his meal.
"Yes, Data."

"Sir, we are on line with the hyperdoor umbilicus. Admiral
Chen is hailing us. Sir, he requests to speak to you in
private."

Jean Luc raised his eyes in surprise. "Good work, Mr. Data!
In my quarters, please."

"Yes sir."

Jean Luc stood up and started to head out the door. "We
still need the rest. Will, since Mr. Data has managed to finish
several hours ahead of schedule he can start scanning while we
rest. I would like to have the sectors immediately surrounding
the beacon searched first."

Sirock stood up and said, "excuse me, captain. I do not
require rest at this time. I would prefer to assist Mr. Data
with the initial scan."

Jean Luc gave the vulcan an odd look. He realized that he'd
never served with a vulcan as a member of a command crew. After
Spock, many ship's captains sought to add a vulcan to their
command as an exec. However, in most cases the magic that was
the legend of the original Enterprise crew failed to materialize,
and the trend went out of vogue. Jean Luc could not understand
why this would be. These vulcans were amazing creatures,
logical, biologic computers that could rival even the remarkable
positronic brain that made Data what he was. And yet, with all
of their abilities vulcans rarely sought to command, why?

The vulcan raised an eyebrow as he waited for the captain's
response.

"Of course, Sirock. I'm sure that Data would welcome your
input." Sirock bowed slightly, then strode out. This was the
starting point, the initial duty assignment of the vulcan under
Jean Luc's command. Hopefully Sirock would fare as well
as...Spock? Intuition told the captain that Sirock was more to
Spock than a conspecific. But that would have to wait. Right
now Jean Luc needed rest. He turned to the other members of his
command. "Be sure to strap in to your rest harnesses until the
Data enables the gravity generator. I don't want to lose anyone
to a careless accident. Dismissed."

Jean Luc settled into his harness, then switched on his
communicator. The Admiral's image was fuzzy, but recognizable.
"Ah, Jean Luc. Well, you do not appear to have suffered unduly
from the jump. Is all well with you?"

"So far it feels as though I'm just in the other room."
Jean Luc said. It was hard to fathom that he was at the same
time one hundred million light years from his own galaxy. At the
same time, with the hyperdoor, he was only one step away.

"Well, things here are not so good. The Cardassians and
Romulans have united, and are threatening a suicide offensive.
Even with assistance from the Borg we'll suffer great losses if
they attack. If they obtain the secret of the hyperdoor, there
will be no stopping them. I'm afraid we're on the brink of a war
that will throw us all into a galactic dark ages. Everywhere we
turn Cardassian and Romulan spies are turning up. They've been
busy since the Borg union. It seems that they are pulling out
all stops to gain control of the hyperdoor. It may sound a
little crazy Jean Luc, but many of us here wish we could be with
you right now."

The thought of war on a galactic scale sent chills of dread
through Jean Luc. "What of the underground movements, surely
they will gain momentum as the treat of galactic destruction
grows?"

The admiral lowered his gaze for a moment. "Jean Luc, there
is something else, I'm sure that Data informed you of the attack
on Dryphon. The station was destroyed. Spock and Mr. Scott was
injured, and barely escaped. They are recovering at Starbase 8,
but Spock's diplomatic skills are needed to help organize the
underground effort. The resistance movement is on the brink of
fragmenting. Without the efforts of a united underground, we
can't possibly hope to temper the allied threat." The admiral
sighed, looking very much the war-worn soldier he was. "But,
we'll manage, Jean Luc. We will manage because we have to."

"Admiral, I do not want to sit idly by while war is being
threatened. I'm sure I speak for the crew. Let us return.
We're more use to you there than we are here." Jean Luc suddenly
felt the great expanse that separated them. He longed to return
to his ship, to defend his home against the reign of brutality
that gripped the empires of Cardassia and Romulus.

The admiral smiled, "believe me, Jean Luc. I wish I could
have you here, but you are in a position to gather what may be
some extremely useful information. You will continue with your
mission, no matter what happens here, is that understood?"

"Aye, sir." The captain spat the words out reluctantly.
Despite the fact that he could feel the thrill of those first few
scans of a totally new galaxy awaiting them, he was torn by the
sudden feeling of homesickness, and duty to his own.

"Good luck, Jean Luc. We are expending a great deal of
energy maintaining the umbilical link, far more than we can
account for within the scope of the cover we've established for
this station. As a result, we're going to have to check in
intermittently in order to avoid arousing suspicion. We'll check
in every twenty four hours. Chen out."

The screen faded, restoring cold, harsh reality to the
incredible distance that separated Jean Luc from his home. He
sighed, then picked up his book. As he opened it, he found an
old bookmark. It was the one he'd had as a child, when he first
read the book. Feelings of adventure on a hunt for hidden
treasure rushed back through the time and distance, returning him
to his childhood, and to the small sand bar along the stream
France where his vision of old Missouri took place. As he pulled
out the book mark, he noticed that a phrase had been underlined.
He read the lines out loud, feeling now the same magic and wonder
that he felt as a child of seven. "Injun meal, injun meal.
Barley corn shorts. Skunk water, skunk water swaller these
warts!" Overcome with weariness, he smiled as he slipped
silently into a restful sleep, where he returned once again to
Long John Silver, and the landing cove on Treasure Island.

***

Ka'ana rushed through the methane, knowing that her haste
would arouse suspicion. However, while linked with the orvan,
she would know instantly if any within sight or earshot of an
orvani indicated knowledge of her approach. Ka'ana hoped that
host would be standing in relief during this time of uncertainty.
If she could catch the sentries off guard, she might be able to
pull this off. Amazingly, there was no hint of alarm as she sped
past the entrance to the space port. With Ku'taka now leading,
most of the time was spent in ritual worship. The galaxy would
explode, incinerating them all, and her masters would not be
there to save them.

As Ka'ana approached the first sentry she terminated the
meld with the orvan. Her exoskeleton reverted back to the
familiar crimson of a 'barren' A'akan. Her rugose, maturity
knobs gave her away immediately as Ka'ana, warmaster of the Krell
empire.

The sentry sank down low into the respect posture. "I am
honored, great one. Pray, what brings you here now, when all
seek wisdom from the masters?"

"I am in need of one of the scout ships. Ku'taka fears that
we may be preyed upon in our current state by the rimworld
renegades."

"Curse their armor!" The sentry hissed. "It is rumored
that they engage in blood sport, preying upon their own."

"Alas, their folly will be our own if we do not protect
ourselves in our search for our masters! Please make haste, time
favors our enemies."

The sentry bristled as she peered upward, toward some
suspected foe. "The scout ship K'moktua stands ready, great
one."

"Is she fully fueled? I will need to patch in the main
power converters in order to achieve maximum sensor range."

The sentry hesitated, indicating that a hint of suspicion
clouded her judgement. "Great one, I am ordered that none be
allowed to power fully. Duty requires me to confirm..."

"Sentry, your devotion is inspiring! However, our enemies
may yet be able to capitalize upon any delay. However, if you
doubt the sincerity of Ka'ana, please make haste to confirm my
mission."

The sentry shivered slightly. "Great one, forgive me! I
forget with whom I have the honor of speaking. K'moktua and
Sha'tala stand ready to serve with honor!"

Ka'ana raced past the sentry, and into the vessel. If the
orvan could sense the arrival of the others, the renegades might
as well. Somehow the others had managed to pierce through the
great void. Surely they must have achieved hyperdimensional
transport. They would be wary, extremely wary. After having the
great fortune to be able to contact their intergalactic
neighbors, Ka'ana was not about to allow the last hope for the
galaxy to fail in the hands of fortune hunters. As she closed
the hatch, she reunited with her orvani companion. The
collective did not waste any time. "Your presence is missed in
council. Many seek you out to discuss the leadership of
Ku'taka."

"How many?" Ka'ana doubted that too many would have the
strength of will to deal with the rigors of freedom.

"A fraction of the whole, yet substantial in absolute terms.
These are the experienced, the knowledgeable. They have joined
with the orvan and once again seek the wisdom of Ka'ana. The
sensor nets in this region are temporarily deactivated. Already
there are reports of renegades massing in the region where the
others have entered our galaxy. If these others are found by the
renegades our chances of salvation are doomed."

Ka'ana's eye stalks flattened out to each side. The effect
was identical to rolling the eyes. "And what insight allowed the
orvan to divine such an escapable conclusion?" There was no
answer. Apparently the orvan decided to direct its thoughts
elsewhere for the moment. Ka'ana engaged the maneuvering
thrusters and sped outward from the port. Ka'ana thought to her
companion, "there is an A'akan sentry that will need to be
convinced of the righteousness of our mission. Are there any in
league with us who would help her with this?"

The orvan responded, apparently having allowed the slight to
pass without a retort. "There are many close enough to discuss
the matter with her. We know her, she is in her third instar and
is yet impressionable, and enjoys interactions with the orvan.
She will not pose a problem to us."

Ka'ana activated the sensor array as she cleared the
rimworld surveillance net. The others were close to the homing
beacon. They would be wary of an approach. "Can the orvan
detect any thought from these others?"

"There are two among several who possess limited
supercorporeal consciousness. They are aware of the orvan, but
do not yet suspect that they have been detected. It may be
wisest to approach with stealth. Their sensors are not capable
of detecting the approach of a fully cloaked ship."

Ka'ana was about to activate the cloaking device, when she
changed her mind. She set course for the beacon instead.
"Perhaps they will be less suspicious of a small, uncloaked
vessel heading out for what they would likely interpret as a
routine maintenance mission."

The orvan was silent for a moment, then concurred, "perhaps
Ka'ana is correct. At that close range the orvan may be able to
gain more information about them that could prove useful later.
Ka'ana realizes of course that these others will wish to protect
the secret of their mode of transport. It is likely that they
will terminate their own existence to protect the secret."

Ka'ana worked the controls, the beacon was already in range
of her sensors. She dare not use the probe for fear that the
others would detect and take offense to the probe. "Ka'ana
concurs. However, we are out of time. I believe that if we
distract these visitors by feigning a repair mission, as you have
suggested, the approach of a small, cloaked assault force will be
undetected."

"The plan has merit. However, the move may be unnecessarily
hasty. There is not enough known about these beings, they may
pose a threat to A'akan forces."

"I doubt that these others could put up much resistance to a
suitably fitted scout force. I will have a sufficient contingent
in place, not to protect us from our visitors. I fear they will
be detected by renegades. After all of the suffering we have
endured to bring them I will not allow them to be jeopardized."

"These others, does Ka'ana believe that they will allow the
use of their hyperdimensional device to allow all to escape?"

Ka'ana throttled the scout ship to maximum. "As I have
indicated. We are out of time. I know that the orvan feels the
gravity of our mutual situation just as acutely as I do. These
others are here to observe. They have no intention of assisting
us. Once they learn the nature of our situation they will return
safely to their own galaxy. We cannot take the time to ask. If
our visitors were foolish enough to believe that they could make
such a journey without risking more than their own lives, then
they are at fault. I cannot concern myself with the wishes and
desires of the others. They are here, and their device will be
ours. Have a care, the acceleration will create considerable
discomfort." Ka'ana hit the thrusters. The gravity pulled
cruelly on their bodies as the ship bolted toward the beacon.
Meanwhile, the orvan communicated Ka'ana's desires to forces
loyal to Ka'ana. Initial preparations were already being made.
The others would not suspect until it was too late.

As Ka'ana approached the beacon, she activated the mooring
fields. The scout ship responded obediently as it nuzzled up
against the satellite's access port. Ka'ana immediately
activated a series of diagnostics that were intended to give any
observers something to convince them that her trip and her
mission were legitimate. Meanwhile, she trained her sensors into
the sector where the orvan indicated the newcomers had set up
base. If they were there, which she did not doubt for a second,
they were laying very, very low. She began to tune out
background noise in an attempt to waste time while her forces
prepared to gather silently around the tiny speck that held the
secret that would free the inhabitants of an entire galaxy from
their horrid fate.
UNWELCOMING COMMITTEE
"Captain Picard, please report to the command module." Data
was unable to convey any feeling, so Jean Luc was unable to
distinguish from the message whether they were about to be eaten
by some enormous space monster, or whether the crew was baiting
him into a surprise birthday party. However, since his birthday
was a long way off, and since he was being called back to duty
four hours sooner than he was scheduled to be, the likelihood
that Data had any good news was diminishing to an insignificant
statistic. Jean Luc dropped out of his harness, realizing just
before he hit the ground a little too hard that the artificial
gravity had been activated. He rose stiffly, at once grateful
that he would not have to spend another night in the harness, and
slightly miffed at being dumped unceremoniously onto the deck.
He brushed himself off, and sped out of the cabin toward the
command module.

Data, Jordi, Sirock, and Riker were all gazing at the
viewing screen as Jean Luc entered the module. Will motioned for
him to join them. "Captain, we have a visitor. A small ship has
moored at the signal beacon. We're a little too far out of
sensor range to be sure, but it appears to be some kind of
maintenance vessel."

Jean Luc peered at the small point of light that was all
they were able to make of the beacon. His voice carried more
than a subtle hint of sarcasm. "Yes, and I'm sure their arrival
so soon after our own is merely coincidence. It could be a
distraction"

Sirock, who was stationed at another console, spoke up. "We
have anticipated this possibility, captain. So far, we are
unable to detect any activity other than the singleton visiting
the beacon."

Jean Luc gave an approving nod, although his face revealed
the intuitive distrust of the apparently happenstance event. He
looked around suspiciously, as if he was suddenly afraid of
seeing a ghost. He tapped at his communicator. "Counsellor
Troi, report to the command module."

Jean Luc looked anxiously at the ceiling as he waited for
her to acknowledge the order. After a moment he repeated the
command. "Counsellor Troi, report to the command module."

A croaking sounded over the intercom. "Troi here, orders
acknowledged, I'll be right there."

He turned to Data and asked, "Data, can you make out the
configuration of the Andromedan vessel from here?"

"Yes sir." Data said, cocking his head as he accessed files
stored within his positronic memory. "The signature is that of
an impulse engine, although the power output is more than twice
anything we can currently achieve. According to the information
Rodan provided us this vessel is a Kelvan scout ship. Each ship
has a crew consisting of one A'akan, and one orvani, although a
ship this size could hold up to 10 A'akan in a small, lower hold.
The ships are designed to be versatile utility vehicles. I must
conclude that the current use is within the framework of the
ship's intended function."

"Yes." Jean Luc said. "They would not want to arouse any
suspicion. I wouldn't either if I were in their shoes. We have
to be constantly aware of the fact that the owner of that beacon
out there is watching it intently. I have a feeling they won't
abandon it."

Deanna entered, yawning. Worf followed in behind her.
Deanna took a sip of tea, then leaned over to peer at the scanner
with the rest. Jean Luc motioned to the speck on the screen.
"An A'akan ship has ventured out to the beacon and seems to be
conducting some routine maintenance. I know that we are too far
from the beacon for you to sense anything, but what about the
orvan entity, can you read any kind of change in it?"

Deanna concentrated for a moment. "No, in fact I am less
able to sense it now than when we first arrived. I can barely
sense its presence."

Jean Luc and Will looked knowingly at each other.
"Coincidence?" Jean Luc asked.

"Just like a larger version of the Borg!" Will answered,
turning his attention to the android. "Data, can you pick up any
communications from the craft?"

"No sir. In fact, I cannot detect any carrier activity at
all."

Jean Luc nodded. "No, and they wouldn't have to would they?
Well, at least it's starting to make some sense. The entity is
perceptible upon arrival, but within a few hours suddenly grows
silent. One could expect local radio silence, but to silence an
entire galaxy? I think we're being set up. No, I'm sure we're
being set up. Suggestions?"

Sirock looked up from the console. "Assuming these beings
know we're here, then they are playing this just as carefully as
we are. If they assume that we have come in response to their
beacon, then they must also suspect that we have an advanced form
of transport. That alone might be worth something to them. They
may try to take it by force."

Will chimed in. "If the beacon is a distress signal, then
we have to find out first what the problem is. Once we know
that, we will be in a better position to understand their
motives. But I agree with Sirock. The hyperdoor would be an
extremely useful tool in almost any situation."

Jean Luc rubbed his chin. "You're right. We don't have
enough information to work off of. We are trying to anticipate a
crime when we don't yet know the motive. Mr. Data, How long will
it take to make a preliminary scan of the galaxy for anomalies?"

"Sir, that would require approximately thirty seven years
with our present contingent, assuming a typical work schedule.
However, if we reassign Dr. Crusher..."

"Data, I'm looking for a sore thumb here. How long for a
quick sweep of the galaxy to pick up, say level 5 and greater
anomalies?"

Data took a confused glance at his thumb, then cocked his
head to make the computation. "It would take approximately 65
hours to conduct such a search."

"Good. Data, I want you to make it your first priority.
Until we know why we have been contacted we can't second guess
the intentions of our hosts."

Data moved over to the auxiliary console and started with
his search. Jean Luc turned to Will and Worf. "I want you two
to review the data from Rodan again. Take any reasonable
precautions you can to provide us with some means of defense."

"Captain, if Rodan's account is true, it won't matter what
we do. However, Worf and Jordi have come up with a plan that
just might work if we get into a real jam." Will stepped back a
pace, giving the two exec's the floor.

"Captain, there is no defense against an A'akan attack.
They have superior weapons, superior fighting skills, and
superior intelligence. And, they outnumber us by an astronomical
number. As a result we cannot possibly mount a defense. We have
two options. We can destroy ourselves and the base camp or, we
can out run them."

Jean Luc raised his eyes, clearly interested in what was to
follow.

Jordi stepped up and took over where Worf left off.
"Captain, even though we weren't allowed to bring any information
about the hyperdoor system with us, we do have Sirock. During
the initial preparatory meetings we had with Sirock we came up
with a plan that could get us all out of here in a big hurry.
All we really needed in addition to our other stores was an
additional computer. We were going to go over the plan with you
in advance, but when the jump schedule was advanced we acted
without consulting with you. I'm sorry sir, but we decided that
our plan needed to have a degree of secrecy ."

Jean Luc nodded. "Expert improvisation. Precisely why this
team was selected over other command crew possibilities. Go
ahead, commander."

Jordi eased back into his description of the plan. "Data
and I could help Sirock construct a smaller version of the device
that theoretically could place us well out of reach of the
A'akans. We could use the emergency warp nacelles to power the
hyperdoor. We won't have a lot of time, but then we only need
enough time to evacuate personnel. The rest of what is on the
base will be of little use to them. We can let Star Fleet know
where we'll be if things go bad. The last person through can be
rigged with a time delay trip switch to overload the nacelles,
say a 5 second delay. Once we're through the nacelles would
vaporize the equipment, destroying the base, and the evidence of
the hyperdoor. Then all we'll have to do is wait to be picked
up."

Jean Luc nodded thoughtfully. "What do you think, Sirock?"

"I agree with Jordi. Using the hyperdoor will be the only
means of escape if we are attacked. However, the warp nacelles
will only provide us with a portal for six minutes before we
drain them completely."

Jean Luc seemed satisfied. "That will cut things a little
close, but overall it seems like a sound plan. Very well. When
Data has finished his scans he and Jordi will assist you."
Sirock nodded acknowledgement. Jean Luc turned toward the
Klingon. "Worf, will you please organize our suits, and
emergency provisions so they'll be within easy reach of the
portal? And work out an evacuation drill."

"Yes sir." Worf said, before turning to access an auxiliary
computer console.

"Number One, when Data is finished with his initial scan you
and I will go over the results. I want to expand the
intelligence knowledge base as quickly as possible so that we can
try to figure out what our hosts intend to do with us."

Deanna looked at Jean Luc curiously, as she waited for her
instructions. The captain thumbed his chin thoughtfully and
added, "Deanna, finish your tea."

***

Ka'ana assumed the resting posture and allowed her plan to
take shape. As she estivated vivid images of her past life, of
the glory that was once the great Kelvan empire flashed before
her like some kind of grand parade. It was in such sharp
contrast to the stark reality of this desperate situation that it
almost seemed like fiction.

She alone had emerged into the upper echelon of Kelvan
dealings. She was sought after for her tactical genius, relied
upon for her diplomatic skills. Then, in one shocking moment she
realized that for the first time in her life she was alone, truly
alone. The Kelvan had always been there, mental taskmasters
overseeing her every action, her every thought. When she was
released she thought at first that she had passed on to the great
unknown that lies beyond corporeal existence.

Ka'ana had soon entered into separation shock, a form of
torture the Kelvan employed to punish their minions. Akin to a
drug addict's withdrawal, the central nervous system of a Kelvan
minion adapted to the continual presence of the Kelvan mind.
Once that link was severed, the subject's central nervous system
was thrown into neural shock, death usually followed. Survivors
were always insane. However, Ka'ana was eased out of the deadly
state by the orvan, and for the first time she came to know the
entity as something other than a robotic communications and
intelligence network. The orvani had solicited to join with the
A'akan in the way that the species had done millions of years
before the Kelvan achieved mental superiority. Unaware of what
was happening at a conscious level, Ka'ana had instinctively
opened up and allowed the small creature to ease into the
protective concavity. Upon melding, the orvan slowly began to
bring the A'akan out of her destructive sleep, recounting
evolutionary events that began as a simple mutualistic
relationship and culminated in a climax evolutionary melding of
two species, right down to the level of sentient thought. When
she finally emerged from status non compus mentis she was staring
down at a little orvan with a fractured horn. And, when Ka'ana
finally awoke from one hundred million years of evolution and
genetic engineering, what was it that she heard? Was it emotion,
powerful and jolting that slapped her out of her death sleep?
Was it the quintessential, philosophic jewel, placed like a
cherry to don the pinnacle of life's ice cream cake? Not at all.
Perhaps more shocking than the death grip itself was the fact
that she heard, emanating from the mindless Kelvan automaton, a
joke. "Excuse me, I seem to have lost my taskmaster. Do you
have a spare I could borrow?"

The shock of separation was overmatched by the power of the
single, completely independent and creative thought. Ka'ana
shivered in amusement until she thought she would awaken only to
lose her sanity. When it was over, she stretched out into the
deep recesses of her mind feeling the exhilaration of freedom for
the first time in her life.

The orvan had sensed that its host wished to be alone in her
moment of rebirth. Since that moment, Ka'ana had continued to
mature until into a decent, loving, compassionate, and most
importantly, an independent sentient. Her acts of kindness among
the Kelvan vanquished left the name Ka'ana indelibly imprinted
into the minds, and the souls of an entire galaxy. And now, at
the brink of disaster there was yet a glint of hope peeking
through the storm clouds.

***

Dr. Pulaski deactivated the neural neutralizer as she
stepped back from her patient to inspect the final result. As
Spock aroused from the anesthetic state he instantly began to
complain. "Dr. Pulaski. I must contact Admiral Chen
immediately..."

"Shut up , Spock. There will be plenty of time for you to
contact the admiral when I've finished adjusting the implant."

"But..." Spock began to protest.

The doctor held up the neural neutralizer, threatening him
with it. Spock fell silent, reluctantly surrendering to the
adamant physician. After a few moments she removed the
restraints and placed her hand underneath the vulcan's arm to
help him up. Spock rose slowly, having a little difficulty with
the limb.

"You'll have to practice in order to get the hang of it, but
once you've mastered it, this bionic limb will be as good as the
original." The doctor let go as she spoke, seeing that Spock was
already mastering control of the limb.

Spock looked down at the device, giving it a couple of range
of motion tests. Satisfied, he look up and asked, "it seems that
I have mastered the technique. May I go now, doctor? The
expedition is in danger."

"Alright Spock, but I'm assigning one of the PT technicians
to you for a few days just to make sure.:

"As you wish, doctor, but I shall not stop to allow her to
keep up with me. I am in a hurry." With that Spock hurried
clumsily out the door.

Each step brought more and more control as Spock strode
quickly down the hall on his new bionic limb with the lieutenant
close behind. As they rounded the final corner of the last lap
around the facility, Spock called out to the young woman.
"Lieutenant, I must speak to the Admiral, immediately."

"But commander, Dr. Pulaski told me..."

"I am sorry, lieutenant, but I must reach the Admiral."
Spock cut the lieutenant off and proceeded to a nearby
communications console.

The lieutenant recognized that further protestation was not
going to produce results, so she gave in, waiting impatiently
next to the console while Spock addressed the computer.
"Computer, recognize Spock."

"Computer recognizes Spock. Proceed."

"Send a message to Admiral Chen, Star Fleet on a coded
channel, priority one."

"Acknowledged. Please stand by for Admiral Chen."

Spock turned to the lieutenant, who shot back a surprised
look. She paused in thought for a moment, then stuttered as she
stepped back away from the console. "Uh, I guess you'd like some
privacy. I'll just...wait for you back in the bionics clinic."
With that she turned and sped back in the direction they had
come.

Spock turned back to the console as the computer spoke,
"Transmission established. Initiate communication when ready."

"Begin communication." The screen blinked as an image of
Admiral Chen appeared.

"Spock! I can't tell you how pleased I am to see you whole
again. Are you in a secured area?"

Spock pressed a button to activate the privacy net. As the
area surrounding the console blackened, Spock answered. "We are
secure, admiral."

"Good." The admiral said, concern emanating from his voice.
"I am about to contact the Andromeda expedition. Dr. Pulaski
told me you were concerned about something, but I wouldn't let
her stop tending you until she was sure your condition had
stabilized."

"Admiral, I have reason to believe that the emergency warp
nacelles that the expedition took with them are not as they
appear."

The admiral frowned, "why? What are they then?"

"I do not know. However, I am quite sure that they are not
warp nacelles."

"Didn't you run diagnostics on them when they arrived at
Dryphon?" The admiral asked the question knowing full well that
they had been checked out.

"Of course, admiral, and they both checked out completely."

Chen's face revealed the deepening confusion as he struggled
to make some sense out of what Spock was saying. He began to
fear that Spock had suffered more damage than the doctor had
uncovered. "I don't understand, Spock. If the nacelles checked
out, then what is the problem?"


