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Stardate 9705.17
Tage's Quarters

When Traci Tage got off Alpha shift at eighteen hundred, the first thing she
noticed was that there was no one in her quarters. Traci stood there,
waiting for her beloved chocolate labrador to come over and greet her. When
West failed to do so, Traci was not worried. Often, the dog loved to romp
around the station, and was probably the only dog allowed to do so. That was
the advantage of having a Starfleet commission, Traci thought with a smirk.
Not every dog had one.
The second thing she noticed was that Dana was no where to be found. Traci
frowned at this, thinking Dana was usually home at this hour, replicating
herself something to eat or playing with a friend.
"Computer, locate Acting Ensign West Tage."
"Acting Ensign West Tage is currently in The Commons," the computer replied
in a monotone voice. Traci nodded, knowing that it was normal for West to
hang around there, so she was not a bit worried. Now, what about Dana?
"Computer, locate Dana Se'andra Tage."
"Dana Se'andra Tage is currently in Counselor Ashley Fox's office," the
computer twittered back. Now that's weird, thought Traci. Shrugging it off
warily, Traci walked over to her desk. The panel light blinked, informing
her that she had an communiqué waiting for her. It was from Ashley telling
her to meet her as soon as possible. Thinking maybe that Dana got into
another fight at school, Traci walked out of her quarters.

"Traci," Ashley stood up when Traci walked into her office. There were
three chairs on the other side of her desk, and Dana was sitting in the
middle. She was looking down at her feet, noting even looking up when Traci
entered. A Bajoran man sat on the right side of her, and a Bajoran woman sat
on the left.
Sure that Dana was in some kind of trouble or another, Traci merely replied,
"Hey, Ashley." Then, she noticed that Ashley seemed kind of tense.
Clearing her throat slightly, Ashley nervously introduced Traci. "Mister
Se'andra Tanis and Misses Se'andra Laurana, this is Lieutenant Commander
Traci Tage, our Chief Tactical Officer."
Traci's throat went dry when she heard their names. Swallowing it down,
Traci greeted them coolly with a curt nod of her head.
Ashley casted a nervous glance at Dana, who was still staring at her feet.
Slowly, Ashley looked back at Traci. "They're here to reclaim custody."

TBC
<< By Traci Tage >>

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Stardate 9705.19
Captain's Ready Room

"They can't take Dana!" Traci Tage paced angrily in front of Captain Zier's
desk. "They can't!"
"Actually, legally, they can," Zier watched her pace, clenching and
unclenching her fists. "I know that's not exactly what you want to hear, but
they are Dana's real parents."
Traci stopped pacing and turned to glare darkly at the captain. "I'll fight
it. I'll take it to the highest darn court in the Federation!"
"That may be a slight problem since Bajor isn't an official member of the
Federation yet. And since the Se'andra family are citizens of Bajor, with
the exception of Dana, you'll have to take it up with their court system."
Before Traci could snap back a retort, Zier quickly continued, "It's my
understanding that you'll be meeting with Mister and Misses Se'andra tomorrow
with the counselor. Maybe if you tell them how you feel about this, they may
. . ." His voice trailed off, and Traci knew he didn't
totally believe what he was saying either.
"Yeah, maybe," Traci echoed without enthusiasm.

"You have no idea how hard it was to live through the Occupation wondering
if our little girls were okay," Se'andra Tanis was saying. West cocked his
head to the side, listening to the conversation. He had convinced Traci that
he was there for emotional support, but he didn't really thing Traci bought
it. Truth was, he was here because Dana had asked him to record everything
that happened. West smirked, admiring his collar, glad of all the little
knick knacks installed. He looked back at the one
called Se'andra Laurana, who had objected to his presence. Probably thought
he was another weird Federation alien. He hadn't talked at all yet, knowing
that the special translator that enabled him to talk would startle the
Se'andra's dearly. He was saving that for the right moment.
"You have no idea what we endured through the Occupation," Laurana stated,
picking up where her husband left off. "The whole time wondering where our
little girls were, the whole time hoping they didn't have to go through the
torture we were going through, the whole time praying the Prophets would
spare them! When we did find our little girls, we were so happy that the
cursed Cardassians did not kill them, and then we find out that our youngest
had her youth taken away by some Prophet cursed crystal
when she was in the care of this Romulan cannibal and our oldest was
MURDERED BY THE SAME ROMULAN HALF-BREED!"
"Uh, oh," Ashley Fox muttered quietly to herself. "Laurana, maybe you
should-"
Too late. With a low growl, Traci leaped out of her chair and tackled
Laurana. Laurana was no weakling, and Traci would've admired her defense
skills if the conditions were different. Ashley quickly tapped her combadge,
calling for Security.
(Security's already here), West said, standing up. Ashley glanced at him,
and he looked at her with amusement. (Although, I'm not stupid enough to get
in the way.)
"What do you mean?" asked Ashley in a low voice, glancing warily at the
Traci and Laurana. Now Tanis joined in, and despite Traci's excellent
fighting skills, she was having a bit of trouble.
(You'll see), West replied in a sing-song voice. And a few minutes later,
Ashley did see. Two security guards rushed in, and when the first one
touched Traci, she whirled around and practically threw him across the room.
The other one grabbed Tanis and Laurana, and called for backup.
Ten minutes and a couple security guards later, three huge guards, that
would've even made the Klingons think twice, were dragging Traci out of
Ashley's office. Tanis and Laurana had long ago been dragged away, but even
so, Traci was screaming loud and rather profane curses, struggling as if
there was still a fight to be fought.

TBC
<< By Traci Tage >>

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Stardate 9705.20
Tage's Quarters

"It's not fair!" Dana groaned, burying her head into the pillows. West
jumped up on the bed, his tail wagging. The chocolate labrador licked Dana
to comfort her.
(What's not fair, Dana? Besides life), the dog asked. It almost seemed as
if he was smiling. Dana looked up at him with her tear-stained face.
"I don't remember Mamma and Papa, but it was cool to know I have a real
family." Dana sat up and sniffled, wiping her eyes.
(But?), West prompted.
Dana glanced at the dog, wrapped her arms around him, burying her head into
his her. She sobbed for a couple minutes. West waited patiently, as any
other dog would do in this situation. Finally, Dana regained control of
herself, and looked back up. Wiping her eyes again, she said, "Traci's my
mother. I mean, no matter how bratty or annoying I get, or how many station
system's I hack into and screw up, she's still my mother. She was still
there for me, even when I screwed up big time. When I was
with other foster parents, they would kick me out right then and there.
Traci's my mother, and I love her as one. But, if these stupid legalities
get in the way, I'll have to live with two people I don't even know."
West tilted his head thoughtfully. (Why don't you tell them how you feel?)
"I'm just a kid!" Dana wailed. "I tried, but they wouldn't listen." Dana
sulked for a few minutes more, and suddenly jumped off the bed.
(Where are you going?), asked West, his concerning gaze following Dana as
she made her way across the room.
"Watch. West, come over here. I need your collar."

Ashley Fox arrived in Ops, leading Se'andra Tanis and Se'andra Laurana.
After apologizing for the little incident before, Ashley suggest to take them
on a tour. This was one of their last stops.
Stacey Kassamar nodded a greeting to the Bajoran couple, when she noticed a
light blinking on her console. "What the . . ."
Koric Hawkins turned around to look at Kassamar. "What's wrong?"
Her fingers flew quickly over her console. "Plasma conduit erupted . . . on
deck twenty three, section fourteen . . . Tage's quarters." Kassamar looked
up. "Internal sensors just went out, but before it did, I had two life signs
in there. Dana, and Security Dog West."
Koric sighed wearily. "Someone, get Traci out of the Brig. Tell her what
happened, and try to get internal sensors back up."
Kassamar nodded, and immediately frowned. "Dana hacked into the system, I
can't get to internal sensors."
"How do you know that?" Tanis demanded. "Our little girl would never do a
thing like that!"
Even as he said this, Kassamar rerouted a message to show on the view
screen. It read: "Tag! You're it! Come and find me! Love, Dana Tage."
Groaning, Koric muttered, "As if we didn't have enough problems."

TBC
<< By Traci Tage >>

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Stardate 9705.20
Brig

"Oh, wow. The Brig. Been there, done that," Traci said with a sigh,
glancing around the bare cell. "Eesh. Get into one little scrape, and
Security freaks on you." Traci got up and pounded her fist on the force
field. "Hey, Ensign! What kinda room service is this?! You do realize this
means you ain't getting a tip!"
The Ensign smirked, but didn't reply. He didn't bother to reply to any of
Traci's complaints, and didn't even bother to look up until he heard doors
opening.
Ashley Fox walked in, followed by the Se'andra's. Laurana marched angrily
up to Traci's cell, screaming, "Where's my daughter?!"
Traci put her hand on her hips, and stared at the near hysterical woman.
"Lady, you need to seriously chill."
Tanis stepped forward in rage. "How dare you speak to her like that?!"
Annoyed, Traci snapped, "I speak any damn way I please."
Before things could get worse, Ashley interrupted, "All of you, stop." She
looked at Traci. "Dana did something to the computers . . . they're really
missed up, and we can't find her because she did something to internal
sensors."
Traci nibbled on her bottom lip thoughtfully. Looking up, she said, "Ask
him."
Everyone turned around to see a chocolate labrador sitting down. He wore a
yellow coat, marked: Security Dog.
West barked once, wagging his tail. He was in full uniform, and couldn't
wait to see the Se'andra's reactions.
Tanis gawked at West. "A Terran dog? As Security?" He snorted with
laughter.
(You laugh now, buddy), West snarled. (But no Tage takes insults. I think
you would've known that by now.) Tanis immediately stopped laughing, and
realized that the dog belonged to Traci. He glowered but said nothing. West
got up and stretched out. (Oh, yeah . . . Dana says to meet her in holodeck
one . . . and only Traci. No one else.) West grinned lopsidedly. (Have
fun.) The dog wagged his tail once, and walked out.

