“Three
is a crowd”
by
Lord Thanatos
10/06/12 – 17/12/12
Scenes:
1.
Day 49 - Reinventing the wheel
2.
If three is a crowd, then what the heck is five?
6.
It seems to be the man’s field of expertise
9. Day 57 – Flying, negotiating, flying, negotiating, flying, buying a Vulcan
SCENE 1: Day
49 - Reinventing the wheel
Serrag
is sitting next to Bock’s shuttle. He’s using a simple pocket knife to cut
some smaller branches off of a 2 meter long, perfectly straight log with a
diameter of about 10 centimeters. Eisinga comes walking up to the Vulcan.
Serrag:
“Ah, good morning, commander.”
Eisinga:
“Hey, Serrag… I see you already put some kind of plan in motion…”
Serrag:
“Indeed.”
Eisinga:
“Say, why don’t you use your phaser? That’s probably a lot easier than
using a knife…”
Serrag:
“I will be needing the energy of the phaser later on. In fact, I’ll be
needing everyone’s phaser…”
Eisinga:
“What is it you’re building anyway?”
The
engineer stands up and grabs a freshly made paddle wheel with 4 blades and shows
it to the commander.
Serrag:
“A paddle wheel generator…”
Eisinga:
“Oh, that’s brilliant…”
Then
it sinks in…
Eisinga:
“But wait… How are you going to charge the batteries? The river is a long
way from here…”
Serrag:
“I know. That’s why I need everyone’s phaser…”
Eisinga
looks at the Vulcan with an uncertain look.
SCENE
2: If three is a crowd, then what the heck is five?
John
Mansfield and Petra Isenberg are sitting near the water’s edge… They appear
to be having a lot of fun; they’re laughing loudly… Stuckman is walking
alongside the river and comes up to them… The sitting duo doesn’t notice him
until Eric just about there. Stuckman stops a few meters away and opens an
uneasy conversation with a happy sounding tone of voice.
Stuckman:
“Hi!”
Petra
and John look over their shoulders and reluctantly answer, clearly uncomfortable
with the new arrival.
Mansfield:
“Hi…”
Isenberg:
“Hi…”
Stuckman:
“Lovely weather,
isn’t it?”
Mansfield:
“Yes, brilliant… The same it has been every day for nearly 2 months…”
Stuckman
briefly looks at the star which warms up the planet he’s on and proceeds to
look around at the trees, feeling the breeze…
Stuckman:
“Such a lovely day…”
Isenberg:
“Yes, well, why don’t you move along now, Eric?”
Stuckman
acts like it wasn’t a semi unfriendly request and answers in a continued
positive intonation.
Stuckman:
“Okidoki! Bye now!”
Mansfield:
“Yeah, bye…”
From
the other direction 2 guys are approaching.
Mansfield:
“What was all that about?”
Isenberg:
“I don’t know… Perhaps Stuckman just wanted to annoy me because of what
happened yesterday.”
Mansfield:
“You mean the fight between him and Bynes?”
Just
about 10 meters away from Petra and John, Stuckman meets Bynes and Stilson.
Isenberg:
“Yes. And speak of the devil…”
The
group of men is apparently also having a lot of fun; they’re laughing even
louder than Petra and John were before. The 3 guys continue goofing around,
cracking jokes, throwing rocks in the water… and Stilson as well. The cheerful
mood Petra and John were in evaporates.
Mansfield:
“Well, anyway… I promised Doctor Shelley I’d drop by today for a routine
checkup…”
John
stands up and pats the sand from his clothes.
Isenberg:
“Alright, John…”
Petra
copies John and brushes the sand from her uniform after she erected herself.
Isenberg:
“I’ll have a little talk with those monkeys…”
Mansfield:
“Don’t get yourself into trouble now…”
She
manages to produce a faint smile.
Isenberg:
“They’re the ones in trouble.”
John
also shows a little smile. Petra gives John a little kiss and they both depart.
The lady walks to the boisterous boys. Stuckman and Bynes are still on the shore
laughing loudly when Petra rudely breaks into their fun. She addresses the 2 dry
guys.
Isenberg:
“I already knew you 2 were immature pricks…”
Stilson,
in the river, interrupts her sentence for a short while.
Stilson:
“Don’t forget me!”
The
other 2 laugh loudly yet again... Petra throws a short and obviously fake smile
at Stilson and then raises her voice to top those of the men and continues her
sentence.
Isenberg:
“…but you could have had the decency to go and hang out somewhere else…”
After
the laughter dies down, Bynes tries to respond in a serious tone of voice.
Bynes:
“Can I see your contract, please?”
Isenberg:
“Contract? What on Earth are you talking about?”
Eric
replies in a soft voice.
Stuckman:
“This ain’t Earth, lady…”
Bynes
and Stilson laugh yet again. Before long, Bynes answers the question.
Bynes:
“Yes, I assume you rented the whole beach for the night… We’ll gladly
leave if so.”
Isenberg:
“Oh, ‘ha-ha’… I’m glad we can all be mature about it…”
Stuckman:
“Oh, well, speaking of decency and maturity: I distinctly heard you say
yesterday you didn’t have an interest in immature guys who fight like a couple
of adolescents…”
Isenberg:
“Yes, indeed!”
Stuckman:
“Oh, that’s funny… Because, I’m pretty sure I just saw you kiss John
Mansfield…”
Stilson
rubs his chin and fakes a ponderous look.
Stilson:
“That is odd…”
Bynes
mimics Stilson’s motion and facial expression.
Bynes:
“Quite…”
Stuckman:
“Was there anything else?”
Petra
shakes her head and walks off…
Stilson:
“Goodbye, misses Mansfield!”
All
3 guys laugh at this latest insult.
SCENE
3: Risky phase
Serrag
is mounting the freshly made axle to the paddle wheel. Captain LT is now the one
to approach the busy engineer.
Serrag:
“Ah, good morning, captain.”
LT:
“Hey, Serrag… I see the device is coming along nicely…”
Serrag:
“Indeed.”
LT:
“Say, I heard you needed all of the phasers?”
Serrag:
“Correct. Bock’s plan was a good one in theory; I need them to charge the
shuttle for its first flight… We need to get this shuttle down to the beach.”
LT:
“All the way to the river? Isn’t there some alternative?”
Serrag:
“Yes, finding 2,813
meters of conductive wiring in the bowels of this shuttle without rendering it
useless.”
LT:
“Hm, I see your point. But it is very risky… You don’t want to run
out of juice halfway there, it’ll crash in the woods and destroy any chance of
getting out of here.”
Serrag:
“Yes, that possibility had crossed my mind, sir. But I cannot think of any
alternative.”
