Star Trek: Night of the Next Generation
Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative
Subject: NOTNG - Complete!
From: martin.richardson@delta.com (Martin Richardson)
Path: newserv.ksu.ksu.edu!moe.ksu.ksu.edu!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!uhog.mit.edu!news.kei.com!eff!news.duke.edu!concert!deltacom!martin.richardson
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Date: Tue, 23 Aug 94 10:57:00 -0500
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Ok, I finished doing a little more work on the story, but not much so
it really doesn't differ much from the original. I really don't have
the time to work on it anymore so it will have to stand as-is.
In any case, as promised, what follows is the story in it's entirety
(complete with several spelling fixes, so if you have been saving
previous parts, trash them and use these). Comments should be either
made public, or addressed to mrichard@clark.net.
There are 14 parts total (13 chapters and an Epilogue). Enjoy!
*** Martin, Annapolis MD, USA (BBS: 410-626-7854) ***
* SLMR 2.1a * Got a new cadallac for my wife - what a trade!
Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative
Subject: NOTNG [1/14]
From: martin.richardson@delta.com (Martin Richardson)
Path: newserv.ksu.ksu.edu!moe.ksu.ksu.edu!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!uhog.mit.edu!news.kei.com!eff!news.duke.edu!concert!deltacom!martin.richardson
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Message-ID: <ac.4138.2128.0N0E2A09@delta.com>
Date: Tue, 23 Aug 94 10:58:00 -0500
Organization: deltaComm Online :: 919-481-9399 v.32bis
Lines: 116
nIGHT oF tHE nEXT gENERATION
By Martin Richardson
* DISCLAIMER *
This may turn a few stomachs so please feel free not to
read if you are squeamish...
I
Captain's log, Stardate 47342.3 - Starfleet has assigned us to investigate
the mysterious disappearance of the NCC-709 Hyman G. Rickover, the first
sub-galaxy class starship. It was first launched two months ago with
Commander Bruce Lemkin as Captain. It's maiden assignment, to explore the
recently discovered Hiaratu Nebula. Due to nebula interference, contact
with Starfleet could only be made at pre-appointed times. Eight days ago,
the Rickover missed her weekly contact. After dropping Counselor Troi off
on Betazed for shore leave, we have arrived at our destination. Sensors
are nearly useless in the nebula, which I fear will make for an extremely
long and tedious search.
* * *
"Captain to the bridge," Commander Data's voice suddenly sparked over
Picard's comm-badge. The Captain closed out the log and headed for the
door of his ready room.
On the bridge, Data was poking over one of the sensor consoles, rapidly
typing in figures faster than the human eye could follow.
"Sir, I believe we have found her."
"Only our first day out at that. Outstanding Mr. Data," complimented the
Captain. "Let's have a look on the main viewer."
Data punched a few more keys and the forward display kicked to life.
The interference caused by the nebula only allowed the bridge crew to catch
a few brief glimpses, but what they did see did not look too promising.
"Data, freeze an image of that ship on screen so we can get a better
look," ordered Riker.
"Yes sir." Data pressed a few more times on the control pad and the
image of the Rickover came into full view.
The ship hung lifeless against the mauve background of the nebula. The
starboard nacelle was badly damaged, and plasma gas still trailed from behind
it. All that was left of the port nacelle was a black stub. There were
large gaping holes in the outer hull, and various debris from inside the
ship was now floating about on the outside. The bridge had been completely
obliterated.
"Good lord," muttered Picard. "Data, any life signs?"
"Negative sir," the android answered, "but with the nebula
interference, these readings are only 32.4% accurate at this range."
"Those holes!" exclaimed Riker. "Those weren't caused by something
hitting the ship, that hull looks like it exploded OUTWARD."
Suddenly the console beeped. Data spun around.
"Sensors have detected something floating close to the Enterprise,"
he reported. "Sir, it appears to be a humanoid body."
"Beam it directory to sickbay," ordered Picard. He tapped his comm-
badge. "Dr. Crusher, stand by for an emergency transport."
"We're ready, sir," came the reply.
"Number One, come with me. Data, you have the bridge. Alert me
immediately when you find anything else." Picard headed for the turbolift
with Riker at his heels.
"Affirmative, sir." Data turned back to the console and resumed
scanning.
* * *
Beverly Crusher didn't know what to expect when the Captain had notified
her of the beam in. She sure as hell didn't expect this.
Several orderlies standing around here fell to their knees, a couple
held their mouths and headed for the rest room, the rest simply stood
there, as she did, an unbelieving stare blanketing their faces.