Traci entered holodeck one, and wondered why she had done that.
Three of her favorite holodeck programs had been turned on and mixed
together. Mythological era, medieval era, and sci-fi era characters
interacted with each other. Elven warriors were trying to ambush Xena and
the Athenian army, while characters from her holo-novel 'Space: Above and
Beyond' were shooting at a large red dragon. Sitting in the middle of this
chaos was none other than Dana.
"Dana!" Traci stomped over and dragged Dana out without letting her have a
word of protest. Once at the arch, Traci demanded Dana to fix all the
computer systems. Once that was done, and the holodeck was turned off, Traci
dragged Dana into the hallway.
Trying to control her temper, Traci gritted her teeth and demanded, "Dana,
explain."
Dana looked down at her feet. "I was just trying to get your attention."
Growling, Traci was about to snap back a retort, but West nudged her gently.

(Dana has something she wants to say.)
Everyone looked at Dana patiently, and she took a deep breath. "All this
time you guys were talking about my future, but none of you asked what I
wanted and who I wanted to live with!" Dana could feel the anger creeping up
her voice. "You guys were too busy bickering and all of you have an attitude
and it's pissing me off!"
Ashley blinked, not sure if this conversation was actually *helping* the
situation. "Uh, Dana . . ."
"No!" snapped Dana. "I'm not done talking." Her expression soften.
"Mamma, Papa . . . you two may be my real parents, but Traci gave me my first
real home. And as far as I'm concern, Traci's my real mother."
Ashley smiled, realizing that it took a lot of courage for Dana to say that.
She gently took Tanis, Laurana, and Traci aside, and began to talk to them
quietly.

TBC
<< By Traci Tage >>

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Stardate 9705.20
Zot's

Traci Tage pursed her lip, twirling her staff, eyeing Tora Sural. She was
well aware that a crowd had started to gather, but no one would dare stop a
fight between the Everest's and the Stealth's top fighters. Traci glowered
darkly.
"No one," she growled in a low voice, "No one comes onto my station and give
me the I'm-all-that attitude." Lunging forward, Traci swung her staff at
Tora, which she ducked gracefully. Traci quickly whirled around, keeping
Tora in her field of vision.
"You have no idea about what's going on, do you?" Tora snarled. "You just
waltz right in here acting like the whole world needs to bow at your feet."
She sneered. "You're a disgrace to the Romulan race, you half-bred mutt."
Traci raised an eyebrow. "You just insulted the wrong woman, girl. You
best be watchin' yerself, cause payback ain't pretty." She lunged at Tora
again, who side stepped the move. Almost instantly, a dagger was thrusted
into Traci's side. Traci saw the gleam of the blade, and quickly stepped
back.
Tora laughed. "A challenge. Not bad. Not bad at all." A murderious rage
had built up in her, and she leaped onto Traci. Knocked to the ground,
Traci's staff clattered as it hit the ground.
Traci quickly brought up her elbow and slammed it against the side of Tora's
head. She got up and grabbed her staff, ducking a swipe at her head.
Jumping up onto the bar, Traci sized up the situation carefully.
"AY-YI-YI-YI!" Leaping off the bar, Traci somersaulted through the air,
landing directly behind Tora. Grunting, Traci slammed her staff hard across
Tora's back.
Stumbling forward, Tora caught herself on a nearby table, and quickly
whirled around, sucessful in catching Traci off gaurd. The dagger cut
through Traci's flesh with a sickening rip.
Traci's eyes widen, and she brought up her staff, and wacked it hard against
the side of Tora's head. At the same time, she brought up her left leg,
effectively kicking Tora in the groin. Tora slammed against the table, but
picked herself up rather quickly. Blood ran down the bodies of both woman
but neither wanted to stop fighting and they started at each other again.
But suddenly, they were surronded by Security officers.
"Not again," Traci cursed under her breath. She was spending a lot more
time in the Brig lately than she cared for.
Tora glanced up, wiping the blood from her eyes. She glared over at Jal
Rissa, who was standing next to a console. "Damned Bajoran called Security
on me," Tora snarled. She started over to her, wanting to finish what she
had started earlier, when a Security guard jerked her back. Tora angrily
broke from the Security guard's grasp, and lunged for the exiting doors of
Zot's.
"This is my turf, Tora," Traci called after Tora. "And this is my station!
Don't ever think yer gonna get away with anything! We're gonna finish this
later! Count on it!"
Angry at letting people become suspicious of her, and hating Traci for
focusing that suspicion on her, Tora pushed past through the crowd of people,
and people smartly stayed out of her way. Suddenly, she slammed into
someone.
"Whoa," Lieutenant Commander Smitty stammered, looking down at the blood
soaked Tora. "Tora?"

TBC
<< Log by Traci Tage, will be continued by Tora Sural, and thanks to Smitty
for the good intro. ;) >>

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Stardate 9705.22
Docking Bay Four

Traci Tage shook hands with Se'andra Tanis and Se'andra Laurana. "It was
nice meeting you two," Traci told them, formally and politely.
Tanis smirked. "I wish we could've made a better first impression." He
shrugged, good naturedly. "But, you know what they say: first impressions
come only once."
Laurana ruffled Dana's hair lovingly. "Take care of my baby, okay?"
Nodding, Traci assured her, "Of course." She nudged Dana. Taking the cue,
Dana held up something and handed it to Laurana.
"Those are mine and Valenza's earrings, Mamma."
Laurana looked down at the earrings, her eyes beginning to water. She bent
down, and kissed Dana on the forehead. "Thank you," she whispered with a
smile.
Tanis gently touched his wife's arm, reminding her that they had a transport
to catch. With one last fond gaze at Dana, Laurana let herself be led
through the docking ring door's.
Traci sighed. "Hated to see them leave . . . but, dang! Am I glad that's
over!"
(Not really), said an all too familiar voice. Traci turned to see West
standing behind her, dressed in full Security uniform. (You need to report
to Security.)
Letting out a snort of laughter, Traci exclaimed, "I can't believing they're
sending my own dog to escort me to Security! Now that is funny!"
West grinned. (Well, I'm the only one you wouldn't throw against the wall.)
He barked gleefully. Traci laughed.
"You're right on that one," she smirked. Glancing down at Dana, Traci said,
"Dana, do whatever you want, but be home by dinner time." With a sigh, she
turned to West and said, "Well, let's get moving. I swear, I've spent more
time in the Security office than any other person on this station!"
West smirked. (You're a Tage. 'Nuff said?)

<< The End. Log series by Traci Tage. ;) Hoo-Rah! >>

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First Lieutenant Wes C'Rusher
Operations Manager
Starbase Everest
Personal Log sd9705.26

*OPEN LOG*

After embarking on our mission to capture Williams, went directly to my
quarters, and took a long nap.
When I woke, I had a splitting headache. So, I cancelled my duty shift for
the day, and reported directly to sickbay.
LtCdrSmile gave me a drug to get rid of the headache, but since he was so
swamped with critically injured people, he couldn't run a standard scan for
disease, or infection. I plan on going to him as soon as he isn't so busy.

*CLOSE LOG*

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Soft, nineteenth-century music drifted from the hidden speakers in thick
verses of stringed instruments and hushed woodwinds. The song was bad, and
the intonation of the strings...which were probably off-world contraptions
from Andoria or some other place that knew nothing of the art of the
violin...was horrible, but it was better than silence. Asher hated silence.
A muted scratching sound met her ears. Kato's shrill caw followed shortly
after. The metal bars of his cage clanged and banged with frantic wingbeats
and his curved, sharp beak.
She muttered something, squeezing her eyes shut, and sat up on the couch.
"What, Kato?" she called halfheartedly.
~Hungry~ came the plaintive response.
"Eat your sunflower seeds."
There was a pause. ~Thirsty?~ he tried again.
"You've got water."
~Kato not want water...~
Asher let a sigh hiss through her teeth, and she wondered who had decided
to come up with a telepathic raven in the first place. Using the regular
mental relaxation techniques that had been taught to her, she tilted her head
back slightly and transmitted an image of a soothing ocean sunset, hearing
the bird's protesting murmur quiet in the back of her mind. Minutes later,
she brought her chin up again, realizing Kato had fallen asleep.
If only all things were that easy, she thought, taking another sip from
the glass of water on the table. The nineteenth-century music ended, replaced
by Spanish guitar. Asher closed her eyes again, and began to nod off.
The computer terminal on her desk flickered to life.
Startled by the unexpected chime and wash of bluish-light across the
room, she blinked sleepily at the terminal and stumbled off the couch.
"What..." she muttered, brushing her hair from her eyes, and sat down before
the computer.
INCOMING MESSAGE the terminal displayed in red, flashing letters.
"Who in the world would...?" Asher mused quietly, an uneasy feeling
growing in the pit of her stomach despite her best judgment. Rowan, she
thought briefly, and immediately dismissed it. Rowan doesn't come for another
six days. That was right. "Computer, begin message."
The screen flipped on.
At first glance, the face that displayed a sunny grin and a quirky
expression across the screen was blankly unfamiliar. Asher paused, thinking
and searching the face for something to jog her memory, something that would
make her remember, something to take the stupid, uncomprehending stare off
her face.
"Asher?!" the face on the screen exclaimed jubilantly, and it all came
back.
She had to smile. "My God, my God, how long...how long has it been?" she
muttered to herself, and laughed. "I don't believe this."
Her face was ecstatic. "I don't know, I don't remember, but Asher, you
look exactly the same! Exactly! Just like San Francisco!"
She narrowed her eyes with scrutiny at the screen, and pretended to study
her friend's face. "Well, Blair, aside from getting a haircut or two, I'd say
the same." Despite her attempts to keep a straight face, a grin kept bouncing
back onto her features.
Blair Jandt shook her very curly and very red hair out of her face and
continued to gawk at Asher's image. "I didn't even know it would be you! I
had to go mucking through these five-year-old Starfleet records at the
science complex by the bay and when I found out they'd tranferred you to a
starbase, I thought, 'No, that can't be! They weren't going to transfer her!'
Shows how much I know." Huge silly grin again.
She put a hand disbelievingly to her forehead. "Blair...I wasn't
expecting you."
"Of course you weren't, you're not that telepathic." Blair laughed.
~Oh no?~ she asked, and though she knew Blair was neither telepathic nor
empathic, it was fun to play silent jokes on her constantly good-natured
friend.
Blair shook her head and giggled. "I'll bet you just insulted me."
"No, actually Kato did."