"Assuming that the Cardassian/Romulan alliance was going to
make an attempt to infiltrate the team, there are only a few ways
in which this could be accomplished. My analysis of the scenario
suggested that the alliance would want to take advantage not only
of the secret of the hyperdoor, but of any other useful
information that we might uncover during the expedition. As a
result, they would most likely lie in wait until a strategic
moment, when they would try to seize the goods and make a clean
exit. The most logical place to accomplish this mission is on
neutral ground..."

Chen's face began to dawn with understanding. "...yes, in
Andromeda, of course."

Spock waited for the admiral to return his focus before he
continued. "That being the case, they would have to devise some
kind of intelligence gathering scheme that would involve some
kind of surprise attack near the end of the expedition. After
neutralizing the Federation expeditionary team, they would
download whatever computer files they desired, and return through
the hyperdoor portal."

"To where?" Chen asked, as if he required an end to the
fairy tale in order to believe in it as a reality.

"There are hundreds of scenarios beyond that point," Spock
said. "But the important thing is that there is a bottleneck of
possibilities in this scenario, and the warp nacelles are at the
narrowest point. Sir, I believe that these nacelles are actually
stasis tubes for two agents. At the appropriate moment, they
will emerge from the tubes and carry out their plan."

Chen frowned again as he continued the original line of
thought. "But Spock, you said yourself that the tubes checked
out perfectly!"

"Yes, admiral. The tubes were designed with a clever
program that would simulate a perfect diagnostic routine. Even
when I ran the routines on each tube ten thousand times each
there was no hint of an anomaly. That is, until I compared the
results."

Chen's eyes raised in concerned interest. "Yes?"

Spock punched a button on the console. "Computer, activate
program Spock proof one." The image of Chen shifted over until
it occupied only half of the screen. On the other half, two
windows appeared, one positioned on top of the other. Within
each window a section of the diagnostic recording appeared.
Spock spoke as he browsed along the path of each diagnostic graph
result. "Even though both nacelles passed the diagnostic
challenge, I was still suspicious of the nature of the nacelles.
Assuming that the diagnostic routine was a cleverly concocted
program to simulate the scan of an actual nacelle, the randomness
of the program would itself need to be programmed. There are
only a few known programs that can generate truly random
patterns. Otherwise, each time a program is run, the same
pathways are followed, producing identical results."

The graphed images finally halted as Spock merged the two
windows. Chen's eyes widened as the graphs merged into an
identical match. Spock ignored the admiral's surprise and
continued. "Now, even though warp nacelles are manufactured in a
fashion that makes them nearly identical to one another, there is
still enough variation in the construction of each nacelle to
produce an individual harmonic pattern. And no matter what, the
odds of matching graph results being this close in a comparison
are beyond computation, it just cannot happen. Since this is the
case, I know that these two nacelles are not what they appear to
be."

"Well I'll be dammed!" Chen wiped at his face with a
handkerchief. "Thank you, Spock. I knew that you would play a
vital role on this mission! I'll have the nacelles retrieved
immediately." The admiral's face changed suddenly as an
afterthought flashed across his mind. "Spock, when you examined
the results, why didn't you just take it at face value that the
nacelles were the real McCoy? I mean, even if it was logical for
the nacelles to be at the focal point of some kind of espionage
mission, why didn't you let the nacelles go? I would have."

Spock pondered the question for a moment, raising an eyebrow
as he did. "I cannot answer that, admiral."

"I can," Chen smiled widely. "It was your human half.
Your intuition told you that these things were not what they
appeared to be. Your human side won out when logic failed. No
matter what anyone says Spock, including you, having a human
half provided you with an advantage that your Vulcan brethren
will never have. Keep up the good work, commander. Chen out."

Spock waited for the screen to clear completely before he
reached up to switch off the security net. As he did, he thought
back to his moment of indecision, when by all logic he should
have dismissed his suspicions as disproved. Yet, he did not.
And Chen was right. Spock the human, concerned for his fellow
humans? No. It was Spock the human, powered by the love of a
son, allowed emotion to drive his decisions. "Damn you, Kirk.
Spock whispered to himself. You were right after all." His lips
turned up as he chuckled softly and repeated. You were right."

By the time the security net cleared, there was no hint of
the human side of the vulcan left to discern. Spock straightened
his uniform and, with the new mastery of his bionic leg that his
vulcan discipline had accomplished so soon after surgery, the
human side of him prodded him to return to the infirmary to check
in on the progress of his old friend, Scotty.

***

"That should just about do it!" Jordi said as he closed the
access port on the make-shift hyperdoor stage. He got up and
wiped his hands on a rag as he walked over to the command console
where Data and Sirock stood. Jordi turned suddenly, facing
toward the stage. He couldn't suppress the sudden feeling of
accomplishment he felt at having completed his first hyperdoor
portal. He lifted his leg and pulled his fist back as he
whispered effervescently, "Yes!"

Data and Sirock looked at each other, unaffected. Sirock
raised an eyebrow and turned to proceed toward the communications
console. Jordi looked at Sirock, then at Data. "What? Don't
you guys ever feel even a little bit of the satisfaction of
accomplishment?"

Data raised both eyebrows at the challenge and made a
lackluster attempt to mimic the human's emotional display. Jordi
looked on, head in one hand as he watched Data's attempt. "It's
a start!" Jordi said optimistically as he turned to join Sirock
at the console, leaving Data alone to work on the finer details
of the display.

Sirock turned to the comscreen and announced, "Captain
Picard, we have finished with the hyperdoor circuitry. All that
is left is to connect the emergency nacelles."

Picard raised his eyes. He was continually amazed at how
much could be accomplished by a truly motivated crew. "Very
good, Sirock. How long would it take you to finish the
connection and activate the portal?"

"I estimate that we could have a portal up in approximately
three minutes, sir. That is, if Data were making the
connections."

"Very well, Sirock. I'll have Worf finish organizing the
emergency supplies. Right now I'd appreciate it if you and Data
could continue with the sensor sweeps."

"Yes sir. I will inform the commander. Sirock out."

In the small briefing room, Jean Luc and Number One returned
to the screen where the results of Data's first sensor sweep were
plotted. Will pointed toward a dense yellow spot at the center
of the screen and commented, "there is an awful lot of tachyon
activity in the galactic core. I'm no astrophysicist, but isn't
this much tachyon activity unusual, even for a galactic core?"

"Yes, Number One, it is." Jean Luc said as he cleared off a
section of the screen. "Computer, display a similar plot of
tachyon activity from our own galaxy."

"Working..." The computer said as it quickly assembled the
data. The result was in sharp contrast to the original image.
Instead of homogenous patch of yellow, there was a blue spot with
a smattering of yellow points.

Jean Luc nodded his head as he began to understand. "Number
One, we may have found the clue we were missing. Assuming this
is a natural event, this much tachyon activity indicates extreme
instability, right?"

Will nodded agreement. "But isn't this kind of event
theoretically impossible?"

"I can't say, Number One, but I have a feeling that this is
the source of their concern. Such unstable activity can't exist
for very long, the most likely result will be an explosion.
We'll have to let Data and Sirock pour over it when they have a
chance. Right now I'm going to make my report, it's almost time
to check in with Star Fleet. Number One, I want you to run a
preliminary life form analysis of the sectors at the edge of the
galaxy. If this is truly the source of the distress signal, then
I'll wager that the only place we'll find any sign of life is in
the rim. Let me know immediately if you find anything
interesting."

"Yes sir." Will replied as he turned back toward the
screen.

Jean Luc left the room feeling a sudden twinge of
frustration and sadness creep over him. Here they were, would-be
deliverers with a device so powerful that it could save virtually
an entire galaxy from destruction. And yet Jean Luc knew that
with the bureaucracy of his own government he would most likely
have to watch while an entire galactic biome was destroyed. He
entered his cabin and began to prepare his report. From this
point on the expedition would bring him no reward in joy or
satisfaction, grief and sorrow alone would be his spoils. He
would be forced to watch an entire galaxy explode, helpless to
save even a single sole. As the servo swept his cabin door
closed, a tear ran down his face as Jean Luc began to organize
for his report.

***

Something tickled at Ka'ana's mind. It was the orvan. She
focused on the stream of thought and relaxed. This should be
quite interesting...

"Greetings, great one. As we surmised these others have
developed a hyperdimensional transport device. They total eight
in number, with one additional cybernetic device. The orvan
believes you will enjoy these newcomers when you finally meet
them. They are quite clever." The orvan sensed that Ka'ana was
anxious to get on with the task at hand, and followed suit. "The
newcomers are extremely suspicious of our motives. The orvan has
had to diminish the tide of thought to a trickle to evade their
telepaths, although they suspect that a collective consciousness
inhabits this galaxy."

Ka'ana shuddered. "They are telepathic?"

"One among them is partially telepathic, having greatly
developed empathic abilities. The other is telepathic, but
requires a joining, as we do. This one holds the secret of the
hyperdimensional portal. The telepathic link is too weak to
allow the orvan to derive any technical information about the
device."

Ka'ana pondered the problem for a moment. "Have any of the
scout ships approached to within sensor range?"

The orvan paused momentarily. Ka'ana wondered if the
newcomers had a similar relationship. The orvan said that one
among them did not require a joining. It was a most
discomforting thought that a creature might be able to link
telepathically from a distance, it was too Kelvan-like. Perhaps
the orvan was not powerful enough to determine the nature of this
telepath. Perhaps it had enough range to reach out to this very
beacon. There was no doubt that they were looking this way even
now, they had to be. The orvani quivered slightly as it readied
a reply. "The first scout ship is within sensor range. They
report minimal power output, and something interesting. You are
of course aware that a biometric scan will detect life forms even
in stasis. Well, while nine total in the party, two among the
group are in stasis."

Ka'ana was agitated. The others were perhaps too
intelligent, too wary. "Can we overcome them?"

"The sensor sweep by the first scout ship indicates that we
can overcome them easily, but they retain the ability to escape
with the hyperdimensional device. If they are to be overcome,
they will have to be taken by complete surprise."

The A'akan was frustrated over this. It did not make sense!
If the visitors had the ability of remote telepathy then why
wouldn't they make some attempt to communicate? They had nothing
to fear, needing only to retreat back to their own galaxy, or out
of harm's way in some other sector. And why would they utilize
stasis fields when they make hyperdimensional jumps
instantaneously? Certainly the only way these visitors could
have arrived was through some kind of jump door, unless one
assumed they come from some another place and have arrived
coincidentally? Ka'ana could not afford to accept that
possibility, because it held no hope for her galaxy.

So, assuming that the visitors did not need to bring members
in stasis, then they may not be aware that these comrades have
joined them. This also did not make sense, although at this
point it was just one additional ingredient in an enormous,
problematic stew pot. Ka'ana could no longer worry about the
visitors and their motives. They may not be as altruistic as she
had hoped, treachery and deceit of some kind may be at work even
now. Her time was up. She could not wait for the visitors to
make the first move. Ka'ana spoke once again to the orvan. "I
have decided. We have come to point of reckoning. What news of
Ku'taka?"

"Ku'taka has attempted in vain to solicit the fellowship of
the orvan. She, and her followers will remain barren, without
the ability to meld with the orvan. As a result, she has begun
hunting down orvani and destroying them. Many have sought
shelter with sympathetic A'akans, which has forced a dichotomy of
philosophy among the A'aka. Many who followed Ku'taka out of
confusion or a lack of self confidence now do not accept her
leadership. Sensing that her grip of fear is weakening, Ku'taka
has announced that it is against the wishes of the masters to
maintain contact with the orvan. There are unconfirmed reports
that Ku'taka has taken into custody many A'aka that harbor
orvani, some have even been put to death."

Ka'ana shuddered. Ku'taka was an insane monster, worse than
the Kelvan. She tried to settle herself as the orvan continued.

"Those who have linked with the orvan are aware of these
events, and concur that the visitors must be secured for their
sake, and for the good of the whole before Ku'taka learns of
their presence. Ku'taka still controls the armory, the fleet,
and the majority of A'aka remain loyal to her out of fear.
Still, the advantage grows in favor of Ka'ana."

Ka'ana could barely contain her rage. A'aka murdering
A'aka. Ku'taka had begun the blood bath that would add spice to
the catastrophic finale of the Kelvan galactic empire. Yet, she
had to focus on the problem at hand. She would overcome the
visitors and learn the secret of their hyperdimensional portal.
Then, only then could she face Ku'taka in open conflict. Ka'ana
thrust down hard upon the thruster servo as she took command,
slipping comfortably back into the role of leader of the Kelvan
host. She spoke now with focused determination. "Inform the
scout ships to advance on the newcomers. They are to approach
with stealth, then jam their shields. Transport aboard the
visitor base and take the facility using non-lethal force. Their
goal is to secure the visitors alive. Impress on our brave
sisters that even if A'aka fall in this attempt, the visitors are
not to be harmed. Destroy equipment if they attempt to escape,
but I repeat, the visitors themselves are not to be harmed. I
will provide as much of a diversion as possible."

The orvan expressed distaste at the hasty action Ka'ana was
taking. "The bidding of Ka'ana will be done, but it is only
faith in you, great one, that allows the orvan to proceed beyond
this point."

Ka'ana shivered as she joked nervously. "Trust me, I know
what I'm doing."

***

Data looked curiously at the approaching vessel, then tapped
at his communicator. "Captain Picard, the scout ship we have
been monitoring is approaching. It is within sensor range. Only
one life sign registers on board, probably A'akan."

The captain answered, with a decisive tone Data had come to
recognize as vintage Picard, even here the captain had no problem
adapting to command. "Understood. Go to yellow alert, no
shields as yet. Order counsellor Troi, Worf, and Number One to
the bridge immediately. I'm on my way."

"Yes sir." Data flipped at his communicator again.
"Counsellor Troi, commander Riker, commander Worf, report to the
command center immediately."

The three execs reported acknowledgement as Data resumed
gathering and analyzing data on the rapidly approaching vessel.

Jean Luc began to bark orders even before the servo had
finished opening the door to the command center. "Data, have you
analyzed the approach yet?"

Data spoke without looking up from the console as he
continued to process the stream of incoming sensor data. "Yes,
captain. The ship is approaching on a linear vector, shields
down, full impulse..." Data jerked suddenly as some new
information flowed into through the console. Worf and Riker
strode in at that point, each quickly assessing the situation and
responding with cool, competent reflex to tend their stations.
"Captain," Data paused as his hands flew rapidly over the
control panel, "we are being hailed."

Jean Luc cursed softly under his breath. "So much for the
prime directive. "On screen."

Data apologized. "Sir, there is no visual, only audio. It
is a difficult signal to process. It will take me a few more
seconds to...I have, sir." As Data threw the switch the room was
filled with an eerie clicking and whining, the intonations of
which were not unlike a whale's song. Jean Luc took a quick look
around at the group. "Where is counsellor Troi?"

At that moment Deanna strode quickly into the room, dressed
in her workout fatigues. Her hair dripped as she attempted to
wrap the sopping pelage up with a towel. "I'm sorry, sir, I
was...indisposed."

Jean Luc took a microsecond to smile, then quickly resumed
command. "It seems we have a visitor. Mr. Data, why don't you
route the audio through the linguistics computer, I doubt we'll
be able to make any sense of it." The whining ceased as Data
obediently routed the transmission. Jean Luc turned to Worf and
asked coolly, "Mr. Worf, this looks for all the world like a
diversion. Is there any other activity in the area?"

Worf was not fooled by the brazen approach. He was already
on his second sweep of the sector. "There is some kind of
interference coming from the galactic core. It is hampering our
sensor scans from that direction. Otherwise, there is no other
activity of any sort within the sector." Worf glanced up, a
familiar chagrined look covering the chiseled Klingon features.
"Sir, I suggest we raise our shields."

Jean Luc turned to Riker. "Number One?"

"Concur, captain."

Jean Luc rubbed at his chin and looked over at Deanna.
"Counsellor, are you able to ready anything from this?"

Deanna's face alone revealed that she indeed was reading
something, and it was probably not good. "Sir, I sense the
presence of the entity again. It is agitated, but does not seem
openly aggressive, as if it is upset with...no, wait. I am
sensing something else..." A deep frown came over her face as
she concentrated. "Sir, we are in great danger! We are about to
be attacked, and the A'akans are sure about their success!"

Jean Luc wasted no time. "Mr. Worf, red alert, raise
shields!."

Worf punched at the control. The look on his face revealed
that something was amiss. "Sir, our shields are not
functioning."

Data chimed in. "Captain, there is some kind of
interference emanating from the direction of the galactic
core..." Again, he jerked up as sudden recognition flowed into
his positronic network. "Sir, Kelvan scout ships are uncloaking
in this sector. It appears that they used the disturbance
emanating from the core to help mask an approach. I count
approximately fifty ships emerging from stealth..."

At that moment the computer alert began to peal "Warning,
intruder alert! Warning, intruder alert!"

Jean Luc tapped his communicator. Attention, all hands,
prepare to abandon station. Repeat, prepare to abandon station!"

Jean Luc waited until his exec team had cleared the command
center, then activated a button on the command console.
"Computer, recognize Picard, Jean Luc."

Jean Luc was unaware of a large form slowly materializing
behind him. The computer responded. "Recognizing, Picard, Jean
Luc."

"Activate destruct sequence, code alpha alpha 1 destruct
alpha." Jean Luc's communicator chimed. He slapped at it.
"Picard!"

It was Worf. "Captain, all crew members accounted for
except you. Readying the hyperdoor now."

Jean Luc wiped at his brow as he replied. "Proceed, Mr.
Worf. Begin the evacuation. I'll be only another minute."

"Aye, sir. Worf out."

Sirens began to blare as the computer confirmed the order.
"Self destruct sequence activated. Self destruct in 10 minutes."

Jean Luc swiped unconsciously at his nose as he sensed the
stench of ammonia beginning to build within the command center.
"Just in time, this place was beginning to stink." Jean Luc said
to himself as he turned to face a ten foot, blue hued, lobster
planted firmly in front of the command center doorway. He pulled
out his phaser, but the being fired a weapon from what appeared
to be an array of crab-like limbs, knocking the phaser from his
hand. He hit his communicator button as he dove behind a chair.
"Worf, I'm trapped. Evacuate immediately, that's an order!"

In the hyperdoor room Worf looked at Will for a counter
order. Will nodded and took command. "Sirock, get this thing
working. I'll try to beam him over here from the cargo bay. Get
moving!"

Sirock motioned to Data, who began assembling the power
cables to the emergency warp nacelles. Sirock loaded the
coordinates for the jump point into an auxiliary beacon and fired
it. "When Star Fleet activates the hyperdoor we won't be here,
but they should be able to get the coordinates from the emergency
beacon's transmission." He activated the hyperdoor positioning
computer and entered the coordinates for the jump. "Coordinates
laid in. I'll activate the device at your command, Mr. Worf."

"Hold on, wait for the captain and commander Riker." Worf
walked over to the door which opened to reveal another of the
large, crustaceans. Worf hit the emergency door switch, locking
them inside of the room. "Commander Riker, we're out of time!"
Worf barked into his communicator as he drew his phaser and
braced himself against the bulkhead, anticipating some kind of
forced entry.

At that moment, Riker and Picard materialized in the center
of the room. A grating sound came from the door, which began to
slide against the whine of the servos. Worf called out to the
vulcan, "Sirock, now!"

Sirock entered in the activation sequence just as Will and
Jean Luc finished donning their deep space gear. Nothing
happened. A look of concern came over his face as he reentered
the code with negative results.

The room was suddenly filled with the stench of ammonia as
lobster-like creatures materialized all around them. Jean Luc
coughed as he snapped his helmet shut just in time to avoid being
poisoned by the deadly gas. As they solidified, each A'akan rose
to tower above the expedition crew, unveiling a host of bizarre,
but lethal-appearing appendages. Worf reached for his phaser and
aimed at one of the creatures. As he fired, the creature
positioned a mirror-like shield, effectively deflecting the beam
into the bulkhead. Worf was grabbed from behind by one of the
large creatures as Sirock announced in typical vulcan composure,
"captain, it's no use. The warp nacelles are not functioning.
We are trapped."

The crew stood silent in the center of the room as their captors
spread out to encircle them. Over the rising din of the strange
whining sound that came from the creatures the computer could be
heard. "One minute until self destruct. Fifty nine, fifty
eight..."

Jean Luc keyed his mike as he spoke to his crew. "Well, it
seems that this is finally the end. I will leave you with this
last comment. You are the best, the greatest natural achievement
of our galaxy. Unfortunately, fate has decided against us on
this occasion. And, as I leave each of you to face the end in
your own way, I salute you, brave explorers, one and all."

With that Jean Luc brought his hand above his brow and
turned to slowly acknowledge each of his brave crew members for
the last time.

***

Ka'ana winced as the orvani wiggled within her. "Hoa'kili,
be calmed! What is it?"

"Great one, by the grace of all that is good we have
succeeded! The visitors have been taken!"

Ka'ana bristled with relief, then asked. "And our losses?"

"Lord, these others are no match for A'akan forces. We
suffered no losses of life, and the visitors' base station, along
with the hyperdimensional device is intact!"

Ka'ana lowered her eye stalks as she recovered from her
elation. "It cannot be that easy. Quickly, transport all life
forms off of the station! These others are too clever.
Certainly they may have activated a self-destruct device of some
kind!"

Obediently, the orvan transmitted the orders to the lead
scout ship. As she waited, she was startled by a sudden flash of
light coming from her starboard view port. She turned quickly to
the scanner to see that where once floated the base of the
visitors from the neighboring galaxy there was now only hot
plasma, dissipating rapidly into the cold, black expanse.


Anxiety shot through Ka'ana as she cursed herself. She had
not reacted in time. Of course the visitors would have a self-
destruct device! She had acted in haste, and now all within the
galaxy would pay the ultimate price, oblivion! The orvani
stirred, then reported. "Once again we are rewarded by the
wisdom of Ka'ana. The visitors are secured. Your orders, lord?"

The scout ship bolted into motion as Ka'ana hit the
thrusters. She wondered just how far fate would allow her to go
as she jumped from one precarious perch to another, fleeing
recklessly one step ahead of doom. "Inform commander Ro'no'ha to
prepare a welcome for our guests. All speed to the rendezvous
point. Victory!"

As the scout ship sped quickly away from the scene a young,
trigger happy gunner on one of the rear scout ships noticed the
small, emergency beacon that Sirock had jettisoned. The small
beacon burst into an expanding ball of white-hot plasma as the
disrupter beam scored a direct hit. Not that it would have done
them any good, but the emergency beacon that was intended to let
Star Fleet know that the expeditionary crew had survived the
attack was now just a small part of the expanding gas and debris.

***

Jean Luc lowered his arm when he noticed that he was no
longer in the hyperdoor room. They were alone in a small, dimly
lit hold just large enough for the crew. Jean Luc scanned
around, counting heads. Satisfied that all were present and
accounted for he decided to break the ice. "Well, on the one
hand I am very pleased to see that you are all still alive and
well. On the other hand, unless I am gravely mistaken, we are
now prisoners of the kelvan military guard. Deanna, are you
reading anything?"

"Oh yes, captain. I am reading only one sensation, great
relief."

"You mean victory, don't you?" Jordi asked, thinking that
Deanna may have chosen the wrong descriptors."

"No. There is nothing but relief. The kind of relief that
one feels after surviving a life threatening event. Believe it
or not, our captors are very concerned for our well being. They
have absolutely no intention of harming us. They actually think
that they are protecting us."

Will looked around at the cramped space. "I wonder when
happy hour starts?"

Deanna laughed as she continued her analysis. "I sense that
we were placed in the only space that would hold us. The
A'akans' are actually feeling a bit of reverence toward us!"

Suddenly a small door slid open. A small, spiny-headed
eight-legged lizard waddled into the room. It wandered up to
Jordi, who was closest to the door and raised up on its rear legs
and reached out toward Jordi like a child wanting to be held by
an adult. Jordi backed up against the wall, looking over at
Deanna for assistance. "Counsellor, what should I do?"

"This must be one of the orvani. I sense no animosity from
it. It belongs to the collective consciousness. I believe it is
trying to solicit a telepathic link."

Jordi waved the small creature on down the line. "Sorry
Fido, I'm fresh out of bones. Why don't you try someone else?"

The small creature paused for a moment, cocking its head
from side to side in a very canine-like manner. Apparently
convinced that Jordi was not going to accept the invitation it
moved on to Sirock and raised up again. "Captain, if you do not
mind, I think that we may make much greater progress if we try to
communicate with it. May I try?"

Jean Luc pondered for a moment, then turned to Deanna.
"Counsellor, your opinion?"

"Captain, there is no doubt about it. The moment we were
taken into custody the mood of the entire group changed abruptly.
The last thing these creatures want to do is harm us. The sooner
we establish some kind of communication the better off we'll be."

The counsel matched Jean Luc's intuition, he was satisfied.
"Very well, Sirock. Proceed."

Sirock reached down and allowed the creature to grasp on to
his fingers. As he did, he immediately sensed the enormity that
was the orvan collective. "Captain, Rodan's description of the
orvan does not even come close to the mark. It is enormous. The
orvan can sense events from one end of the galaxy to..." Sirock
suddenly went silent. "Captain, I understand now why we were
contacted. The galactic core is on the verge of erupting. The
energy wave will consume the entire galaxy. In time, the force
of the explosion will effect even our own galaxy. Every living
thing in this galaxy is going to die, and the Kelvan are
apparently responsible."

"What? That's ridiculous! So much for the great Kelvan
intellect. They're a bunch of raving lunatics!" Beverly said,
suddenly having quite enough of the Kelvan marvel.

Jean Luc's suspicions about the data gained from the initial
scan were confirmed. "Sirock, can you find out what their
immediate plans for us are?" Jean Luc asked, wanting to get back
to basics.