LT:
“Another drawback is we won’t have any phasers left for defense.”
Serrag:
“Yes, the kleptomaniacal joknors have been a problem of late…”
The
captain snickers shortly…
LT:
“No, I was mostly concerned about Suder in that regard.”
Serrag:
“I’m sure security will keep an extra close eye on him.”
LT:
“8 eyes to be exact; I’ve doubled security on Suder’s little jailhouse…”
Serrag:
“That seems sufficient.”
LT:
“Anyway, I’ve already sent someone to collect all the phasers. He’ll
deliver them to you within the hour.”
Serrag:
“Thank you, sir.”
LT:
“I’ll be in my shack making preparations for the departure off of this damn
planet.”
SCENE
4: Isenberg, dead ahead!
Isenberg
sports an angry yet determined look in her eyes. She walks in a brisk pace
across the beach along the river. A colleague she apparently is friendly with
sees her rushing by.
Colleague:
“Hey, Petra… How are you to…”
The
colleague doesn’t finish her sentence as Petra is either ignoring her or she’s
too focused on her mission. She doesn’t even think about knocking on the door
and just storms into the captain’s hut.
Isenberg:
“Captain, I need to report a disturbance caused by Bynes, Stilson and
Stuckman.”
LT:
“Come in. Oh, you’re already here… I
thought this case was closed…”
Isenberg:
“That’s what I had hoped…”
LT:
“Well, Bynes and Stuckman seem to be best buddies now; which is more than I
expected…”
Isenberg:
“That was not the intention of the punishment.”
LT:
“No, but a nice side effect. Just let it go, ok? It’s not going to go away
if you keep fighting.”
Isenberg:
“I was just having a good and especially quiet time with a friend and they
just came along and started making a ruckus. Deliberately!”
LT:
“It’s not like it’s murder, Isenberg… No harm was done… Listen, I can’t
intervene in every personal, little squabble among the crew. And it has to stop
somewhere. Why not be the one to end it? Just take it up with Eisinga, if you
really need help, ok? I’m busy with something a little more pressing…”
Isenberg,
arms crossed, sighs and rolls her eyes.
SCENE
5: Gravity brings me down
A
pile of phasers can be seen on the floor of Bock’s shuttle. Serrag disconnects
another phaser from a cable. The other end of the cable is attached to an outlet
in the wall.
Serrag:
“There we go, Mr. Bock. The last phaser has been drained…”
Bock,
sitting in one of the 2 chairs checks a monitor.
Bock:
“The ship now has a charge of .21%... That’s not a lot…”
Serrag:
“Will it be enough to fly to the river in your estimation?”
Bock:
“Maybe… Engine startup takes a lot.”
Serrag:
“We’ll stay low and be as efficient as possible. You may start her up, if
you like…”
Bock:
“Alright then… Switching on engines…”
Alarms
are suddenly heard and several indication lights start flashing. Bock quickly
shuts them off.
Serrag:
“I’ll never understand why they make such power consuming power level
warnings…”
Bock:
“Here we go…”
The
shuttle takes off, turns in the right direction and skims over the tree tops
towards its destination.
Bock:
“I think we might just have enough power, Mr. Serrag…”
The
lieutenant commander sees the stream of water looming in the distance.
Serrag:
“It seems so, Mr. Bock. There’s the river…”
Bock:
“Good… Preparing to land…”
The
shuttle approaches the sandy river beach. Another alarm…
Bock:
“Uh-oh…”
Serrag:
“Uh-oh?”
Bock:
“Hold on to your ears…”
The
shuttle loses all power. Lights, screens, alarms and unfortunately also the
engines all switch off. The right aft corner of the ship just touches the crown
of the very last palm-like tree they need to clear. The shuttle tips forward and
dives nose first into the sand 4 or
Serrag:
“Mr. Bock? Are you ok?”
Bock:
“Yes, Mr. Serrag. It appears I am fine. You?”
Serrag:
“Fine too.”
Bock:
“Good!”
The
ship then decides it wants to be level on the beach. The rear end of the ship,
sticking into the air, falls backwards. With a loud thump the shuttle is now in
an almost proper horizontal position on the surface.
Bock:
“I didn’t like that last bit of our trip, but I guess this makes it easier
to leave the vehicle…”
Serrag:
“Let’s do just that before the shuttle decides to move on its own accord
again.”
Moments
later, the both of them exit the vehicle unharmed. A medical crew comes rushing
in and starts to find that out for themselves.
SCENE
6: It seems to be the man’s field of expertise
Eisinga:
“Did you expect
privacy on this planet?”
Isenberg:
“Frankly, I didn’t expect to be on this planet. Privacy or no, a little
decency is probably not too much to ask.”
Eisinga:
“Further downstream it’s pretty quiet… You could have just moved down
there… Success assured for you and eh… your guy.”
Isenberg:
“John.”
Eisinga:
“John.”
Isenberg:
“John Mansfield… And also…”
Eldert
exclaims his surprise in the middle of Petra’s sentence…
Eisinga:
“Mansfield?!”
The
commander sighs and shows a wry smile.
Isenberg:
“What?”
Eisinga:
“Oh, nothing…”
A
short silence. Isenberg keeps looking at the commander to signify she wants more
of an answer than that. It seems to work.
Eisinga:
“It’s just that Mansfield always seems to get into these situations…”
Isenberg:
“Situations? What do you mean? He’s not at fault here…”
Eisinga:
“I’ve spent way too much time in discussions with his name in it. Just go
and ask his wife or Halstead…”
She
now really looks puzzled…
Isenberg:
“Wife?”
Eisinga:
“Wife.”
Isenberg:
“Well, I don’t care if he has a wife… Nothing was happening between us. It’s
not like that…”
Eisinga:
“Then why the need for privacy? Listen. If Bynes, Stuckman and Stilson are
going to continue to bother you, let me know.”
Isenberg:
“You’re not going to do anything either?”
Eisinga:
“What do you want me to do? Slap them on the wrist? Flog them? I’ve got
other things to worry about than boys being boys.”
Isenberg:
“Boys being boys? This was a deliberate disturbance!”
Eisinga:
“Sounds like boys to me… Anyway, like I said, Isenberg… If they continue
to bother you, let me know…”
Petra
sighs in discontent.
SCENE
7: Charge!
The
captain looks worried. With crossed arms he observes Serrag and 3 of his
engineers as they check Bock’s crashed shuttle for damage.
Serrag:
“Well, captain… There’s no damage to the hull or any other external
feature, save some scratches in the paintwork.”
LT:
“Engines?”
Serrag:
“Bynes?”