"Oh sweet jesus," whispered Crusher. Suddenly, she grabbed her own
mouth, and raced for the sick bay doors, running smack into Captain Picard
as he came walking in.
"Beverly! What is going on here?" he demanded.
"Jean-luc... it's... it's..." she began, and then fainted dead in his
arms.
"What in blazes..." Riker's words trailed off. His gaze had shifted
to the containment field behind which the body had been transported. He
noticeably blanched.
"Oh my god," muttered Picard as he walked over to the table.
The body, if you could still call it that, was badly mutilated. The
left arm had been ripped out of it's socket and all that remained were
strands of veins, the right arm was simply shredded and all that was there
now was ripped muscle and pale bones. Ribs showed clearly through gaping
wounds in the upper torso, and a large hole where the heart should have
been showed nothing but an empty cavity. Below the waist, the legs had
been stripped down to the muscle and the pelvic bone showed where the
genitals should have been. The right eye was punctured and now dangled
loosly from it's socket and most of the flesh had been removed from the
head showing mostly a red-stained skull. This clearly had been a human,
but as what sex--it was anyones guess.
Dr. Crusher, now conscious, stood wavering beside the Captain.
"What in God's name happened to him?" said Riker.
"Beverly?" asked the Captain.
Gathering up her courage, Crusher opened her medical tricorder and
scanned the body.
"S-severe l-lacerations both inside and outside the body. Several
main organs missing. Enormous blood loss." Crushers face suddenly took
on a puzzled look. "No, this can't be right."
"What is it, doctor?" asked Picard.
"I am reading traces of human DNA in the wounds," she scanned downward
from the chest. "DNA different than this one, but human none the less.
Wait, there's something here."
The tricorder stopped above the abdomine. Beverly reached down
between what had been the legs of the body at the pelvis. She searched for
a second, and finally came up with a small, pale object.
"What is it?" inquired Riker.
"It's a molar. Oh god in heaven, it's a molar," whispered the doctor.
She turned to Picard. "These wounds. They're bite marks. HUMAN bite
marks!"
Picard frowned. "Number One, prepare your away team," he ordered.
"Full space dress. I want to know what the hell happened over there."
"Aye, sir," said Riker, and he swiftly exited sick bay.
(To be continued...)
*** Martin, Annapolis MD, USA (BBS: 410-626-7854) ***
* SLMR 2.1a * BOSS: Why aren't you working? ME: I didn't see you!
Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative
Subject: NOTNG [2/14]
From: martin.richardson@delta.com (Martin Richardson)
Path: newserv.ksu.ksu.edu!moe.ksu.ksu.edu!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!uhog.mit.edu!news.kei.com!eff!news.duke.edu!concert!deltacom!martin.richardson
Distribution: world
Message-ID: <ac.4139.2128.0N0E2A0A@delta.com>
Date: Tue, 23 Aug 94 10:58:00 -0500
Organization: deltaComm Online :: 919-481-9399 v.32bis
Lines: 115
nIGHT oF tHE nEXT gENERATION
By Martin Richardson
* DISCLAIMER *
This may turn a few stomachs so please feel free not to
read if you are squeamish...
II
Captains log, Supplemental - As tractor beams are useless in the nebula, we
are forced to shuttle an away team over to the Rickover with hopes that
perhaps the impulse engines are functional and can be used to give the ship
inertia which will drift her out into normal space. Commander Riker has
selected the necessary personnel to accompany him. Commander Data will
remain on board the Enterprise to continue his study of the Nebula. He has
created an enhanced communications device which he believes will cut
through the nebula interference and allow us to stay in contact with the
away team.
* * *
"Commander, the device uses sub-phase particles for communication, and
so requires an inordinate amount of power to function." Riker was suiting
up in a Federation environment suit. Chances were life support would not
be functioning on the Rickover, and until they could get it so, these would
be necessary. Data was briefing him on the new comm device. "As such, you
will only be able to use it for a limited time--2 maybe 3 minutes at best.
Then you will have to allow it time to recharge."
"Thank you, Data, I'll take that under advice," grunted Riker as he
grappled with an anti-grav boot. "But we shouldn't be over there that
long. As soon as Geordi get's the power back on line, we'll have her out,
and then we won't need that thing any more."
"Commander, this is unacceptable!" Worf stepped from around the suit
lockers. As he was Klingon, his environment suit had been tailor made, and
badly at that. It was bagging in some places, and skin tight in others.
Riker had to stifle back a laugh.
"I thought you were Klingon, Worf," he commented. "You sound like a
Ferengi. Anyway, as I was just telling Data, we won't be over there very
long."