"We are to meet with Ka'ana, great lord and leader of the
Kelvan guard. It was she who piloted the scout ship that
provided the distraction and allowed the approach of the other
scout ships. They want the secret of the hyperdoor. They are
understandably desperate. What do you wish me to tell them?"

Jean Luc chuckled. "Sirock, are you a poker player?"

"I understand the game, but of course I derive no enjoyment
from gambling. Your reference to poker would indicate that you
do not wish to play your trump card too early. I will inform
them that we require rest and sustenance before we can proceed
any further." Sirock became silent. Suddenly he let the small
creature down. It waddled over to Jean Luc and stopped. It
lowered its head until its nose touched the ground, then scurried
out of the small doggy door.

"What was all that about?" Jean Luc asked as Sirock
straightened up.

"The orvan knows that you are in command. The display was a
gesture of respect. The A'akan attack on the station and our
capture was an aggressive act, but it was made out of
desperation..." Sirock turned to face the captain as he
finished..."and, it was the only way the A'akan could protect
us."

"Protect us? From what?" Jean Luc was finding this more
and more interesting, despite the fact that they appeared to be
solidly trapped within an alien, definitely hostile galaxy.

"Apparently there are renegade A'aka roaming the periphery
of the galaxy. The orvan referred to this area as the rimworld
area. The cataclysm brewing at the galactic core has forced the
inhabitants to flee to the periphery to avoid the intense
radiation that is focused on the core. These renegades would
likely have sold us to the current leader of what remains of the
Kelvan empire. The A'aka believe that this...Ku'taka as they
call her, is insane. They are very afraid of her. If it were
not for Ka'ana, whom Rodan himself spoke of, they fear all would
have been doomed.

Apparently it was Ka'ana who spearheaded the attempt to
contact us. We are to meet with her soon. By the way, The orvan
wanted me to apologize to you, captain, for our cramped quarters.
They have analyzed our life support needs, and appropriate
accommodations will be prepared. Ka'ana is anxious to meet with
us and welcome us to Kelvana, the local name for the Andromeda
galaxy."

"Well, I'm honored, I think." Jean Luc said, trying to
scratch his head through the deep space helmet. "Well, it seems
that we are guests whether we like it or not."

"Captain, I cannot help wondering why the hyperdoor portal
did not work. I am afraid that Spock's assessment of the warp
nacelles may have been valid after all." Data said.

"That would explain a lot," Sirock added, "except the real
function of the nacelles."

"They were too large to be bombs." Jordi surmised. "And
besides, it would have been easier to hide a triggering device in
the nacelles and use the antimatter as the explosive."

"They could be some kind of sophisticated robotic, designed
to gather information and return through the portal after sitting
in mock dormancy throughout the mission." Will added.

"Unless it became necessary to use them." Worf observed.

"There is only one thing they could be," Sirock said with
cool confidence. "They are stasis tubes disguised as warp
nacelles. Only trained agents could accomplish such a complex
mission, where improvisation is required at every step."

"Well, whatever they were, it appears that they are now part
of the expanding cloud of interstellar gas that was once a
federation expeditionary base. Jean Luc shook his head and
continued. "We should try to get some rest if we can," the
captain said, "we are probably in for a long day." With that
Jean Luc leaned up against the wall, allowing his suit to support
him as he relaxed. To everyone's amazement he was soon heard
snoring softly.

"How in the hell can that man relax at a time like this?"
Jordi asked.

"Actually, he is right." Deanna said, yawning. "We should
all try our best to get some rest while we can. While we are in
the keeping of these particular A'aka we are in no danger."
Deanna said, trying to negotiate a comfortable position against
the bulkhead. Despite the harrowing events of the day, or
perhaps because of them, all were soon resting quietly in the
small cabin while the scout ship sailed toward one of the rim
world strongholds.

Meanwhile, on another scout ship A'akan soldiers had secured
the two emergency warp nacelles that harbored the visitor crewmen
in stasis. The orvan thought it strange that the captors did not
inquire as to the status of their other two crew members. Ka'ana
thought it best not to volunteer any information, at least for
now. Just as her strange visitors withheld the information about
the hyperdoor, this knowledge could prove useful. It a little
frustrating, but expected. After all, if she were in the same
situation, she would hold on to any advantage for as long as she
could. For now, they appeared to be satisfied to calmly await
the meeting that loomed closer.

Ka'ana was also willing to wait, for now. She hoped that
the situation would not deteriorate to the point where she would
be forced to extract the information she needed. An analysis of
their nervous system indicated that the mind ripper would perform
adequately enough to extract any information they would need to
acquire the hyperdimensional device. Ka'ana prayed softly to the
masters that this would not be required. However, she was
prepared to sacrifice their few lives to save the countless
trillions in the galaxy.
MAROONED...
Admiral Chen hurried to the war room to preside over the
briefing. The incredible news coming in from the neutral zone
was too alarming to believe. An entire squadron of Klingon birds
of prey, lost without trace! It had to be the work of the
alliance. They had contacted Star Fleet Command not even an hour
later, demanding the surrender of all Federation war vessels,
and technical information on the hyperdoor portal device. It was
thought that a formal declaration of war upon the Federation was
only hours away. As Chen rounded a corner, he literally ran into
Hue, the Borg ambassador to the Federation. The Borg spoke
first.

"Admiral Chen, I am pleased to meet you at last. The
Enterprise Crew spoke highly of you." The Borg ambassador looked
around quickly as if to check for bystanders. Seeing none, Hue
lowered his voice and whispered. "We have made a great discovery
that should prove very useful in the conflict that looms ahead.
We have found a way to harness the power to..." A Bejoran
diplomat strode by, bowing as she passed. "We have found a way
to enlarge the hyperdoor portal."

At this Chen smiled widely. "That is good news! How wide
can you make it?"

"According to our researchers on Fleas III the size of the
portal is virtually limitless. I am told that it would not be a
problem to transport an entire planet the size of your home
world!"

"Just the resource we will need if open conflict results."
Chen turned as the boatswain's whistle sounded down the hall.
Hue joined Chen as they hurried in to the cramped room.

It was standing room only in the small board room.
Representatives from every major facet of the Federation's
military machine were represented. Chen rang the small bell to
officially call the briefing to order. "I call this briefing of
the Joint Chiefs of Staff to order. The first matter I want to
address is the disappearance of the Klingon squadron. The floor
recognizes commander Kraag."

The Klingon strode forward to the podium. Chen was dworfed
by her unbelievable stature. She spoke in a deep, almost
Bavarian tone. "On Star date 48478.4 a squadron of 8 Klingon
birds of prey patrolled in the vicinity of the neutral zone, just
outside of Cardassian space. Klingon Central Command was
monitoring the GPS signal from the lead ship when it suddenly
went dead. No contact with the squadron has been established
since then. Scout ships were sent out immediately to
investigate. Impulse plasma signatures were followed into the
sector where the vessels disappeared. The signatures abruptly
terminated at the precise point where the GPS was lost. Just
before they disappeared the commander of the lead vessel reported
that they were en route to investigate the presence of several
sensor ghosts in the sector. We believe that these ships fell
under enemy attack, probably Romulan. The nature of the attack
is a mystery, forcing us to conclude that the Romulans may have
developed a new weapon, and that recent galactic events have led
the Romulan/Cardassian alliance to step up testing in order to
mount an offensive against the Federation." Kraag made a fist as
she concluded. "If this proves to be an attack, the Klingon
empire seeks to declare war openly against the aggressors. We do
not hide behind the cloak of cowardice. And no matter what, we
will find the perpetrators of this spineless deed, and we will
extract payment."

Chen stepped back up to the podium and excused the Klingon
commander. "We have analyzed the information provided to us by
the Klingon High Council. The disappearance is suggestive of a
transdimentional rift event. If what commander Kragg suggests is
true, then we may indeed be in danger of attack with a new weapon
that has the potential to wipe out an entire flotilla without
warning. We have received an ultimatum from the
Romulan/Cardassian alliance. We are to immediately surrender the
technical data on the hyperdoor portal, or the alliance will
declare war on the Federation. They cite article 447.2 of the
intragalactic peace treaty; No weapon of absolute decisiveness will be
developed, or contemplated. Confirmed evidence of such activity will
immediately negate the terms of this treaty."

Chen looked up at the solemn gathering, then cleared his
throat before continuing. "The Romulans and the Cardassians have
openly proclaimed their self-determined right of ascension as
supreme rulers of the galaxy. With the hyperdoor, there is no
limit to the depravity that these two warring nations could and
would commit. Clearly, the Federation has a responsibility to
keep this device from falling into the hands of the alliance, and
all others who seek to use its power for criminal purposes. We
have finally reached a point in the affairs of the galaxy where
we must extend our peaceful concern into every galaxy in the
universe! The time of reckoning has come. The galaxy must be
united or we will all perish. We are of course aware of both
Romulan and Cardassian resistance movements that seek to tear
down the facade of superiority, and establish peaceful relations
with us. As a result, the Federation Council of Members has
decided to put an end to the threat of tyranny, once and for all.
I was asked to read to you the following statement, issued this
day by the Federation Council of Members: In response to the
ultimatum issued by the joint Cardassian/Romulan alliance the
Federation answers with pride, and with passion. The United
Federation of Planets will no longer tolerate the existence of
any organized body that seeks to dominate and tyrannize. A free
democracy, based on peaceful coexistence among the races of the
universe is the logical goal of the Federation. Therefore, be it
known by all that the Romulan and Cardassian regimes have 100
standard galactic hours to join with the Federation. If
successful overtures to this effect are not received from both so
named governments by the Federation at the end of the stipulated
time period, then...well, my friends, we go to war."

The Klingon contingent stood simultaneously and gave a war
cry, sending the entire briefing room into a minor tirade. Chen
managed to get the group simmer down, and continued with the
briefing. "My job today is to begin the process of strategic
planning for both offensive and defensive operations within the
galaxy. Star Fleet will carry out its base of operations from
Star Base 12. The Federation has named me as commander in chief
of operations, and I have appointed the following personnel to
assist me in this task. Bejoran General Barov will be director
of intelligence for all operations. Vulcan Vice General Sproul
will be director of civilian affairs. Terran Admiral Don Janssen
will be director of defense, and Klingon Commander Kragg will be
offensive coordinator."

"Admiral, we heard that Mr. Scott and Spock had been injured
in the attack on Dryphon. May I ask about their status?" asked
Ben Sisko, who was attending as commander of Deep Space Nine,
which bordered Cardassian space.

"Fortunately both survived the attack. Spock is already
back on his feet, and is expected to make a complete recovery,
with some minor limitations. Mr. Scott was placed into stasis
until he could be treated. He received extensive surgery, and is
recovering." Chen took the opportunity, one of few available to
him lately, to smile. However, the smile faded as he returned to
the issue at hand. "We expect that alliance forces will mass
near Tripoint. From there, we can only guess what they'll do.
However, the President of the Federation received priority one
signals from the Cardassian and Romulan high councils. That has
not happened since the treaty was drawn up. Our read is that the
alliance is serious, and so are we."

"What is our main objective?" A Corullean General asked.

"I hesitate to say too much for obvious reasons. Our main
objective will be to disable the alliance military forces. The
ruling governments of Cardassia and Romulus will remain intact.
The Federation will not seek to launch counter attacks within
alliance territory unless hot pursuit takes our forces beyond
treaty boundaries."

The admiral looked around at the silent group. Finality
pervaded the room as he saw determination and confidence in every
face. "No one likes a war my friends. Let's get this over with,
your worlds are depending on you to defend the ideals that the
Federation has sought to bring to each and every civilization in
the galaxy. Now, if there are no more questions, let's get to
work."

"There is just one other matter, admiral." The voice alone
sent a feeling of security surging through most, if not all of
the members. "What of the expedition?"

"We are going to switch the emergency warp nacelles at our
next scheduled transmission. We'll keep the nacelles on ice
until the expedition is over. And, if they should hatch out
something unusual, then no harm will come of it." Chen said
confidently. Spock nodded, and stood silently at the back of the
room while Chen looked around the room for any other questions.
Seeing nothing other than an eagerness to get on with it, he
concluded. "The executive staff will begin organizing for
operations immediately. I suggest that any questions be directed
to the appropriate team members. That is all. Chen rang the
bell to conclude the proceedings, and set out to find Spock.

After spending half an hour in private, mini meetings, he
finally found Spock, meditating in a side hallway. "Spock, I
thought you might like to join me when I contact the expedition.
Interested?"

"Certainly. I wish to speak to captain Picard about the
data on the warp nacelles." Spock said, and though his serene
countenance did not reveal any hint of emotion, Chen knew that,
for some reason other than scientific curiosity, the human half
was elated. Spock and Sirock had been seen together a lot before
the expedition made the jump. The way Spock looked at Sirock,
Chen knew that something was up. He figured it for some Vulcan
thing. Whatever it was, Sirock was obviously important to Spock,
and that was all Chen needed to know, for now.

"Warp nacelles," Chen mocked sarcastically. "Right."

Spock raised an eyebrow as he innocently repeated. "Yes,
admiral. Warp nacelles."

Hyung Chen made his first hyperdoor jump to proximal station
with Spock following a step behind. "It was just like stepping
through a door! It's unbelievable. Jesus, this thing is
incredible!"

"Admiral, I fail to see how you could be so moved by such an
anticlimactic event. Surely you knew from the reports that there
was not perceivable...effect?" Spock asked with dubious
innocence.

Chen marched on through to the control console, replying.
"Yes, I knew of the reports, and don't call me Shirley."

Spock raised an eyebrow and followed the admiral up to the
console.

Chen returned the salute of the hyperdoor technician.
"Admiral, we're having trouble with the expedition feed." The
technician said nervously.

"What do you mean you're having trouble!?" Chen asked
nervously.

The technician stammered nervously as he replied, "Sir, you
were in a meeting and was not to be disturbed, sir!"

"Relax, relax corporal. Just tell me what you know." Chen
began to pace back and forth in front of the console.

"At about 06:40 hours this morning we attempted to establish
umbilical feeds for today's transmission, but the umbilical
connect microdroid kept reporting no dice. At that point I got a
hold of the exec, but he was ordered not to proceed in any way on
a no dice uplink feed." The orderly wiped his brow and sighed as
he waved his hand over toward the snake-like droid connected to
the umbilicus as it waved slowly in the air, waiting for
instructions.

"What was the no dice code?" Spock asked.
"Code 1." The technician answered. "No connection found,
and no auxiliary present."

"Was there a visual?" Spock moved over to look over the
console.

"Yes sir, there was a visual, but I couldn't make any sense
out of it."

Spock motioned down toward the console, indicating that
Spock wanted to perform the analysis. "Admiral, may I?"

Chen was wringing his hands, and gave grunting
acknowledgement. Spock spoke to the console. "Computer, feed
output to main viewer."

"Working..." The main view screen cleared, then brought up
the main inquiry format screen.

"Computer, what is the maximum resolution for this unit?"

"Working...maximum resolution 1300% of default settings."

Spock looked up from the console at the technician. "Is the
data from the microdroid loaded?"

"Yes sir. The files are indexed on star date as the primary
key, and time as the secondary key."

Spock looked back down at the console and struck a few
buttons. A list of files popped up on the screen in response.
He peered at them for a moment, the asked, "is the last file in
this list from this morning's attempt?"

"Affirmative, sir."

Spock nodded approvingly, then highlighted the last file,
and several earlier ones. "Computer, show in sequence all of the
visual connect feeds from the previous successful umbilical
hookups."

"Working..." The screen cleared, then one by one, almost
identical images of the exterior of the base were revealed.
Spock froze each and highlighted around the base.

"Computer, if you utilize each of the previous successful
umbilical connect feeds, can you simulate the natural background
behind the base?"

"Working...simulation possible with 92% efficiency."

"Display simulation." Spock folded his arms and peered at
the screen while the computer took a moment to generate the
simulation. A dark background, dotted with several stars
appeared.

"Computer, freeze and store this image."

"Working...image stored."

Spock looked down again at the console and made some
additional adjustments. "Computer, now bring up the visual feed
from the microdroid during this morning's no dice connect
attempt, one hundredth speed."

"Working..." An image of background space appeared as the
microdroid emerged from the tiny speck that was the umbilical
hyperdoor portal. As it emerged, it began to seek for the
transmitter signal at the umbilical connect port. Spock watched
intently as the image began to swing around, then spoke abruptly,
"Computer, freeze image."

"Working..." The computer obediently froze the image, which
resembled the composite.

"Computer, now overlay the stored simulation."

"Working..." A ghost image came sliding on to the screen,
and stopped as it overlaid with near perfect precision over the
top of the frozen image.

"Computer, analysis comparing simulation with frozen image."

"Working...simulation and frozen image are identical."

Spock looked down at the console, although it was clear to
everyone that he did not intend to make any further adjustments.
"Computer, interpretation?"

"Working...interpretation, distal base no longer located at
last known coordinates."

Spock looked up, eyes closed. And, although everyone in the
room had by that point come to the same basic conclusion the
vulcan concluded with pain in his voice. "Distal station is no
longer where we left it."

Chen pounded his fist on the console. "Damnit! Spock, what
the hell happened?"

"I am not sure admiral. Computer, is the microdroid capable
of receiving signals other than those from the umbilical connect
probe?"

"Working...microdroid is not capable of receiving signals
other than the connect port transmitter."

Spock turned to the frustrated Korean. "Admiral, we must
assume that the station has come under attack. We must also
assume that the Andromedans are now in the process of learning
about the hyperdoor. We must also assume that the Andromedans
may be expecting us to investigate as to the disappearance of the
station. As a result, may I suggest we send another probe
through a small portal?"

Chen peered at the screen, the nodded. "There are seven
good men and women somewhere out there." He looked up at Spock
and continued. "Find them, Spock. Find them and bring them
home."

"I will endeavor to do my best, admiral." Spock turned
immediately to the technician, who snapped to attention as he
recognized that Spock was now in command. "Prepare a class 4
probe. You'll have to rig the probe so that the feeds are
automatically routed through the umbilicus."

"What do you want the sensor range set at, sir?" The
technician said as he was half way down the small hallway that
connected a store room with the hyperdoor chamber.

"Set the range for one tenth parsec." Spock replied. "If
they are not within that radius, then we won't find them using
anything we have here."

"Yes sir." The technician started to work on setting the
sensor range while Spock set the coordinates for the hyperdoor.
Within a few minutes they were ready. The familiar, mirrory
funnel appeared, and slowly widened until it was sufficiently
large to accommodate the probe.

"Programming completed, sir."

"Very good. Set the time frame for the sensor scan to 30
minutes." Spock said.

"Yes sir. Laid in and activated, sir."

"Admiral, with your permission?" Spock held a finger over
the actuator switch.

"Proceed, Mr. Spock, it's your show now." Chen sat down at
a small table to one side of the room and crossed his legs.

Spock punched the button. The probe responded obediently
and moved over to, and into the hyperdoor portal. After the
probe disappeared everyone in the group began to pass the time
with some sort of nervous habit. Everyone, that is, except
Spock, who hovered vigilantly over the console, searching for
some sign of response from the probe.

After what seemed like an eternity the probe returned
through the portal, and immediately began to feed telemetry back
through the console computer. Spock peered at the monitor,
analyzing the data being spewed forth by the device. After a few
minutes Spock raised up from the console, and without uttering a
word, strode quickly from the room.

Admiral Chen looked around at the technicians, as if
expecting one of them to explain the vulcan's strange behavior.
When he was satisfied that no one else in the room knew what the
hell was going on either he called out to the console technician.
"Ensign! Can you interpret the probe's signal?"

The technician answered nervously. "Y-yes sir!"

"Then get to it! I want some answers, and I want them now!
What in the hell is going on?" Chen bit fiercely at his nails as
the technician leaned over the console.

After a minute or so the technician stood up and signed
heavily. He looked up at the ceiling, then turned toward the
admiral. The young man spoke softly as his eyes brimmed with
tears. "Sir...distal station has been destroyed. There is
nothing left. No debris, no equipment, no life forms, nothing."

Chen nodded, his face drawn into a scowl. "Thank you,
ensign." The admiral himself rose and began to leave.

"Admiral, permission to close the hyperdoor portal?" The
technician asked with a quiver in his voice.

The admiral stopped and turned to look at the strange,
conical mirror. He sighed and said. "Permission granted,
ensign. Why don't you get some relief for tonight. Security
only. We won't need to be using the damn thing any more." Chen
turned back to peer into the funnel as the technician began the
shut down sequence, as if by some miracle his crew, his friends
would miraculously return safely through the dwindling portal.
Chen flinched as the portal suddenly winked out of existence,
then walked slowly out into the hallway of proximal base on his
way to the lounge to get a dark booth and a stiff drink.

***

Jean Luc slowly opened his eyes. He was struck by that
sudden sense of disorientation that one experiences during waking
in a strange place. At first, he could have sworn he was back in
France. He had fallen asleep in his grandmother's rocking chair,
even now it was rocking softly back and forth...and the whales
were singing..."Whales?" He said softly to himself. There was
something...special about whales. There was definitely something
he should be remembering about the whales. He jerked his head up
and activated the face plate visor. The blackness within his
visual field vanished. He was back in the hold of the A'akan
scout ship. Hovering over him was a sight that he was sure he
would never forget. Towering over him by at least a meter was a
large, blue...Jean Luc couldn't decide whether it was a snake or
a worm that wavered in front of him. Apparently the thing had
been trying to arouse him. It stopped wavering and remained
raised up over him for a moment. Suddenly, Jean Luc was aware of
two finger-like projections that erupted from either side of the
thing's upper abdomen. As the fingers moved slightly Jean Luc
noticed that they resembled the eye stalks of a crab.

Before he had time to wonder any further the abdomen seemed
to split open. What at first seemed like a transverse split
across the belly turned out to be a kind of clam shell mantle,
folded down to conceal a barrage of crab-like appendages. As the
hinged mantle unfolded, Jean Luc could see that the eye stalks
were actually positioned at the top of the fully unfolded mantle.
They peered down at him now, waving slowly from side to side. He
shifted his gaze down the line of neatly folded appendages, some
of which resembled formidable weapons. As if the thing could
read his thoughts the appendages unfolded, spreading our like the
wings of a bird.

Jean Luc had to suppress the urge to cower before the beast.
Instead he chanced a look around, he was alone. The room was
empty except for Jean Luc and his large visitor. The A'akan
certainly did resemble some kind of crustacean with all of those
appendages. The more he looked at it the more he appreciated
that it was actually a handsome creature, both awesome in
stature, but with a flowing elegance. He noticed something
twitch in the center of her abdomen, realizing that one of the
small lizard-like creatures was nestled within the ventrum of the
creature. Rodan's description of the A'akan/orvan unit could not
have been more accurate. The orvani looked strikingly
like..."Moloch horridus." Jean Luc remembered the scientific
name of the spiny agamid lizard found in arid regions of
Australia.

"Well, you've got my attention, what is it that you want?"
Jean Luc asked sarcastically, wondering how long the impasse was
going to last. To his surprise, the creature began to speak...in
english.

"You...lead?" The thing spoke with a whiny, semi synthetic
tone.

Jean Luc leaned forward to bring himself full on to his
feet. "Before I answer any of your questions I have some of my
own. Where are the rest of my crew?"

The creature shivered slightly as it spoke. "Safe."

"Where are they?"

"Safe."

Apparently Jean Luc was not going to get anything more out
of her. He casually allowed his hand to sweep down toward his
utility belt, knowing that he could not possibly have a phaser.

"Weapons...are...gone." The creature said.

Jean Luc decided to give up. The A'aka were too well-
schooled to allow something so obvious to slip by them. In fact,
he would be dead now if it were not for his new hosts. "Who are
you?" He asked.

"Ka'ana. I lead...here."

The creature was being very concise, direct. The difficult
thing was to figure out if this was normal, if it was due to
language difficulties, or whether these A'aka were anxious about
something. Certainly they didn't need to worry about their
captives, the Federation expedition team was completely helpless.
They didn't seem to have too much trouble communicating through
Deanna or Sirock, so why not use them? No. This was something
else. These things were concerned, probably desperate. And, of
all the things the Federation could offer a desperate galaxy on
the verge of destruction, the hyperdoor was at the top of the
list. And, these things weren't stupid. By now, if they had not
figured out that their visitors had a very special means of
travel, they may have picked it up 'on the psy,' so to speak.
"We have come in peace, answering your beacon. Why have you
acted aggressively toward us?"

"We...protect." The creature paused for a moment as the
orvan wiggled within the A'akan's belly. The creature seemed to
peer down toward the orvani. Unintelligible clicking and
chattering followed. The A'akan raised up suddenly and
continued. "You...travel...quickly.
We...need...your...quick...travel...method. Help.
Please...help."

For whatever reason the hyperdoor was no longer a secret.
Well, at least he didn't need to wonder about it any more. "I
see. Before we...met we scanned a disturbance at the galactic
core..."

"Kelvana...erupts, very soon." The A'akan spoke with a
little less effort.

Jean Luc wondered if they were using a linguistics computer,
or whether this biologic coupling took the place of a computer.
"Your english seems to be improving."

"We learn now...no...not correct. We learn...quickly."
Ka'ana got right back on track with her demands. "You are
not...stupid...Picard. You are aware of our need. What is your
answer?" The A'akan apparently felt confident enough about its
command of english to begin playing verbal poker.

"What is your answer?" Jean Luc countered.

The large creature shivered before replying. "That
was...humorous. The orvan told me that I would enjoy you,
Terran. Well, we can certainly understand why you would want to
withhold the information about the hyperdimensional transporter.
And, under normal circumstances we would have the patience and
the integrity to prove our intentions to you before we pressed
the issue. We are not like the Kelvan, although I sense in your
responses that you understand this. You obviously prevailed
against our masters. You must be a great rave. In any event, we
do not believe in taking what we need without asking. We do not
believe in exploiting weaker or less developed races. However,
you understand the dilemma we are in. Have I answered
satisfactorily?"