No
reply…
Serrag:
“Bynes?!”
An
unintelligible, muffled reply is coming from somewhere… A little while later a
tiny hatch on the side of the shuttle opens and a head pops out. The hatch is
barely big enough for his head to stick through.
Bynes:
“Sir?”
Serrag:
“What’s the deal with the engines, ensign?”
Bynes:
“They seem to be in perfect condition, sir.”
LT:
“Good, good… Then I’ll forgo the planned spanking.”
Serrag:
“You are too kind, sir.”
LT:
“Yeah, I know… So, how about recharging the shuttle?”
The
captain nods to Serrag’s device near the water’s edge.
LT:
“I see you’ve got the paddle wheel attached to it already?”
Serrag:
“Indeed…”
They
walk over to the thing.
Serrag:
“This device will convert the current generated by the wheel, magnets and a
coil. And with these wires it’s connected to the ship’s batteries. Very
primitive technology.”
Serrag
puts the blades into the flowing water of the river and rests the axle on 2
upright Y-shaped branches stuck in the ground. He fiddles with the rest of the
assembly while instructing Bock.
Serrag:
“Mr. Bock, can you plug her in?”
Bock:
“Of course, Mr. Serrag.”
The
Deish enters the shuttle and plugs in the connector at the end of the wires.
Serrag and LT soon join him in the shuttle.
Bock:
“I think we’re in business…”
The
Vulcan checks a screen in the wall.
Serrag:
“Indeed we are, Mr. Bock.”
LT:
“How long will this thing need to fully charge?”
The
lieutenant commander pushes some controls just below the aforementioned screen.
Serrag:
“Well, it’ll take quite a while… 8 days or so…”
LT:
“Hmmm… Well, not too bad, I guess… What’s another week when we've already
spent 7 weeks down here?… At least we now have a chance to get off this planet…”
SCENE
8: Shack attack
John
Mansfield once again bugs Eisinga. He knocks on the door of Eldert’s shack.
Eisinga:
“Yeah, come in.”
John
steps inside and turns around to close the door when Eisinga takes a quick,
unnoticed peek who it is. He returns his eyes to the PADD and keeps working.
Mansfield walks up to the rickety desk. After a few awkward seconds of silence,
Eldert speaks in a calm voice.
Eisinga:
“What can I do for you, crewman?”
In
an equally calm and thus uncharacteristic voice John answers.
Mansfield:
“I heard you sent Petra away when she came to you for help, sir.”
Still
not looking up from his work, Eisinga replies in the same calm tone.
Eisinga:
“No, Mansfield.”
Mansfield:
“No, what?”
Eisinga:
“Just no.”
The
commander now finally looks Mansfield straight in the eyes. The placid look in
his eyes matches his calm voice.
Eisinga:
“I’ve had my last talk with you about anything related to relationships.”
Mansfield
is clearly annoyed. Before he can reply, Eisinga is again concentrated on his
PADD and makes a kind request.
Eisinga:
“Please leave my fancy office.”
Mansfield:
“Thanks a lot, buddy… I’ll be sure to make…”
Eisinga’s
voice is still calm, but now has some added volume to be able to interrupt the
crewman.
Eisinga:
“What you are doing is not leaving, Mr. Mansfield. It’s called talking. Try
again.”
Mansfield:
“You just be sure the captain will…”
Eisinga:
“No, that’s still talking… Please try leaving now before I show you how.”
Mansfield
gives up and slams the ramshackle door behind him which causes the entire shack
to rock back and forth for a while.
SCENE
9: Day 57 – Flying, negotiating, flying, negotiating, flying, buying a Vulcan
Captain
LT walks into the shuttle followed by Bock and then Serrag. LT sits down in the
right chair and Bock in the left.
Bock:
“Alright, let’s get this machine going…”
LT:
“Right.”
The
both of them fiddle with some buttons and controls. Serrag is standing behind
the 2 occupied seats and raises an eyebrow.
Serrag:
“Ehm… Sir?”
LT:
“You managed to get those sensors fixed, Mr. Bock?”
Bock:
“No, not really… Let’s hope it’s the only damage caused by our crash
landing on the beach.”
Serrag:
“Sir?”
The
captain swivels his chair around 90 degrees and looks at the Vulcan.
LT:
“Yes, lieutenant commander?”
Serrag:
“Sir, where do I sit?”
LT:
“Oh!”
He
swivels his chair back and reaches to his right. He picks up a makeshift stool
and hands it to the chief engineer. Serrag places the stool on the floor between
the 2 comfy chairs and sits down. The stool is so small that the Vulcan’s eye
level is well below the edge of the control panels and any view of the outside
world.
Serrag:
“Thanks.”
The
ship takes off vertically. Noticing the vibrations Serrag quickly grabs hold of
the back edge of both chairs. As soon as the shuttle clears the trees it starts
moving forward, causing the Vulcan roll all the way to the back of the shuttle.
Bock:
“Everything seems to be stable, captain.”
Serrag:
“I beg to differ.”
The
shuttle can be seen flying high up into the sky towards the edge of the
atmosphere. Without looking at his chief engineer, and apparently unaware of the
Vulcan’s tumble into back of the shuttle, the captain addresses Serrag.
LT:
“Well, Serrag, you get the first chance to get some sleep. I’ll wake you as
soon as it’s Bock’s turn to get some shuteye.”
Serrag,
still in an awkward position in the corner of the cramped shuttle, replies
calmly.
Serrag:
“I’m already down, sir.”
LT:
“Good, good…”
Several
hours later, the Vulcan wakes up. He gets on his feet and walks the few paces
required to reach the chairs.
LT:
“Ah, good morning, Serrag.”
Serrag:
“Good morning, captain, Mr. Bock. How are things?”
Bock:
“We haven’t experienced any malfunctions in terms of engine operation.
However, we do have a lot of difficulty regarding the sensors…”
Serrag:
“As in?”
Bock:
“As in we haven’t got a clue where we are, Mr. Serrag.”
Serrag:
“I see, I see…”
LT:
“Furthermore, Bock was able to get into contact with his people…”
Serrag:
“Was that a wise move? The Deish didn’t seem to be very appreciative of our
interference.”
LT:
“Bock spoke with Axxo Jakuchar, commander of the Deish fleet. He didn’t
reveal you and I were onboard also.”
Serrag:
“Probably wise.”
Bock:
“I had to tell Axxo Jakuchar it was a matter of planetary security to find the
Greate Pier, else he would never have told me anything…”
With
a mix of enthusiasm and concern in his voice, the captain quickly appends the
Deish’ sentence.
LT:
“We know where the Greate Pier is, Serrag…”
Serrag:
“Really? That is splendid news.”