Worf huffed and disappeared once again around the lockers. Riker
turned back and finished fastening his boots to the suit. He stood up and
spread his arms.
"Well, how do I look?" he asked.
Data looked puzzled. "With your eyes, just as you always do, sir."
Riker ripped off a laugh. "You know Data, for someone who doesn't
understand humor, you sure do get off a good zinger every now and then."
"Zinger, sir?"
Riker grinned. "I'll explain later. Come on. You can finish
briefing me on the way to the shuttle bay."
* * *
"Ok, team, form up!" the Commander ordered.
The away team made a line in front of him. It consisted of Geordi
LaForge and second engineer Waymond Thomas to get the power on line,
Doctors Helena Rushka and Gordon Reeves to assist any would-be survivors,
and Worf with a 2 security officers as a precautionary measure. All were
equipped with standard issue hand phasers. They didn't know what had
happened to the Rickover yet, and were not about to take any chances.
The shuttle bay door suddenly opened, and Picard came strolling in.
Riker turned to the team. "Captain on deck!" They all snapped to
attention. Picard walked up and stood beside Riker.
"As you were," he ordered. He then turned to the Commander.
"Number one, I don't need to tell you this could be a very dangerous
mission. We have no idea what to expect over there. I don't want you
taking any chances. As soon as you see signs of trouble, I want you off
that ship."
"Aye, sir, you can count on me." Riker turned to the crew. "Ok,
team, let's load up!"
As Riker headed for the shuttle, Picard placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Wil," he whispered, "be careful."
Riker nodded and, and then climbed into the shuttle. Alarm klaxons
went off as the main shuttle bay doors began to open. Picard stepped behind
the safety line and the force field went up. The bay depressurized and
the shuttle rose from the deck as the main door field was lowered. Slowly
it advanced out of the hanger and into the glowing mass of the nebula.
As Picard watched it go, a cold feeling suddenly came upon him.
Something was very wrong about that derilict ship, and now he had just sent
some of his best officers over to it. He prayed he hadn't made a grave
mistake.
* * *
Commander Data was at the sensor console again as Picard strolled out
of the turbolift and onto the bridge.
"Anything new, Mr. Data?" he inquired.
"This nebula is like none we have ever encountered, sir," said the
android. "It's not made of the usual particals. I have run it's structure
against over 75 million known forms of elements in the galaxy, and have yet
to find a match."
"Keep looking, Data. I'm sure you'll find it. Have we got a status
on the away team yet?"
Data swiveled around in his chair. "As expected, sir, all contact was
lost as soon as the shuttle was over 2000 meters from the Enterprise." He
got up and headed for the tactical console. "Commander Riker will not
begin using the sub-phase communicator until they have become situated on
the Rickover, as it has a very limited time use. I think I can bring the
shuttle up on the main viewer."
Data fiddled with the station controls. The view screen jittered and
fuzzed until finally they could make out the rough shape of the
shuttlecraft silhouetted by the mass of the Rickover.
Suddenly, Picard was again seized by the cold feeling which had
gripped him in the shuttle bay.
"Data, I want at least two people monitoring that channel at all
times," he ordered. "If you hear ANYTHING out of the ordinary, order the
Commander to return to the ship at once."
"Yes sir," answered Data.
The Captain took one last look at the view screen, and then retreated
into his ready room.
(to be continued...)
*** Martin, Annapolis MD, USA (BBS: 410-626-7854) ***
* SLMR 2.1a * Had a computer lab once. That dog could do anything
Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative
Subject: NOTNG [3/14]
From: martin.richardson@delta.com (Martin Richardson)
Path: newserv.ksu.ksu.edu!moe.ksu.ksu.edu!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!uhog.mit.edu!news.kei.com!eff!news.duke.edu!concert!deltacom!martin.richardson
Distribution: world
Message-ID: <ac.4140.2128.0N0E2A0B@delta.com>
Date: Tue, 23 Aug 94 10:59:00 -0500
Organization: deltaComm Online :: 919-481-9399 v.32bis
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nIGHT oF tHE nEXT gENERATION
By Martin Richardson
* DISCLAIMER *
This may turn a few stomachs so please feel free not to
read if you are squeamish...
III
The shuttle bay on the Rickover appeared to be the only part of the
outer ship that was still in one piece. Worf and security officer Gordon
Parks, in their space suits and hooked to tethers, managed to work the
manual release and open the main doors. A gush of air escaped as the doors
opened, nearly sending the two tumbling into space. When the doors were
fully separated, the shuttle drifted inside and landed. Large clamps
emerged from the shuttle itself and imbedded themselves into the deck
plates. Parks and Worf drifted to the floor as the shuttle door opened and
the rest got out.