"Were you trying to?" Jean Luc continued, wanting to milk
the ploy for all it was worth.

"Ahh, you do yourself credit, Terran. However, we do not
have the time to spend...dallying. The masters used cruel
methods to obtain what they needed to know. After they departed,
we became heirs to the Kelvan empire. Among the dubious spoils
that have befallen us is a device known as the mind ripper. Our
bioscience indicate that the device will function as well on you
as it has on us." The manner of the A'akan seemed to soften
suddenly as it continued. "Terran, Pi...card, I must tell you
that we are abhorred by the thought of using this device on
another sentient. But if I cannot convince you with any argument
that the lives of hundreds of billions of species are dependent
upon the immediate use of your device, then I will regretfully
take it from you."

Jean Luc sighed. He wasn't sure how he knew it, but he
trusted this creature, completely. "Of course you realize that I
will receive a court martial if I willingly divulge this
information to you?"

"Understood. However, you will receive commendation in our
military. Our...army is better, so you would gain advantage in
the exchange."

Jean Luc chuckled. He knew that, in the end he would not be
able to allow these magnificent creatures to perish anyway. He
probably would face a court martial if and when he returned.
However, one had to hold one's own personal standards in the
highest regard. Jean Luc was willing to die for what he
believed, and he believed that his duty was to help save a dying
galaxy, even if it cost him his career, or his life. "I would
consider it an honor, Ka'ana. May I rejoin my crew?"

The A'akan carefully considered his request. It's eye
stalks moved slowly. Finally it reached up and plucked a small
crystalline appendage from the very tip of its cephalic pod. The
appendage resembled a beautifully studded broach. She handed it
to Picard, then answered. "You are a good leader. All members
under my command display this. You are best recruit in many
cycles. Follow."

The wall slid away to reveal a cabin only slightly larger
than the one Jean Luc was exiting. As the A'akan moved Jean Luc
watched it. The animal was long, like a snake, with a flattened,
eel-like fin. The creature moved gracefully across the floor,
looking like a cobra from behind. Graceful, powerful, and
intelligent. The A'aka were certainly remarkable life forms.
Under other circumstances such sophisticated beings would be
heartily welcomed into the Federation. jean Luc had the bare
beginnings of a plan that might satisfy their needs as well as
those of the Andromedans.

The A'akan stole quickly through a hatch at the far side of
the control cabin. Jean Luc exited into an enormous docking bay.
He was in a huge dome, easily 10 kilometers from floor to ceiling
and three times that in diameter. All around him scout ships
were docked in small clusters around a spherical docking base.
Each docking base was connected to a series of branching access
stalks, which made the whole thing look like an enormous flower
bed. As he peered around the enormous hangar, Jean Luc
recognized his crew standing together around a pile of equipment
at the center of the floor.

Ka'ana must have noticed what distracted the captain. "You
see, they are all safe. We managed to save some of your
equipment. We were not exactly sure what you'd need, but then
you did not give us the opportunity to discuss the matter before
you destroyed the station."

Jean Luc frowned at the creature. "Remember Ka'ana that it
was you who boarded us. How were we to distinguish an attack by
overwhelming numbers of aggressors from a housewarming? Besides,
if the nacelles had functioned properly, we wouldn't be having
this conversation."

Ka'ana peered down at the orvani again, then back up at
Picard. "The orvan reminds me that you have not inquired as the
status of the two others of your crew."

"Others?" Jean Luc frowned deeply at this, although the
A'akan could not tell through the mirrory face plate. "There are
no others among us."

"This is disturbing. You mean you were not aware of the two
other creatures that were held in stasis?" Jean Luc could almost
sense sarcasm.

"We were not aware any others among us. They must be
stowaways."

"Stow..." Ka'ana stammered. "A colloquialism for those who
accompany without permission?"

"Correct." Jean Luc answered. "Ka'ana, speaking of others,
what happened to the Kelvan?"

Ka'ana shivered at the name. "Yes. I forget that it was
you who defeated the masters, although I am puzzled. How could
beings powerful enough to vanquish the mighty masters fall prey
so easily to their minions?"

"Ka'ana. We did not defeat the scouting party. They
defeated themselves. They made the mistake of taking our form in
order to help them adjust more easily to our environment. Once
they did, they were easily manipulated and thrown down. However,
they are still alive. They have colonized a world in our galaxy
and, though they are no longer Kelvan they still remember."

Ka'ana seemed to relax a little. She found speaking with
the Terran more than just interesting. It was...refreshing to
carry on a friendly conversation with an interesting, kindred
intellect. "The masters disappeared just before the core buildup
was detected. They fled before the fire to save themselves. In
the end I presume that they decided their roots were not worth
preserving. In all of the universe how can such an intelligent,
capable species fail so miserably to recognize that which is
truly important?"

Jean Luc chuckled softly as he replied. "Believe me,
Ka'ana. The same thing has happened where I came from.
Fortunately we were able to see ourselves for what we were before
it was too late."

Ka'ana looked down at her abdomen once again as the orvan
began to shiver rather violently.

Jean Luc was about to continue when the A'akan rose up
abruptly, its appendages bristled threateningly.

"We are under attack. There is no time for discussion.
Join your companions, quickly!" The A'akan turned and slithered
away with amazing speed.

Suddenly, the dome erupted. There was no alarm, no warning
siren. Yet, in a couple of seconds the activity within the dome
resembled a hive of pissed off ants. Jean Luc rushed up to greet
his crew. "I trust everyone is sound?" The captain turned to
Will. "I have some interesting news for you all. But before I
say anything, do you have anything for me?" Jean Luc noticed the
two emergency warp nacelles sitting next to the stack of
equipment and supplies that the A'akans had managed to recover
from distal station before it was destroyed.

Will placed a hand on Picard's shoulder as he spoke, concern
issuing from his voice. "Plenty. It seems that we are part of
some kind of resistance movement. Our captors are outnumbered
by...you don't want to know how many A'akans. On top of it all
the leader of the A'akans is insane. The A'akans have confirmed
that the galactic core is going to erupt in, get this, 145
hours."

Jean Luc looked as though he was about to add something when
Will waived him off. "That's not all. The insane leader, what
was his name Sirock?"

"The A'aka are all females, commander. The individual you
are referring to is known as Ku'taka." Sirock nodded for Will to
continue.

"Yes, well this Ku'taka is convinced that the Kelvan are
responsible for the core disturbance. She contends that the only
way for the galaxy to be at one with the Kelvan is for them to
endure the core explosion. She has convinced the A'akan military
that Ka'ana and her search for escape from the galaxy is heresy.
She's on her way here now to 'deal' with us all as the orvan puts
it."

Jean Luc was sizing up the comments. "Ka'ana seems awfully
confident. How do you read her, Deanna?"

"She does seem to be very confident, as if she knows
something that the others do not." Deanna turned and pointed out
into the frenzy of A'akan activity. "For instance, did you
notice that all of these creatures are blue? Rodan indicated
that they were crimson red. It seems that once the A'aka meld
with an orvani their skin undergoes a biochemical reaction that
releases a blue pigment, which overshadows the normal crimson
coloring. From what I can gather, none of Ku'taka's forces are
linked with the orvan. Ka'ana and her...exec staff see this as a
distinct disadvantage. And there is something else. The orvan
senses that Ku'taka's forces are allied with her out of fear.
Apparently most of them would rather side with Ka'ana. They also
feel that this is an advantage that they will be able to
capitalize on when the time comes. They are convinced that
Ku'taka's forces, while superior in number and fire power, will
hesitate when the time comes for open conflict. The rebels
believe that they will be able to capitalize on that hesitation
to evade Ku'taka's forces."

Jean Luc smiled. "Well, since they have a little over six
days to work things out, at least it will be a short war. Now
for my news. It seems that we brought some stowaways with us."
Jean Luc began to walk toward the nacelles as he continued.
"Data, you indicated that Spock was concerned about these
nacelles. Now I know why. The other two members of our crew are
ensconced within the nacelles...in stasis."

An orvani came skittering up, chittering fervently. The
creature began butting up against Sirock. Sirock picked up the
orvan, which squirmed in his hands until he let the thing go.
The orvan crawled into Sirock's backpack and nestled in among his
equipment. Two long, thing legs emerged slowly, feeling their
way toward Sirock's helmet. The small claws at the ends of the
melding appendages gingerly probed at the surface of Sirock's
deep space suit for just the right contact points, then rested
silently as the meld set in.

"Looks to me like the little guy is getting kind of
personal." Jordi said, trying to lighten the sinking mood a bit.

Sirock closed his eyes as he allowed the immense, conscious
mosaic to seep into his mind, and he into the vast, infinite sea
of thought that was the orvan collective. "The orvan wants to
maintain constant contact with us, for our own safety." He said,
with eyes closed as he allowed himself to drift just far enough
into the mind of the orvan. It was actually easy work for the
vulcan.

"Sirock, can you do this? I mean, do you think it is safe?"
Beverly was concerned. She already had her medical tricorder
out, scanning the vulcan as she spoke.

"Contact with the orvan poses no problem to me. In fact, I
am finding that it enhances my own facilities, as if there is
some kind of natural synergy that melding with the orvan
facilitates." The ground began to shake under the influence of
some seismic event.

Jean Luc looked at Sirock. "An explosion?"

"No, captain. The crust of this planet is becoming
increasingly unstable. The influence of the increasing energy
buildup in the core is sending gravity fluctuations throughout
the galaxy. They are much more severe nearer the core, of
course."

Another shock rocked the dome as scout ships began to issue
from an opening in the top of the dome. "That was from an energy
bolt." Seven A'akans rushed up, simultaneously folding in their
mantles. Two strange appendages were left exposed. As they
folded up, they formed a kind of saddle over the back of the
animal. They pulled up and stopped just in front of the Terrans,
bustling like anxious steeds.

Jean Luc turned to Sirock, a look of boyish enthusiasm
beginning to come over his expression. "Don't tell me, we're
going for a ride?"

"It's the safest way for us to evade the attack. Ku'taka
will assume that we're fleeing with the rest of the scout ships.
They won't be able to track a small group through the methane.
Besides, the seismic disruptions are becoming more severe. To
remain on the surface may become dangerous."

Jean Luc was not convinced. "Why not? We could."

"The A'aka depend on the orvan to perform all of these
functions. Without them, they are extremely limited. Their own
computers are cumbersome and slow. The orvan asks me to request
that you 'chill out' and let them do the thinking. Besides, the
orvan senses that you are quite excited about the prospect of
riding wild A'aka through a methane ocean. They suggest that you
mount and ride."

Worf leapt up into the saddle of an awaiting A'akan with
practiced aplomb. "This..." He said with guttural satisfaction.
"Is what life is all about. Sirock, inform the orvan that I am
ready for battle. I need a weapon. My phaser was ineffective."

Sirock closed his eyes for a moment. Worf's A'akan raised
it's mantle in response to the ethereal command and detached one
of its appendages and tossed it up to Worf. "It is an energy
weapon that will cut through nearly any substance. The A'akan
urges caution in its use. To activate the bolt..."

Worf fired off a round, which hit one of the distant ebony
peaks. "I have a way with weapons, Sirock. Please thank my host
for her hospitality. Captain, I do not mean to usurp your
command, but we appear to be short of time. The saddle is quite
comfortable, and seems to adjust to each individual's bodily
features."

"Who am I to dispute the word of my security chief?" Jean
Luc reached up and grabbed the saddle of one of the beasts and
swung himself up. "Mount up, everyone. I think we are in for
one hell of a ride."

"Captain, what about the nacelles?" Will nodded in the
direction of the tubes still lying on the floor.

"Sirock, do the Andromedans know that we have no idea of
whoever is inside of these tubes?" Jean Luc asked.

"They are suspicious that we were not aware of their
identity. I have volunteered no opinions about them."

"Well, there is no sense in hiding anything at this point.
Be sure to inform the orvan that whoever they are, they are to
our society what the renegades are to theirs." Jean Luc waited
for Sirock to convey the information to the collective.

"The orvan understands. The tubes will be placed under
guard in an oxygen/nitrogen envelope. If the subjects emerge,
the orvan will endeavor to keep them comfortable, but the
envelope alone will provide sufficient incarcerated until the
opportunity is permitted for one of us to investigate the
situation more thoroughly..." Sirock paused for a moment as the
orvan interrupted. "The orvan indicates that we are out of time.
We must leave at once. And captain, we are going to be submerged
for most of the trip in an ocean of methane."

The group followed suit and one by one they splashed into
the swirling organic ocean and disappeared from view. The skies
over the dome soon became full of energy blasts as Ku'taka's
forces pierced through a mock defense net and began storming the
dome. Inside of the structure, for the first time since the fall
of the Kelvan A'aka fought with A'aka. Hundreds of crimson-
colored warriors beamed into the center of the dome.

The troops that were ordered to guard over the nacelles were
in the midst of pulling the tubes out of the door when they were
attacked. One of Ku'taka's lead commandos noticed that they
appeared to be protecting some prize. The treasure looked
completely foreign, not of this galaxy, just as Ku'taka had
surmised. The insane Ka'ana had brought demons from the
neighboring galaxy to defile the natural miracle that the masters
were preparing. She quickly activated her communicator, speaking
awkwardly into the device while silently cursing the orvan for
siding with Ka'ana. The orvan provided such an easy means of
remote communication. These communicators were extremely limited
in their range, and their effectiveness. "This is Al'nota.
Ka'ana's forces seem to be protecting some prize. Their distress
call may have been answered."

Ku'taka herself answered. "You are to take whatever appears
to be out of the ordinary. Do not fail in this, the masters are
watching."

"Glory to the masters!" Filled with a sudden surge of
idealistic zeal, the A'akan spurred her own troops into the
center of the retreating group, oblivious of danger to
themselves. After all, upon expiration the masters would receive
them into their bold, new world! In addition, there were
thousands, millions of A'aka standing in reserve. Ku'taka could,
and probably would launch wave after wave of assault teams until
she'd worn down Ka'ana's resistance forces and crushed the
foolish attempt to evade the inevitable. Ka'ana's forces fought
valiantly, but were vanquished by the superior numbers of barren
A'aka. The tubes quickly fell into the hands of Ku'taka's
forces, and were whisked away to be stowed on to a transport.
The destination was Ku'taka's stronghold within the last intact
Kelvan palace where, for the next six days she would reign
supreme over the last few chards of the shattered jewel that was
the Kelvan empire.

***

Jean Luc's arms were beginning to fatigue as he gripped the
saddle supports. They were flying through the sub-zero fluid at
roughly 40 knots. Amazingly the turbulence was tolerable with
the specially designed saddles. What made Jean Luc's arms ache
was the splendor of a world so totally alien he felt like he had
been reborn into a new world. "The Wizard of Oz." He said out
loud, not realizing that his words were communicated to the other
members of the expedition.

"Exactly!" Jordi answered. "Captain, I thought I'd seen
just about everything. But..." Jordi didn't finish the
sentence. As they rounded a multicolored reef they looked out
into a vast, marine valley. Everywhere there were signs of life.
Particularly striking were a school of things that looked like
purple and pink crystalline screws with enormous propellers. The
creatures moved slowly through the sea in unison. Upon closer
inspection each of the animals had a shimmering drag net like a
spider's web trailing behind it.

Beverly was looking down toward the sea floor. Far below,
she thought that she could see blue-white lightening streaking
over the surface of the bottom. "Sirock, what is that below?"

"It is an inanimate life form similar to kelp. The organism
utilizes differences in the temperatures and pressures at
different points in the sea to generate power. The electrical
charge passes through the center of the branching stalks, which
converts methane and other organic compounds into more complex
structures. The process is analogous to photosynthesis.

As the lightening streaked over the floor of the ocean it
illuminated the innumerable wonders of this strange, new world as
the crew continued to flee through the vast expanse. Finally,
they came upon what appeared to be an enormous, submerged
sunflower blossom. Everywhere A'akans could be seen streaking in
and out of the structure like irritated ants. "This is one of
Ka'ana's strongholds. It is a nursery where the immature stages,
or instars are nurtured."

The party made their way into the structure through a side
entrance, revealing to them a vast complex of nursery cells
within. Each cell within the center of the structure contained
the developing stages of the spawn of each A'akan. Each cell was
tended by a smaller version of an adult A'akan. In the place of
the appendicular armament were small, clasping claws that fed and
cleaned the developing larvae. The entire process was similar to
that of a social insect. "It's like a bee hive." Jordi said as
he looked around at the organized chaos that pervaded the vast
network.

"The nursery attendants are sterile females. Your analogy
to bees was appropriate. The A'aka are highly social creatures.
In addition to producing the spawn the females provide defense
for the hive."

Deanna looked over at Worf and Will. "You see? In this
society the females are the warriors and the intellects. I'd say
this is nature in perfection."

Will and Worf looked at each other. "Female warriors."
Worf huffed.

"If the females do everything, then where are the males?"
Beverly asked in an amused tone of voice.

Sirock looked around for a moment, then pointed toward a
support beam where a set of cells intersected. Secluded within a
small alcove within the support a pair of pincers could be seen,
resting. The small creature within stirred suddenly and crawled
out of its small hovel. It was shaped like a crab, about half a
meter in diameter. The creature began setting out small chards
of a multicolored crystalline substance, organizing them into a
generally circular pattern about itself. When it was finished
the effects was kaleidoscopic. Apparently satisfied, the small
creature made a few final adjustments in the pattern, then
nestled itself in at the very center of the arrangement.

Suddenly, from small pores located laterally around the
creatures shell, beams of bright, white light shot out into the
crystalline array. The animal gyrated wildly within the center
of the ornamental, resulting in a dazzling, multicolored light
show.

The A'aka beneath Jean Luc began to tremble as the small
crab continued its animated display. Jean Luc looked over at
Sirock for explanation.

"That is an A'akan male. They spend their entire lives
inside the nursery. They are protected, they have no
responsibilities except to attract females and mate with them."

At that moment an A'akan female approached the center
support and opened up her mantle. She wrapped herself around the
support beam and opened the mantle, spreading her appendages
wide. The male responded by leaping onto the exposed belly of
the female. The male made its way up to the cephalic appendages,
and the two began to touch each other slowly with their
delicately clawed appendages. The female began to writhe and
shiver. Jean Luc noticed that several of the 'workers' were
gathering around them. The copulation began to take a more
animated turn as the female A'akan began to undulate. At this
point the other females rushed in and formed a tight circle
around the writhing A'akan.
Suddenly, the A'akan began to split open along the dorsum.
As she did, many golf-ball sized, bluish spheres poured out of
the rent. The workers were busy gathering up the spheres before
they could hit the floor. When the last of the spheres poured
out the A'akan collapsed onto the floor, and continued to
undulate. Slowly, the rent in her skin extended along the length
of her back. What appeared to be underlying tissue turned out to
be a new exoskeleton.

"Fascinating." Sirock said aloud. "The efficiency of it is
fascinating. They maximize the energy spent by postponing
oviposition until they need to molt."

The female was just about finished with the molt when a
clattering distracted the group as three of the small males were
apparently engaged in some kind of conflict.

Again, Sirock provided commentary. "The males are rivalous,
and often raid another's den while it is....occupied."

Beverley could be heard giggling softly to herself. Deanna
sensed the comedic theme and began to chortle herself.

Again, Will and Worf looked at each other and, even though
they could not see each other through their face plates, they
sneered at each other.

"Well, it is good to see that some things remain constant,
even one hundred million light years away." Deanna giggled.

"Exactly." Beverley said. "Even here in Andromeda men
think the same. They put on a big show, wanting only one thing.
Then, when they're done, they go off with their friends and
squabble over their toys."

The two women continued to giggle softly as the rest of the
crew fell into silence, with the exception of Data. "Excuse me,
sir." Data said to Jean Luc. "I am having difficulty with Dr.
Crusher's analogy. The A'akans are clearly an advanced race.
Judging from their behavior, these males do not appear to be
sentient."

"That is correct, commander." Sirock said. "The A'akan
males are little more than animals. Only the large adult females
have achieved sentience."

At this Deanna and Beverley burst in to fits of uncontrolled
laughter. "Precisely." Data continued. "That is why I am
having such a hard time with this analogy."

"I don't understand what you're confused about, Data."
Deanna coughed out between fits of laughter. "They are
absolutely quintessential examples of the male condition."

Data was about to issue another retort, but Jean Luc cut him
off. "Commander, it would be best if you just let it drop."

"Aye, sir." Data accepted the suggestion, but looked back
at the squabbling males, and continued silently with his
analysis.

The nursery began to rock gently as another seismic wave
passed through the ocean floor. "Something is happening."
Sirock said, interrupting the jovial interplay. "The orvan and
A'aka are extremely excited. They are communicating in some kind
of mental shorthand that I cannot interpret." The vulcan fell
silent for a moment before continuing as the expedition crew
looked on with anxious disquiet.

"The galactic core has exploded. The orvan estimates that
the first shock wave will reach the rim worlds in two weeks."
Sirock fixed his gaze upon Jean Luc as he continued. "We have
that long to decide the fate of every living creature in this
galaxy."
...AND BESET
Spock opened his eyes at the sound of his door chime. He
considered not answering for a moment, but decided that it was
illogical to feign vacancy. After all, there was no conclusive
proof that his son and all hands aboard Distal station were lost.
At present logic dictated that they had to be considered as
missing in action. A single tear crept out from between his
eyelids as he closed his eyes tightly once more. "Come." He
called as he sat up and wiped the lacrimation from his cheek.

"Spock, I was beginning to think you weren't at home!"
Montgomery Scott strode in, and plopped two small cups down on
the table. He pulled out a flask and began wriggling at the
tight-fitting cork.

"Mr. Scott..." Spock began, but Scotty cut him off.

"Now Spock. Don't try to give me any of that pshaw about
doctor's orders or anything like that." Scotty pulled the cork
out with a loud pop and quickly poured two shots. He grabbed one
and hefted it up into the air as he toasted. "We've been in a
few scraps together, Spock. But this one was close. To your
very good health, sir!" Scotty tossed down the caustic liquid
and shivered slightly as the no doubt stiff brew worked its way
down into his abdomen. Scotty opened his eyes and smiled widely
while rubbing his stomach. "Best remedy in the world for what is
ailing you."

Spock looked down at the additional cup, then up at Scotty.
"Mr. Scott, you know as well as I do that vulcans cannot drink
alcohol."

Scotty's eyes opened wide as he feigned surprise. "What?
You're kidding! You mean all those years we served together and
you never...?" Scotty lifted the second cup while smacking his
lips. "You should have told me before, Mr. Spock. Now there's
nothing left to do but finish it."

"You could pour the contents back into the flask." Spock
offered, playing total straight man at this point.

At this Scotty looked offended. "What? Don't you know that
once whiskey is poured it has to be drunk? Why, it would ruin
the whole bottle if you poured it back." Scotty tossed down the
second cup and coughed slightly as the liquor passed over nerve
roots still peaking from the first shot.

"I really do not see how a few seconds out of the flask
could significantly alter the composition of the fluid." Spock
said, challenging the engineer's theorem.

"Spock, trust me. I know about these things." Scotty
plopped the flask into a deep pocket within his smock as his
voice softened. "Spock, I heard about Distal Station. You know,
that is the best crew that Star Fleet has ever had, even better
than ours. You know that there is very little that could
surprise them." He placed a hand on Spock's shoulder as he
continued. "Try not to worry, they'll make it back in one
piece."

At that moment the only being in the universe who could have
brightened Spock's dimmed spirits any better would have been
Sirock himself. The vulcan walked over to the replicator.
"Rigellian Barot Tea." Spock picked up the sizzling concoction
and began to sample the aroma.

Scotty reached deep down into his pocket and fished out the
whiskey flask and poured yet another cup of hooch. Scotty lifted
the cup with a look of hedonous anticipation when he noticed that
Spock was eyeing him suspiciously. "Ach now, Spock, what kind of
friend do ya think I am anyhow?" Scotty protested. "I'll
certainly not leave a man to drink alone!"

The two old friends lifted their vessels as they thought of
other times in another life. "Remember when we were trapped in
that illusion of old Tombstone?"

Spock raised an eyebrow in response. "Yes. As I recall you
invoked a similar...remedy out of concern about the effects of
the nerve gas that I contrived."

"I'll say one thing for those Malcotians. They sure had an
eye for detail. Why that whiskey was the finest..." Scotty
didn't have a chance to finish the description.

"Ambassador Spock report to the command center. Ambassador
Spock, report to the command center."

"Well, it looks like I'm gonna have to put you back for
another rainy day. "Scotty spoke sweetly to his flask as he
patted it an tucked it back into his pocket. "Well, I need to
get caught up on a few things. Are you OK, Spock?"

"My spirits are significantly elevated, now. And you?"

Scotty slapped at his belly. That Cardassian devil gave me
a good blast. It's a good thing you put me in stasis Mr. Spock
or I'd have been dead for sure. but, I'm fit enough for duty.
Can I help with anything?"

"As a matter of fact you can, Mr. Scott. The emergency
beacon had a small clip in it from the command center before it
was destroyed. Perhaps you can find something useful in the
recording. The technicians are investigating its contents at
this moment, I believe."

Scotty brightened significantly, although whether at the
notion of returning to active service or as a result of the onset
of neuropsychologic effects of ethyl alcohol Spock could not be
certain. In either event, seeing Scotty back on his feet and fit
enough to piss on a hot camp fire.

Scotty ran the program through once more. The image was
only a few seconds long. The command center was vacant. In the
background the red alert clarion could be heard over the
computer, counting down the last few seconds before the screen
went blank. "You see sir, the crew must have perished with the
station. We have surmised from additional telemetry that the
crew had patched in a circuit to the emergency warp nacelles.
This, along with their beacon message indicates that they were
trying to make a hyperjump out of danger. They had apparently
planned for the station to self-destruct just after they made the
jump. However, upon discovering the bogus nature of the nacelles
they were left with no other option. Sir, I'm afraid they
perished with the station. An analysis by the computer confirms
our suspicion with a greater than 99% confidence interval."