LT:
“Jakuchar’s scouts came across the ship at another planet in this very solar
system, if this indeed can be classified as a solar system…”
Bock:
“Their scan of the Greate Pier revealed there were no humans or other
Federation species left onboard. The inhabitants of that planet the captain
mentioned, Rew as it’s called, have taken possession of the ship.”
Serrag:
“So no Inj…”
LT:
“No Inj…”
Serrag:
“Interesting… I wonder what mess they left behind on the ship…”
LT:
“I fear for our warp drive. And our souped up Inj canon…”
Serrag:
“Either they took everything warp related or they abandoned their pursuit to
reverse engineer warp drive. In both cases I think there’s not much left to
salvage. Anyway, what are those people from Rew like, Mr. Bock? Could we ask for
our ship back?”
Bock:
“They are close neighbors to us Deish, but we’re not really sure what they
are like. The captain told me about your prime directive. We have a similar code
regarding other species with limited technological development. They have begun
to venture into space, but they haven’t been able to travel between planets.”
Serrag:
“I see…”
LT:
“As soon as the sensors are sorted we’ll make our way to Rew.”
Serrag:
“Was Jakuchar not able to help out with navigation?”
Bock:
“Well, they weren’t particularly willing to help… I wasn’t willing to
tell him why I needed to locate the Greate Pier again after I told him I had
crash-landed on the desert planet. I can call myself lucky to have gotten the
Greate Pier’s location. Besides, the Deish government, or what’s left of it,
had already declared me dead, my spy mission a failure and the Greate Pier
unimportant since no humans were left onboard. It would probably require a ton
of paperwork to even acknowledge I’m still alive before some kind of rescue
mission would be mounted.”
Serrag:
“Lovely. Well, Mr. Bock, it’s your turn to get some rest; I’ll see what I
can do about those sensors.”
Bock:
“I could do with some rest.”
Bock
relinquishes the chair to the Vulcan and finds his way to the makeshift bed in
the back. There’s only room for one such facility on the small ship.
Several
hours later, the Deish wakes up. He gets on his feet and walks the few paces
required to reach the chairs.
LT:
“Ah, good morning, Bock.”
Bock:
“Good morning, captain, Mr. Serrag. How are things?”
LT:
“You’re just in time… We will arrive at Rew shortly.”
Bock:
“So you managed to repair the sensors, Mr. Serrag. Well done.”
Serrag:
“Well, for as far as I was able to. It was enough to bring us to Rew anyway.
If you look outside the window, gentlemen, the Greate Pier can be seen at the 10
o’clock position.”
LT:
“Finally! Let’s head straight for our ship, Serrag.”
Serrag:
“I’m on it.”
While
the Vulcan changes course a repeating beep can be heard.
Serrag:
“What’s that, Mr. Bock? Did I push a wrong button again?”
Bock:
“No, that’s an incoming transmission… A primitive radio signal. Push that
triangular button on the top left of your console.”
The
chief engineer finds the button and pushes it. An audio message is heard.
Man:
“To the approaching craft, this is Commander Dihofe. This is restricted space.
Please state your intentions. We have a legal claim to this vessel.”
LT:
“How do I answer, Bock?”
Bock
leans forward and pushes a button and then signals the captain he can speak.
LT:
“This is Captain LT speaking. We do not mean to violate your restricted space,
commander, however, we do feel like we have a more convincing claim to the ship
you have there.”
As
they come closer to the Greate Pier some activity can be seen around the vessel.
A number of individuals are on a spacewalk inspecting the outside hull of Greate
Pier while still attached to their own ship via a tether.
Dihofe:
“Stop your approach immediately. We are able to defend ourselves if necessary.”
LT:
“Serrag, stop the shuttle.”
Serrag:
“Aye, sir.”
The
shuttle holds position.
LT:
“Commander Dihofe, we have come to a full stop. We mean you no harm. Our
weapons are not powered up and we have no intention for any sort of conflict.”
Serrag
pushes the button Bock previously pushed on LT’s console.
Serrag:
“Sir, they have no weapons whatsoever. There is no threat unless they plan to
ram us.”
LT:
“Thank you, Serrag.”
Dihofe:
“I certainly hope so.”
It’s
now LT’s turn to push that very same button again to re-open communication.
LT:
“How did you get a hold of this ship, if I may ask, commander?”
Dihofe:
“I see no reason to discuss this with strangers.”
LT:
“You see, the vessel you hold here is actually mine. It was hijacked by a
rather unpleasant bunch.”
Dihofe:
“We found no-one onboard. Therefore we have claimed this ship. It was adrift
in our orbit.”
Commander
Dihofe can be seen sitting in front of a microphone. A concerned colleague
stands behind him. This other man whispers to Dihofe.
Other
man: “Who are they? Are they Stamwey?”
The
captain with a concentrated look on his face seems to pick up the words.
LT:
“Stamwey? I don’t know who Stamwey is, but I do know you have my
ship…”
Dihofe
addresses his colleague.
Dihofe:
“No, where would Stamwey get such a shuttle? They don’t have that kind of
technology…”
He
turns back to the microphone.
Dihofe:
“Captain LT, Stamwey is a competing organization… If you’re not Stamwey
then who are you?”
LT:
“We are the owners of that ship…”
Dihofe:
“Or so you claim…”
The
captain hastily turns to Bock after muting communication.
LT:
“Bock, is it possible to fire your weapons into open space on my command?”
Bock:
“Of course.”
Communication
is resumed.
LT:
“Listen, commander…”
Bock
changes places with Serrag and starts preparing the weaponry.
LT:
“We can keep on expressing distrust for a while or we can just meet face to
face and talk. Shall we meet on the bridge of the claimed vessel in 5 minutes?”
Dihofe:
“No, do not approach us any further. We will fire.”
LT:
“Commander, commander… We both know you have no weapons. We do.”
The
captain nods to Bock. The Deish fires his weapons into open space in a show of
force.
Dihofe:
“Holy shit!”
LT:
“No need to get your panties wet, we choose not to use them on you. We’re
actually quite peaceful you know… We just want to talk.”
Serrag
pushes the button again.
Dihofe:
“Panties?”
Serrag:
“May I point out that meeting these Rew would be a breach of the prime
directive?”
LT:
“They have our ship, lieutenant commander. That in itself is reason enough on
its own. But it also means they have warp technology in their hands.”
Serrag:
“I’m not too sure. The Inj have probably torn everything related to warp
drive out of the ship…”
LT:
“You might be right… And the warp core is gone at least; they tractored it
into their Behemoth.”