[cont.]

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She positively screamed with laughter this time. Well aware of Kato's
psionic link to Asher...and the trials and tribulations that accompanied
it...Blair got a kick out of the mere idea of a telepathic bird. Blair got a
kick out of just about anything.
'Girl, then you'd love the Everest.'
Her friend's perpetual grin seemed to stand as an agreement.

<tbc>

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When the giggles had quieted, her friend sniffed and nodded. "So. How
goes it all? Life in Starfleet?"
Asher pursed her lips and thought a moment. "...interesting," she
concluded at last, choosing the word carefully.
Blair grinned. "Wish I could say the same. You know, when they said
'field research' on the job description, I thought that field would be
somewhere on another planet. I love San Fran to death, but I wish it would be
a little more 'field' and a little less 'research'."
She chuckled quietly. "You could come visit sometime. No boredom here."
"For sure. Do you know what my last assignment was? They call it a study
on 'Microbiology and Various Chlorophyllic Organisms'. You know what that
is?" she asked indignantly.
"Mold and fungus," Asher replied with a smirk. "Blair, you've got to get
out more."
"Fungus, for the love of God!"
"For sure."
That earned another fit of the giggles.
A moment passed. Asher paused again, glanced at her friend with a
different expression. "Blair?"
"Yeah?"
"It's been three years since I saw you last. No offense, but why pick now
to have a trip down memory lane? It couldn't have been easy to find my
transfer slip, I mean."
Blair hesitated. Asher watched, almost mournfully, as the bounciness and
perkiness of her friend's expression drained completely. "I know...it was
kind of unexpected..."
She smiled, but it was forced. "No way, it was great hearing from you."
"Actually...there's a reason I'm talking to you." Her voice had subsided,
her face somber and rather melancholy.
"What's that?" Asher asked.
Blair's green eyes flicked nervously to one side, in a mannerism that was
quite unfamiliar to Asher. "I...I just wanted to make sure you were...okay,
and everything."
She blinked, puzzled. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"I mean...just that..." She stuttered, shook her head, and started over
again. "Asher...back here, in San Francisco..."
It didn't take a lot of thought to figure out that if Blair was this
uptight, there was something seriously not right about the situation. "What,
Blair?" she asked gently.
"Asher...something's wrong."

<tbc>

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The silence was thick after that point. Asher was vaguely aware that her
heartbeat had sped up, pounding harshly against her ribcage, and that her
hands were curled into fists that she couldn't unclench, and that the face on
the terminal screen was appraising her nervously, and what was that face
again? What was her name?
Asher had forgotten the present. In the moment the words "something's
wrong" had been spoken, an incredible wash of sense drifted into her like
water bursting forth from a dam, and she had slipped—willingly or
unwillingly—into the black expanses of mind and thought.
It was true...amazing, how it worked so quickly... 'It's wrong,
something's wrong, oh God, it's so wrong...'
"Asher?...you okay, kiddo...hey, Asher!"
' Wrong...' "Wrong..."
"Whadja say? I didn't hear that."
And, just as quickly as it had come, it was gone.
Asher blinked. "Blair?"
Her friend offered a cautious smile. "Still here, connection unbroken,
officer." The familiar phrase that didn't quite make sense cleared some of
the tension from the air. Not all, though. "Are you okay? I didn't mean to
get you up and worried like that..."
She shook her head slowly, then tried to return Blair's smile, with
minimal success. "I'm fine. I think Kato's having a bad dream or something."
Blair laughed, a cheerful, uplifting sound that brought back sharp and
stinging nostalgia. It had been three years, all right. Now they felt like
three forevers. "Tuck him in and sing him a lullabye."
Asher smiled softly. "Maybe I should do that."
She grinned, paused, then sighed. "I don't know, Asher...things are not
like they used to be, and the first person I thought of was you,
because...well, because..."
"Because I'm an unusual person," she offered, wondering if she had meant
it as a joke or not.
"Maybe," Blair replied seriously. "And the other reason why I thought of
you was because all the strangeness is in the biotechnology department."
"Ah." She exhaled slowly.
There was another moment of hesitation, and then Blair made a valiant
attempt to return to her ever-upbeat self. "Well! I just wanted to get that
out...so you knew..."
The guise didn't work with Asher. "Blair...what's been going on over
there? What don't I know? What haven't they been telling me?"
The questions seemed to strike her like a physical blow. She actually
cringed. "I don't know...I'm not even sure I'm allowed to be talking to you."
Asher winced, glanced away for just the barest second, but it was enough.
"No...I didn't mean it like..." Blair swallowed, looked at her friend
pleadingly. "God help me Asher, it's been three years. I would've sent at
least a message to you ages ago if those people back in your department
hadn't kept looking over my shoulder."
She nodded, but no words came.
"Asher?" she prodded, and her expression was very unlike anything she
usually wore. "Please, listen Asher, you understand?"
She widened her eyes slightly and nodded vigorously, favoring her with a
sympathetic smile. "You bet, Blair. I can imagine what they were like. Those
guys in the science department were not patient."
Blair laughed bitterly. "Still aren't." She rubbed a tired hand over her
forehead and stared into the screen. "I'd explain just how weird it's been,
except who knows what kind of cute little listening-device toys they've come
up with."
"Right," Asher muttered. She blinked once, clearing drowsiness from her
eyes, and sighed. Then she thought. For quite a long time. Blair obligingly
remained silent, until Asher looked up again.
"How hard is it to get a pass into the complex?" she asked Blair.
She frowned, considering. "Pretty damned hard lately. Some huge project's
got them all up in arms posting security detachments on every entrance in the
building."

[cont.]

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"But you've got one, right? I mean, you're a scientist, you work there."
"Yeah, I've got one." She paused, inclined her chin a half inch. "Why?"
Asher didn't respond, not immediately. She frowned thoughtfully, her gaze
becoming distant.
"Ash-er?" Blair inquired warily. "What are you thinking?"
"If I remember the codes, I can get through the system. A pass, too, if
I'm lucky. The security shouldn't be too hard to get by, especially if
they're officers instead of devices." She was muttering now, but it didn't
matter. Blair recognized the tone.
"What are you going to do?" she asked slowly.
Asher straightened and mustered up a smile. "I'm coming to Earth," she
replied.

<tbc>

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The luminosity in her quarters had been lowered twenty-five percent; she
worked better without harsh lighting.
Blair's familiar voice and melodic intonations of certain words still
rang fresh in her mind, the first conversation they'd had in at least three
years seeming painfully short and abrupt. 'Said goodbye too quickly,' she
thought sadly, and blinked away the nostalgia.
Her head was beginning to hurt, and her eyes, sore from staring into the
bluish screen of her computer terminal, felt like hot marbles embedded into
her skull, but every now and then she would get up and drink some water or
splash it in her face and would reassure herself that whatever she was doing
was going to work, even though she had doubts herself on the truth of that.
Sometime after her third duty shift, Kato had joined her, and now observed
quietly from his perch on her left shoulder.
The bird had an undeniable knack for bypassing security measures. Have to
find out where he learned that.
Music came from overhead speakers again, its ambient volume lowered to
the point where it was almost subliminal. Deep bass song,
mid-twentieth-century Earth. Just discovered in the Everest's musical
archives. Jazz, maybe. Guitar. A familiar chop, a swift running down the
frets to a not-quite-standard blues progression. Some voice, low and
insinuating, adding a vocal to the slow, driving beat.
Good music to work by.
It had been years, but she thought she still remembered a good deal of
what was needed. The codes, mostly, and a number of names. First step was San
Francisco mainframe. She keyed in a civilian password and entered. Filesearch
for the science department. There it was, outlined in a blue box. Coded, but
level-1 only.
~Gamma?~ Kato inquired silently, all traces of naïveté gone.
"Delta, I think," she replied distractedly, "but I'll try gamma if it
doesn't work."
It worked. Her civilian password had been accepted, and now ran a level-1
security clearance. Easy. That was the smooth-sailing part. Asher nodded
slowly and then closed her eyes gently, leaning back in her chair.
' Why are you doing this?' she asked herself. 'It's been, oh, about a
month, and you want to go home already?'
"Hasn't been a month," Asher murmured. San Francisco was home, in
general, yes. The Starfleet science department and the biotechnology complex
were only miles away from each other, but entire universes apart if you spent
time in either.
Blair was Starfleet. Blair was a friend.
The people who worked at the biotechnology complex were no friends.
'My God, my God Asher, you're becoming paranoid.'
~Beta-nine~ Kato interrupted her thoughts, and brushed a wing lightly
through the air, indicating impatience.
She blinked herself back to awareness and sat back up. "No...this is
level two, Kato. You use beta on level three."
~Alpha-Beta-Delta-Gamma~ he recited.
"That's right."
~One-two-three-four-five-six-seven-eight-nine~ he chimed in agreement.
"Bingo," Asher muttered, losing interest and concentration with the bird.
The second level passed with no problem, as well. The third level, however,
would have real-time security measures in place, if Blair had been correct in
her assumption that the complex had installed such measures.
Real-time. Real people. Officers.

[cont.

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"Computer, raise volume of speakers five decibels," she called out in no
particular direction, feeling her concentration waver again. She figured it
would only take a few more minutes for it to fade altogether, and she wasn't
going to make any mistakes. Not even on the third level.
Kato cawed faintly, fluttered to the desktop and sat there, preening his
feathers. Asher leaned back. It had been long hours, and she was tired.
Besides, duty-shift was in five hours. No good walking around with no sleep.
She stayed there, head tilted back over the side of the chair, her eyes
closing again and face bathed in the soft blue light of the computer
terminal, and she fell asleep to the driving rhythm of a twenties nothing
little jazz song.