Scotty looked at the technician, feeling a slight jolt from
the three slugs of whiskey. "Laddie, you should'na trust a
computer any more than you trust good broadside."

"Sir?" The technician stared at Scotty, confused.

"Laddie, you can have the best sword at your side, but if
you don't know how to use it, you can be bested by a child with a
pea shooter. A computer's no different. It'll give you the best
answer it can, but the answer is only as good as the information
ya input into the thing." Scotty smiled. "Trust me son, I have
had some experience with this sort of thing."

The technician simply frowned and backed away. Scotty reran
the transmission again. "Computer." Scotty said. "Magnify the
main control console."

"Working..."

An irresolute image of the console filled the screen.
Blurred lights flashed during the few seconds of transmission
before the station exploded. "Computer." Scotty continued.
"Maximize predictable enhancement, and replay."

"Working..."

Scotty watched intently as lights danced across the console.
Scotty eyed one particular set of lights intently. "Computer,
reduce speed to one one hundredth normal and replay at time mark
14.87 seconds."

"Working..."

Even with the speed dramatically reduced, the lights on the
console still flashed rather quickly, even at this diminished
rate. Simultaneous to the console control lights that were
flashing was a transporter input/output analysis graph up on the
screen. "Someone must have been analyzing transporter activity
during the last few minutes before the station exploded. But
these readings are unlike anything we use. Wait a minute?"
Scotty whispered to himself. His eyes lit up suddenly with
realization. "So, you had company, did you?" Scotty spun around
in his chair and launched himself over toward the nearest
'console.' "Scott to command center. I have some new
information about the last transmission from Distal that I think
you should take a look at."

"Of course Mr. Scott." It was Spock. "What have you
found?"

"What have I found, he says." Scotty chuckled softly to
himself. "Let me put it this way sir. I dinna think you should
start looking for a new command for the Enterprise just yet."

Scotty was just about to leave when he noticed something
else on the console screen next to the transporter graph readout.
It was the result of a scan into the center of the galaxy. The
readout was a little fuzzy, but the scan was clearly a tachyon
map of the galactic core. Scotty frowned at the result for a
second, then his eyes went wide as he began to realize what it
was he was looking at. The hairs began to stand up on the back
of his neck as he came into full understanding of what was
happening in Andromeda. "Oh...my...God."

***

Ku'taka slithered around the warp nacelles, eyeing them
curiously. "You are sure that these devices pose no threat?"

"Quite certain, lord. One of the survivors was subjected to
the mind ripper. We confirmed that the orvan believes there are
two of the outsiders within the nacelles. They are held in
simple stasis, lord. We are able to reverse the process and
revive them." The underling bowed low as Ku'taka approached.

Since her ascension into the position of command, the
distance between herself and the rest of the A'aka had grown
considerably. She now carried about her an air not unlike that
of the Kelvan themselves. Surely the masters would recognize her
as a great warrior, a leader. All of the cacophony that was
taking place at the center of the galaxy was surely the result of
some divine contrivance of the Kelvan. And when they emerged
from the fantastic cauldron they had made at the center of the
heavens they would find their home, and their servants
steadfastly loyal to them...to the bitter end.

But recently she had begun to feel remorse, for Ku'taka
would have to give up her power when the masters returned. The
feeling of domination filled her with a drunken vigor, and she
was reticent to give up that which she had sought so long to
possess. And now, to her surprise and delight these outsiders
had come. She had thought Ka'ana foolish for attempting to
contact them, and now they were here. She silently thanked the
old hard shell for having some wits about her. Yet she still did
not know what to do with these creatures. If these outsiders
truly did defeat the masters, then they must possess great
knowledge. Perhaps this knowledge could provide Ku'taka with the
means to avert the cataclysm that would soon be upon them.
Perhaps these outsiders could defeat the masters, were they to
return. And what if Ku'taka possessed this knowledge, what then?
First things first, she thought. "Squad leader!" She called to
one of the members of her personal guard.

"Command me, lord!" The guard bowed low, almost reaching
the ground.

"Prepare an appropriate environmental chamber for the
outsiders. Keep me appraised of their status, and call me when
they appear coherent enough to communicate."

"It shall be done, lord!" The guard raced out to set up the
procedure.

Ku'taka took another look at the nacelles, running a
delicate claw down the length of one of them. "Perhaps we are
not as fated as I once thought." She spoke silently to herself.
She would need a device to help her politically maneuver herself
out of the position she was in. If it proved that these
outsiders were somehow able to help them avert the oncoming
destruction, then the wisdom of Ka'ana would be recognized as
superior to that of Ku'taka. There would be not a single A'akan
left at her side. Ka'ana had arrived at the outsider's base
first. There was no telling what she now knew or possessed of
the outsiders and their abilities. Ku'taka had struck fast and
hard upon Ka'ana's main stronghold, but it would be foolish to
assume that the surprise was sufficient to force Ka'ana to
abandon all of her prizes. Therefore, whatever Ku'taka now
possessed must have been considered either surplus or worse yet,
these stasis tubes might be completely useless.

Softly, Ku'taka cursed the name of Ka'ana as she considered
for another moment. The outsiders would have to be guarded
carefully, somewhere out of the reach of any would-be assailant.
Ku'taka began to quiver as she mulled the problem over. Of
course! Ka'ana would stow her treasure in the only place she now
felt was secure, in her own nursery complex! But each family
held the secret of their birth place even to the death. However,
the entire family of Ka'ana were presently safely within the
nursery complex. Normally only family members would know the
location of an A'akan brood nest. But Ka'ana had many friends,
many friends. Perhaps one among them would have been endowed
with this information.

Ku'taka slithered out into a pool of methane provided for
her comfort. She pondered the riddle of the location of Ka'ana's
brood nest as she swam slowly through the solution. If Ka'ana
were to divulge the secret location of her brood nest, it would
only be to one whom she trusted just as much as a family member.
Only a comrade in arms would be placed in such a position. And
of these, only one who had been through many, many battles would
likely be chosen.

Ku'taka paused suddenly as she was struck with a
particularly evil thought. What if she were to find this
knowledgeable one, or worse, what if she were to find several who
fit the definition? To what lengths would she go to obtain the
information? She had already used the mind ripper on orvani.
The device had been developed by the Kelvan for use on other
creatures. The A'aka, being only partially telepathic, were
instructed to use the device on other sentients within the galaxy
when the Kelvan themselves were not present. The device seemed
to be universally capable of literally stripping thought from any
sentient being. If the masters did not want such a device used,
they would not have invented it. And after all, Ka'ana was
right, of course. The masters were not returning. They thought
no more of their underlings than they did of some obsolete
machine. They were archetypal predators, all beings within their
realm were subjects, property, nothing else. Ku'taka sought to
command solely for the chance to experience the feeling of
ultimate superiority. And now that she stood a chance of
escaping with her rule intact, she could use any resource at her
disposal to accomplish the task. It felt almost like a challenge
to battle, a magnificent, enormous match of wit. So, to answer
the question of whether or not Ku'taka would use the mind ripper,
or any other method of gathering intelligence in order to further
her own designs, the answer was simple. She began to churn the
methane slowly as she resumed her swim. She spun slowly in the
pool, counting slowly to herself as she ruled out possible
candidates. Of those she thought of, only one stuck out in her
mind above the others. One whom Ka'ana had publicly declared as
friend. One whom had stood by Ka'ana in battles for over a
millennium. "Nikota." Ku'taka said softly as she rose from the
pool. She hurried off to speak to the captain of her personal
guard. Unless she was quite mistaken, which she rarely was,
Ka'ana, her nest, and the visitors would be hers before the end
of another quarter cycle.

***

Scotty placed the data card into the receptacle and played
the sequence back for the command crew. Spock nodded, eyebrows
raised. "It seems that we have found the source of concern for
the Kelvan empire."

Admiral Chen looked at the results, scratching at his head.
"Tachyons? I thought that it was impossible to accumulate such a
large pool? What does it mean, Spock?"

"Admiral, if I understand correctly what I am looking at
here, the galactic core in Andromeda is trapping tachyons. For
this to happen is a natural impossibility. Therefore, if we
trust what this sensor scan is telling us then we must assume
that this is the result of some artificial manipulation of matter
within the galactic core, although it is beyond our current
technologic level for us to understand how this is done. The
puzzling thing is why? There can be only one intent for this
kind of energy storage. And admiral, I believe I have found the
location of the Kelvan."

Chen was thoroughly confused at this point. "Spock, Rodan
said that the Kelvan were all dead!"

"Inaccurate, admiral. I believe that, for some unknown
reason the Kelvan have decided to initiate a chain reaction
within the galactic core that will result in a detonation of
incomprehensible proportion. The motivation for this is
speculation. The result is fact." Spock looked around at the
group before finishing. "The Kelvan intend to completely
incinerate Andromeda, and I do mean completely."

Utter silence filled the room. Seeing that no one seemed
willing to add anything else, Spock continued with his gloomy
narrative. "This is obviously why we were contacted by the
A'aka. The Kelvan must have abandoned their holdings in the
galaxy to accomplish this task. Exactly why the Kelvan would do
this is an interesting question, but one that I will ponder at a
later date. For now, it is enough for us to know why the
inhabitants of Andromeda are seeking our help."

Spock fell silent and wrapped the fingers of both hands
around each other. Only his two index fingers remained extended.
He brought them both up and held them against his tightly closed
lips as he thought more about the meaning of their newly acquired
information. He stood, motionless for several minutes as he
pondered the relevance of the information and evaluated several
scenarios. Finally, he dropped his hands and nodded. "Yes.
Yes, I see it now." Spock said softly to himself.

"What?" Admiral Chen called out, anxious to hear what the
vulcan could deduce from such scanty information. "What is it
Spock?"

"Admiral, I believe that Distal station was attacked out of
desperation. At this moment the galactic core is probably close
to the point of detonation. The A'aka must certainly realize
that if we were able to respond their distress signal we would
have to be capable of meta-warp transportation. Hyperdoor
transportation is the only means of travel that we are aware of
that is theoretically capable of surpassing warp drive travel.
Therefore, speaking from the Andromedan point of view, if the
distress beacon was to be answered by the physical arrival of
beings from the neighboring galaxy, our galaxy to be specific,
then we would have to be capable of hyperdoor travel by
definition. A brilliant plan, and a significant gamble I must
say. However, the rewards are potentially far greater than the
expense."

"So you believe that the crew destroyed the station in an
attempt to avoid divulging the nature of the hyperdoor?" Chen
asked.

"Yes. However, I am not convinced that the crew is dead."
Spock waited for Chen to digest the discussion to this point
before continuing. "You see, the A'aka have had quite a while to
plan for an eventual reply. They would have assumed that we
would want to protect what we know, at least until we were
convinced that we could divulge the information safely. The
multiple transporter signals indicates that the station was being
boarded by many intruders. The situation is so desperate that
the A'aka would waste no time after they detected the arrival of
visitors. As it is, our attempts at carrying out this mission in
stealth was thwarted, thought by what means I am not sure.
However, I am sure that the A'aka would have kept a ready eye
upon the region of space occupied by the beacon, the first
logical place to send a rescue team. I believe that our crew
were taken, not destroyed. And now they are being held
somewhere, probably safe for the moment. Beyond that I cannot
speculate with any confidence.

"But the crew has sworn to withhold the secret of the
hyperdoor or die!" Chen's face revealed the conflict that was
brewing within him. He felt the pain of the loss, an entire
galaxy of life, lost. Yet he was duty bound to protect the
Federation and his own galaxy from any and all threats, both real
and perceived.

"Admiral." Spock said softly. "An entire galaxy seeks to
escape destruction. How long do you think that the crew will be
able to keep themselves from revealing the information out of the
sheer desire to help avoid a catastrophe of this magnitude? I
know captain Picard well, admiral. He is a man of strong
conviction, and loyalty. However, if he felt that he must
sacrifice his career for the sake of innocent lives, he will not
hesitate to do so."

"But what about the lives in this galaxy? These Kelvan
monsters would have enslaved us all if the advance guard had not
been thwarted." From the tone of his voice, Chen was clearly
unhappy with either result.

"At this point, only the captain knows for sure what the
situation is, and how he will respond. All we can do is try to
help them as much as possible." Spock turned once again to face
admiral Chen. "Admiral, it is clear that we cannot openly match
the combined strength of a united Kelvan military, nor can we
hope to accomplish anything by sending in an away team with the
intent of rescuing the crew is out of the question. However, we
do have another alternative to help the crew."

Chen simply stared, straight faced. He nodded finally to
allow Spock to continue with the description of his plan. "If we
assume that the A'aka intend harm to the crew, then there is
nothing we can do to help them. However, if we assume that the
distress signal was truly intended as a call for help, then we
must also accept that the crew may be safe, and that the
destruction of Distal base is explainable through other factors
of the situation to which we are not privy. Therefore, I propose
that we send through another probe, one that is capable of two-
way transmission. We can initiate a transmission pulse that
will, upon reception of the correct coded response, receive and
transmit back to us information about the status of the crew. If
they are out there, then we have a chance of reestablishing
communication. If not, then the A'aka will not be capable of
breaking the transmission signal. The result would serve more to
confuse and distract the A'aka more than anything else. The
probe can be equipped with a proximity-activated detonator that
would keep the intent and the source of the probe discreet."

"And what if the crew does not respond to the probe?" Chen
asked.

Spock cast his eyes downward before speaking. He could not
allow himself to accept death as a possible fate for the crew.
The scant data that they had gathered to date indicated to him
that the most likely possibility was that the crew was alive
somewhere, and being pressed, possibly severely, for information
about the hyperdoor. And among them only one, Spock's only son,
held the key. "Then they are as good as lost."

Spock busied himself readying the probe. It took a bit more
time than he'd expected to program the device to perform exactly
as desired. Ultimately, due to time constraints, he had to scrap
some of the programming he originally wanted to include. He
activated the probe, then watched it as it slipped silently
through the small hyperdoor portal and into the midst of the
brewing inferno. The plan was to activate the portal at random
in the vicinity of the probe in order to prevent anyone from
being able to detect and possibly exploit the portal to return to
Proximal station.

***

On the other side of the portal, the probe emerged like a
baby, screaming and hungry. Forces loyal to Ku'taka intercepted
the signal first, but of course, could not interpret it.
Communications were slowed, due to the absence of orvani
influence. In addition, there were too many relay points in the
system, and ultimately the information was misinterpreted to
indicate that the observers were reporting the presence of the
emergency beacon jettisoned from Distal station. The response
from Ku'taka's headquarters was only that command was aware of
the probe, and no action was to be taken. As a result, Ku'taka's
forces completely ignored the probe.

However, Ka'ana's forces detected the signal, and within a
few minutes of reception the orvan was contacting Sirock through
his small orvani companion. The crew had been set up in a large,
unused cell that was fitted with the special life support
requirements of human beings. Ka'ana had visited once, Jean Luc
was listening to an interpreted summary of the transmission,
provided to Sirock by his orvani companion. "The transmission
starts with a standard hail, followed by a message addressed to
the Federation exploratory team from Distal station. We are
being ordered to report our status immediately. We are also
warned that we are likely harboring two hostile stowaways. The
transmission repeats at that point."

Jean Luc stirred his replicated tea and took a sip. He set
the cup down and stood, rubbing his hands together as he thought
about his next statement. "I have purposefully excluded the rest
of you from this discussion because as commander I alone am
responsible for the conduct of the crew under my command. I
decided long ago that I have no right to refuse aid to any
species in such a hopeless situation. As a result, If there was
any more time I believe I could work out a solution that would
include operating the hyperdoor system for the A'aka and their
subject species. However, the only solution to this problem lies
in providing them with the hyperdoor. I will take full and
complete responsibility for my actions as a Star Fleet officer.
However, since what I am about to suggest will place an extremely
powerful device into the hands of a strange and unstudied
species, I must ask you for your sanction as fellow sentients
representing an entire galaxy that could be threatened by this
act."

Jean Luc turned to speak to the vulcan. "Sirock, Ka'ana has
asked me for the hyperdoor. We have come to a point in this
situation where we must make a decision about our conduct in this
matter. Ka'ana has asked me directly for the hyperdoor. I am
convinced that she intends to use the device only to save the
biota of this galaxy from annihilation. As it is, only a
fraction of the species would escape. I cannot speak for you in
this matter, Sirock. You must decide yourself how you are going
to respond."

"Captain, Sirock, I'd like to throw in my two cents." Will
said. "When we rescued the Borg Hue we had to make the same
choice, albeit on a much, much smaller scale. Nevertheless, we
assisted an individual of an extremely hostile species when logic
dictated that we should have killed him in the interest of the
greater good. I've gone over the scenario again and again in my
mind since then, because at first I was inclined to kill Hue for
the reasons I've stated. It was only chance that stayed my hand
when I had the opportunity to do him in. I don't ever want to
place myself into a position like that again. And as much as I
realize that I may regret allowing my feelings to guide my
actions against the logic of a situation, I do not want to make
that same mistake here. I say we give them what they need to
survive."

Jean Luc turned to Deanna. "Counsellor, how do you read our
hosts now?"

"With the core explosion now a reality, they are growing
more and more anxious. They maintain feelings of respect and
good will toward us, but I sense that they are growing desperate.
The core explosion is not their only worry. In fact, they are
more worried about encountering some of their own kind...one in
particular." Deanna's features turned to stone. Her eyes went
wide as terror gripped her from all around. She shook herself
out of its powerful grip and shaded her eyes for a moment as she
sought to put the sensation she felt into words. "Captain, it is
one of their own that fills them with fear. This A'akan was once
influential within the Kelvan empire. They are running from her,
captain. And from what I am reading, she is looking for us.
Sir, the main reason Ka'ana wants the hyperdoor is not so much to
escape from galactic destruction, she wants to escape from it.
Either that, or allow it to die here, in this galaxy."

Silence gripped the room like some kind of evil serpent,
choking hope and courage from them. Finally Sirock spoke.


"Captain, I have something I would like to say." Data
looked, for lack of a better word, worried.

"Yes, commander, what is on your mind?" Jean Luc sat back
down and took another sip of tea. Data always had a fresh
perspective, even now, at the brink of disaster, one hundred
million light years from home.

"Sir, I am concerned about your decision to give the
hyperdoor technology to the A'akans. It is a clear breach of
orders, and places you in a most precarious situation. According
to Star Fleet regulations my duty is to place you under arrest
and ask the most senior ranking officer to replace you as
commander. However, by his actions commander Riker is also
placed in this situation. I imagine that the rest of you will
also follow this action, resulting in a complete breakdown of
Star Fleet protocol. I find myself in a quandary as to what to
do, but I must obey my programming where Star Fleet regulations
apply." Data drew his weapon at this point and held the group at
bay. "You are all my friends, and I am truly sorry, but you are
all under arrest. The charge is high treason."

A long silence ensued. Data silently ushered the group into
a corner, then sat down. Sirock finally stirred and stood.
"Something is wrong." He was wearing a special headset that
allowed him to maintain contact with the orvan. He took the
headset off and set it down. "The orvan has stopped
communicating with me. The last thing it said to me was that it
was very, very sorry. Sir, I believe that the A'aka have reached
the point of desperation. They are aware of commander Data's
actions. I fear that they may have decided to take matters into
their own hands."

Deanna stirred suddenly as she felt some empathic stimulus.
"Captain, Sirock is wrong. The A'aka are panicking. Apparently
something has gone incredibly wrong..." Deanna stood and looked
around as if the walls themselves had turned against them.
"Captain, we are under attack again, and this time the attacking
force is overwhelming. We must get into our deep space gear
without any delay."

The crew responded with practiced aplomb, donning their
suits within thirty seconds of the warning. Jean Luc had just
finished enabling his suit's support systems when the floor shook
violently. The walls began to creak and groan. Suddenly, a
crack developed in one of the walls. The crew fled to the far
wall, flattening themselves against it. Without further warning
the wall fractured, allowing the icy cold methane to rush in
Jean Luc shouted into his communicator as the liquid level began
to rise above his knees. "Listen, all of you. Submerge
yourselves, quickly!"

The crew dove under the liquid just as the oxygen, methane-
enriched air exploded with a muffled thud. The incompressibility
of the liquid methane protected them from more damaging effects
of the concussion, but they were stunned all the same. Jean Luc
was only vaguely aware of the presence of other creatures around
him, tugging at him. Sirock was shouting something in his com
link...something about...blue ones?

"Quickly, swim behind the blue A'aka! It is our only
chance! Where is the captain?" Sirock looked about him in the
swirly chaos of the submerged chamber. He finally spotted Jean
Luc floating in a corner. Red A'aka were trying desperately to
force an entry into the cell through the breach in the wall. The
captain floated motionless near the breach. Sirock saw a long,
clawed appendage reach in through the breach and grab the
captain. "Captain!" Sirock shouted. He turned in time to see
the other crew members being pulled through the door by Ka'ana's
forces. The vulcan swam back to the wall breach and grabbed the
captain and tried to pull him back in. On his way over toward
the wall his foot hit something. He focused his visibeam
downward. It was Deanna. She had sunk to the floor, apparently
unconscious. Sirock reached down and grabbed her by the hand and
pulled her along as he made his way to the wall. One of the red
A'aka had grasped onto the captain. He was being pulled toward
the wall breach as large, powerful pincers tore away at the wall,
widening it.

Jean Luc shook his head to clear the cobwebs. He fought
against the pincers, freeing himself for a moment only to be
grasped again by more. A large section of the wall suddenly gave
way under the stress of the powerful A'akan appendages. Suddenly
Sirock and Jean Luc were struggling vainly as pair after pair of
claws gripped their suits. Sirock swung his visibeam around the
room, trying to find some means of escape. Suddenly he saw the
plasma rifle Worf had been carrying. He struck violently at the
claws and managed to break free. He swam over and picked up the
rifle. Jean Luck was almost through the breach. Sirock aimed
and fired, just missing Jean Luc's leg. Jean Luc jerked himself
free and pushed off against the wall, grabbing Deanna as he
bolted back to where Sirock was standing. Once again crimson
bodies filled the breach. Another section of wall gave way,
enlarging the crack sufficiently enough for A'aka to start
squeezing through. For the first time Jean Luc could see all of
the appendages open, ready for battle. Toward the top, among the
other lethal limbs were two large, hinged spikes, like the
chelicerae of a spider. The sight alone filled him with fear,
like a horrid, nightmarish specter.

Sirock fired into the center of the A'akan just as it wedged
the largest part of its body in the fissure. A blast of bubbles
and bodily fluids burst from the animal as it fell limp,
effectively blocking the entrance way. "Now, head for the door!"
Sirock called out to Jean Luc, who pushed Deanna through the door
and out into the aisle way. Sirock followed directly behind,
guarding their retreat.

"The aisle way goes off in six directions." Jean Luc said,
panting slightly as he lugged Deanna's dead weight through the
methane. "I have no idea which way we should go, let alone what
we'll do if and when we do escape."

"The orvan provided me with a layout of the nursery."
Sirock said, as he flashed his visibeam around in a slow circle.
"Jean Luc, perhaps you should take this." Sirock handed the
plasma rifle over to Jean Luc. "I think that our only chance
will be to locate one of the orvani. We're near the center of
the complex. Exits are arranged in roughly spiral corridors out
from the center to several outside exits. I have to assume we're
surrounded by unfriendly A'akan forces. Let's hope we run into
an orvani before we make it to the out of here."

Deanna began to struggle as she began to arouse. Jean Luc
held on to her and shouted into his comlink. "Counsellor,
counsellor! Deanna!"

Deanna stopped suddenly and reached up reflexively toward
her aching head. "Deanna, take a sip of the stimulant from your
medikit." Jean Luc said as he and Sirock began to make their way
down the hallway. The lights suddenly dimmed, then failed.
Blackness surrounded them as their visibeams automatically cut
on. "Check out your visual assistance units. The A'aka seem to
respond as we do to light in the visible spectrum. We may be
able to use the darkness to our advantage."

Jean Luc switched on his own unit. A computer-enhanced
image of the hallway filled his face plate. He deactivated the
visibeam and looked around at Sirock and Deanna. "Sirock, are
you ready?"

"Affirmative, captain."

"Deanna, how is your headache?" Jean Luc said, trying to
lift her spirits a little.

"I'm fine, sir. I think I can make it on my own."

"Good. Sirock, you lead. I'll bring up the rear. Deanna,
as soon as you are able, we need some kind of an idea of what the
mood is like out there." Jean Luc motioned with his head toward
the outer rim of the complex.

"Aye sir. It's a bit jumbled right now. I feel many strong
emotions from all around, as if we are in the middle of a battle.
What I feel most strongly right now is sorrow. Like the kind one
feels at the lost of a family member." Deanna turned slowly
around in the aisle way, as if trying to focus on each radial
section of the complex separately.

"I'm afraid we picked a bad time to visit Andromeda." Jean
Luc said as they crept slowly outward along one of the spiral
arms. The entire nursery seemed vacant. So efficient were these
creatures. They had evacuated the complex in a matter of
minutes. Hopefully the chaos outside would allow the crew to
slip quietly out, although into what Jean Luc could not be
certain.

***

Worf fought violently against the many claws that gripped
him. It took three A'aka to restrain him as they were pulled
rapidly through the complex and out into a wide tunnel.
Everywhere around them there were A'aka, most of them were
workers carrying brood. "AAAHHHH! KOOO TAAAAHHHH!" Worf howled
as he fought against the restraint. "We must go back! We must
go back!"

"Worf! Get a grip on yourself!" Will yelled into his
comlink. "Calm down! Whatever is going on we can't fight it. I
need you to help me figure out what in the hell is going on. All
personnel report!"

"LaForge here, commander. I'm a bit shaky after that
explosion, but I'm OK."

"Crusher here. I'm fine. I was standing behind Deanna, she
seemed to take most of the shock."