"Commander," called Geordi. Riker's magnetic boots clanked loudly as
he stomped over to where LaForge was standing by the doors leading into the
ship, looking down into his tricorder. "From this close, I read oxygen
behind this bulkhead."
"Excellent," said Riker, "can you read any life signs?"
Geordi fingered a few buttons on the small box in his hand.
"Negative, Commander. But then, I only have a short range out here in the
nebula. We'll have to get inside before I can get any real indication."
"Well, you'll have to get those bay doors closed and air back in here
then. Can you do it?" asked the Commander.
"I think so." Laforge walked over to the main console. Its readouts
were all pitch black. Geordi opened a panel on the support leg and,
removing the power crystal from his phaser, placed it into the console.
Within moments several lights became illuminated on the station. He
scanned them for a second, frowning, and then pressed a series of buttons.
Suddenly the air filled with static electricity and a dim light lit up
between the crew and the bay doors. A loud hiss was heard as air filled
the bay.
"Bay doors are off-line so I improvised. That force field will not
hold long, we have to get out of here!" LaForge made for the doors leading
to the ship. The door panel was illuminated indicating emergency power was
feeding essential systems, but they had been sealed automatically when the
hull lost integrity. Worf aimed his phaser at the door, but Riker slapped
it down.
"No! We'll need those closed again once we get through," he hissed
"I think I can open it!" Geordi removed the plate beneath the
door controls revealing a tangle of cables. He cut several with a laser
pen from his belt pack and began mixing and matching.
"Please hurry, Mr. Laforge!" urged the Commander. On the bay console,
a light was flashing red indicating immanent failure of the force field.
If that happened, they would all be sucked out into space, anti-grav boots
or not.
"One... more... second... THERE!" A spark popped under Geordi's
fingers and the doors hissed open. Everyone tumbled through into the
corridor beyond. On the other side, the panel was partially lit. LaForge
quickly punched a few buttons and the doors slid back. Seconds later, they
heard the force field fail and the air go rushing out from the bay.
* * *
It was a while before they all caught their breath from the excitement.
Surprisingly there was gravity in this area of the ship. The emergency
power supply was functioning better than they had hoped. Geordi spent that
time scanning the area with his tricorder.
"Well?" asked Riker.
"Oxygen, Commander," assured LaForge.
"Better be," he mumbled. Riker popped the safety seal on his helmet
and, taking a deep breath, removed it. He slowly let out his air and took
another draw. And another. A smile crept across his face.
"Yep, its oxy.." Without warning Riker bent over gagging. The two
medical officers immediately pushed to his side.
"Are you ok, Commander?" demanded Rushka. She opened her med-kit and
withdrew a hypo. Riker waved her away.
"Th.. th.. the s-smell! It's HORRIBLE!" he gasped. Eventually his
breaths slowed and in moments he was breathing normally. "You get used to
it, but barely. Ok, people, take them off. We don't want to be wasting
our suit air."
With doubtful looks, the crew each in turn took off their helmets.
Several turned green, and one of the security men threw up all over the
bulkhead.
"What is it?" asked LaForge.
"It's rotten, musty, decaying," commented Lieutenant Thomas.
"It is the smell of death," said Worf commandingly. All turned to
look at him. "Every Klingon knows it."
There was a moment of silence.
"Well, we can't just stand around here," said Riker. He turned to
LaForge. "I guess the first place we should go is main engineering. Which
way?"
Geordi punched up the schematics of the Rickover on his tricorder. He
studied it for a moment, and then pointed down the hall to their left.
"That way," he said.
"Ok, people," commanded Riker, "let's stow these helmets here.
They'll only slow us down." Each member did as they were ordered, placing
their helmets against the far bulkhead for use on the trip back. When the
last was in place, Riker turned to his security chief.
"Mr. Worf?"
With Worf and security officer Timothy Barnes leading the way, the
crew headed into the blackness of the ship.
* * *
Beverly Crusher finally finished one of the hardest autopsies she had
ever performed. All the medical training in the world had not prepared
her for this. It was one of the most horrifying things she had ever
witnessed in her life.
It was a male. The DNA matched a one Lieutenant George Rodriguez,
assistant personnel officer assigned to the Rickover only days before her
maiden departure. George had a wife and two children back on Earth. The
Captain would insist on delivering the news personally when they were out of
the nebula.
The cause of death could have been any number of things. Loss of
blood, heart attack from traumatic shock, loss of internal organs--the list
went on.