<tbc>

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She awoke to a wingbeat and a harsh, shrill alarm. At first she thought
it was a battle drill, a simulation that had woken her up, or maybe she had
dozed off on duty and someone was trying to get her attention. Then she
realized her head was back, and she awoke with a start. Her hand groped
outward blindly, and a glass of water crashed loudly and wetly to the floor.
"Computer...computer, no more noise, I hear it..." She blinked once,
twice, clearing the sleep from her eyes. 'Alarms for everything...as if
everything were about to fall apart...' "And Kato, get away from my face."
~Not cause harm...~ came the expected response, but the wingbeats ceased.
She felt her muscles crick and snap as she stretched them out, and she
struggled to a sitting position. The computer terminal was still on,
displaying the generic message box: SEARCH? Y N.....ENRTY? Y N.....QUERY? Y N
At least she hadn't missed duty-shift. Again. In fact, she noted with
some surprise, there was still an hour or two before she was due in Sickbay.
Despite the fact that she hadn't eaten for the past sixteen hours, she wasn't
hungry. Asher made herself drink a glass of water and brush her hair before
sitting back down at the terminal.
Still on level three, awaiting a password or a filesearch. "Kato, get
back here, I need your help..." she called distantly, and then she felt the
bird perch surely on her shoulder again, peering down with uncanny
intelligence.
'He's naive, yes...' she thought as she felt the bird's penetrating
stare, blocking her psionic link '...but he's not entirely gone. He's one of
those idiot savants. Maybe even a genius in this area.'
'He's also a bird, Asher,' she reminded herself roughly. 'Don't go
thinking about him like he's the next Zefram Cochrane.'
The computer beeped softly, still awaiting input. She steeled herself,
bringing up her concentration again, and keyed in the response. There was a
pause, as the subspace relays transmitted the data from Earth to the Hermania
system, and then the screen flickered.
A stony face appeared, cheekbones rigid and expression cold. Gold
shoulders; a Security officer.
"Help you?" he inquired tonelessly.
Asher smiled brightly and nodded. "Yes, sir. I was wondering where I
could come by a pass for the complex."
"Security clearance?" he asked.
She hesitated worriedly. "No..."
The man frowned and shook his head. "No ma'am, afraid not. Tight security
measures, no civilians without clearance."
"Oh, I'm not a civilian," she informed him and smiled again. "Ensign
Asher Luna, Starbase Everest. I used to be employed at the biotechnology
complex."
"That so?" he remarked, his expression unchanged. "May I have your former
clearance codes?" His face obscured slightly as he leaned away, presumably to
another console to search the reference.
"Six-five-nine-oh-oh-one-three, tau-kappa-lambda," she recited smoothly,
clenching her sweaty fists and hoping, hoping, hoping.
The man frowned towards his console. "I don't see..."
~*Subsection delta, three years old but still valid*~ she sent, closing
her eyes when she knew the man wasn't looking, and created just enough voice
to ensure that he heard her.
Not telepathically, of course. He heard her, though. His face brightened
with sudden insight, and he nodded. "Here you are...it's a little old, but I
think we can take it in."
Asher offered her friendliest smile. "Great!" she exclaimed, trying to
imitate what she thought Blair would respond with. "Thank you very much, sir.
I appreciate your help."
He nodded tersely and cut the channel without replying.
~Worked~ Kato told her, seemingly from a far distance.
"Ayuh," she affirmed, still gazing at the computer terminal. "That's
level three. Civilian pass."
Now that she was in, no one would be able to tell that the code had been
forged.

[cont.]

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~Level four cause difficulty, security tight, recent codes needed~ he
told her dubiously, and fluttered a wing.
"I know that. I'll get by. We." The pronoun seemed odd to her, referring
to a bird as "we". But it was unquestionable that there was something about
him. Something that was different, something that had changed in him, had
been changed. And she needed his help. Whether or not he was a bird or a
non-human was irrelevant.
Asher stared thoughtfully at the blank screen.
Kato was quiet, brooding.
'And I am going on a mighty big assumption, aren't I? Yes sir, Asher, you
must have a lot of trust in that friend of yours to be tromping through
security mechs where you're not supposed to be.'
The screen still glowed faintly with the blue light, an elongated
rectangle across the desk. Quiet jazz still in the background, in a
continuous repeat until she ordered otherwise. Pleasant, soft, looming shapes
of drowsiness in the back of her mind. Too much work, too little sleep.
'Duty can wait.'
Asher thought: I need a drink. Rather not get up. Mind opened without her
usual concentration to block out telepathy. Crewmen were passing in and out
of corridors, much conversation.
'Damn dark. Can't see a damn thing.'
Asher noted: why, your eyes are closed. Isn't that amazing.
She dozed off again.

<tbc>

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' Too much sleep. God, my mouth feels like cotton.'
It had been almost two days without rest, and yet she felt she had been
asleep for centuries. It was interesting.
But she found that she could work right through the exhaustion, that
there came a hidden well of strength. If you sat quietly in a chair you could
work all night long. The trouble came when you tried to move. So she worked
in the chair, not rising, and every now and then she rested her head in her
hands and closed her eyes and blanked the brain, and so rested. Getting up
for duty shift did not bother her. No one seemed to notice anything.
Kato had noticed, however, and now approached her with a sort of cautious
concern, as if suddenly paranoid of her temperament. When he wasn't peering
over her shoulder, he was flying listlessly from corner to corner or munching
loudly on sunflower seeds. Asher, had the circumstances been different, would
have been annoyed. Now she just ignored it completely.
She was up to level six. And completely exhausted. Her efforts
concentrated on keeping her hands and her expression steady, she would not
mess up after all this work, no. She thought: this is insane.
The screen flipped on.
"You have entered Branch 0119 of the Science and Biotechnology Complex,
San Francisco, Earth," the wall-mounted speakers droned in a neuter voice.
"Please enter a password or complete voice-regognition test."
Asher blinked four times, smacked herself lightly on the forehead to wake
herself up, and typed.
Pause. Silence.
'Please-please-please-please-please...'
"Password accepted."
She exhaled sharply. "Thank God."
"Select query parameters."
Asher raised an eyebrow thoughtfully and glanced at Kato, who was busying
himself by practicing his dive-and-swoop method around the ceiling. She
smiled absently and turned back to the console.
There the words were again. Bold. Red. What now?
"Enter: biotechnology unit five-five-one. Search: security protocol plus
entrance requirements," Asher spoke to the screen, and waited.
"Selected response is restricted," it replied.
"Um."
"Level-six clearance required."
Asher stared. "I have level-six clearance."
"Civilian clearance is not adequate for this selection. Please enter a
registered-officer password."
She blinked. Could not believe it. "Computer," she said slowly, "I am a
former member and registered officer of the complex."
"Please enter former clearance code."
"Six-five-nine-oh-oh-one-three, tau-kappa-lambda," Asher told it,
pronouncing every syllable clearly.
Another pause. "Password accepted."
Asher stared, snorted, gave an involuntary chuckle. "Oh grand," she said.
"That's just grand." She swivled around and leaned towards Kato. "Isn't that
grand, Kato? Now, let the party commence." She grimaced, snorted. "Kato, get
over here. I'm going to get stuck."
~What happening?~ Kato inquired curiously, fluttering over.
"I'm having fun," Asher muttered, turning slowly back around to the
console and glaring balefully at the screen. She thought: maybe a bug got
into their system.
He perched on her shoulder. ~Level seven?~
"I think."
~What now?~
"Now..." she said "...we get a pass and go to Earth."
Kato was quiet. Asher turned back to the console, staring, sighing,
extremely tired of this. "I'm so tired..."
Duty was in an hour. Had to finish this now.
There was quiet, powerfully sedative, and her eyelids fluttered. No, stay
away from that. Asher thought: any minute now I will go to sleep.
But she dragged her hands forward and plugged in the codes obediently
when the computer requested them and typed and lied her way through the
levels, pausing only to throw a wearied glance at Kato, questioning, and once
in a while she would mutter, "I'm so very tired..." though she knew that
saying it would double its effect, and wondered if there was a paper in there
somewhere: prolonged wakefulness.

[cont.]

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Then, on the thirty-fourth hour without sleep, just as she began to feel
that moment of curious suspension, when you have been awake for a long time
and you have certain moments of unreality, of numbness, of the beginning of
sleep...she cracked the tenth level, and was in.
"Done."
There was utter silence in their quarters. Jazz music long gone, as the
neuter voice of the complex's computer.
She stared, disbelievingly.
"We're in."
Kato screeched.
"I've got a pass, and I'm going to Earth," she whispered jubilantly,
exultantly, and abruptly jumped to her feet.
It was not a wise choice. She was unsteady. Not up to it yet. Combined
hours on hours of work and staring at a computer screen took its toll, and
she swayed wildly.
Kato cawed again, watching her cautiously, warily. Fluttered his wings.
A groping hand stretched outward, steadying, balancing. She mumbled to
herself, "Watch that, Asher. Don't want that." And despite that, her eyes
wide but dulled, she smiled. A huge, grateful, triumphant grin. She sighed.
Legs folded and bucked. Kneeled for a moment, exhaustion overwhelming her
senses, head rolling from shoulder to shoulder.
Kato flew over to her, curiously, beak poking the air, watching her sway.
Then her knees gave up, too, and she sunk slowly and gracefully and
gently down to the deck, and she lay there, sprawled on the floor, one arm
this way and one arm that, sleepily, dreamily, fell asleep.

<tbc>

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Asher sat on a couch, knees pulled up to her chest, protectively, an
untouched glass of ice water on the table beside her.
Her jubilation over her impending trip to Earth had been painfully
short-lived. Once awakened from an eight-hour sleep, the clock that had been
wound forty-two days before finally reached its end, and began screaming the
alarm. More of a beacon than an alarm, but it was raucous enough to cause
great confusion in her mind, so that she stumbled numbly around her quarters,
bleary-eyed, bewildered. Kato was unable to communicate through the psionic
link, and sat stubbornly in the corner, sulking.
She sat, unable to move without great effort, head pounding fiercely. She
did not want to leave. Not yet. Would ask them to wait another month.
We explained it, Asher. You agreed to the terms.
Shook her head: no, no, no, no, no.
Forty-two days was adequate time to adjust to the new environment. Now we
are going to check on the results.
Asher swallowed, hearing an audible click in her throat. "Please..." she
managed through a parched throat, and was quite frightened. "Don't want to
leave..."
There came sharp disapproval. Rather late to be rewriting the rules.
"I don't care...I'm going to Earth to see Blair." Asher stated this
slowly, firmly, loudly, hearing her own voice echo oddly across the walls of
her quarters. She repeated it. It was reassuring. "I'm going to see Blair."
Your friend has no part in this.
She put her hands over her ears, rocking slowly back and forth. "No, no."
Enough of this. It's getting tiresome. Forty-two days, Asher.
Asher thought, panicked: 'why did I ever agree to them?'
I need music. No more of this silence. If I play music they can't talk to
me, I can't hear them. I'm not going to talk to them. I won't listen to them.
In a way it was ridiculous. When she had first been assigned to a
starbase, she had balked. The idea of creating a habitat and modeling it
after a planet's surface was absurd, a little floating Metropolis in the
middle of open space. Absurd. She had anticipated chaos, noise, cold
personalities, unwelcoming. And most or all had turned out to be inaccurate.