"Well, let's hope that we'll meet up with them later. For
now, we apparently need to sit quiet until we reach our
destination, wherever that is.

The herd raced on through the tunnel for what seemed like
miles. Jordi estimated that they were doing 50 knots. These
A'aka were amazing creatures. Jordi was beginning to wonder if
there was anything they could not do. As he watched them move
his visor sent back curious signals. The bioscan from his visor
was sending back regional differences in the readout. The orvani
was among the many, separate readouts he was perceiving. A
separate life entity, yet evolved within a highly mutualistic
niche in the larger A'akan. The strange thing was that, in
addition to the orvani, there appeared to be other, separate
entities littered about the creature. He'd need Data, and
probably Beverley to help him run a more thorough check, but he
was beginning to become suspicious that the A'aka were not what
they outwardly appeared to be.

They finally emerged from the long tunnel into a long,
narrow submerged valley. As soon as they exited the tunnel they
could feel the concussion from multiple blasts coming from behind
them. "They must be sealing the tunnel behind them." Riker said
as the blasts continued in sequence. After the last of the shock
waves passed them by the A'aka reduced their pace and began to
rise in unison, like a school of fish, toward the surface. The
group split in two as each half proceeded to an opposite side of
the valley. As they broke the surface, they were released. The
steep sides of the valley continued above the surface, rising
high into the air. The high ridge walls seemed to provide them
with some protection for the moment.

Their benevolent captors swam off, and were replaced with
fresh 'mounts' that swam up beside them with saddle restraints
exposed. "I guess this means we're going for another ride."
Will said sarcastically. "Data, can you use your suit tricorder
and get me some information?"

"Aye sir." Data had a special suit that maximized his
android characteristics. His suit was constructed around a full
sensor array that was limited in range, but as sophisticated as
anything aboard a galaxy-class starship. He tapped frantically
at his forearm console, then replied. "There seem to be a number
of A'akan scout ships in orbit. In addition, I read two very
large vessels, probably cruisers of some sort. They are roughly
configured as comparable star cruisers in our own galaxy. There
is a large, dispersing plasma cloud roughly 20 kilometers from
here, bearing 224 mark 4 degrees. It may be the nursery complex
we just left. There are life signs in virtually all directions,
most of them A'akan." He continued to tap on his wrist, then
added. "I am picking up humanoid life signs in the general
vicinity of the complex. They are too close together for me to
be sure, but I believe that there are three distinct life
signals."

"Good, well at least we know they are still alive." Will
sounded relieved.

"Commander." Data said as he continued to tap quickly at
his wrist. "I am picking up the new beacon transmission. Do you
wish me to transmit the requested reply?"

"Not that it will do us any good, but yes. Inform the crew
that we have fallen under heavy attack in some kind of civil
unrest." Will paused as he pondered the problem. "Data, do you
think that one-manned microshuttles could fit through the
portal?"

Data tilted his head as he considered the problem. "Yes.
If the landing skids were removed microshuttles could be launched
through the portal."

"Good. send back that we require seven, no, nine
microshuttles configured with antigrav parking struts. The
shuttles need to be able to home in on your transmitter signal.
Tell them that we'll send rendezvous information when we are able
to get to the shuttles. You should also feed them all of the
sensor data we've accumulated. They may find it useful."

"Aye sir." Data began to punch away at the keyboard when
Will interrupted him.

"Data, you'd better tell them that at present Sirock,
Deanna, and the captain are alive, but missing in action."

"Aye sir." Data finished with the signal as the group
continued quickly proceeded toward the near shore. They were
rapidly approaching what appeared to be a solid rock wall when a
small door began to open up. The a'aka quickly aligned
themselves into single file and continued through the and into a
small, but roomy complex built within the canyon walls. The
A'aka paused along side of a dock and rose up to release
themselves of their burden. Worf looked around suspiciously as
an A'akan approached from the shadows. The Klingon crouched
defensively as the creature slid out from the shadows, but then
relaxed as he saw the blue-tint of the skin, indicating that the
creature had an orvani with it.

"Good!" Said Will. "Maybe now we can get some answers."
He faced the A'akan and spoke through his suit speaker. "Can you
understand me?"

"Yes." whined the newcomer. "Understand fine."

"Three of our group are missing. Do you know where they
are?"

"Incorrect. Five are missing. Two are...taken. Three
remain within the brood nest. They will be taken."

Worf spoke up. "Commander, we must return to them. We
cannot leave them!"

"Worf is right, commander. Jordi said. "We have to go
back."

"Agreed." Will answered. He spoke to the A'akan once more.
"We cannot leave our crew members out there. In addition, the
only one in possession of the secret of the hyperdoor is among
them."

The A'akan shivered at the news, then fell silent for a few
moments. Then, it rose up to allow the orvani to disembark.
"More approach. Be not alarmed at their...color."

At that moment fifty or so crimson A'aka emerged from dark
alcoves within the walls of the cavern, followed by as many
orvani. One of them skittered up to Data and croaked in english.
"You will bear me. Your...skin. I can fit into your large
house."

Data looked around at himself, confused at the use of the
terminology.

Jordi interpreted for the confused android. "Data, I think
he's talking about your utility pockets. Can the orvani fit into
the largest one?"

"Yes. However, I will have to leave the safety shelter
behind." Data produced the package as evidence of his testimony.

"At this point the shelter isn't going to be of any use to
us anyway." Will paused as the orvani raced into the pocket and
flipped down the lid. He looked around at the group and
continued, sarcastically. "Go ahead Data, let him climb in."

Data looked even more confused, but decided to wait until
later to lodge an inquiry.

"I think I know what is up." Will said. "It looks to me
like we're going to be going in disguised as a squad of opposing
A'aka."

"Correct." The A'akan said. "Your devices...can locate the
missing three?"

"That is correct." Data answered.

Worf huffed impatiently as he stepped forward. "We will
require weapons."

The A'akan nodded toward her squad. Several of the plasma
rifles were produced, as if the A'aka were anticipating the need
for weapons. "We will keep these hidden...for now. Armed
prisoners are not good deception, correct?"

"Correct." Will said. "It sounds like a good plan so far.
What are we going to do when we find them?"

"Hope Terrans have good aim." The A'akan said flatly.

"Here we are, heading into battle against terrific odds, and
this guy's telling jokes?" Will said in a mocking tone. "I'm
really beginning to like these guys." Will jumped back into the
methane and called to the rest. "Well, what are we waiting for?
Let's go kick some butt!"

Each of the crew members was flanked by A'aka as the
remaining troops broke up to lead and flank the captives. They
proceeded through yet another tunnel to wind up on the opposite
side of the canyon wall from where they entered. The remains of
a battle could be seen all around them. From the looks of it,
most of the fighting actually took place in the sky above them.
As they sped back toward the nursery complex, Data pointed out
the direction of the life signals he was picking up from his
sensors. "Commander Riker." Data said as they raced through the
churning liquid. "They have stopped moving."
LIGHT OF LIFE
Sirock crept slowly through the complex. They had been
going for what seemed like hours, although Jean Luc knew that it
couldn't have been more than 20 or 30 minutes. Finally, Sirock
turned back to them. "I believe we're at the outer corridor.
There are exits every 10 or so meters in either direction."

"Good." Jean Luc said, sounding heartened. He did not like
creeping about in the nursery. They had happened upon one or two
cells where the family group was not lucky enough to escape in
time. The young were slashed viciously, and the attendants
dismembered. some were still writhing slowly on the ground as
they passed. Jean Luc was sickened at the sight, and felt
helpless, unable to assist the wounded. And now, the sooner they
left this place the better off he would be. "I'll lead now,
Sirock, if you don't mind. Besides, if something happens to you
none of us can leave here. Wait here until I call you."

"Yes, captain." Sirock said, acquiescing to the logic of
the situation. Jean Luc pressed slowly forward, carefully
inspecting each nook and cranny for any hint of a problem before
moving on. He finally made it to one of the exits, and crouched
down and waited. Jean Luc spent the next ten minutes lurking
next to the opening, reading his suit tricorder. "I wish I knew
what I was reading. There are life signs everywhere. I can't
figure out what is what." He remained at the exit way for a few
more minutes, then stuck his head out of the exit. All around
him he could see life. In the whirlwind tour on the way to the
complex Jean Luc saw only glimpses of the life that teamed in
this beautiful, mysterious ocean. It was like taking a look back
through history at some prehistoric ocean of Earth. It was easy
to become captivated by the wonder of this new world. It was so
alive, so vibrant. Jean Luc shook his head at the ubiquitous
nature of sentience. Even here the intelligent inhabitants could
not recognize their treasures. Life was so wonderful, so
beautiful, and yet so cruel. Jean Luc felt a burning sorrow deep
in his soul as he realized that in a few days all of this was
going to be lost. Something stirred in the water just above him.
He quickly raised the plasma rifle and trained it on the form
that flew overhead. It turned out to be a huge, ribbon-like worm
that corkscrewed through the water like a giant, main street
parade streamer. Jean Luc lowered his head and sighed. He
turned around and began to head back toward the waiting crew
members. "It seems we're alone here. I can't see any sign
of..."

Something hit him from behind, carrying him forward toward
the corridor entrance. He lost his grip on the plasma rifle and
it floated down to the deck. he was gripped tightly by multiple
claws. He knew what it was before he saw one of the familiar
appendages pass over his face plate to improve the security of
the restraint. "Sirock, Deanna, get out of here!" Jean Luc was
pinned cruelly against the bulkhead of the outer corridor. His
breaths came in quick, painful gasps as he felt himself blacking
out.

Sirock picked up the plasma rifle just as the A'akan passed
him. The beast flung Jean Luc up against the bulkhead, and began
probing the suit, as if it was frisking the captain.

Sirock fired the rifle at the top of the animal. To his
surprise the eyes, and half of the mantle flew off and began to
writhe wildly as it swam erratically down the hallway. The rest
of the A'akan became motionless, apparently decerebrate.
Suddenly the limbs began to fall off one by one. Each limb
floated to the bottom of the floor and moved away slowly down the
corridor. Finally, only the naked trunk remained. It turned an
about face and swam past the two crew members and out the exit.
Deanna swam over to the captain, who had sunk lifelessly to the
deck. Deanna tried to revive the captain as Sirock stood
overhead, guarding the doorway. Suddenly, Sirock could see
activity down the hallway. "Deanna, can you move the captain?"
He said as he stepped in front of the two crew members. Deanna
struggled with Jean Luc, who was beginning to come to. He tried
to help her swim as they made their way toward the exit. As they
passed the corridor that they had just exited, Sirock noticed
some more A'aka lurking a few meters down the hall. They charged
when they saw Sirock. He got of a few rounds before he felt
claws gripping around him from behind. He pointed the weapon
behind him and fired. He felt a sharp pain in his side as
something pierced his suit. He fired again, but the grip on him
only became tighter. Suddenly, his limbs began to tingle. He
was suddenly having a problem gripping the rifle as he realized
that he must have been envenomated. He began to tremble, and
finally slipped into a stupor as he was lugged brutally out of
the corridor and carried off by a squad of crimson-colored A'aka,
with Jean Luc and Deanna in tow.

Jean Luc called out as they flew through the depths of the
ocean. "Sirock, Deanna, are you OK?"

"I'm OK, captain." Deanna answered, her voice revealed the
stress of fear, but she sounded like she was at least physically
intact.

"Sirock?" Jean Luc repeated. "Sirock!" A twinge of fear
raced through the captain as he began to fear the worst. He fell
silent as they raced along, trying to conserve his dwindling
strength, or was it something else? He looked at his suit status
display. His oxygen generator was down to thirteen percent.
"Deanna, how much oxygen do you have left?"

"I'm down to 16% capacity. Sirock's is probably a little
higher." I think we'll be OK for a while longer...relatively
speaking." Deanna offered a nervous laugh, then fell silent.
Jean Luc suddenly felt exhausted. The gentle buffeting of the
turbulence soothed him, and he began to drop off. As he slipped
into a deepening sleep he thought he heard someone talking to
him, something about the hyperdoor..."

***

"Sir! Telemetry coming in from Distal!" The ensign shouted
into Scotty's ear.

The engineer shook his head as he spoke softly. "Lassie,
I'll admit I'm a wee bit on the far side of 60, but I dinna think
you need to shout. On screen please, my dear." Scotty sat up in
his chair and flicked his communicator. "Scott to Spock. We
have something, sir!"

Spock answered softly. "Understood, Mr. Scott. However, I
do not believe that is necessary to shout."

Scotty frowned as he focused on the initial transmission
from the probe. "Don't even think about it, Lassie." He warned
the ensign, who snickered silently as she fed telemetry data into
the computer.

Scotty read the message, then sighed. He had just begun the
detailed analysis on sensor and directional data when Spock
arrived. Scotty shot a warning glance at the ensign, who cowered
playfully and focused down at the console so she could giggle
discreetly while Spock and Scotty focused on the data. After a
few seconds she returned her attention to her duty, and the lives
that depended on her.

The computer bleeped completion, and began to flood adjacent
monitors with results. "Fascinating." Spock said. "Mr. Scott,
the microshuttles will need to be fitted. Are you up to it?"

"Spock, you need to ask? They'll be ready in 8 hours."

"Good." Spock said. "I'll call for a loading crew in 4
hours."

Scotty raised his eyes in surprise. "Spock, I just told you
it would take 8 hours!"

"But it is a well-known fact that Star Fleet engineers pad
their estimates substantially in every situation." Spock
challenged.

"Well, this time I'm serious. It's gonna take me 8 hours to
fit these vessels, no more, no less." Scotty said as he turned
to leave.

"Mr. Scott, we do not have 8 hours to spare. The crew may
not be alive in eight hours." Spock cast a glance over at the
young ensign, who was taking it all in. After all, these two
officers were legends.

"Mr. Spock, no matter what the situation is, I kinna change
the laws of the physics. Eight hours, no more, no less. Now
we're wasting valuable time arguing when I could be fitting those
shuttles." Scott turned and rushed out of the command center
room toward the auxiliary shuttle bay.

The ensign looked at Spock, eyes raised in puzzlement.
Spock returned the look. "Ensign, did you need something?"

The young woman frowned, and began to work on the results
again, then looked over at Spock again. "Sir. I'm sorry to
bother you with something as frivolous as this, but as I recall
Mr. Scott always pads his estimates. I mean, there has never
been an episode in the historical journals where captain Kirk did
not refer to the fact that the chief engineer aboard the
Enterprise did not habitually multiply his repair time estimates
by, and I quote, a factor of four."

"Oh? I was not aware that the historical journals reported
every incident in such comprehensive detail. You should not
believe everything you read." Spock ducked down to peer into a
binocular monitor and tapped his communicator at the same time.
"Spock to personnel."

"Personnel, aye."

The vulcan did not bother to look up from the monitor as he
replied. "I am going to need two loading crews here in the
hyperdoor bay sometime in the next four hours, we'll have a very
short transit window so I'll need every available hand."

The first mate on duty sounded just a bit set aback by the
surprise request. "Sir, I only have one full crew on hand.
Everyone else is off duty. It'll take me at least eight hours to
round up the other crew members."

Spock stood up and raised his eyes as he replied. "First
mate, are you planning on entering engineering school?"

A moment of silence preceded the surprised response. "Why,
yes! How did you know, sir?"

"Just call it a hunch. I'll give you four hours to have
your crews up here and ready or I will route your entrance exam
results to engineer Scott for review." Spock said, trying
unsuccessfully to add as much threat to his voice as possible.

"Sir, I'll have the crews up there in two hours, sir! They
can help with any last minute prep you may need. Do you have
enough antigravs down there, sir, or will I need to get some from
ship's stores?"

"Just take care of the crews, son. Spock out."

The ensign looked at Spock with a look of total disbelief.
"Mr. Spock! You and Mr. Scott were toying with me the whole
time!"

"Really ensign. Do you think that we have nothing better to
do than to waste time with childish prattle?"

The ensign was about to reply when "Spock's communicator
chimed again, it was Scotty. "Spock, I just heard a report from
the solar observatory. There's going to be some increased flare
activity in the next four hours, do you want the shuttles a bit
early?"

"Is three hours pushing it too much?" Spock asked.

"Three hours it is, Spock. I'll beam them over when they're
finished. Scott out."

The ensign's jaw dropped. Spock looked over at her and
suggested. "Ensign, are you having difficulty with your
pharyngeal muscles?"

"Sir?" The ensign was falling further and further behind at
this point.

"I could not help but notice that your lower jaw has a habit
of dropping open involuntarily. You may wish to have that
checked out, ensign. I hear Dr. Pulaski is an excellent
physician." Spock returned to the binocular monitor.

"Aye...sir." The ensign finished loading the last of the
telemetry data into the computer. "Well, that's the last of the
probe feed segments. Will you be needing anything else, sir?"

"No, that will be all, ensign. Good work." Spock returned
to the displayed analyses and continued with his evaluation.

He looked over the displays and selected one to enhance.
The display showed sensor survey data from Andromeda that Data
had downloaded. Spock peered at the data for a few minutes, then
shook his head. "Computer, overlay the current location of the
Distal station team and adjust scale." Spock said.

"Working..."

The overlay popped up, revealing the location of the team.
They were on a class G planet at the rim of the galaxy. The
planet was just outside a particularly thick interstellar cloud.
"Yes." Spock whispered to himself. The cloud would protect the
crew from most of the harmful radiation emanating from the core.
All of the nearby class G planets seemed to be inhabited. The
Andromedans must be extremely interesting creatures to have
evolved in the cold of an ammonia-methane world. Their
physiology would have to be so unlike our own. In all of the
Milky Way galaxy there were only two biosystems that had evolved
in a cold ammonia-methane environment, and even these were
limited to simple life forms. Spock called up the known data on
the two systems and started a basic information analysis and
summary. Although Data would also have some of this information,
it wouldn't hurt to check it over again. Something of value
might turn up that would give the away team some advantage. At
the present time it seemed that they needed all the help they
could get.

The analysis of the survey missions to the ammonia-methane
worlds in this galaxy revealed that the creatures used an organic
silicon matrix for skeletal support. The low temperatures
limited the amount of exothermic activity that could be used to
generate work for locomotion and other motive activities. As an
alternative, these creatures had evolved superconducting
circuitry that connected their nervous system with small organs
that resembled the servos used in android construction. The
nervous system itself was actually a highly refined
silicon/organic composite microprocessing chip, similar to those
used in Data's positronic brain. Nourishment consisted of either
preying upon animals and assimilating stored energy from natural
capacitors, or through various other means of channelling non-
solar energy. One creature was actually a complex lightening rod
that could tap into the electrostatic discharges occurring over
the planet. The interesting thing about this creature surrounded
its method of growth. The electrostatic 'farmers' stored
enormous charges in capacitors. A symbiosis had evolved with a
small, crab-like creature such that, in exchange for small
aliquots of stored electric charges that the 'crabs' used as food
they would collect and assemble small, complex crystalline arrays
that were the building blocks of the larger, lightening farmers.
There was a similar situation on the other class G planet as
well.

Another interesting thing about the two ammonia-methane
worlds was the fact that both worlds were only about 2 billion
years old. Spock's interpolation of the data from Andromeda, and
from the interview with Rodan indicated that the evolutionary
process that eventually led to the emergence of the Kelvan empire
was almost 5 billion years old. Given the similarity of the two
known systems, and the scant information the Federation had
gathered from Rodan himself and now from the survey telemetry
indicated that this approach of multiple symbiosis was a highly
likely. Spock called up an image of the A'aka, again compiled
from the data extracted from Rodan, and from visual images that
Data had downloaded to the probe. The creature was indeed large
and formidable. Spock studied a series of enhancements and
possible predicted arrangements based on the fact that the orvani
and A'aka could assemble and disassemble. On Earth there were
many examples of symbiosis, most of them parasitic in nature.
Animals and plants had evolved to become not only independent
creatures, but 'homes' for other life forms from endogenous
viruses, such as the HIV virus to more complex parasitic forms
such as worms and flukes. At any one point in the life of an
animal millions of parasites representing many species could live
within a host without causing significant damage. Far less
frequently in occurrence were non-parasitic symbioses where
larger animals would coexist in some harmonious fashion. The
symbiosis observed least frequently was mutualism, where the
existence of two different species was enhanced synergistically
through a cooperative effort of some kind. On Earth, the anenome
fish came to mind. In this case, the fish excreted a special
mucinous substance that would inhibit the anenome from firing its
stinging nematocysts. Millions of these nematocysts were
scattered over the surface of the anenome's tentacles. The
nematocysts consisted of small, spring-loaded barbs that fired a
small, barbed dart. In addition to acting like a whaler's
harpoon, the dart contained a paralysing neurotoxin. When prey
strayed too close to the anenome, these nematocysts would fire by
the thousands. The cumulative effect of the anchoring 'harpoons'
and the paralysing neurotoxin compensated for the slow, clumsy
movements of the anenome. After succumbing to the exhaustion and
paralysis, the prey was brought into a simple, internal stomach
and slowly digested.

The anenome fish could swim freely in the anenome with
absolute impunity. The anenome provided a safe haven by allowing
the fish to hide within the anenome's deadly tentacles. At the
same time, the fish would bring its own prey into the tentacles
of the anenome. The anenome would latch on to the bits of food,
providing the anenome fish with a vice-like hold fast so that it
could take small bites of the often larger food item for itself.
Eventually, the anenome would engulf the lion's share of the
feast, but not after the anenome fish took an adequate portion
for itself. For this mutualistic symbiosis to be so rare on a
planet with a multitude of diverse life forms such as Earth, and
yet for it to develop so quickly and extensively on two, relative
young class G worlds was too coincidental. There had to be some
special advantage that encouraged mutualism in this particular
biome.

Spock refocused his attention on the image of the A'akan.
With the length of time the Andromedan system had to evolve there
was no telling to what extent the life forms could have evolved
with respect to mutualism. Spock began to download analyses of
the comparisons he'd made on the two, simpler life forms, then
spoke to the console. "Computer, use the analyses provided to
make predictions about the likelihood of the organism currently
imaged to be a synergistic composite of multiple organisms."

"Working..."

The computer began to disassemble and reassemble the A'akan.
After a few minutes the computer signaled completion. Spock
looked at the final assessment, eyebrows raised. The result
indicated a greater than 88% likelihood that the A'akan was
composed of no less than 32 separate organisms. The orvani and
another organism resembling a horseshoe crab made up the central
nervous system. The many appendages were actually separate
organisms that latched onto certain areas of a powerful,
brainless eel-like animal. Spock highlighted the cephalic area,
then spoke. "Computer, if predictions are true, what would the
effect be of injury or destruction in the currently highlighted
area?"

"Working...single, direct hit has 78% chance to cause
complete immobility of entire creature."

Spock logged the observations into a file and continued.
"Computer, when is the next Andromeda contact scheduled?"

"Working...next contact 20:30 hours, this day."

"Good. Computer, alter probe transmission to include the
following data." Spock punched in the download sequence.

"Working...data assimilated. Transmission sequence altered
and ready to upload."

Spock continued searching the remaining information. The
detail of the sensor scan was too limited to allow him to
separate out all of the individual life forms. In fact, all 9
registered within a single blip on the monitor, which was useful
information in itself - they were all on the same planet. Spock
included a summary of the life signs from the humanoids in the
region. Data would know what to do with the information.
"Computer, additional information for probe transmission for
upload."

"Working...upload modified, ready for probe
reconfiguration."

"Computer, enable automatic upload at next Andromeda contact
window."

"Working...automatic upload enabled."

Spock walked over to the door and headed for his quarters.
He would have just enough time for a ceremonial tea before it
would be time to transport the microshuttles.

***

"...hyperdimensional transport device!"

"Wh-hat?" Jean Luc asked. His head felt like it held two
quarts of molten lead as he tried to shake off the pain and
confusion. He could see light through his tightly closed lids.
Hazy cognition began to give way to clarity as he mentally
retraced the events that led up to this moment, the moment when
he would awake after being abducted by a being that struck fear
into the most stalwart A'akan heart. He gave himself an extra
minute to allow his eyes to adjust to the brightness before
opening his eyes. A very humanoid voice responded as he flinched
against the brightness. "Captain Jean Luc Picard. Fancy meeting
you here, so very far from home."

Jean Luc tried to lift a hand up to guard his eyes from the
powerful brilliance and found himself securely bound. He
struggled against the restraints for a moment, then spoke out
angrily. "This is a bit like an old gangster movie. Hardly what
I was expecting for one of your stature, Ku'taka."

A peel of laughter erupted from somewhere in the room. "My
dear captain, but then I shouldn't be too critical now should I?
You've endured quite a bit during this little adventure. Perhaps
you should not have strayed so far from home."

Jean Luc squinted against the light trying to catch a
glimpse of his interrogator. "You're humanoid, aren't you?"
Jean Luc leaned back against the head rest of the restraint chair
as he realized that he was being addressed by someone from his
own galaxy, Cardassian from the accent, although the sarcastic
vehemence was enough to give it away. "Ahh yes. From the bogus
warp nacelle. There were two nacelles, one of you must be
Romulan."

"Figured it out, did you captain?" Tona chimed in with her
own acrid brand of sarcasm.

"You have me at a disadvantage. You seem to know all about
me. Yet I have not had the pleasure of your names." Jean Luc
licked his lips wondering how long he'd been in the chair.

"Forgive me, captain! How rude of me. I am Gul DuMeer,
governor of Tripoint. My lovely companion is Tona Shah of the
Tol Shirah." Gol du Meer put a hand on Jean Luc's shoulder as he
continued. "It's time to get down to business captain. You know
what we seek. Give us the information on the hyperdoor and we'll
release you. We have been provided with food and water and, for
the time being, we seem to be safe.

Jean Luc winced at the mention of water. He felt parched,
as if it had been longer than a day since he'd fallen into..."You
must have been captured by Ku'taka as well. I see now why you
are interrogating me. What were you promised, a spot on her boot
bottom to lick?"