The most horrifying thing had been the bite marks. Test after test
proved over and over that the wounds had been caused by teeth. Human
teeth. Or at least an alien species that had the exact same DNA as humans
did, but Beverly didn't think so.
The body was preserved well in the coldness of space, and continued to
be so in the autopsy ward. This was good as it made restructuring for the
funeral easier--even with modern technology, some traditional values had
been kept. But that would have to wait.
Crusher turned from the corpse and headed out of the room. Had she
turned only a second later, she might have noticed a finger on the corpse.
One of the few fingers on the only remaining hand.
The one that began to twitch...
(to be continued...)
*** Martin, Annapolis MD, USA (BBS: 410-626-7854) ***
* SLMR 2.1a * How's my computing? Dial 911.
Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative
Subject: NOTNG [4/10]
From: martin.richardson@delta.com (Martin Richardson)
Path: newserv.ksu.ksu.edu!moe.ksu.ksu.edu!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!uhog.mit.edu!news.kei.com!eff!news.duke.edu!concert!deltacom!martin.richardson
Distribution: world
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Date: Tue, 23 Aug 94 10:59:00 -0500
Organization: deltaComm Online :: 919-481-9399 v.32bis
Lines: 120
nIGHT oF tHE nEXT gENERATION
By Martin Richardson
* DISCLAIMER *
This may turn a few stomachs so please feel free not to
read if you are squeamish...
IV
Suddenly it was dark. So very, very dark.
The air smelled sickly sweet, like primrose and honeysuckle. And so
thick you could almost taste it.
And something else was here with him. Something old. Something
terribly old.
It frightened him.
He turned to run, but suddenly it was everywhere.
Long, cold fingers snaked their way around his legs.
He tried to cry out as they penetrated his flesh, but nothing would
come. He felt them start to weave in and out of his skin as they made
their way up his body.
Slowly, so slowly, he could feel his soul slipping away.
He could tell it was smiling as it fed.
And now, it was so very, very cold...
Captain Jean-Luc Picard awoke from his dream screaming.
* * *
"Well, you'll survive," said the doctor as she clicked off her medical
scanner. The Captain sat before her wearing nothing but a pair of shorts.
"No holes to indicate any penetration. No scars. Nothing."
She handed her tricorder over to her assistant, nurse Patricia
Bannister, who took it into the adjacent room to upload the newly acquired
data into the ship's computer.
"But it was so REAL Beverly," begged Picard. "I just lay down for a
moment in my ready room when all of a sudden it was there and ..."
"It wasn't there, Jean-Luc," she soothed, gripping his shoulder. "It
was just a dream."
"So real," muttered the Captain.
Dr. Crusher was worried. She had never seen Captain Picard so
tense and un-nerved.
"Here," she said, grabbing a hypo. "I'm going to give you something
to calm you down." The hypo hissed and instantly Picard's face took on a
relaxed look.
"Something about that ship," he whispered.
"What? What are you talking about?" Dr. Crusher came around the
table to face him.
"Something I felt when the away team departed for the Rickover," he
explained. "I thought it was just nerves at first, but now... now I'm not
so sure... Beverly, we have to get them off that ship. It's-"
"No, no, no!" Picard had started to get up, but the doctor pushed him
back down. "You're still a little edgy from that dream. I recommend you
go to your quarters and try and get some rest. You don't have to worry
about dreaming with that hypo I gave you."
"I can't sleep. I have a mission to run here." The Captain started
to get up again, but then plopped back down on the table and sighed. He
gave a half grin to the doctor. "Oh, very well, I guess I can..."
He was interrupted by the loud shrieking scream which suddenly emitted
from the examining room.
The room where the corpse of Lieutenant Rodrigez lay awaiting
preparation.
The one currently occupied by nurse Bannister.
* * *
The emergency lighting in the corridors was extremely dim, for some
reason. The away team used their hand lights for close vision, and relied
on Geordi and his visor for long vision, as they maneuvered their way down
to main engineering.
Geordi, now leading the group, stopped suddenly causing Worf to run
smack into him, knocking him down.
"Mr. LaForge," grunted Worf. "Please tell me when you plan to stop in
the future and we won't have this-"
"It's blocked," said Laforge as he stood up.
Riker pushed his way forward. "What?"
They all focused their beams down the corridor. What they saw was a
giant mass of twisted metal completely filling the corridor they were
currently in.
"Damnit," muttered the Commander. He started to look around. "Well,
there has to be some other way to-"
"Shhhh! Listen!" It was Doctor Rushka. She held her hand up and
silenced the team.