What she hadn't anticipated was finding a home.
'I'm not leaving. '
An instant after that: cold voices, unyielding. You are.
Hot tears sprung to her eyes. It wasn't fair. She hadn't even been aware
of the ramifications of the terms when she'd agreed to them, much less
understood them. She thought: what price innocence? My, wouldn't I love to be
innocent.
Asher stood up from the couch. She was very, very tired. She walked
towards the empty guest room which she reserved for an unnecessary office.
Kato followed, but Asher waved him away. She sat by a desk with her back
against the wall, put her head in her hands.
There is one thing you can do. You can resign now. You can refuse to go
through with it.
But I cannot even do that. Cannot leave Blair on Earth without coming.
Cannot leave her with those people watching her. Cannot leave because I am
balking, because, as she says, it is all because of me. And maybe they really
want it that way. But I'm afraid. And the thing is, I cannot even refuse, I
cannot even back away, I cannot leave her to fight for me, she's my friend.
God help me, I can't even quit.
She closed her eyes. From a place very far away, Asher saw through space
and spoke. "I'm coming. Soon, I will come."
Approval radiated outwards. Wise, Asher. We are glad you see it our way.
Asher thought bitterly, 'I will never see it your way.'

<tbc>

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[Recording-Activated]
[Archives/Starbase.Everest]
[Reroute pathway-filename 8573-C]

"Computer, open personal log, Junior Grade Luna, and begin recording."

::a long pause ensues::

"Tomorrow I am going to Earth." ::nods slowly, sighs:: "I wonder what Blair
will say. Three years...I can't believe it's been that long. Feels like it,
though. Feels like a damned long time. I wish we hadn't left so quickly. If
it hadn't been for her, I think those first years at the science complex
would've been complete hell."

"I'm not sure what I'm going to do when I get there. First I think I'm going
to check in to the complex, just to make sure there's no trouble with the
pass I forged...but there shoudn't be. I was very sure not to make any
mistakes. Besides, I had Kato watching over my shoulder. He would've picked
anything up." ::pauses again, clenches a fist:: "Then why am I so nervous?"

"And I can't help..." ::trails off:: "I can't help being nervous about what
they want. Rowan in particular. That smile of his scares me to death, and
when he talked to me, he sounded as if he was ready to kill me himself in
order to bring me back." ::smiles sarcastically, thoughtfully:: "I wouldn't
put it past him. But I had to go back. I have to answer to whatever I have
caused this time. I can't leave Blair to those...people." ::stares quietly
for a moment:: "I have wanted very badly to go home."
::bitterly:: "But not to them."

>Log terminated

[Transmit to queued pathnames]
[Close log/save in subdirectory F1827.7478]

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Ashley walks into Zot's, a nervous look on her face. "I sure hope he's
got it all set for me. I've got to get that shuttle to head for Jack and
Kayla's wedding soon."
She walked up to the bar and snapped her fingers as she called Zot.
"Hello, Miss Fox." He looked her up and down. "I take it you have the
payment?"
"Yes, as long as you have the goods." She stared back into his eyes.
"Right here." He raised his hand over his shoulder, and one of the
waiters hastened over with a thick envelope. "One rented Love Shuttle, with
a preset course to the Denarian System."
"And in the shuttle, Zot?"
"A bottle of champagne for the happy couple, as well as a replicator
programmed with all kinds of tasty snacks. And no, I didn't forget the
fruit."
"Very good. Now, tell me again what you set up in the Denarian System."
Ash leaned against the bar, making sure he set it up the way she wanted it.
"As you should know about one particular planet, Denaria, its odd
rotation extends it's days to 40 hours and the nights to 24 hours. The days
are light by the energy of two suns crossing each other's path. At noon,
they eclipse each other, their light overpowering the other."
"What about the sunset? Tell me about it?"
"The two suns setting takes about two hours. During this time, the sky
is filled with glorious shooting lights in red and orange and blue." Zot
smiled. "Excellent choice for a honeymoon."
"That's why I chose it. I want to hear more." Ash smiled. "Tell me
about the moon, Zot, and the stars."
"The moon is always full, and the stars are never still. Denaria is
located near an asteroid belt, and the asteroids that stray from it, often
enter the atmosphere, say at a rate of 30 per night. As they enter the
atmosphere, they burn up, shooting brilliant colors across they sky."
"Sounds beautiful." Ash sighed.
"Yes, and the accomodations are the best as well."
Ash looked up. "Did you get the cottage I asked for?"
Zot shook his head. "No, but I arranged for a house with on the
hillside with the entire bedroom ceiling made of glass. The stars can be
seen all night."
"Perfect." Ashley smiled.
"Oh, yes, I forgot one thing." Zot smiled.
"The bedroom. It has a hottub in it."
"I don't think they're ever going to want to come home."
"No, I don't think so, Miss Fox." He shook his head. "You see, on the
way back, I set the shuttle to take them through the Menita Nebula. Nothing
is more beautiful than that nebula from inside a shuttle moving at 1/2
impulse."
"Great job Zot."
Ash took the envelope from him, and dashed to the shuttle, hoping she
wouldn't be late for the wedding.

Congratulations
Jack and Kayla

Love Always,
Ashley

[Return to Archives | Return to Listing ]

The Next Morning
SD9705.31
Ashley lifted her head from the pillow, a smile across her face. She
stretched lazily, thinking of Jack and Kayla's wedding from the evening
before.
The door chime rang, and she sat upright. She wasn't expecting anyone.
"Who is it?"
"It's your cousin..... are you going to open the door or not?"
Laughing, she slipped out from under the covers. "Come on in, Kim."
Kimberly Fox walked in wearing a pair of jogging shorts and a red tank
top. "Aren't you up yet? We were supposed to go running!"
Ashley frowned. "I forgot, I'm sorry, Kim.... A lot happened last
night, and my mind is a bit distracted."
"Hey, it's fine, but don't just stand there staring. Get dresed and
we'll go running!" Kim sat down on the edge of the bed.
"Right." Ash turned and dashed off to her closet, pulling out some
clothes. She slipped into the bathroom, and quickly dressed.
She walked out a few minutes later as she was tying her long black hair
into a ponytail.
"Where to?" She asked as she stepped in front of the mirror. She
tugged at the waistband of her grey running shorts, and adjusted the long
blue tank top over her hips.
"The holodeck of course." Kim grinned. "I've just bought a new
holoprogram for runners. It's got all kind of rugged terrain for us to run
over."
Ash smiled. "Let's hope you can keep up!"
"Yeah, right." Kim snickered. "So, what was so wonderful about
yesterday? You're floating almost." She looked around quickly. "John's
still on Earth, isn't he?"
"Yes, Kim." Ash almost glared, but couldn't hold it. "He's visiting
his relatives. He should be back soon."
"You didn't... I mean..." Her eyes widened.
"Kimberly Fox!" Ash exclaimed as the exited her quarters. "Why must
your thoughts go that way?"
"Well......."
"Never mind, Kim, don't answer that."
They walked along the corridor, heading straight for the turbolift.
"Jack and Kayla got married yesterday." Ashley smiled.
"The poor thing!" Kim shook her head.
"Not really. Kayla is wonderful! Jack really picked the right woman."
She smilled. "I can't think of anyone else I'd love to have as my sister."
"Sister in law, don't you mean?"
"No." Ash said as the entered the lift. "I mean sister. Especially
after what happened last night."
"I don't understand." Kim frowned. "Want to explain that?"
The lift began moving and Ash turned to her cousin. "It began when
Jack entered the room where the ceremony was to take place. He looked so
handsome! But then he suddenly disappeared. Then he came back, and
disappeared again."
"That's odd. What was he doing?"
They stepped out of the lift moving aside for some security officers
with a prisoner.
"That's still debatable. Someone thought he was searching for the lost
rings. Others thought it was cold feet."
"You sound like you don't believe either one of those."
"No, I can't say that I do." Ash answered as the turned down the
corridor to the holosuites. "I have a feeling as do many others, that the
mysterious puntmonster was at fault."
"Puntmonster?" Kim asked, confused.
"Yes, the puntmonster has been sneaking up on numerous Starfleet officers
and kidnapping them from the ships. They've always returned, but they don't
know where they've been." Ash shook her head as the stopped at the
holosuite.
"So, what does that have anything to do with Kayla being your sister?"
Ash and Kim stepped through the open doors to a program already running.
Ash smiled as she looked at the morning beach, hearing the waves pound
the surf.
"You see, during one of those disappearances, Kayla was having a mental
fit."
"How could you know that, Ash, you can't-----" Kim stopped short.
"Ash?!"
** TBC **

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Ashley nodded. "I heard her. It was faint, but I heard her. I
couldn't send her my thoughts at first, but further into the ceremony when
Jack came back, I heard his thoughts. They were clearer, and I was
eventually able to send him my thoughts. Finally, the three of us were
having a telepathic conversation." She smiled.
"So you've got your telepathy back?" Kim grinned.
"Not quite. Jack and I had an extremely strong link. I have a feeling
the little strenght I had last night was due to him. Somehow, he was
boosting my "hearing". But, Kim, isn't that something? At his wedding of all
times!"
Kim reached out and hugged her cousin. "That's terrific!"
Ash smiled sadly. "Yes, it is."
"What's wrong?" Kim asked, seeing her sad expression. "I thought you
were happy about that?"
"I am." Ash sat down in the sand. "I'm just sad that Jack is leaving.
After the honeymoon, he's not coming back to Everest. He's going to the
Integrity with Kayla."
"Oh." Kim sat down next to her.
"It's good for him, I'm terribly happy, but he's my best friend, my
brother. I'm going to miss him an awful lot." Ash brought her knees up to
her chest, wrapping her arms around them.
"I'm sorry, Ash." Kim said softly.
"Don't be." She smiled warmly. "He and Kayla are very happy. It's the
best thing that they be together. Besides, I wouldn't have it any other way.
You don't find a love like that and throw it away."
** Congrats again to the newlyweds! **

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Tracy> ::trying to ignore to pain in her leg, walks over and sits down in the
nearest chair, picking up her new book:: Audrey gave this to me. Remember
her, Bill?