Gul DuMeer lashed out at Jean Luc, hitting him square on the
cheek. "Miserable human! I am going to enjoy watching these
creatures suck out your soul. I watched them use their mind
ripper, far superior to anything we have...back home. They say
that physical injury to the human brain is not perceived. Well,
I believe that this device is capable of entitling the subject to
experiencing pain in a whole new way. It is marvelously horrid
to observe one hundred million years of phylogeny torn from one's
conscious."

Jean Luc chuckled softly. "You are so arrogant it is
surprising your species managed to survive this long without
exterminating yourselves. Don't you realize that you are
witnessing your own fate? When they have finished with me, they
will turn on you. Now where are my crew?"

"The vulcan is dying." Tona said flatly. "The Betazoid is
being held in some other part of this complex. I believe they
are going to force her to use her telepathic powers in some way."

"What is wrong with Sirock?" Jean Luc struggled once again
against the chair restraints. "Where is he?"

A weak voice drifted up from somewhere in the room. "I...I
am here...captain." It was Sirock.

"Release me you Cardassian bastard!" Jean Luc's wrists
began to bleed as he pulled violently on the lashings. "You
fools! Did you think that we'd just leave the secret of the
hyperdoor lying around for anyone to come along and pilfer?"
Once again Jean Luc began to laugh as the folly of the stowaways
became absurdly lucid.

"What do you mean?" A measure of uncertainty had suddenly
crept into Gul DuMeer's voice.

"Sirock is the only one among us with the secret of the
hyperdoor." Jean Luc peered into the light at the general
direction of the voice of his assailant. "If he dies, we all
die."

In the minutes of silence that followed Jean Luc could hear
soft, rattling breaths coming from somewhere in the room. It was
Sirock. His respiratory rate was much too fast. Suddenly his
wrists were freed from the restraints as Tona cut the straps away
with a dagger. Jean Luc was finally able to shade his eyes from
the blinding light. He spoke angrily. "And get that God Damned
light out of my eyes." Jean Luc blinked painfully for a few
minutes until his eyes were able to focus. He saw Sirock laying
on a makeshift cot in one corner of a long, narrow room. He
knelt at the vulcan's side, trying to get an idea of his vital
signs. "Sirock." Jean Luc spoke softly. "Can you tell me what
happened?"

Sirock opened his eyes. His breath became more labored as
he tried to speak. "In the tunnel...fired on the A'aka...felt
something...in my side..."

Jean Luc parted Sirock's shirt. a small puncture was
visible. Greenish blood oozed slowly from the wound. "Is it
deep?"

"Not deep...venom...A'akan venom. Jean Luc...the
hyperdoor...no time to speak...you must have my Katra." Sirock
struggled to lift his hands up toward Jean Luc's temples, but the
captain turned away and walked over to a large view plate against
the far wall and began to beat violently against it. "Bastards!
You bastards where are you?"

Jean Luc leaned his back against the plate and felt the icy
cold of the outside environment creeping through his uniform to
chill his spine. "Cold." He said softly to himself. "Cold
death." The Kelvan had all fled in the face of the destruction
that threatened their empire. The mighty Kelvan, the power most
high. They had known of the core buildup long before it became
critical, yet they left everything behind as if they were fleeing
a firestorm. It didn't make sense. Despite the fact that they
were in another galaxy things should still make sense. The
Kelvan were a proud, willful race. They would not be so easily
frightened off, it just was not in their character. So what if
one assumes that the Kelvan did not run away, where else might
they have gone? "Wait a minute." Jean Luc said aloud, as he
spun around to face the window. "Wait a minute!" He frowned in
thought as his mind began to turn the situation around. If the
Kelvan did not disappear because of the instability in the core,
then perhaps the instability in the core was due to the Kelvan
disappearance?

Something moved outside the window. Jean Luc peered out
into the pink shadows outside the room. Slowly, almost
imperceptively he began to make out an image approaching.
Against the pink background it seemed that the image was
materializing from nothingness. Finally Jean Luc was able to
make out the form of a large, crimson-colored A'akan swimming up
to the plate. The creature unfolded its mantle in a threatening
manner, towering above Jean Luc in a vain display of prowess.
"You must be Ku'taka." Jean Luc said, thinking to himself. He
was surprised when an answer came from somewhere within the walls
behind him.

"Yes. I...Ku'taka. You...will tell." The A'akan shivered
noticeably in the manner Jean Luc had come to recognize as a
display of emotion, probably boastful intimidation in this case.
"You will tell...all."

"You will never get what you are looking for, Ku'taka. You
are powerless to stop the destruction that approaches. You are a
fool." Jean Luc stepped back as the creature lifted a heavy
appendage and struck at the plate, sending a resounding boom
through the room.

"I...kill...you...myself." She threatened.
"After...I...finish...with...other."

Ku'taka turned suddenly and motioned to one of her
attendants. She turned back and seemed to peer at Jean Luc but
said nothing. Her appendages wavered slightly as if in motion
with some current flowing through the room. Jean Luc likened her
to a Roman emperor waiting impatiently for the lions to be
released. "Ku'taka." Jean Luc said as he resumed his musing
about the disappearance of the Kelvan.

"Speak...Terran." Ku'taka answered. Despite the fact that
her speech was monotone, she still managed to insert a
condescending tone into the response.

"I am curious about the Kelvan. Why do you think they
disappeared?"

"They fled...before danger...They left us...to die."
Ku'taka quivered a bit as she spoke. Apparently she was
disturbed at the thought of her former masters.

"How do you know they fled?" Jean Luc asked as he swung his
hand up to stroke his chin. "Did they announce that they were
leaving, or did someone see them all take off?"

"No need." Ku'taka answered. "The masters have fled...They
are dead...Why you are thinking of this...you are soon to die.?"

"I was just curious." Jean Luc lowered his head as he
though what he was going to say next. "Ku'taka, do you think
that the Kelvans needed you?"

"You speak nonsense. I believe you are becoming mad."
Ku'taka started to turn away.

"I can assure you I am not mad." Jean Luc smiled slightly
as he continued. "Let me put it another way. From my
perspective the Kelvan must have thought you awfully worthless to
just leave you all here. I have to conclude from their actions
that they must not have really needed you very badly or they
would have taken you with them.

"Kelvan needed us, very much. We provided them with
all...everything." She rose slightly and opened her appendages
threateningly. "Kelvan became insane. They fled...cowards."

Jean Luc nodded. "That seems to be the conventional wisdom
on this matter."

Ku'taka did not answer. Instead, she lifted a small
cephalic appendage, like a cat twitches a whisker. A high
pitched whine began to sound all around them. Jean Luc turned to
see Tona enveloped in what must have been the Andromedan version
of a transporter beam. She froze as the beam stole her away to
some other reality. A moment later Deanna appeared, still
wearing her deep space suit. Gul DuMeer backed into a corner,
away from scrutiny and pressed an actuator switch just under the
skin of his right breast. A small power unit whined to life as
he began to enter transporter coordinates through a neuro-
telelink implant under his scalp. Suddenly one of the walls
became transparent. An adjacent room was revealed, although
nothing appeared to be within it. As the group walked over to
peer more directly into the new window they could see an odd,
intricately fashioned crystalline dome. Something stirred within
it. As they watched the shape came close enough to the near side
of the dome for them to make out that it was Tona. She appeared
to be searching for a weakness in the structure, testing it here
and there. Suddenly the color of the dome changed from clear to
red, then to blue. And although none of the observers could
hear, they could see Tona beating against the wall. Harder and
harder she pounded her fists against the unyielding crystalline
lattice. Finally she became still. And, though no sound could
be heard they all could see her head tilt back, as her mouth
opened wide, as if to allow the release of a blood curdling
scream.

"The mind ripper." Gul DuMeer said softly as he shrank back
into the corner, back into the security of the shadows. "You
see, captain my dilemma is this. I have a small transporter unit
implanted within me, a truly remarkable device. It is connected
to a neural-telelink interface, so all I have to do is to think
of the coordinates to program the unit. Then, with just a flick
of the switch I simply beam myself out of danger."

The Cardassian motioned toward his right breast as if to
offer evidence for the presence of the device. He looked down at
some imaginary spot on his right pectoral area and began to
laugh. Insanity began to ooze out of his countenance as he
flicked the switch, activating the unit. "My only problem is
that, at this moment I have no where to go!" He threw his head
back as he laughed wildly. The whine of the transporter field
filled the room, but Gul DuMeer did not dematerialize. The
preset coordinates had confused the transporter microprocessor,
causing the field effect to swim about him as the computer tried
to find somewhere to beam the fear-struck Cardassian. Gul DuMeer
peered out through the field effect, and seeing the look of shock
on the faces of the crew he remarked philosophically. "Oh, don't
pity me, dear captain. This is a far better fate than the one
that awaits you. Farewell!" With nowhere to send the subject
the field finally began to expand as Gul DuMeer simply
dissolved...into nothingness.

Jean Luc and Deanna stared at each other for a second, then
turned back to Ku'taka, who appeared to be looking on as well.

"A fool. One of many...how could your kind defeat Kelvan?"
Ku'taka mocked them as she paraded slowly back and forth outside
the window. Suddenly one of her attendants burst into the
chamber. A whining and whistling began that the crew could
clearly hear through the window. Ku'taka motioned to her
entourage, and the entire group sped quickly out of the room,
leaving the enterprise team alone.

"I wonder what that was all about." Jean Luc said softly.
"Deanna, did you catch any of that?"

"They were all very excited about something, and a little
frightened. Beyond that I can't say what is going on."

The two turned from the vacant room and went back over to
offer whatever comfort they could to their dying friend.

***

"Sir." Data said. "There is an incoming signal from the
Federation beacon. They are sending through nine microshuttles.
The shuttles have been configured for travel through the methane,
in addition to interplanetary impulse speed. They are programmed
to home in on my suit beacon. Do you wish me to bring them
down?"

Will pulled back on his saddle, bringing the A'akan under
him to a halt. "It would free us up to act independently." Will
said. And the phasers are probably a bit more powerful than
these plasma rifles. What is the ETA?"

"I estimate 20 minutes. They are equipped with antigrav
hovering units so we can board them without much difficulty from
the surface." Data waited patiently for the commander to give
the word.

"Bring them in, Data. Ka'ana emerged suddenly from the icy
methane and asked. "What is the delay? Your friends are in
danger. Ku'taka will use the mind ripper on them. We must
hurry."

"We have some transport devices at our disposal." Will
said. We were about to bring them down..."

"No! I cannot allow it! Ku'taka will become instantly
aware. Our only chance to save your friends is to travel with
stealth. You must trust me, Terran." Ka'ana started to fold up,
but she must have noticed some hesitation in Will. Before she
closed her mantle completely she repeated. "Trust me."

Will bit his lip, then shrugged. "You heard the lady, let's
get on with it. Data, tell Proximal they'll have to wait on the
shuttles."

"Aye sir." Data paused for a moment as he completed the
transmission. "Commander Riker, we are being ordered back to
Proximal. Telemetry from the sensor probe indicates that the
core has already collapsed. The first subspace shock wave is
calculated to hit before we will have time to reach the captain."

At this Will paused in thought, then asked. "Data, is there
any chance that the wave might be deflected, or dampened before
it reaches us?"

"It will certainly be dampened commander, but a wave of that
magnitude cannot be deflected. It will hit us." Data answered
with complete, programmed calm.

"So there is a chance that the wave will be dampened enough
such that the effect on this planet might be less than enough to
destroy it?" Will spoke quickly, trying to conserve as much
precious time as possible in the discourse.

"It is theoretically possible, but..."

Will turned to the other crewmembers. "I won't order any of
you to remain. However, I cannot, I will not leave my captain."

Worf alternately flexed and extended his arms as he prepared
himself both mentally and physically for what he was sure would
prove to be the ultimate challenge of his life. "I will remain
here."

Quiet nods from the remaining crew members indicated that
their fate would be met together, on a doomed planet in the midst
of armageddon.

Data broke the Klingon's cataleptic state with an update.
"We are less than a kilometer from the crew. I am beginning to
read life signs. I wonder why we are not being challenged."

"Apparently without the orvan to guide them the A'aka are
less than effective at intelligence, a weakness I'm sure they did
not anticipate." Will said, his confidence building steadily
despite the fact that they passed several other A'aka travelling
in the opposite direction. Will watched after the A'akans, who
seemed to take no notice of the strange cargo their brethren were
carrying rapidly toward Ku'taka's stronghold.

Suddenly they came upon a large gap in the ocean floor, at
the base of a sharply angled ridge. The A'aka slowed and kept
their mantles folded in to make them appear harmless. As they
came to a halt the leader of the entrance guard came forward.

"Who leads here?" The A'akan was fully exposed, and made
menacing gestures toward the newcomers.

Ka'ana kept herself mantled. A young A'akan unfolded her
mantle to answer "I lead."

"You? How can you lead when there are elders present?" The
A'akan motioned toward Ka'ana, unaware that he was addressing the
most respected member of her species.

"I am the fifth instar of the house of Ku'taka. The
youngster raised up herself, displaying an abnormally large
stature typical of Ku'taka's line.

The squad leader trembled, dropping her appendages slightly.
"I see. Still, I am charged by Ku'taka herself to see to the
security of this entrance. All passage is to be approved."

"I have here the others, the visitors. Perhaps you have
heard of them?" The young A'akan motioned toward the Enterprise
contingent.

The A'akan drew herself back in fear. All the A'aka were
aware of the stories of these others and how they defeated the
Kelvan invasion of the neighboring galaxy. To see them here now,
in front of her and amidst all of the insanity was more than she
could bear. The A'akan folded in her mantle and became
motionless, sinking slowly to the bottom. Seeing their squad
leader so assailed the other, younger A'aka did likewise, leaving
the entrance unguarded. The strike team seized the opportunity
and dove into the opening. Along the way none barred their way,
assuming they had appropriate clearance to enter into Ku'taka's
realm. The narrow passageway wound back and forth as they made
their way slowly into the heart of a great underwater mountain
fortress.

The passageway finally opened up to reveal an enormous inner
chamber, shaped like a large, inverted cone. At the center of
the chamber a smaller cone rose up from the chamber floor. The
central cone was the nest of Ku'taka; her personal nursery was
perched at the pinnacle of the nest. The strike team halted, as
if to gather their bearings. Several of the team members huddled
together, sneaking out a few small appendages as they carried on
a quiet conversation. Data was scanning the area with his
tricorder, then halted. "Commander, I've located them. Bearing
242, range, about half a kilometer. They are at the base of the
central structure." The android pointed in the direction of the
tricorder coordinates.

The orvan within Data's utility pouch began to stir. Data
opened the lid to let the small creature out. The orvan
skittered up Data's back and perched itself on his head and began
to solicit with its cephalic appendages.

Ka'ana swam up quickly and unfolded her mantle, allowing the
orvan to merge with her. Her crimson hue quickly turned to blue
as all the A'aka within the complex suddenly realized that there
was one among them who had violated the word of Ku'taka by
harboring an orvan. Ka'ana suddenly raised up to full stature,
instantly revealing her identity to all around her. Almost by
reflex the Ku'taka loyal bowed in deference. For many it was the
first time they had seen the great warrior in person. Ku'taka
spoke loudly, causing the expeditionary team to turn off their
hydrophones.

"Listen to me, all A'aka! The time of reckoning is upon
you! I have here the others I have spoken of. They have come to
deliver us into a new freedom where all may live in peace. Here
all that awaits you is death! Ku'taka has lied to you, the
masters do not await you as Ku'taka has promised. Join me,
sisters, before the cataclysm swallows you all as Kelvana
collapses!"

Most of the A'aka moved in to surround the ancient matron.
Finding themselves unguarded, the team began to make their way
toward the area where the surviving crewmember's signals
emanated. They were soon overtaken by many A'aka, who seemed to
be swarming chaotically in all directions. None seemed to pay
any attention to the crew, who were making pitifully slow
progress toward the tricorder signal.

From out of the crowd Will saw Ka'ana race upward toward the
top of the nest, followed by most of the other A'aka. Five of
the group broke off and intercepted the floundering visitors.
Saddles were exposed. The A'aka swam underneath the expedition
crew, allowing them to grab onto the supports. They raced toward
the base, and set the visitors down just outside one of the many
openings into the huge nest structure.

"I guess this is where we get off." Jordi said as he
dismounted and floated to the ocean floor.

"Commander, they are just through this door." Data nodded
with his head as Will and Worf picked up their weapons and make
their way into the structure.

***

Deanna sat with Sirock's head in her lap, trying to offer
him whatever comfort she could.

Jean Luc paced back and forth across the room, deep in
thought. He hadn't spoken in quite a while, and Deanna noticed
that he was frustrated and confused about something.

"Captain, what is it?" Deanna said. "I know that look, you
are on to something."

Jean Luc stopped abruptly and gestured expressively with his
hands. "There is something about this whole affair that doesn't
make any sense. For one thing, the Kelvan left everything
behind, as if they were running from a ghost. And no matter how
deplorable they were, their slaves represented a significant
investment of time and effort in training them. The A'aka all
believe that they fled from the energy buildup in the galactic
core. I don't believe that."

Deanna looked puzzled. "Then what do you believe?"

"I'm not sure really. I just know that a race as noble and
proud as the Kelvan do not simply turn tail and run at the first
sign of danger."

"I would consider a galactic explosion to be more than just
a sign of danger. And who knows, maybe they didn't like loud
noises."

Jean Luc frowned. "This is really no time for jokes,
counsellor. I have this feeling that the Kelvan haven't gone
anywhere. I believe that they are still here, and that they have
something to do with the energy buildup in the core." Jean Luc
thought for another second or two, then continued. "And the
orvan, they are so secretive. They offer no information, but I
believe they know more than they let on, about a lot of things."

Jean Luc walked over and sat down on the cot next to Deanna.
"Sirock." Jean Luc called softly. "Sirock, can you hear me?"

Sirock opened his eyes. "I can hear you fine, captain. I
am not dead yet." He was surprisingly lucid for someone who was
dying.

Jean Luc lifted his eyebrows, Sirock did the same. The
vulcan looked so normal that Jean Luc had to suppressed the urge
to add some sarcasm to the conversation. After a moment he
continued. "I think that the Kelvan are still here. It is clear
that the A'aka believe that they have fled. Were you able to get
anything out of the orvan?"

"No. The orvan avoided revealing any information about the
Kelvan. It was as if they were hiding something. I was going to
inquire as to the motive for their secrecy concerning their old
masters, but there was not sufficient time. I can tell you this,
the orvan is not afraid of the Kelvan."

Jean Luc furrowed his brow. "They were slaves of the
Kelvan, weren't they?"

"They did as they were bade to by the Kelvan, but their
attitude toward the Kelvan never seemed to be one of fear, rather
it was more like...detachment, as if whatever the Kelvan did
never mattered to it. For that matter the orvan seems perfectly
content to allow the galaxy to explode."

Jean Luc began to shake his head. Slowly, a smile crossed
his face. "Captain, what do you find so amusing?" Deanna asked.
"I am really starting to worry about you."

"Oh, I'm quite alright I assure you counsellor." Jean Luc
stood up and walked to the middle of the room. "Alright orvan,
or whatever it is that you call yourself, I am on to your little
game." Jean Luc looked around the room for a second. The only
sign of intelligence he could discern were Deanna's shocked stare
and Sirock's inquisitive half-frown. "Come on now, the game is
almost up anyway, what have you to lose?"

A rumbling sound came from all around them as the room began
to shake violently. Flashes of light came from the window. Jean
Luc ran over to it and peered out. An A'akan darted into the
room with one of the Federation expeditionary crewmembers on
board. Judging from the size it was Worf. He turned and fired
several blasts back in the direction he'd come as the two spun
about to face the door. Worf lifted his rifle as three more
mounted A'aka entered. One of them came over to the window and
waved. Jean Luc could see from the insignia that it was Will.
He looked around inside the room, then finally gestured to Jean
Luc by pulling on his sleeve as if to ask "where are your deep
space suits." Jean Luc shrugged and shook his head.

Will sped off toward one end of the room, then back to the
other end. Suddenly a loud clunking could be heard from that end
of the room. A swoosh of liquid and air followed, as if methane
was being pumped into or out of something. "They've found the
lock." Jean Luc said softly.

Suddenly, a crack appeared in the wall as the stench of
ammonia began to enter the room. Will entered and unclasped his
helmet. "Captain, we don't have a lot of time. Where are your
suits?!"

"I'm afraid I can't tell you Number One. When I awoke I had
been relieved of it."

"Data, get in here, quick!" Will spoke into his mike. He
turned to look a the wall as the door he'd entered through closed
quickly. As soon as the door sealed the sound of rushing fluid
and bubbles could be heard again. Will turned back to the
captain. "One of you can use Data's suit, the other can use
mine."

"Agreed. Good job, Number One. But as you said we do not
have time. As soon as Data enters get Deanna into his suit as
quickly as possible." Jean Luc turned toward Sirock. "My
friend, you and I will remain. If I ascertain your condition
correctly you will not be able to travel anyway."

"Correct, captain." Sirock agreed. "I am afraid that my
life force is waning quickly. You must hurry, there is not much
time left. You must use the hyperdoor to escape."

Jean Luc gave the vulcan a puzzled look. "Sirock, none of
us knows how to get home, you are the only one among us with that
information! Quickly, one among us must receive your Katra, for
your sake as well as for ours. The life of an entire galaxy
hangs in the balance!"

Sirock was beginning to lose control of his muscles. He
tried to raise a hand to answer, but it fell limp at the side of
the cot. He moaned once, then slowly raised his head. "I can
do...no more." He said with effort. His breaths began to come
in gasps as he slipped slowly into unconsciousness.
"The...Katra." He whispered softly. "My...Katra." With the
little strength he had left he lifted his hands toward the
ceiling. Jean Luc bolted over to the cot and grabbed Sirock's
hands.

"Sirock! Sirock! Can you hear me!? Quickly, give me your
Katra!" The vulcan's head fell back against the cot as his
muscles relaxed all at once. Jean Luc pressed the dead vulcan's
hands against his own temples in a vain attempt to assist in the
final passage of the vulcan soul on to another.

All around the room the crew waited to see. Jean Luc held
his eyes closed tightly for a few moments, then threw down
Sirock's hands in disgust. "Nothing! We are left with nothing!"

Data walked over to the vulcan and pulled out his tricorder.
After a second or two he closed the device and spoke softly. "He
is dead, sir."

Suddenly, the room was rocked again, although this time is
was not from a rifle blast. An earthquake rattled the entire
structure, causing it to crack under the strain of its own
weight. Jean Luc looked up at Will and barked. "Get out of
here, all of you! The entire room is going to collapse!"

Will gave the captain a look of hopelessness as he stood his
ground. "I'll not leave you, captain. Besides, it's over. It's
all over."

"Will, you may think that I am crazy, but I do not believe
that it is over just yet. Please, now get your helmet on and get
the hell out of here!" Jean Luc was shouting into Will's ear as
the noise from the quake grew louder and louder. Suddenly Jean
Luc reached into Will's utility belt and pulled out his phaser.
"Now, do what I say." Jean Luc trained the phaser directly at
the head of his first officer.

Will smiled at the captain. "Sir, we're all going to die
anyway, so don't think that I'll respond like a witless fool to
an empty threat. It's only because I believe in you that I'm
leaving you here. Whatever it is you have up your sleeve, I
trust you." Will pulled Deanna into the open lock. he waved to
Worf through the window and immediately the door began to close.
As it did, Will looked at his captain and his friend for the last
time. He stood at attention and saluted, and though no one could
tell, his vision was clouded from the tears.

As soon as they were outside the reunited with their A'akan
companions and bolted through the exit. The nest structure was
already beginning to give way as they dodged around fallen bits
of nest wall and ceiling. They finally made their way out into
the chamber and found a great circle of A'aka surrounding two
small forms. As they neared, they could see that it was Ka'ana,
and one other A'akan. "That must be Ku'taka." Deanna said.

"It looks like they're going to have it out once and for
all. The other A'aka quickly changed course and headed for the
circle. "I guess we're going to be spectators whether we want to
be or not."

As they grew nearer they could clearly see one blue and one
red A'akan squaring off in the center of the room. Both were
raised up and had appendages poised for battle. Completely
unfolded, the A'aka were terrible to behold. "Magnificent!"
Worf whispered to himself.

Suddenly, the red A'akan thrust herself toward the other,
swinging a heavy, clubbed appendage at the midsection of her
opponent. Ka'ana dodged, but not in time to avoid having the
heavy club crash into her appendages on the left side. The blow
shattered half a dozen of them, sending shards of crystalline
exoskeleton flying everywhere in the pink liquid. Ku'taka had
placed a little too much power in the blow, and the momentum
carried her around so that her back was exposed. Ka'ana darted
forward like a snake and stabbed at the back of her opponent with
her poison-tipped chelicerae. Ku'taka arched in pain as one of
the fangs struck sensitive tissue. Ku'taka reached over her head
and pulled Ka'ana over and threw her into the crowd and pounced
on her. Ka'ana slapped at her with her tail and the two rolled
around on the floor for a moment, tearing and clawing at each
other. Suddenly Ka'ana was pinned, unable to right herself due
to her missing appendages. Ku'taka raised up and wailed a
victory cry as she opened her fangs wide to deliver the death
blow. Just before she plunged down Ka'ana's orvani jumped into
Ku'taka's abdomen and nestled into the melding site. Ku'taka
froze, as if she was suddenly struck. Instead of turning blue,
she began to turn a bright yellow. The orvani wiggled free of
Ku'taka's abdomen and began to dog-paddle quickly over toward the
base of the nest. No one noticed that the small creature was
headed back toward where Jean Luc and Data were trapped.