"What, I don't hear-" Riker began, but cut off in mid-sentence. He
heard it too. Scraping sounds. Rasping, scraping sounds. Like stone
being dragged across metal. They listened intently trying to make out the
direction it was coming from.
Suddenly, the air was filled with beeping from the sub-phase
communicator. Riker detached it from his belt and turned it on.
"Go ahead, Data."
"Sir," came Data's voice, "just performing our pre-planned hourly
status check." They had last spoken some 60 minutes ago when the team had
first started for Main Engineering. Riker wondered, had it already been an
hour? "Have you anything new to report since our last contact?"
"I don't know yet," the Commander replied. "There's some kind of
noise here, I think it might be survivors." The scraping noise was more
noticeable now. And closer. He turned to LaForge. "Geordi, what does your
tricorder say?"
LaForge flicked open the small, gray device and began punching buttons
on it. Grunting, he smacked it a few times and tried again.
"Well?" quizzled the Commander.
"Nothing, sir," came the reply. "I'm not picking up anything. No
movement, no life forms--nothing, other than the away team. This nebula
must cause more interference than we first thought."
Suddenly a thud sounded loudly against a lower access panel just
behind Dr. Rushka--who shrieked in fright and skitted away. Another
followed it, and another.
"Data, we appear to have found somebody," said the Commander. He
looked down and saw the small light indicating the connection was out of
time. "I'll let you know more in the next hour."
"Sir, the Captain has ordered that--" and the communicator went dead.
Riker clipped it back to his belt and drew his phaser. Worf stepped
forward as the security team brought their weapons to bear.
"Well Mr. Worf, let's see what we have here."
Riker walked over and began to release the panel.
(to be continued...)
*** Martin, Annapolis MD, USA (BBS: 410-626-7854) ***
* SLMR 2.1a * I asked my dog what 2 minus 2 was and she said nothing
Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative
Subject: NOTNG [5/14]
From: martin.richardson@delta.com (Martin Richardson)
Path: newserv.ksu.ksu.edu!moe.ksu.ksu.edu!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!uhog.mit.edu!news.kei.com!eff!news.duke.edu!concert!deltacom!martin.richardson
Distribution: world
Message-ID: <ac.4142.2128.0N0E2A0D@delta.com>
Date: Tue, 23 Aug 94 10:59:00 -0500
Organization: deltaComm Online :: 919-481-9399 v.32bis
Lines: 113
nIGHT oF tHE nEXT gENERATION
By Martin Richardson
* DISCLAIMER *
This may turn a few stomachs so please feel free not to
read if you are squeamish...
V
Picard was the first to enter the examining room--and he regretted it
the moment he did.
Nurse Bannister lay unconscious on the deck. The medical tricorder
that Dr. Crusher had just used was smashed by her feet. Red liquid was
coagulating around her leg where a large wound was visible.
And over her, knelt the dead corpse of Lieutenant Rodriguez, fresh
blood dripping from it's teeth.
"Oh dear lord..." whispered the Captain.
The corpse looked up at Picard and opened it's mouth, making motions
with it's jaw, as if trying to speak. Pieces of flesh dropped from it's
teeth as it did. All that was heard was a wet, guttural sound.
Beverly Crusher then entered the room. Her hand went immediately to
her mouth as she took in what was happening. Dragging itself with it's one
good arm, the corpse started crawling towards the two. The Captain stepped
sideways and slapped the comm panel next to the entrance.
"Emergency! Security to Sick Bay, on the double!" he yelled.
The thing made a couple of swipes at their legs with it's bony, clawed
fingers. The Captain grabbed Dr. Crusher by the shoulders and shoved her
back through the door, following close behind.
"Ohhhhh..." Picard was about to seal the entrance when Nurse Bannister
began to gain consciousness. The thing gave a toothy grin, and, faster
than the Captain anticipated, doubled back for the hapless nurse. Picard
looked about for something to use as a weapon. From a nearby table, he
grabbed Crusher's medical pack and ran into the room.
Nurse Bannister screamed as the thing approached. Picard raised the
pack in the air and brought it down hard on the thing's back. It whipped
around hissing and clawing. Picard gave a startled cry as it it grazed him
on the arm. He backed up, and the thing came after him. It's swiftness
once again caught Picard by surprise and he fell, off balance, onto the
floor. The thing was upon him in seconds.
At that moment, two security officers burst into sick bay, phasers
drawn.
"There! There!" screamed the doctor, pointing at the examining room
entrance. "It's in there!"
They raced into the room to see the thing on top of Picard, the
Captain's fingers wrapped tightly around it's bony throat, teeth gnashing
in the air just inches above his head. Both officers brought their phasers
to bear and fired.