Bill> ===Audrey Mckenzie. Courtney Mckenzie's youngest child===

Tracy> Yep....Alezis, Audrey, and Courtney were devastated when I told them.
Especially Courtney. I wonder how she's doing.....?

Bill> ===Told them about....?===

Tracy>Oh yes. You weren't downloaded when Kate told me. Poor Kate....

Bill> ===Poor Kate what?????===

Tracy> Open a personal log.

Bill> ===Are you trying to overwork me again?===

Tracy> No. What gave you that idea? Open the log

Bill> ===Log Open===

Ensign Tracy Christians
Personal Log
SD 9705.31

Yet again, I'm not sure this transfer was such a great idea. I mean, I
go visit the Columbia on my way here. Bad idea. Courtney and the girls are
the same, almost, but Dana....Poor Dana. She had to be introduced to me
again.... I guess I'd rather die there, if I became sick enough to know I was
dying. It truly is home. That's another thing. On the Odyssey, Kate had the
*great* job of telling me I was dying. I haven't told Peri yet. Or Sarvy.
They took it hard enough I was leaving... Then I told
Courtney and the girls... Now, the Everest. Brings back certain memories.
The only way I can get into anymore trouble than I'm in now, after being
demoted from Lieutenant Commander to Ensign by about 3 people, is to have my
new Captain remember a little to much about my performance on the Columbia.
Or just plain get in trouble with him. Which, knowing me, can't be all that
hard......

End log.

Bill> ===Log ended....Am I going back to Dan after you're gone??? Huh?===

Tracy> Shut up. I'll figure that out when the time comes. ::blinks as the
pain gets to her::

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After-thoughts
<I know this is REALLY late, but I didn't get a chance to write it>
FsLtObrien sat in the runabout USS Buford, on it's return trip to Starbase
Everest, after a breath-taking, dangerous, in a way sadening, mission. He
had been sitting, head down on the console for the past five minutes. He now
brought his head up to look out into space on the view screen. He turned his
head to the right, and looked at the computer monitor.
It displayed the information he'd expection: Warp 5.5, course to Starbase
Everest, shields unraised, weapons unarmed. The usual. He lied back down on
the console, making sure he didn't press any buttons making the runabout fly
in circles.
While lying on the panel, face to one side, he attempted to look at the
viewscreen, but he seemed as the there were a thousand pound weights on his
eyelids. Each time he opened them only slightly, the immediately closed
again.
He gave up, and attempted to go to sleep. He tried everything that he
thought preceded sleep, but it would not come. He tried counting sheep, but
due to his allergies, all he got from it were itchy eyes runny nose. He
tried counted other things, things that he was not allergic to: cats, dogs,
cows, Tarkalian raptors, gorillas, lions, bobcats, black bears, Borg,
everything he could think of. Sleep would not come.
He decided against this course of action as well, since they would arrive at
Everest in only about ten minutes. He decided to take this time to think,
but all that came to mind was what had transpired only five minutes ago, back
in Romulan space. Visions of the USS Maine continued to enter his head,
fading only after a couple seconds, but the monotonous image seemed to burn
into his eyes, never to be forgotten.
He never thought the mission would have such an effect on him. He thought
that, even though the Founders had made several mistakes in his genetic
engineering, but he didn't think his ability to handle post-mission emotions.
He thought he'd be tougher than that.
Obrien decided not to dwell on it, and decided to confront the thoughts that
were disturbing him. At first, he couldn't exactly pinpoint what exactly was
bothering him. He dug deeper and deeper into his brain, mentally examining
every piece of memory involving the incident with the rouge fleet, especially
the USS Maine.
After much soul searching, he found it: what was bothering him. The thing
that was so disturbing, he thought himself as less of a man for not being
able to handle it. But it seemed so simple. Starfleet Admirals must have
faced it every day, and most likely still do, and will for centuries to come.
He began facing this very thing that was bothering him: mutiny.

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Why does it seem so big to me? I'm probably the only one that has these
problems, I must be the only one in Starfleet who can't handle the
confrontation of a group of mutineers.
But he reminded himself of something. During one of his few sessions with
Counselor Fox, when he had been telling her of similar feelings of a
different situation, Fox had told him something. She had told him that
everyone has problems, and you shouldn't feel that you are unique (in the
respect that you are the only one troubled). So he examined his feelings,
and had an awakening: he's not the only one with problems with mutiny. Every
officer who enters a situation going against one of their own,
must have doubts, and feelings of helplessness.
He moved on to other thoughts, examining mutiny itself. He couldn't
possibly figure out why officers, part of the finest federation in the
universe, could suddenly 'snap', and suddenly hate that federation so much,
they would want to commit acts against it.
Admiral Williams had been a very fine officer, an expert on tactical
strategies. He had been in USF for who knows long, serving under many fine
officers in his younger years, serving over many young officers in his older
years. Maybe that was part of it. When he had been serving as a junior on
some starship in the fleet, some captain messed up, somewhere. Maybe during
some mission, he had misinterpreted something, an opinion by a commanding
officer, and that thought remained in his head, until it
developed into hatred toward the Federation.
Another reminder, again from Counselor Fox. Try not to make
generalizatioins, unless, of course, you are perfect. Maybe Fox should make
one of the calendars of quotes on how to better yourself. :)
He looked up at his computer monitor again, looking at the ETA chronometer:
one minute.
He increased speed, when in range of Everest, he slowed again. The large
mass of the immense starbase came into view. He went to one quarter impulse,
and minutes later, he docked at Pyra D, due to the damage to Pyra A.
He left the slip in Pyra D, seeing the Slip Technician walk over and begin
maintenance. He walked through the doors, and located the nearest turbolift,
entering it. He told the computer the appropriate deck, and he stood,
waiting for the doors to slide open...

<Mel>

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Unusual Behavior
Commander Koric Hawkins was walking past R&D when a loud thump sounded
from within.
~What was that? Didn't Jack leave already?~
He typed an entry code in the access panel beside the door. The door
opens and Hawk enters slowly, looking for the source of the sound.
He was startled at the sight of Counselor Fox.
She was leaning into one of the supply cabinets, placing a large piece
of equipment onto a shelf. She bent down, lifting a heavy box in her arms,
and turned toward him.
"Commander." She appeared startled.
"What are you doing, Lieutenant?" Hawk asks as he enters further. "Did
Jack forget some stuff?"
"I'm working on a project, sir." She answered quickly. She kicks
herself for saying that; Hawk was once Chief of R&D, he was likely to ask her
about it.
"Oh. What is the project?" He asked, watching her reaction closely.
Something wasn't right.
She set the heavy box on the table near her.
He glanced at the box. "That seems like a lot of equipment."
She smiled. "Just a project. One of the smaller ones that I suggested
to Jack a short time ago." She looked closely at the box, as if examining
its contents. "Not really, it's just a little heavy. I wanted to build a
model for my presentation to the new R&D Chief."
Hawk moves toward the table, reaching for the box. "Let me give you a
hand."
"Uh...." Ashley pales, not wanting him to see what's in the box.
"Er... thanks."
Watching her odd behavior, he asked, "Is this all you need?"
"Yes, yes it is." She answered uncomfortably. She looked toward the
door rather than at his face.
"So what are you working on?" He questioned, noting that she was acting
stranger than normal.
Walking toward the door with him, she knows she can't tell him exactly
what she's working on, or she's finished. She decides to tell him about
another project instead.
"I'm building a model for the quarrantine unit that Jack and I had been
discussing."
"Did Jack authorize this?" He questioned further, stopping by the door.
"Yes, he did." She answered, knowing Jack did authorize the quarranine
project. "In fact, I was configuring the layout of the unit for him." She
smiled. "This was going to be my pet project so I could still be a part of
R&D."
Fox paused when she noticed he stopped.
"You remember about the security procedure on this right?"
"You mean signing out the materials?" ~~Caught!!!~~
Hawk nodded.
She moved over to him, wordlessly reaching a hand into the box. She
pulled out a padd and began entering the items.
"You forget I set these conditions." He smiled.
"I didn't forget." She smiled. "It's just been a little while. I'm
rusty." She winked.
Hawk laughed.
She begins logging each item.
Hawk peers carefully into the box as she goes through it, noting that
she entered the correct information.
"You can just leave it on the desk." He instructed her.
She nodded, signing her name, then dropped the padd on the chief's desk.
"Ready?" He asked, holding the box in his arms.
"Yes, sir." She answered quickly, wishing he didn't have to go with
her.
"Then lead the way Lieutenant."
Fox walked ahead of him into the corridor, leading the way to her
office.
Hawk follows her out, quickly looking to the padd on the desk. He had a
bad feeling about this.