A
short while later, on the Greate Pier’s bridge the captain’s face can be
seen on a screen at the communications station.
Dihofe:
“I still can’t believe it. Alien beings... We kind of were at a loss to ascribe
all this technology to any Rew organization. But... people from another world?”
Serrag:
“3 worlds to be exact… As you may have observed, we represent 3 different
species.”
Dihofe:
“Yes, I noticed some differences between the 3 of you…”
The
Rew looks at the screen.
Dihofe:
“It says here you are human, captain.”
LT:
“That’s right. I’m from the planet called Earth. Serrag is a Vulcan from
the planet Vulcan and Bock is a Deish from the planet Deish. Not very
imaginative names, but there you go.”
Dihofe:
“I’m still shaking…”
Bock:
“I’m actually your neighbor. Our species has been observing you from the
next planet…”
Dihofe:
“Amazing…”
LT:
“May I get to the point, commander? We have established that we are the owners
of this ship and we would love to take possession of it once again. We need to
rescue some 500 stranded people from a desert planet.”
Dihofe:
“Well, it is hard to deny your ownership… but my organization has invested
incredible amounts of money into this operation.”
Serrag:
“And what exactly is this operation? Stripping this ship? Reverse
engineering of the engines?”
Dihofe:
“Our engineers have studied the engine room and came to the conclusion that
the propulsion systems were most likely built for interplanetary travel.”
LT:
“Shall we take a look in the engine room?”
Moments
later the doors to the mentioned area open and the quartet walks inside. Several
Rew engineers are studying the consoles and other technology. All of them look
at the new arrivals. Some of them even express fear with just their eyes.
Dihofe:
“It’s ok, folks… No need to fear.”
LT:
“What have they done?”
Dihofe:
“I’m terribly sorry, captain, but…”
LT:
“I don’t think your people have caused all of this damage, commander… The
Inj have.”
Dihofe:
“The Inj? The people who hijacked your ship?”
LT:
“Yes, indeed… Not very gentle folk.”
Serrag:
“Especially when it comes to reverse engineering… Look at this mess…”
Dihofe:
“This project would ensure a stable future for our families, captain. Lots of
new technology, new materials, new propulsion techniques… Each priceless…”
LT:
“That’s another thing, commander Dihofe… We cannot let you have our
technology. It’s not that I don’t like you, but I am not allowed to do that.
In fact, I wasn’t even allowed to speak with you. But as you can imagine, this
ship means a lot to me and my crew… But…”
Dihofe:
“…but also to us…”
LT:
“Problem.”
Dihofe:
“Problem.”
LT:
“Maybe there’s something else we can arrange for you…”
Dihofe:
“Well, I’m not sure… I don’t think so anyway… We all need to eat,
captain…”
LT:
“What if we supply you with something else that is profitable… Because, let’s
be honest… You’re after money, not the further advancement of your race…”
Dihofe
reluctantly semi-nods…
LT:
“I mean, what would you do with warp drive once you have it? Besides
satisfying your curiosity about what’s beyond the next corner in the universe…
Space exploration costs tons of cash, something you actually wish to gain.”
Dihofe:
“I guess…”
Serrag:
“What material could we possibly supply that has a great monetary value to
you?”
Dihofe:
“Well, I don’t know… Ehm…”
LT:
“Gold? Diamonds? Colored beads?”
The
Rew man thinks for a bit…
Dihofe:
“Liqium?”
Bock:
“If you have none, captain, Liqium is available at Fowen, the trading planet…”
LT:
“How much would you need in exchange for my ship?”
Dihofe:
“50 liters… No, 100 liters, 98% pure…”
Unbeknownst
to Dihofe Serrag nonverbally signals to the captain he doesn’t know how they’re
going to pay for that…
LT:
“I think we can arrange that…”
Dihofe:
“Are you sure? I mean, that’s a lot of Liqium…”
LT:
“No problem. Anything to get my ship back… Speaking of which, we really need
to get going… My crew is probably sick and tired of baking in the sun chewing
on birds…”
Dihofe:
“That’s nice and all, captain, but I cannot let you take this ship just yet…”
LT:
“I can’t pick up my crew using any shuttle, as you might imagine… What if
we leave some insurance behind?”
Dihofe:
“Like what?”
LT:
“I’ll leave a shuttle behind. Our shuttles have warp too.”
Dihofe:
“How about 2 shuttles?”
LT:
“I guess I can throw in Bock’s shuttle as a bonus. Then you’ll have 2
different approaches to warp. If we don’t return in 1 week they’re all
yours. You can strip ‘em, reverse engineer ‘em, whatever…”
Dihofe:
“I’m sure that would be a cheap deal; buying your ship back with just 2
shuttles… I think I need a better deal come to think of it… Leave your chief
engineer behind as well… He can teach us how to use this technology if you don’t
return…”
LT:
“No, I don’t think…”
The
captain halts mid-sentence as the engineer in question breaks in.
Serrag:
“I’ll be perfectly alright, sir…”
LT:
“Well…”
Serrag:
“Alright, that’s settled then.”
Serrag
starts fiddling with the console.
Bock:
“Ehm, captain? Did you just give away my shuttle?”
LT:
“Eh, no, I fully intend to return for both shuttles as soon as we can. All we
want in return for this deal is our ship and all the personal effects of my
crew. The rest of the things you’ve already stripped are yours, at least if
the Greate Pier is space worthy.”
Dihofe:
“Alright…”
Serrag:
“Captain?”
LT:
“Chief engineer?”
Serrag:
“The warp core, sir…”
LT:
“Yes, the Inj have it, I know… We’re stuck with impulse…”
Serrag:
“No, it’s in the cargo bay…”
A
surprised look appears on the captain’s face.
Serrag:
“It appears to be in relatively acceptable condition despite being examined
Inj style…”
All
off a sudden a voice is heard via the commander’s communication device.
Communications
guy: “Commander, there is another ship approaching.”
Dihofe:
“Another ship? What type?”
Communication’s
guy: “Also unknown, but this one is much bigger. Much, much bigger… I must
be dreaming, sir. It must be kilometers long!”
Serrag
and LT look at each other and simultaneously come to the same conclusion.
LT:
“The Inj!”
Serrag:
“The Inj!”
Dihofe:
“Ah, the ship hijackers…”
LT:
“Please, commander, we really need this ship and right now… These Inj aren’t
diplomats, they’re relentless and vicious killers.”
Dihofe:
“Alright, but I will have to keep you to the promised guarantee.”
LT:
“Serrag, launch a shuttle. Bock, get back to your own shuttle. The both of you
accompany the Rew ship and get to safety. If you stay here you’ll be easy
targets if the Inj decide to attack. I’ll try and lure the Inj away from here
if I can.”