The blast ripped the thing out of Picard's grip, hurling it across the
room. It slammed into the far wall with a loud thud and slumped into a
twisted mass. The officers dashed over to aid their fallen Captain as Dr.
Crusher entered the room.
"Th-thing.. stronger than it looks.." he gasped, taking deep gulps of
air. "Th-thank God, you were just in..."
Suddenly a loud shriek filled the air. Everyone cupped their hands
tightly over their ears. They all looked over at the source and saw the
thing had risen from the ground. It was now standing before them,
surrounded by a faint blue glow.
The security team fired again, but this time the thing stood it's
ground. The glow intensified as the streams continued, and the shrieking
grew louder.
Using this distraction, the Captain stood up, and he and the doctor
grabbed nurse Bannister and pulled her out into the other room. When they
were clear, the security officers ceased firing and bolted out as well.
Picard punched the control panel and the door slid shut. The shrieking
dampened to just below a whisper. Picard and Dr. Crusher placed nurse
Bannister on a sick bed, and then leaned against the bulkhead for a moment
to catch their breath.
"W-what the hell was that?" Ensign Culliver, one of the security team,
was the first to speak.
Suddenly a loud crash came from the examining room. Picard walked
over to a comm station and punched up a view of the room. What they saw
defied all natural laws.
The thing was walking around, shoving things off shelves, pulling
panels of the walls, and trashing anything it could. What was amazing was
it was actually WALKING around on it's bony legs, without muscles to hold
them together, or move them for that matter.
"He was dead, I know he was!" insisted the doctor. "Every test I ran
confirmed this!" She pointed to the display. "He should NOT be able to
walk around like that."
"Could this be some kind of Alien who has taken over the form of a
human being, Doctor?" asked the Captain.
"It would have to be a very good at mimicking," she explained. "The
body was human in all ways, right down to the DNA. I have yet to see an
alien that can duplicate that! No, that... THING walking around in there
is human--or at least, was..."
"Why didn't the phasers affect it, Captain?" piped Lieutenant Bowes,
the other security officer.
"It appeared to absorb the energy from the phasers, gaining strength
from it. We'll have to find some other method to destroy it." He looked
over at her. "I want a full security detail in here watching that thing
around the clock."
Bowes snapped to attention. "Aye, aye sir." She did an about face
and raced from the room.
"We have to warn the away team," he confided to the doctor. "This is
something..."
At that moment, nurse Bannister moaned. The doctor raced to her side
and, using a tricorder, scanned her wounds. Her reaction was one of
puzzlement. Quickly she selected a hypo from a nearby arrangement and
punched it on the nurses arm. A second scan followed.
"This doesn't make any sense," she said, frustrated. "I read no
contamination, no poisons, nothing." The doctor adjusted the tricorder and
scanned again. "The wound is not very deep, and not much blood was lost."
She looked at the Captain. "But these readings indicate that nurse
Banniser is DYING."
The doctor continued scanning as Picard looked on, unconsciously
scratching the itch on his arm.
The itch caused by three fresh scratch marks.
(to be continued...)
*** Martin, Annapolis MD, USA (BBS: 410-626-7854) ***
* SLMR 2.1a * Where do you take a sick boat? To the DOCK!
Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative
Subject: NOTNG [6/14]
From: martin.richardson@delta.com (Martin Richardson)
Path: newserv.ksu.ksu.edu!moe.ksu.ksu.edu!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!uhog.mit.edu!news.kei.com!eff!news.duke.edu!concert!deltacom!martin.richardson
Distribution: world
Message-ID: <ac.4143.2128.0N0E2A0E@delta.com>
Date: Tue, 23 Aug 94 11:00:00 -0500
Organization: deltaComm Online :: 919-481-9399 v.32bis
Lines: 136
nIGHT oF tHE nEXT gENERATION
By Martin Richardson
* DISCLAIMER *
This may turn a few stomachs so please feel free not to
read if you are squeamish...
VI
It was some kind of castle, he was sure of it. The walls were rough
stone, and dripping with moisture. This was probably the dungeon, but he
couldn't be sure.
Suddenly the large wooden door opened. He looked up and saw a large
shadow looming in the frame.
He tried to extend his hand in a show of good faith, but could not.
It was then he realized his hands were locked in clamps attached to a long
chain from which he now hung.
Confused he looked to the apparition.
It extended an arm in his direction, and beneath him the floor opened
up, exposing a large and very deep pit was exposed.
And then he heard the voices.
There must have been thousands of them, chanting his name. And they
were coming from the within the pit.