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Lieutenant Ashley Judith Fox
Counselor
Starbase Everest

Personal Log SD9706.01

Still sitting on the white couch, she leaned back, her eyes half closed
in thought. She shook her head, an unintelligible murmur slipping from her
lips.
"Computer." She says as she snaps up. "Begin a personal log."
"Log open; you may begin."
"I'm concerned about a great many things right now. Traci and Dana, the
other crew members, Jack and Kayla's marriage, and John's absence. But in
the midst of all this turmoil, there is only one thing that troubles me
more."
"Amber." She whispers her dead sister's name as if invoking the name of
an all powerful god.
"Andrew, my brother, has told me of the destruction of the Kemo Sabay.
All I have is his word. He has no evidence to offer me, no contrete proof.
Starfleet is remaining very tight lipped about all of this. I can't even
contact High Command on the ship's status. It's all classified."
"I refuse to believe she is dead until I see a body. Andrew says I'm
nuts, that there is no way for a body to be left. The ship, he says, was
destroyed in a supernova on their very first mission."
"I've been having...... dreams. Dreams that she's still alive and
calling out to me. I see her and she's in pain, she's crying. She is sad,
very sad, and she's calling, calling to me."
"She feels alone."
"As I do."
"I must help her. I know of a way to do it. I know just the way."

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First Lieutenant Obrien exits engineering, and begins heading for the
nearest turbolift. He finds one, with two other people already in it. He
joins them, and tells the computer, "Deck 156."
He waits as the turbolift arrives at one destination, where one person got
off. He waited for several more seconds, and the other person got off. He
looked down at the control pad that was about at his hip level. It said he
was on Deck 6; the turbolift had to take him down 150 decks.
Mel closed his eyes, tilted his head toward the ceiling, and waited. After
what seemed like forever, the doors opened. He tilted his back and opened
his eyes, only to see a couple ready to enter. He looked down at the pad
again, it told him he was on Deck 7.
As he waited, he tried to seem more composed and patient, but he knew that
the couple must of thought he was cracy.
~~What the hell is that guy doing?~~
Obrien quickly turned to face him. The man was standing, ready to walk out.
Mel knew he must have just had a telepathic experience. This made him a
little more determined, he knew he couldn't hold his new position without
respect.
Finally, what seemed like longer than eternity, the doors slid open, and he
was on the main R&D deck. He stepped out into the corridor.
He manuevered his way through the halls, and soon turned off, and through a
door. He entered another hall, a much shorter one though. He had the option
of continuing forward into a large room where many officers begin their
prototype R&D projects; or he could turn left through an arch, and into the
R&D Office.
Obrien turned left and entered the office. He sat down at the desk that was
now his. He ran his fingers hallway he had just passed through. To the
right of him and behind, was a replicator, to his was a computer terminal, on
his desk lay a small computer.
As he was turning his chair to look around, he knocked a PADD off his desk.
He bent over and picked it up. As he was bent over, he heard the hiss of the
door to the outer hallway opening. He sat up, placed the PADD on the desk,
just barely getting a glimpse of who had entered. He couldn't tell who it
was, but she was in an aweful hurry to get to the room at the end of the
hall.
He got up, and walked around the desk, and exited the office. He walked to
the end of the hall, and entered the room at the end of it. There, he saw a
women in blue uniform, reaching to one of the upper cabinets in the array of
supplies shelves.
"Ashley?" he asked.
She jumped, startled, and immediately turned to face him.
"Mel.....hi," she said innocently.
"What are you holding behind your back?" Obrien questioned.
Barely noticing she had been hiding it, she pulled a small handful of wires
out from behind her, "Just these."
"May I ask what they are for?" he asked.
"Sure," Ashley answered, making an attempt not to sound snotty.
Mel looked at her, a look that told her that he wasn't quite in the mood.
"It's...it's for a model of the matter shrinker I'm making," she replied.
"Really? According to Hawk, you're making a model for the quarantine unit,"
Mel said.

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Cursing herself from under her breath for not remembering, she quickly said,
"I'm building both, a little of each at a time."
"I have a hard time arguing with you against that. You've been taking
enough supplies from these cabinets to complete at least two, if not three,
R&D projects."
"Well, they're going to be pretty big models," Ashley retorted.
"I see. Are these models going to be operable?" Mel asked.
She shook her head. "No, just models to show what they look like," she said
quickly.
"I see," Mel said, walking over to one of the tables in the room. He picked
up a PADD and looked at it.
"Unless these records are filled out wrong, your models are most definately
going to be able to operate, but I'm not so sure they'll shrink matter, or
quarantine something," Mel said. "And...why would you need wiring for an
inoperable model."
"Ya' know what? I don't think I need this. I think I was just grabbing the
wrong thing. Sorry," Ashley said, putting the wiring back in the cabinet.
She quickly left the room, leaving Mel angry at himself for being so strict.
He went back into his office, and sat down. He activated the computer, and
began reading messages. At the top of the list was Kirmina's final log. He
read it, and got to the bottom. It said:

<By Jack>
<I'll miss you guys!>
Saddened, he wipped a tear from his eye. Hoping Jack would recieve it. He
typed a messsage:

<<To: Kirmina
Good-bye Jack, I'll miss you too. It was great working with you, from the
time you were an ensign, to the time I found out I'd be serving under you,
and past that. I wish you the best of luck on the Intergrity, and with
Kayla. I know you'll go far in USF. See ya' later, good friend.>>

After finishing and sending the message, he left the R&D Office, he had a
lot of learning to do....

FsLtObrien
Chief of R&D
Starbase Everest

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First Lieutenant Wes C'Rusher
Chief of Base Operations
Starbase Everest
Personal Log sd9706.02

encryption code-45972345-zeta(scrambler method)
encryption code applies to all personnel below clearance level 1
Log storage unit: Starbase Everest Senior Officer Main Frame Computer Core
Access Privileges: Log networked across all terminals, and temporary
links(linked to main frame)
More access privileges may be requested to be networked across all Pyras.
*OPEN LOG*
I haven't had any personal time lately, nor a second of sleep. I've been
awake for 36 hours, and can take any more, although I know I have to. I've
spent all of my time helping Smile, and the med team with med supplies, just
getting stuff for them. While I do that, the others help to ward off the mob.
Then, we switch. A long an monotonous shift. After about 6 hours, I had a
chance to get to the Tac console. The electrostatic field had degraded to
45%, from all the phaser fire, and the bioshield emitter
has all but been destroyed. So, we rerouted to the normal emitters, however,
they can only operate the shield at 56% of optimum. I guess we're trying our
hardest to get by. The Infinity is on it's way, and hopefully they will
arrive soon.
NOTE:If I made any inaccuracies in my log, I apologize. I've haven't had a
chance to read any updates before I wrote this.
*CLOSE LOG*
Encrytion......complete. Decryption file logged on Main Frame. Name: ********

Decryption File: Encrypted with password.

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After successfully stealing the Card board cut out of Pop, I decided to write
a ransom note for Pop's safe return. I wrote---
Dear Kitchen Staff
I am in possession of Pop, If you ever want to have him back you will do the
following..
1.Apologize in front of the entire command staff for your lackidazical
attitude and poor service
2.Maintain a "Child Only" eating area, as to restrict the constant annoyances
children cause adults during mealtime.
3.Program the Replicator with a recipe for "Big Cahuna" Burgers.
To reach me, leave another note on the door here explaining what you plan to
do about this.

I placed this note on the door to the mess hall on the sly as I went in for
dinner the following day. Then I went back to my quarters and got some
needed sleep. The next day I went to the mess hall to see if there was a
response, There was a yellow note pad stuck to the door. It said--

We agree to your demands, please, just bring Pop back safe. We have already
started improving.

Hmmm.. I thought. I decided to go back to my quarters and get Pop and return
him. "Why didnt they just replicate another one?" I thought. I grabbed Pop
and walked back to the mess hall, and dumped him next to the cereals. The
staff didnt seem to notice me, which seemed strange to me.
"One Big Cahuna Burger" I said.
The waitress came over with a plate with a large burger on top of it, and put
it on the bra in front of me.
"And one C'Lex'at"
The waitress brought me the drink, And I relaxed to a good meal.

END LOG

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I stood on the commons, performing my weekly rounds for my service within the
SSD (Special Security Division, sort of like a neighborhood watch) I noticed
some odd comotion near a small group of stores containing shops from famous
Trill Clothiers. The clothiers, despite already free trade practices
established a small "guild" almost a year ago. I approached the comotion
with caution and I saw two humans, one male and one female, both clad in only
slightly odd civilian clothes. They ran out of the
crowd, the woman was carrying a large purse that was obviously impeding her
run, it must have contained something very heavy in it. Then I saw Chief of
Security Gregory Pack emerge from the crowd holding a type II phaser in his
right hand. He openned fire on the two people, the man was hit and he fell
to the deck.
"Get outta here!" The man yelled. The woman pushed a button on her
blouse slightly resembling a comm badge, she dematerialized. At nearly the
same moment, a Bolian Vessel docked in Pyra A, suddenly and without a filed
flight plan, undocked and hauled appendage outta there.
<<TBC by Gygax>>

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Bill> ===Log Ended. Might I say that you and R&R don't go in the same
sentance===

Tracy> You may. You may also start a personal log.

Bill> ===I don't want to===

Tracy> Dan had to program you with a 3 year old personality, didn't he?

Bill> ===What do you mean by that?===

Tracy> Just open the log.

Bill> ===Log open===

Ens Tracy Christians
Personal log
SD: 9706.05

I dread the word Evaluation from counselors, of whom I usually end
up disliking in the first place. Not the person themselves, but the
profession. Usually, they are used as a punishment tool. I found I can almost
never get out of the evaluations, except for Tamara's. I s'pose I probably
should go, but I'm going to try as hard as I can to get out of it.....
As for fitting in on the station...Hmmm...It's not so much that I'm
not welcome here, as I am......uncomfortable, if that's even the right word.
I know if I went out of my quarters more, it might help. Remind me of one
thing. Never let anyone named Torzel Brex from the Odyssey send you a me a
holoprogram, more or less run the stupid thing.

End Log.