Serrag:
“Will you be alright, sir?”
LT:
“Fine. Just go.”
Serrag
and Bock hastily leave for their respective shuttles.
LT:
“Commander Dihofe, may I retake command of this vessel?”
Dihofe:
“By all means.”
LT:
“Computer, release security lockout of command functions. Code Omicron 107,
release.”
Computer:
“Code confirmed. Security lockout released. Awaiting auto destruct
confirmation.”
Dihofe:
“Who’s that? Are you talking to the computer?”
LT:
“Yes, don’t you do that? Computer, cancel auto destruct, Rho Omega 5-12,
cancel.”
Computer:
“Auto destruct canceled.”
Dihofe:
“Auto destruct?”
LT:
“Yes, just before we left the ship I tried to let the ship auto destruct.”
Dihofe:
“It can do that?!”
LT:
“In case of a hostile take-over… Computer, locate Mr. Endersby.”
Dihofe:
“Who?”
Computer:
“Bart Endersby is currently not activated.”
LT:
“The bartender.”
The
Rew throws up his hands…
Dihofe:
“Bartender? I’m lost now…”
LT:
“Computer, activate Barty here on the bridge, please.”
The
bartender appears close to the 2 men on the bridge. Dihofe is so incredibly
startled he stumbles backwards and falls over.
Endersby:
“What’s with him?”
LT:
“I guess he didn’t expect you. At least not in this form…”
Bart
is still in female mode…
Dihofe:
“Where did she come from?”
LT:
“Long story… But you better get back to your shuttle, Mr. Dihofe.”
Bart
yells at the alien.
Endersby:
“I’m a he!”
A
short while later, the Greate Pier is finally flying under the command of the
captain again. Bart is manning the operations station while the captain pilots
the ship at the conn station.
Endersby:
“It seems to be working, captain. The Inj are following us rather than picking
on the defenseless Rew. But we have no weapons and very little energy…”
LT:
“We’ll manage, Bart. Or you will manage, I should say.”
Endersby:
“What do you mean? You aren’t going to leave me alone with those Inj on our
tail, are you, sir?”
LT:
“I’ve pointed the ship at the desert planet and it will enter orbit
automatically.”
Bart
puts his elbows on the console and buries his holographic face in his hands.
Endersby:
“I don’t believe this…”
LT:
“Come on, Bart. You’ve spent weeks onboard this ship surrounded by hundreds
of Inj.”
Endersby:
“Yes, and that was quite enough, thank you very much!”
LT:
“When you arrive, contact Commander Eisinga. He will take charge of the ship
and transport the crew onboard. Instruct the commander to head for Rew.”
Endersby:
“Where are you going to be then?”
LT:
“I’ll be heading for Fowen… Somehow I need to get my hands on 100 liters
of Liqium. I hope they will remember our assistance in capturing the Ferengi
gold thieves; we haven’t got much to trade since both the Inj and the Rew
turned this ship inside out.”
Endersby:
“I can’t operate this ship alone!”
LT:
“Keep the speed at 99.7% of that of the Inj ship so they think they can
overtake and just sit there and do nothing.”
The
captain gets up and heads for the turbo lift.
LT:
“If you get bored serve yourself a drink.”
Bart
shakes his head as the captain enters the turbo lift carriage…
Endersby:
“This is certain death… I just know it.”
A
voice from the carriage can be heard just before the doors completely shut.
LT:
“Death over defeat.”
The
captain is calmly whistling a tune while traveling through the bowels of his
ship. Bart then seeks contact through the com system.
Endersby:
“Captain, we’re losing speed.”
LT:
“Halt. Bridge.”
The
turbo lift obeys both commands. The captain resumes whistling. As soon as the
doors fly open he steps back onto the bridge.
Endersby:
“We’re down to 97.3% of the Behemoth’s speed, sir.”
The
captain checks the read-out on Barty’s console with his hands casually behind
his back.
LT:
“Hmm, I see… The energy problem may be slightly worse than I anticipated. It
can’t sustain this speed.”
Endersby:
“What are we going to do, sir?! If we get within reach of their blaster gun
thingy we’re history! We have no weapons, no shields, nothing!”
The
captain stares into infinity for a few moments… The anxious Barty waves his
holographic hand in the path of the captain’s gaze…
Endersby:
“Helloooo…”
LT:
“Hold on, Bart, I need to sit in my thinking chair.”
He
walks to the captain’s chair and parks his behind. Many seconds pass before
any words can be heard again. The captain checks something on the mini console
on his arm rest.
LT:
“We’re fully stocked on photon torpedoes, but I don’t think that will be
enough.”
Endersby:
“It was enough the last time.”
LT:
“The last time the Behemoth was in orbit. Once we bombarded them with
torpedoes and Kaneda phaser fire their engine output decreased and their orbit
decayed. It burned up in the atmosphere and whatever was left crashed on the
planet below. We don’t have that advantage here; we’re out in open space.”
The
captain walks back to Barty at the operations station.
LT:
“Can you show me a map of the solar system, Bart?”
Bart
taps a few colorful buttons and the schematic appears as requested.
Endersby:
“We will be passing relatively close by this planet on the way to the desert
planet, sir.”
LT:
“I’m not looking for an orbit to try the same trick again, Bart… Chances
are they know how we destroyed the other Behemoth.”
Endersby:
“We can at least try, can’t we?”
LT:
“No, I don’t think so, Bart… If it fails we’ll have lost too much
energy.”
Endersby:
“Sounds like you’re about to give up, sir…”
LT:
“Well, Bart, that doesn’t sound like a bad idea…”
The
captain smiles broadly…
LT:
“But not just yet…”
The
bartender mutters to himself.
Endersby:
“Oh, I don’t like the sound of that…”
LT
sits back down, but this time at the conn again.
He taps a few buttons on the big console in front of him.
LT:
“It won’t be long now, Bart… Be patient.”
Bart
looks at the captain over to his left in disbelief but stays quiet.
LT:
“In the meantime I’ll change course and reduce the speed…”
Endersby:
“You do know they’ll be overtaking us much sooner then, right?”
LT:
“Yes, Bart. You can’t surrender at full speed, can you?”
Endersby:
“Captain, I must say, I’m disappointed in you… I wouldn’t have thought
you’d give up… I mean you said ‘death
over defeat’ mere minutes ago…”
LT:
“Yeah, I guess I did…”
Barty
now increases the volume of his voice…
Endersby:
“And why change course? You want to decide the exact place to die at?!”
LT:
“Calm yourself, Mr. Endersby… No need for all that…”
Bart
reduces the volume again, but turns the sarcasm dial up a few notches.