As Ku'taka's body continued to turn bright yellow the other
A'aka fled back toward the walls, frightened. The expedition
crew were all thrown clear of their mounts and floated back down
to the floor some 30 meters away from Ka'ana and Ku'taka. The
yellow A'akan had begun to fall apart bit by bit, first with the
appendages. Worf made his way as quickly as he could over to her
and tried to lift Ku'taka off of her. "Commander, Jordi, help
me!"

Will and Jordi responded, and with great difficulty the
three managed to pull Ka'ana out from underneath the rapidly
transforming creature. "Ka'ana, what is happening?" Will asked.

"Ku'taka. She is dying. I cannot believe what I am seeing!
This has not happened in millennia!"

Will backed up a few steps along with Ka'ana as they all
stood silently and watched as what was once the supreme ruler of
all of Kelvana drifted silently to the floor in pieces. Finally,
her long, snake-like trunk floated softly to the floor.

"What happened to her?" Jordi asked.

"The orvani." Ka'ana said softly. "The parasite has killed
its host. Such a thing has not happened since the great
transformation."

Ka'ana slithered over to inspect the remains of her
vanquished foe. "Ka'ana is grieving for her." Deanna said
softly. Her pain is great, like the loss of a child."

Another quake slammed into the mountain, causing huge chunks
of the ceiling to fall down toward them. Worf went over to
Ka'ana as quickly as he could and shouted. "Ka'ana, we must go!
The entire structure is going to collapse!"

"The end is here, we cannot run. We cannot hide." Ka'ana
stooped and began to pick up the pieces of her fallen foe. "We
have come to the end, and now it is time for me to embrace my
life and my death in the manner of my ancestors. Go now, and may
you find peace and happiness in whatever awaits you, Terran."

Will motioned to Worf to return to the group. He had
managed to wave over some A'aka who were willing to bear them out
of the mountain and back on to land. "Worf! Come on!"

"Ka'ana!" Worf shouted. "Ka'ana, the captain told us that
it was not over. I cannot leave you here to die alone. If you
will not come with me, then I will remain here with you, to die
in the presence of such a noble warrior is the greatest honor any
Klingon could ever hope for."

Will overheard the lieutenant. "Lieutenant Worf, you are to
report immediately, do you understand?"

"Yes, commander, I understand. You'd better go before
another quake hits. I don't believe the structure will take
another jolt."

Will spread his hands out in resignation. "Damn! Ka'ana,
please, there may still be a chance to escape! I don't believe
that you spent all this time and effort in getting us here
against all odds just to flounder in the final moments. Now, get
your red, snake-crab ass over here, NOW!"

Ka'ana looked over at the Terran for a moment as she
considered his words. She turned to Worf and spoke softly. "I
would consider it an honor if you would allow me to bear you."

Worf reached over and grabbed a claw firmly as he shouted.
"KRRROOOO GAAAAAH!" He swung himself on to her back and
brandished his plasma rifle. The two warriors bolted over to
join the others as yet another quake hit. The ceiling began to
give way as they raced toward the exit. All around them huge
hunks of rock crashed onto the floor. As they rounded one
particularly large mound of rabble Will could see that the exit
was blocked with debris. "We're trapped!" He called to the
others as the A'aka began to pull up.

Worf aimed his plasma rifle at the mound and began blasting.
White hot silica shot out away from the where the door was,
causing the methane to boil wildly around the opening. Worf
called to Ka'ana as they continued to race toward the opening.
"I cannot tell if it is clear or not!"

"I am unable to as well, my friend. However, it makes no
difference at this point. Either we die crashing into the rock,
or we remain to be crushed, make yourself secure!"

Ka'ana and Worf crashed into the still bubbling fluid and
disappeared. Will spurred his A'akan to follow as one by one the
fleeing host dove into the churning milieu. They wound their way
fretfully through the collapsing cavern and barely emerged into
the safety of the ocean depths. They halted as soon as they were
clear of the crumbling ridge, and rested in the relative calm of
the open sea. A few minutes later, the galaxy exploded.
A NEW FRONTIER

Spock slammed his fist against the console. "They're gone.
They're all gone! Damnit!" He looked up, as if trying to find
an explanation for the ill fate that had befallen the
expeditionary force. He sighed, realizing that his work was
still not finished, and lowered his gaze to gather in the last
bit of telemetry from the transmitter. Just before the cataclysm
hit, Spock closed the hyperdoor, sealing the last link between
himself, his friends, and his only son.

He sighed, then lowered his head, and walked slowly back
toward his quarters. Ensign Dahl was just returning from her
break when she noticed that the station was not manned. Sensing
that something ill was afoot she tapped her "Dahl to Spock. Dahl
to Spock."

After a few anxious seconds the vulcan answered. "Spock
here. What do your want, ensign?"

"Spock, I returned to duty to find the station unmanned."

"Ensign, it's over. Andromeda has exploded, all hands were
lost. I suggest that you extend your break indefinitely until
you are reassigned. Spock out."

The ensign's jaw dropped as tears welled up in her eyes.
She looked down at the console and watched as the sensor points
indicating the lives of the crew blinked out as the devastation
swept past them. Tears dripped down onto the screen as the wave
of fire and destruction passed the beacon. If the ensign had
been in the proper frame of mind she would have realized that, in
the last second of transmitter feed, the transmitter had kept
sending feed back after wave had already swept past. However,
her anguish at the loss of the courageous crewmembers had
temporarily overwhelmed her normally keen sense of observation.
Crushed, the young ensign walked dejectedly out of the room and
headed aimlessly down the hallway.

"Spock to Ops. Spock, report to ops immediately." The
chime interrupted the first good rest Spock had taken since this
entire hyperdoor incident had begun. The weary vulcan tapped at
his communicator, wondering what new crisis had evolved to
interrupt this much needed recess. "Spock here. I am on my
way."

Scotty met up with Spock as the vulcan exited his quarters.
"Spock, I heard about the crew. I feel the loss too, lad."

The two continued on the way up to ops in silent reverence.
Half way up to the command center the station was rocked as if by
an energy blast. "I hate to say it, Spock, but here we go
again!"
The two men rushed from the turbolift into ops. "Spock,
Scotty, thank goodness. I'm afraid the Romulans are back."

"Like an unlucky penny." Scotty mumbled to himself. "They
just keep turning up."

Ensign Dahl called out from the communications console.
"Sir, we're being paged. It's Rimau V'taal."

"My old friend." Chen said. "Well, unbeknownst to our dear
friend, we have a little more backup now than we had before. On
screen, ensign."

The image of the ancient winglord materialized on the
screen. "Admiral Chen, in the flesh. Too bad your warring days
will have come to a conclusion on such an unworthy assignment.
But then you were never suited to real battle, were you admiral?"
V'taal's eyes widened as he noticed Spock and Scotty. "Well, I
see that you two managed to recover from our last little party.
I hope the entertainment was to your liking?" V'taal sat back in
his command chair, giggling softly to himself. He raised his
hand to summon another volley. This blast was slightly more
powerful than the last. "Just a little exhibition of our
strength. And, as for our resolve, well I'm sure this little
demonstration will help you to see how...determined we are to
share with your the wealth that all may lay claim to. The feed
from the Romulan ship switched to a view of a cargo vessel that
had been intercepted en route to the station. The Romulan
flagship powered up its disruptors and blasted away at the cargo
vessel. With each blast the shields strength dropped
until..."Captain, their shields are down. The next hit will do
them in." Scotty called from his console.

"V'taal!" Chen yelled on the open channel. "Enough!"

V'taal reappeared on the screen. "You see, that is the
problem with you Terrans. You haven't the heart for conflict.
It sickens you to see your own kind suffer and die. But to
us..." Once again V'taal lifted his hand to signal the final
shot as the screen switched inhumanely back to the shot of the
two craft. The disrupter sent a wave of energy crashing through
the hull, which was followed in a second or two by an enormous
explosion as the cargo ship was destroyed. V'taal reappeared to
address the shocked command crew. "Ahh where was I? Oh yes, you
see, with us death is just another part of life. We do not fear
it as you do."

Admiral Chen's face turned to chiseled ice, his tone was
tinted with death as he spoke. "Winglord Rimau V'taal. As of
23:09 hours on star date 48485.3 you have committed an act of
apocryphal proportion by trespassing into Federation Space and
needlessly taking the lives of innocent citizens of the
Federation. I am authorized by the United Federation of Planets
to act in lieu of Star Fleet Command in this matter. By your
actions I am officially declaring a state of war between our two
governments. And as a personal note to you V'taal. I am going
to transfer my flag to one of our fleet ships, then I am going to
rip out your eyes and piss on your dead skull." Chen made a
motion of his hand to mock V'taal's. Activity on the Romulan
bridge distracted the winglord for a moment, as he turned back

V'taal bristled for a moment, then a smug look came over
him. Well, you are not the only ones bearing surprises. As you
will soon see, we have a few of our own. As for your bold
declaration, I truly hope that we can meet, face to face so that
I can show you just what it is to be a warrior. Unfortunately
for you it will be your one and only true lesson. Live well,
while you can."

V'taal switched off, leaving the command center in cold
silence. Suddenly, from behind the Romulan ships a seemingly
overwhelming flotilla of Cardassian battle cruisers emerged
behind the Romulan fleet. "Geez!" Scotty groaned. "They
brought everything but the kitchen sink!"

"They lined it all up so that at first glance it would look
as though they were invincible." Chen said calmly. "The oldest
trick in the book. From out of nowhere the entire sphere of
ships was in itself surrounded by Federation vessels as they
emerged from hyperspace. All totaled, 1154 ships littered the
space around the station, poised in an attack posture never
before experienced by any other army in the entire galaxy.
Apparently the participants were as taken in by the awesome sight
as no one seemed to want to make the first move. This went on
for what seemed like hours as the ships sat, ready but unwilling
to turn one small sector of an otherwise wondrous galaxy into a
rapidly expanding ball of plasma.

The longer they waited the more silly they all began to
feel. Here they were, so valiant and daring. They had brought
to life their childhood fantasies. Only the crude reality of the
situation prevented them from carrying out their threat.

Rimau V'taal sat, waiting patiently for the orders that
would allow them to end this idiotic standoff. He grew more and
more restless as he silently cursed his leaders for their lack of
intestinal fortitude. After nearly an hour of silent agitation
V'taal could not stand it any more. "Commander, activate the
dimensional phase disrupter. I am going to take the hyperdrive
from under their noses."

"But winglord, we have not been given the order to attack!"
V'taal pulled his disrupter and shot the commander where he
stood. "Coward! Is there anyone else here who refuses to live
up to the standards that our ancestors have set for us to follow?
Let him answer now so that I may purge this vessel of the
unworthy!"

The bridge was silent. "Very well." V'taal barked.
"Activate the dimensional phase shift. Our vessel and the
Federation station are to be targeted."

"Winglord, you are going to turn the device on your own
ship?" The gunner protested as the winglord spun around to face
the young recruit.

"You idiot! The phase disrupter does not destroy, it merely
displaces! Now fire the unit."

"As you command, lord." the commander punched a button. A
surge of power temporarily dimmed the bridge lights. Otherwise
nothing of significance seemed to occur. V'taal sat back and
chuckled to himself. The idiots are probably annihilating each
other at this very moment. I am like a precious stone among
common rock." V'taal whispered to himself as he swung back to
the main viewer. "Activate the main viewer." V'taal called out.
The viewer instantly blinked to life to reveal the space station,
and nothing else. "Report." V'taal called out, again to no one
in particular. His orders were to be laid out, it was up to his
command crew to determine who the order was for. Any delay in
response brought with it severe punishment. And to question an
order, well the young recruit got a rare reprieve from the
Romulan who had come to be known as Satan's match by Federation
cadets. Although his military tactics were brilliant, he was
considered a madman by everyone, including half of the Romulan
fleet. Yet, no one had the mettle to stand up him, at least not
in his presence.

The sensor station master called out. "We are alone, lord.
No other vessels within sensor range. No, wait..." the Romulan
paused for a moment to interpret the changing status of his
screen output. "Lord, the entire Romulan fleet has just
materialized into this sector. Glorious!"

"Isn't it, though?" V'taal spoke with the confidence that
only a megalomaniac can wield. "The Cardassians are learning a
hard lesson today as they face the sum total might of the
Federation without Romulan backup. Such arrogant fools to think
that we would openly confront the combined might of the
Federation. They should have stuck to butchering helpless
Bejorans. Ah well, such is their fate."

V'taal leapt out of his chair and straightened his uniform.
"And now, I must pay a visit to our dear friend Admiral Chen, who
I will personally gut in front of his spineless crew.
Transporter!" V'taal howled as he spoke. With each passing
moment the winglord became more and more intoxicated with his own
sense of supremacy. "Energize!" The winglord laughed loudly as
his image melted from the bridge.

***

Admiral Chen called out to Spock once more. "Repeat, Spock.
What happened?"

"We have been placed into an alternate dimension, along with
what appears to be the bulk of the Romulan fleet." Spock looked
up from his console and said in a calm tone that only a vulcan
can maintain in the moments before a major ass whipping. "We are
on our own, admiral."

Chen spoke as he reached out to activate the self destruct
sequencer. "Spock, get down to the hyperdoor bay. We're going
to play a little game of cat and mouse with our Romulan friends
until we can figure out how to undo this mess."

"Aye, sir." Spock strode quickly off of the bridge just
about the time that V'taal materialized in back of Chen.
"Admiral Chen." V'taal called out to the slight oriental. The
winglord must have stood well over six feet tall. Chen turned
slowly to face the large figure, allowing the ice to return to
his soul. "V'taal. I feel so sorry for you, but then you alone
are master of your own fate."

"How so, little human?" V'taal taunted Chen.

"Well, today is the day you lose not only your command, you
lose your proud, overstuffed, egocentric image of yourself as
well." Chen slipped off his uniform jacket and stretched out
into a aikido ready stance. "I am going to give you the worst
butt kicking of your long, distinguished career, whenever you are
ready, of course."

V'taal's eyes glowed with anger as he realized that the
small Terran was trying to taunt him into a frenzied state so as
to dull his thinking. However, the Romulan had been in this
situation many times before, and with opponents easily four times
Chen's size. The winglord dropped his disrupter belt. "It will
mean instant death to anyone who interferes!" V'taal threatened
menacingly as he began to circle around Chen. "You should be
happy, Chen." V'taal scoffed. "Today you have the honor of
dying by the hand of V'taal!" The winglord feinted to test his
opponent, laughing as he did. Chen said nothing, his eyes were
fixed on V'taal's, he was in the middle of the 5th Gup peace and
calm karate form.

Chen had competed in tournaments since he was 5 years old,
he'd seen V'taal's type many times before. Deep down, he knew
the Romulan had the heart of a coward. He breathed in slowly as
he focused on his beefy opponent. Although he knew he could
easily kill the Romulan, that would not accomplish anything. In
order to succeed he had to humiliate the winglord. But Chen knew
he would have to watch for hidden weapons. V'taal could not have
come as far as he had without treachery.

V'taal was smirking at Chen, mocking his form movements.
V'taal turned his back on Chen for a second to draw him off
guard, then made his move. The Romulan leapt backwards, bringing
his elbow around in a wide, wicked arc aimed right at the
admiral's temple. The blow would be instantly fatal. Chen fell
down and swept with his leg, catching the Romulan's foot in the
process. V'taal's momentum carried him past the spot where Chen
had been, causing him to ram his elbow into the corner of a
console matrix, shattering the console support. Chen rolled
backward and back on to his feet in a ready stance.

"I see that you are no stranger to physical combat." V'taal
jeered. "So much the better for the sport. Blood trickled from
V'taal's fingers. Chen glanced down, noting the drip rate and
estimated volume. It was a deep cut, but not likely
debilitating. V'taal cast his eyes down as well, then shook his
hand. "This is nothing, just as you are nothing."

Chen only bowed, giving his poltroon combatant yet another
opportunity to abash himself. V'taal seized the apparent
opportunity and grabbed wildly at Chen, bringing his knee up at
the same time to impale Chen on his spiked knee pad. Chen slid
down on his back, and pushed up at the same time on the man's
uplifted leg. Again, V'taal's momentum overcame his dubious,
one-footed perch and he rose into the air, belly-up. Chen
remained on his back, flexing one knee to allow the winglord's
weight to provide the necessary force to deliver a blow to the
man's back. V'taal fell with a crash, his back arched as he hit
Chen's knee. The Romulan howled in pain and frustration,
reaching back to try to trap Chen, but the human hooked one foot
over and outside of V'taal's leg, pushed and twisted, sending
V'taal rolling across the room. Chen pounced up, back into the
ready position.

V'taal rolled on to his belly and flung himself up onto his
feet. He was beginning to take some deep breaths. Some of the
supremacy had faded from countenance. His anger was beginning to
take root in his mind. Soon, he would be at Chen's mercy.
V'taal unbuckled his heavy mail coat and removed it, exposing the
powerful, rippled muscles underneath. The winglord flexed his
arms to intimidate Chen, but it was already too late. "Enough.
Prepare to die, human." V'taal crept cautiously toward Chen.
"You see, I know your tactics. You are smaller, lithe, quicker
than I am, but your strategy relies on me giving you the momentum
to counter. When that has been taken away, you are a twig, ready
to snap."

Chen froze. V'taal continued to approach, closer and closer
he crept, waiting for Chen to make some move. V'taal could not
believe how close Chen was allowing him to approach. He paused
at one point, only a matter of inches from his opponent. Chen
merely stared into V'taal's eyes. V'taal chuckled, but for the
first time Chen could see fear beginning to gel into his
conscious.

Chen allowed himself the slightest grin as he whispered.
"The lion begins to fear the lamb."

V'taal howled as he reached for Chen. By the time V'taal's
hands found Chen's shoulders he'd been hit at least twenty times.
The blows by themselves were not power blows, but they were place
with the precision of an ocular surgeon, precisely at the points
Chen knew would best weaken his opponent. When V'taal had
secured a hold on Chen's shoulders he began to pick up the small
oriental. Chen waited until he was at the right height, then
kicked out at the inside of both knees, snapping the ligaments
that were already overly strained with tension. V'taal fell to
his knees, his head arched back in pain. Chen pushed back on the
Romulan, causing further damage to V'taal's dislocated knees.
When the winglord landed on his back, Chen flipped himself up and
over, using an aikido manipulation to release himself from the
gargantuan's clutches. Chen landed once again on his feet,
looking down at his opponent. V'taal's eyes were wild with
anger, frustration, abashment. Suddenly the Romulan produced a
small disrupter and brought it up to fire on the unarmed human.
Chen reached out with a foot and sent the device skittering
harmlessly across the room.

V'taal began to scream unintelligibly, his primal emotions
had finally taken over. At this point Chen called out in
Scotty's direction. "Mr. Scott, I believe the lesson is over.
Can you show my pupil the way out?"

"Glad to, sir!" Scotty said cheerfully as he began to punch
in the coordinates on his console.

Chen walked over to the corner to fetch the disrupter. On
his way back to the command chair he tossed it into V'taal's lap.
"Don't forget this. You may need it again sometime."

V'taal could only stare in disbelief at the weapon, now a
symbol of V'taal's defeat. He had fallen prey to his own vision
of himself. After countless incursions he'd come to this end.
Here, in the midst of his greatest triumph he would suffer his
greatest defeat at the hands of a mere, unarmed human. "Finish
me." V'taal said softly. "Please, you must finish me."

"Finish yourself what you have begun, V'taal." Chen said as
he looked down at the vanquished warrior. "Your fleet awaits
you. Go now and finish what you have begun." Chen lifted his
hand in a mocking gesture as Scotty activated the transporter
beam. V'taal closed his eyes as he vanished, knowing that when
he rematerialized his warrior spirit would not.

When the Romulan had vanished Chen called out. "Now,
Spock!"

Spock had been busy during the battle programming the
hyperdoor from his console. He pressed a button, then replied.
"Done, admiral. We are now 27 light years from the Romulan
fleet. Although I am not certain where in this dimension that
is."

"Were you able to get bearings on our previous location?"
Chen asked.

"Affirmative. The coordinates are programmed and locked
into the computer. However, I would not underestimate V'taal.
He is cunning. I doubt he will let us escape that easily. Spock
suddenly noticed V'taal's coat and belt. He nodded toward the
paraphernalia.

"Right. Chen said. "Scotty, will you please transport the
winglords things just outside of the station. Spock, get ready
for another jump."

"Aye, sir. But first I'd like to add a nice finishing touch
if you don't mind."

"Knock yourself out." Chen said. "But make it quick. I
want to get the hell out of here while we still can."

"Aye sir." Scotty stooped to pick up V'taal's things as he
strode quickly toward the door. "Computer." Scotty said as he
entered the turbolift. "I'll need some wrapping paper..." The
turbolift door closed. Spock raised an eyebrow at Chen, who
smiled and turned back to face the viewscreen.

"Whenever you are ready, Spock." Chen said calmly.

"Activating the hyperdoor...now." Spock punched a button as
the command crew watched the screen. Only the star pattern
changed as the noticeable lack of effects. The crew watched as
the Romulan fleet headed out in the direction of what was no
doubt the only Romulan waistcoat and utility belt in this
dimension. When the fleet had departed Chen asked Spock. "Can
you get us out of here, Spock?"

"I believe so, sir. I have analyzed the method used by the
Romulan device. It is a dimensional phase disrupter. I believe
that if we can get back to the point where we were inserted into
this dimension we can return to our own dimension, although we
may not like what we find when we return."

"Oh, I think we'll find that things are not quite as intense
as they were when we left. The Cardassians talk big when they
have adequate backup, but they'll have second thoughts when they
find themselves alone against the sum total might of the
Federation fleet. I would give anything to see the look on the
Cardassian supreme warmaster's face now." Chen looked around at
the command crew. Everywhere he turned looks of genuine respect
were returned. Chen knew that he'd become known as a pencil
pusher in the last few years. However, to Chen it was just
another example of how much his martial arts training had paid
off in the long run. With the possible exception of Spock, none
of them had suspected that Chen was capable of assuming command.
"What?" He asked innocently. "Did you think I'd become some
damned pencil pusher or something? Spock, get us out of here.
Oh, and when we emerge back into our own dimension, get a channel
through to Sisko, I'll need to talk to him immediately after we
emerge.."

"Aye sir."

***

"Say again?" Ben Sisko called out to his first officer. As
he stared into the darkness where the entire Romulan fleet had
been just a second ago.

"Repeating, the entire Romulan fleet, down to the very last
vessel has vanished. And that's not all, sir. I've lost
Proximal's signal. Wherever the Romulans have gone, it looks
like they've taken Proximal with them."

Sisko's jaw dropped as he started to consider what
explicatives he would use under his breath to describe the
unusual nature of this event. He didn't get the chance, however,
as his communications officer spoke up before he could finish his
profane composition. "Sir, we're being hailed by the
Cardassians, it's Gol Du Brek. He demands to speak to you."

"Put him on." Sisko said. His many encounters with the
Cardassians had given him considerable insights into the
cardassian mind. If they were calling him it could only mean
that they were about to attempt to weasel their way out of the
situation. "Listen up, people." Sisko said with a slight
chuckle. "This should be both amusing and informative. On the
main viewer, please."

The image of Gol Du Brek, secretary of external affairs for
the Cardassian government popped into view. If Gol Du Brek had
been human, he would have made a fantastic used car salesman.
Ben opened his mouth to speak, but the Cardassian beat him to it.
"Well, commander. I guess that about takes care of the Romulan
threat!"

Sisko smiled widely as he answered, barely able to control
his urge to chuckle. "Let me guess, the Cardassian fleet
materialized into Federation territory using Romulan cloaking
devices, in standard flanking position, with disruptors powered
up and trained on Federation vessels in order to fool the
Romulans into thinking that Cardassia was going to throw in with
this desperate effort to capture one of our science stations?"

Gol Du Brek paused for a moment, allowing his smile to grow
a bit. It was an irresistible, charismatic smile. One could not
help but like the bearer, even in this situation. But Ben had
been here before, on many occasions. He moved quickly. "Then
this must mean that the Cardassian government wishes to join the
Federation as one of its members, and end the hostilities that
have been brewing between the Federation and the Cardassian
government?"

Gol Du Brek did not miss a step. He spoke quickly so as to
effectively distract his verbal opponent while he began to sweep
the dirt under the rug. "Well, commander. These things take
time. There are legalities within the treaty...you know,
stipulations and other vagaries of diplomacy that require careful
review. Naturally, these situations are correctly placed into
that ambassadorial domain..."

"I see." Ben interrupted. "I apologize for our lack of
hospitality, Gol Du Brek. We have taken the liberty of bringing
with us our most experienced ambassadorial team in the event of
just such a breakthrough in relations. Obviously your government
has done the same, otherwise, why would you be here? I will
arrange for your staff to beam over to my vessel in one hour.
Until then, I suggest that you power down your weapons. The
Romulan threat is over." Benjamin was about to cut off the
Cardassian, when he added. "Oh, and just in case the Romulans
return, it would be extremely inhospitable of us to allow you to
be placed into harm's way while in Federation space. I am
ordering the Borg fleet to provide a very tight, blanketing
shield that no vessel can pass in...or out. I'll see you in one
hour. Sisko out."

The look on Du Brek's face was one that Sisko would cherish
for quite some time to come. As he terminated the response the
Borg fleet moved into a tight flanking position, cutting off any
opportunity of retreat for the Cardassian fleet. Ben knew that
the Cardassians would bend and lay down numerous loopholes in any
treaty they signed. The Cardassians were not ready to join the
Federation, but the humiliation they suffered at the hands of
their allies would linger in their minds for quite some time to
come, and Ben wanted to insure that the experience was properly
intense enough to make it a secure memory. He laughed softly as
he got back to the real task at hand. "Science officer. What
can you tell me about Proximal and the Romulans?"

"Sir, I believe that they used some kind of dimensional
phase shifter to move themselves and Proximal into a parallel
dimension. There was an enormous tachyon surge right at the
moment they disappeared."

Ben rubbed his chin as he thought. Somewhere in the back of
his mind there was something familiar about this. "Haven't we
see