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am in main Ops talking with Wes about what transpired.
Wes:Our sensor logs dictate that the woman of which you speak transported to
the Bolian vessel that just took off. Two runabouts have already been sent
after it. After analysis of the weapon and shield technology of the Bolians,
we figure the runabouts will be enough to disable it.
Gygax:Good, Who is conducting the investigation on the man who we captured?
Wes:No-one.
Gygax:WHAT? What do you mean?
Wes:Our initial medical scans reveal that he is actually a Cardassian. And
before we could start our investigation, a message came in for the Security
officer on duty and she was informed that he was to be extradited to
Cardassia.
Gygax:Who was the message from?
Wes:I dont know, maybe you should talk to her. She is Lieutenant Junior Grade
Tassiday Hart.
Gygax:I will talk to her. He hasnt been extradited yet has he?
Wes:Nope, better hurry though, the 'sport gets here in 2 hours.
I run into a TL and head for the Brig. As I emerge from the TL, I see Ltjg
Hart.
Gygax:Ltjg Hart, I need to talk to you.
Hart:Ok
Gygax:What person was in the message that came in from Cardassian Security?
Hart:It was Gul'Ebel, He had a singed contract from Starfleet High Command
stating that they agreed to the extradition, and that under no circumstances
would an interrogation be allowed.
Gygax:Hmm... This is weird, I guess that both HC and the Cardassians dont
want us to know about this.
Hart:Yes, it certainly is odd.
Gygax:Excuse me, Ive gotta go now.
I left the Brig and returned to Main Ops.
I filled in Wes of all that I learned from Hart.
Wes:Interesting, I am sending a comm right now to High Command asking why
they chose to extradite the prisoner.
<<Meanwhile, in deep space>>
Tage:This is the USS Rocky Mountain to Bolian Vessel, You are harboring a
criminal who has commited grave acts against the Federation and its citizens.
Make a full stop and lower your shields, and we will not attack. However
should you choose to continue to flee, we will be forced to disable your
ship, and believe me, we can.
After a long while with no response, Tage gets angry.
Tage: Rocky Mountain to Grand Teton, Tefa, Lets diable them.
Tefa: I tend to agree, I think we will have no problem disabling them, But we
certainly cant take over the ship once it is diabled. We will have to call in
for a troop transport to help us take care of it. I will send the comm right
away.
Tefa begins to power up the sub-space emitters. Then the Bolian Vessel comes
completely about, and opens fire and continue moving toward thier destination
using thier enertia to carry them. The Grand Teton is hit by a large
Merculite rocket, not having its shields up, it is severely hurt. Tefa is
thrown into his sensor panel and passes out cold. Tage, cought up in the
moment temporarily forgets Tefa and opens fire upon the Bolian Vessel. A
barrage of phaser blasts from the Rocky Mountain knock out
the Bolian's left warp nassel. Figuring that they are disabled, Tage closes
on Tefa's runabout and beams Tefa aboard. She conducts a power transfer and
soon the Grand Teton has life support restored and 40% shields. She gets out
a med-kit and conducts minor medical procedures to his injuries. Tage sends
a com to the Everest stating her need for a Troop transport and immediate
medical help....
<<again on the Everest>>
Wes:<<To Zier>> Sir, there is an incoming message from the USS Rocky
Mountain, its Tage!
Zier:Put it through.
The viewscreen lights up and a view of Tage, and in the background a wounded
Tefa appear.
Tage:We need help, You have got to send a troop transport filled with
Security officers here NOW. And Tefa needs medical help, Im afraid that he
might die if we dont get him back in time.....
<<TBC By Gygax>>

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Tage:Everest, Im gonna put Tefa back in his runabout and have it haul
appendage back to there. Tage out.
Tage:Ok Tefa, youre going home.
Tage hits a few buttons and Tefa appears on the Grand Teton. Tage remotely
sets the auto-pilot on the Grand Teton and it goes to warp toward the
Everest.
<<Onboard Bolian Vessel>>
Bolian Ops Officer:Sir, I think we might be able to destroy the Federation
Scum!
Bolian Captain:What is your suggestion?
Bolian Ops Officer:Lets vent some of our warp plasma in thier direction, and
then detonate a merculite rocket in it, and haul outta here. The plasma will
ignite and the Runabout will be destroyed!
Bolian Captain:Hmm... Yes that is a good idea, however killing them would
only make us more pursued. Just diable them beyond the point of repair. How
long will this take?
Bolian Ops Officer:If we vent too fast, they will know what is going on, so I
figure atleast an hour.
Bolian Captain:Do it.
<<onboard the Everest>>
::Tage's Picture vanishes off viewscreen::
Zier:+taps+ Pack, assemble a security team and get on a runabout and save
Tage NOW!
I walk into a TL and go to the Commons, and I walk up to the clothiers
`guild` where the treasury was robbed.
Gygax:Excuse me, who is the guild master?
A man clad in a long green tuinic points towards a fat man sitting behind a
desk at the back of the guild. I walk over and talk to him.
Gygax:Excuse me, What exactly was stolen from the Guild Treasury.
GuildMaster:EVERYTHING
Gygax:Which includes?
GuildMaster:30 bars of gold pressed latinum, and all of our rare or valuable
clothing items.
Gygax:Can you tell me all the clothing that was stolen?
GuildMaster:Ofcourse there was an ancient greek toga from Earth, a Klingon
Targ Hide Vest, a ceremonial Cardassian army uniform...
Gygax:Wait, did you say Cardassian?
GuildMaster:Yes, we picked it up from a Maquis Faction during the occupation,
it is or make that was the only uniform from the era outside of Cardassia.
Gygax:Hmmmm.... This is quite interesting.

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Begin Log...

MY duty shift was cancelled today die to some manditory R&R ordered by
the Counselor. Not that I minded. I slept all day, took Dusty to the
Holodeck to play fetch with the Frisbee. I called my sister, Monet. She's
doing well. I was in the middle of my call to her when the Captain came over
the com, ordering all command personell to the Mystique. The medical op that
was sent out ran into some difficulty. I hope we get there in time.

Close Log...

Michael Saint Croix, LTSG, USF(SI)

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First Lieutenant Wes C'Rusher
Chief of Base Operations
Starbase Everest
Personal Log sd9706.12

encryption code-45972345-zeta(scrambler method)
encryption code applies to all personnel below clearance level 1
Log storage unit: Starbase Everest Senior Officer Main Frame Computer Core
Access Privileges: Log networked across all terminals, and temporary
links(linked to main frame)
More access privileges may be requested to be networked across all Pyras.
*OPEN LOG*
Wow it's nice to be back! After over a week of terrorizing by the natives of
Varin VI, you begin to realize how nice it is to be living on Everest. I must
admit I am a little shakin' up by the whole ordeal. Especially with having
fellow crew members on the brink of dying, and a bunch of insane maniacs
running around like there heads chopped off, screaming, and demanding for a
cure which we didn't have. But in the end, or wonderul doc, LtCdrSmile saved
the day with his miracle drug(the first ever in the
history of history by all medical doctors). So, I think he diserves a
CONGRADULATIONS!
Thanks Smile, you saved us all.

*CLOSE LOG*
Encrytion......complete. Decryption file logged on Main Frame. Name: ********

Decryption File: Encrypted with password.

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First Lieutenant Ashley Judith Fox
Counselor
Starbase Everest

Personal Log SD9706.08

After returning from sickbay where the patients she intended to visit
have been released already, Fox returns to her office.
She slipped into the back room, sealing the door behind her.
"Computer, begin personal log."
She puttered around, gathering a few tools, and a padd.
"The team was retrieved, thankfully, and I need to schedule them for
appointments. Being attacked by a rioting crowd isn't the nicest experience
to go through. I suppose, considering who the team consisted of, that my job
is going to be difficult."
"I know Commander Hawk has not shown up for his eval for ages. He's way
overdue. And John.... well, he did show up that time, but he wasn't thrilled
about going through the eval. And Tage and I already have an appointment set
up to see her and Dana."
She sighed. "I'm never going to get this project finished, but I need to
take care of the crew before I go. I can't abandon them while I'm needed
here."
"Computer, close log, I've got some work to do."
She leaned down, and began tinkering.

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Goodbye, But Not For
Long
SD 9706.18
-LtCdr Storm-Grant, Lt Jg Will
Blake-

They headed down the corridor toward the shuttle bay. Will carried his
duffle bag in one arm and his cat Patches in the other. Lee walked beside
him, pushing the twins in their hover stroller.
She looked at him, sighing, as they entered the shuttle bay. They saw
the waiting shuttle, the pilot standing against the open doorway.
"So..." Lee began quietly. "You're going back... again."
"Yes, I am." He looked down at the sleeping babies in the stroller.
"I'm pretty lucky to have been here for my niece and nephew. Their first few
weeks have been kind of rough."
Lee nodded. "With both their parents in Starfleet, there's never a
doubt about that."
"So, how's Jason? Is he.... um...." Will asked, referring to Jason's
strange behavior the previous week.
"I think he'll be okay. It was.... strange, but something from that
talisman was responsible." Lee smiled. "Things have a funny way of working
out in the end."
"That they do, Cous." Will smiled back.
"Say hi to Ashley for me when you get back to Everest." Lee grinned.
"And make sure you tell her I already had my evaluation. She's not my
counselor, but she's always checking with me." She leaned forward
whispering, "I think that all starfleet counselors have some kind of secret
organization to keep all officers in the counselors' offices."
Will laughed. "I'll be sure to let her know, but, I'm not telling her in
her office. I don't want to get caught in her trap door." He paused, looked
at her. "Lee, I never saw you go to see Beth."
Lee blushed. "That's because I didn't.... but Ash doesn't have to know
that."
Will grinned. "Great. That woman's going to catch me in a lie, I'll
never leave her office alive!"
Lee laughed.
"Will.." She started slowly. "I'm really glad you were here."
"Me too, Lee." He smiled. "We don't do this often enough."
"No, we don't." She looked up at him, smiling. "But I'm glad we did it
now. You met your neice and nephew... and you got to see me lose most of
the baby fat."
"And you look great!" He leaned back, glancing at her new waistline.
"You worked hard at it, didn't you?"
Lee nodded. "I just wish you didn't have to go."
"Me too." Will leaned toward her, wrapping his arms tightly around her.
She smiled, embracing him as if he were her brother instead of her
cousin. "I'm going to miss you, Will."
"I'll miss you too, Lee." He smiled at her as he slipped out of the
embrace. "You'd better not forget to call this time."
"I won't."
"No excuses." He looked at her seriously.
"No excuses." She smilled. "Good bye, Will."
"Good bye, Lee." He smiled as he stepped toward the shuttle. "But not
for long."