Endersby:
“Ah, you know, you’re right… I stand a decent chance of surviving anyway. You’ll
be the one torn limb from limb…”
The
captain pushes a single button on the control panel.
LT:
“This is Captain LT of the USS Greate Pier. Please reduce your speed, we wish
to discuss the terms of our surrender.”
Inj:
“Yag-Gog, Inj leader. There will be no terms discussed, Inj slayer. Your
surrender will be unconditional. Stop your vessel and prepare to be boarded.”
LT:
“Okidoki…”
The
ship slows to a crawl, but doesn’t stop just yet… The Inj vessel follows
suit.
Endersby:
“’Okidoki’?”
LT:
“Bart, raise the shields, please.”
Endersby:
“The shields?”
LT:
“The shields.”
Endersby:
“I really don’t get it. Why would…”
LT:
“Now, please.”
Bart
does as he’s requested but finds another reason to question the captain’s
actions.
Endersby:
“Shields up, but eh, sir, we’re still moving…”
LT:
“Yes, we’re at 6 kph…”
Endersby:
“Shouldn’t we stop?”
LT:
“Not yet.”
Yag-Gog:
“Yag-Gog, Inj leader, to Inj slayer vessel. Stop your ship immediately.”
LT:
“Yeah, we’re working on it, buddy… LT out.”
The
captain checks his console read outs.
LT:
“Just a few more seconds… They’re following nicely.”
A
puzzled look on Bart’s face. After those few more seconds, the captain stops
the ship.
LT:
“There we go. We’ve come to a complete stop.”
The
sarcasm dial is still at the same level.
Endersby:
“So, this is the wonderful place you want to die. Brilliant!”
LT:
“Yeah, I guess this is a good place to die, Bart…”
Endersby:
“Well, it was nice knowing you, captain… I’ll shut myself down before they
see me and decompile me.”
LT:
“Don’t turn yourself off, Bart. You’ll want to see this…”
Endersby:
“See what?”
LT:
“Switch on the main viewer and show me the Inj vessel.”
Endersby:
“I don’t think I can get all of it on the screen with that floating planet
this close.”
LT:
“Try. Oh, they want to talk again… Lovely.”
Yag-Gog:
“Captain LT, lower your shields or we will blast your ship to pieces.”
LT:
“Yeah, we’re experiencing some technical difficulty, Mr. Snack-Dog.”
This
taunt makes Barty facepalm. He sighs deeply and shakes his head slightly.
Yag-Gog:
“You are testing our patience.”
LT:
“Be sure to send me the test results, honey. Bye now.”
The
captain cuts communications off. At that same time an alert is heard but LT
quickly silences it.
LT:
“Bart, check the screen.”
Bart
removes the hand from in front of his eyes and does as the captain suggests.
Endersby:
“Hm? What’s there to see? And what was that sound?”
LT:
“Proximity alert. Be patient.”
Mere
seconds later an 800 meter long oblong shaped asteroid smashes right through the
Inj Behemoth devastating most of it almost instantly. Bart jumps up almost as
fast.
Endersby:
“Holy cheese 'n rice!”
The
asteroid continues on its path pretty much in one piece as if nothing happened.
The captain also stands up, leans forward and rests his arms on the console with
a huge smile on his face. But as the shields are immediately bombarded with
debris, he quickly sits back down and gets the ship moving again.
LT:
“I’m moving us away a bit…”
After
that he stands up again and starts walking in a seemingly random pattern between
the conn station and the main viewer shaking his clenched fist and muttering
several celebratory exclamations laced with profanity topped off with a loud
shout at the end.
LT:
“YES! That felt good…”
Endersby:
“That was brill, sir!”
Bart
comes over to the randomly wandering captain to shake his hand.
Endersby:
“Well done, sir!”
LT:
“No time to celebrate further, we need to get to our crew before energy runs
out. Switch off the main viewer will you?”
Endersby:
“Of course.”
The
both men… well… the captain and the currently female-ish Bart return to
their seats. The main viewer goes to black. Suddenly an idea springs to Bart’s
mind.
LT:
“Changing course to the desert planet again…”
Endersby:
“Sir, maybe we should do something else first.”
LT:
“Like what, Bart? We can’t bury the few Inj remains we can find…”
Endersby:
“No, of course not, sir. But we could look for something to exchange for the
Liqium in the debris field.”
2
short seconds pass.
LT:
“Bart, you’re brilliant!”
The
Greate Pier is flying through the enormous debris field. Most of the debris has
been knocked far away by the gigantic asteroid, but there is plenty to harvest
from the remains.
LT:
“Captain’s log, stardate 64064.06. The last Behemoth was destroyed only
minutes ago. We gave them a whip with an asteroid belt… It cost the necessary
energy beaming the goods onboard from the extensive debris field, but it was
worth it. We were able to collect no less than 118,000 kilograms of gold; over 6
cubic meters… There is plenty more there, but we have cannot stay any longer.
All the gold has been crammed into a shuttle which I will fly to Fowen. The
holographic bartender will be in charge of the Greate Pier, believe it or not.
He will pick up the crew at the desert planet and instruct commander Eisinga to
go get the Greate Pier back to Rew and await my arrival.”
The
shuttle approaches Fowen and is stuck in a space traffic jam. Soon enough he is
contacted.
Trader:
“Welcome to Fowen, the biggest trading planet in the known universe. My name
is Zjewmink.”
LT:
“Captain LT, USS Greate Pier, good day.”
Zjewmink:
“Ah yes, I see… I just processed your ship identification. Welcome back,
Captain LT.”
Already
knowing the answer, the captain smiles as he opens trading talk.
LT:
“Thank you. I wondered if you’re still interested in gold.”
Zjewmink:
“Haha, of course we are, captain. I’m glad you returned with some more; I
see you sold us some 40 kilo’s a while back.”
LT:
“Indeed, but this time I have a bit more.”
Zjewmink:
“That is most welcome. What would you like in return this time, sir?
Some more components for your ship?”
LT:
“Not this time. We’re looking for about 100 liters of 98% pure Liqium.”
Zjewmink:
“Oh dear…”
LT:
“Ah, you have none.”
Zjewmink:
“Oh, no, we have plenty, but it’s 100% pure I’m afraid, haha…”
LT:
“Hahaha, I’m sure my contacts will not mind.”
Zjewmink:
“However, prices for Liqium have gone up since the last time you were here,
sir. Considerably even… So I hope you have a cargo ship with a cargo of gold
coming in?”
LT:
“Oh dear…”
Zjewmink:
“I will take that as a no then, haha… Well, on the bright side, it says here
you are a preferred customer, sir. Something about you helping with the
apprehension of some Ferengi gold thieves. So, let’s see what kind of a nice
deal we can manage…”
After
millions of kilometers of travel…
LT:
“LT to my wonderful ship.”
Eisinga:
“Captain! Welcome back…”
LT:
“Thank you, commander… Is my seat pre-warmed?”
Eisinga:
“I’ve personally seen to it, sir.”
Moments
later the turbo lift doors swing open and the captain walks onto the bridge once
again.
LT:
“Hey everybody… Good to see everyone back where they belong.”
Eisinga:
“Including Suder.”
LT:
“Ah, what a pity. But it can’t be helped I’m afraid. So, what’s the
status, commander?”
Eisinga:
“It looks like warp drive can be restored in a matter of days…”
LT:
“Good, good…”
Eisinga:
“And the Rew were kind enough to give us a little charge so we can actually
get somewhere once we leave. We were running on empty when we arrived.”
Maresca:
“Sir, I’m not sure you’re in the mood, but the admiral is trying to
contact us.”
LT:
“Figures… Best not put that off… Put him through, crewman.”
The
visage of grumpiness personified appears in all its inflated glory on the main
viewer.
Grant:
“Captain LT… Suppose you tell me where the hell you have been for
the past 2 months...”
LT:
“Good morning, sir.”
The
captain waits for the admiral to reply with a similar greeting, but to no avail.
After a few awkward seconds of the admiral intently staring at the captain, the
latter uneasily continues.
LT:
“Well then… Ehm… In a nutshell the ship was hijacked by the Inj and we
were subsequently forced to work on our tans on the surface of a nice, sunny
planet…”
The
face of the admiral still isn’t a happy one.
Grant:
“I’m not in the mood for amusing descriptions, captain. I’ll read your
report in 1 hour.”
LT:
“I can’t make a full report in 1 hour…”
Grant:
“You’ll have to manage it. Anyway, after that I want you to turn your
attention to finding the 3rd Inj Behemoth. At least if you can hold on to your
ship this time… No more delays. Grant out.”
LT:
”Gotta love that guy…”
Eisinga:
“Well, everything seems to be back to how it was before.”
LT:
“I could’ve done without this particular bit, honestly… Anyway… Maresca,
please take a message for the admiral.”
Maresca:
“Of course, sir. Hold on.”
Maresca
pushes some buttons.
Maresca:
“Go ahead, sir.”
LT:
“Dear admiral. It filled our hearts with warmth to hear of your delight in our
safe return to the ship. And now for the requested report. The Inj hijacked the
ship, we spent 8 weeks or so on a planet and then had the last Behemoth
destroyed. We had ice cream. It was fun. The end. Hugs, Captain LT.”
A
few smiles can be detected on the bridge.
Maresca:
“That’s it, sir?”
LT:
“Yes, make sure he receives it exactly 1 hour after he mentioned the report in
the call.”
Maresca:
“Understood.”
LT:
“If the admiral calls to complain about it, don’t answer the call but send
him the complete logs of the hijacking and everything since. Add that we are
having technical difficulties with communications.”
Maresca:
“Aye, sir.”
LT:
“He wanted a full report; let him sort those damn logs out. Anyway, let’s
deal with something actually important right now. We need to pay the Rew.”
A
short while later the captain meets Serrag, Bock, Dihofe and a few of his men on
the Rew ship.
LT:
“Commander Dihofe, good day. Serrag, Bock, good to see you 2 again as well.
There you go, 100 liters of Liqium.”
2
redshirts put the heavy, clear container down. A broad smile appears on the Rew’s
face.
Dihofe:
“Wow… That looks really cool… 100 liters; I can’t believe it… 98%
pure, right?”
LT:
“Not quite…”
Dihofe:
“What do you mean? We need it at least 98% pure, else it’s useless…”
LT:
“It’s 100% pure…”
Dihofe
let’s out a single syllable of laughter in amazement while his smile broadens
even further.
Dihofe:
“There’s no way we can process Liqium into such a pure state here on Rew.
This will provide for all the organization’s families for at least a decade or
more!
LT:
“I’m glad you’re happy… So, can I now have my ship and the crew’s
personal effects back officially?”
Serrag
goes into overacting mode and jumps up and down like a kid and waves his arms…
Serrag:
“Oh, sir! Sir! Please, sir!”
LT:
“Oh, and perhaps also my chief engineer?”
Dihofe
keeps staring at the container of valuable liquid.
Dihofe:
“Yes, of course, of course… Is this really
LT:
“It certainly is… Glad we could help…”
Dihofe:
“Ha! This helps so much; you have no idea…”
LT:
”Allow me to help you even further then… But before I do so, promise me
something…”
Dihofe:
“What would that be?”
LT:
”Keep the existence of warp technology… and aliens quiet… Whether
or not your planet is ready for it, you should develop this technology on your
own.”
Dihofe:
“Only people from our organization have heard of warp and know of the
existence of at least 4 alien species… We’ve kept this potential cashcow
quiet from the public and even the government. The government thinks we’re
just a band of misguided opportunists and pay little attention to any sort of
space program. They’ve got too much politics and war to think about.”
LT:
“Getting our ship back means a lot to the crew of this ship, but it especially
means a whole lot to the captain… For over a year this ship has been our home
and literally our vessel to adventure…”
Dihofe:
“I’m glad we could help each other then…”
LT:
“Now then, it’s time to say goodbye.”
Bock
and Serrag join the captain.
LT:
“Thank you for returning our ship to us. Be well and enjoy the Liqium.”
Dihofe:
“Thank you again as well. Safe travels.”
The
captain taps his badge.
LT:
“Party of 3 awaiting beaming.”
Soon
after they disappear from the room.
Dihofe:
“Look at that, man… 100 liters of the purest of pure Liqium! HA!”
Other
man: “Yeah, absolutely brilliant… But I thought the captain said he’d help
us further…”
Dihofe:
“Hmm, you’re right, he did say something like that… I’m not sure what he
meant though.”
At
that precise moment 2 additional and identical canisters of Liqium are beamed
over. As soon as the Rew set eyes on these containers they are lost for words.
The only things that speak are their widening eyes. Back on the Greate Pier…
LT:
“Have they arrived, Amato?”
Amato:
“Yes, sir, confirmed.”
LT:
“Good, good…”
Serrag:
“Thank you for buying me back, sir.”
LT:
“Yeah, despite tipping the sellers just now I still think I got a good price…”
Serrag:
“Oh, no argument there, sir… I’m priceless.”
The
USS Greate Pier is back. The saga continues…