He looked back up at the apparition and tried to plea for mercy, but
his tongue had been cut out and all he did was spray blood on the stone
floor.
The apparition reached over and wrapped it's fingers tightly around a
wooden lever--fingers without flesh, he realized in horror.
With a flick of it's wrist, the apparition threw back the switch and
the chain released.
The last thing Captain Jean-Luc Picard saw before he woke up, was the
thousands of bony skulls at the bottom of the pit, looking up at them with
thousands of eyeless sockets, grinning with thousands of pairs of extremely
sharp looking teeth.
* * *
The turbolift doors whipped open, and Picard stepped out onto the
bridge, still pulling on his uniform shirt. He walked over to the sciences
station where Data sat perched over the console.
"Data, have you gotten through to the away team yet?"
The android turned from the console to face his Captain. He noticed
that the Captain looked extremely pale, and was nervously rubbing his right
arm. "Negative, sir. Commander Riker is not responding my hails."
"Well try again!" Picard demanded.
"Yes sir." Data turned back to the console and touched a few
controls. "Enterprise to away team. Come in away team."
Silence. He tried again.
"Away team, this is Lieutenant Commander Data. This is an emergency
transmission, priority Alpha One. Please respond." Still no answer.
"Could the nebula be interfering with transmissions?" the Captain
inquired.
"Negative, Sir," Data replied. "The communicator indicates that it is
receiving our hails. The power level is at 83.2%, but that should be
enough for at least a 30 second transmission. The problem is that the away
team is not responding."
"But why Data, why?" Sweat had begun to bead on Picard's face.
"Unknown, sir."
The Captain's brow furrowed. "Well, have someone continue to try. In
the meantime, come with me. I need you down in sickbay."
Data turned and instructed a nearby Ensign before following Picard
into the turbolift.
* * *
The thing that used to be Lieutenant Rodriguez had calmed down quite
a bit. It had run out of things to smash and was now feeling along the
walls of the examining room. The blue glow which had surrounded it earlier
was now noticeably dimmer. Four security guards stood at-ease outside in
the main room, and two stood outside the door to sick bay.
"What do you make of it, Data?" asked the Captain, nervously.
Data was scanning through the wall with his tricorder.
"These readings I am getting from the Lieutenant appear to match the
ones I recorded from the nebula, sir." He looked up. "At first indication
it appeared I wasn't getting any readings from the creature at all, but
instead just interferance from the nebula. Whatever is animating that body
is definitely made from the same material."
"What about phasers?" asked the Captain. "Why didn't the phasers stop
it?"
"It would appear that the substance acts like some sort of energy
damper," the android explained. "Our phasers, rather than stopping it as
expected, instead feed it giving it more power." He pointed to the monitor
and Picard's eyes followed. "As you can see by the diminishing glow, this
power does fade slowly with time. In order for it to continue functioning,
it would have to feed again."
"But how did it get so strong before we hit it with phasers?" The
Captain continued to rub his arm.
"The human brain sends a form of electrical impulse to various parts
of the body to perform basic functions. I would hypothesize that the
creature can feed off of this energy as well. When it bit into nurse
Bannister, it apparently energized itself enough to the point of
mobilization."
"Damn," Picard muttered. He glanced back at the Monitor. "What do
you think it's doing now?"
"It would appear to be taking in it's surroundings by examining every
corner of the room," replied Data.
"It's looking for a way out, is that what you're telling me?" asked
the Captain.
"In a sense, yes. It would appear that some human brain activity
remains after death. Probably only rudimentary functions and basic
instinct, but some nonetheless."
"What is it? What does it want? How does it take over bodies like
that?" The Captain stroked his arm, glaring at the monitor.
"Unknown, sir, I would need more time to study it." responded Data.
"Captain?"
Picard and Data walked over to where Dr. Crusher had called them.
Nurse Bannister lay on her sick bay bed, here face a cold dark blue.
"She's dead," said the doctor, closing her tricorder. Beverly draped
the bed sheet over the nurse's head. "Whatever it was, nothing we did
would stop it."
Picard turned to Data. "Ok, get a team in here and analyze that
thing. I want to know what it is and where it came from. If this is some
kind of new life form, we'll need to study it better."
"Yes sir, and what about the away team?"
Picard rubbed his arm. "If there are more of those things over there,
they are in definite danger." He slapped his comm-badge. "Picard to
bridge."
"This is Lieutenant Sanderson. Yes Captain?"
"Any luck getting through to the away team?"
"None sir, still no reply, but we'll keep trying."
"Very well. Picard out." The Captain turned to Data. "We may have to
send a rescue party over to get them out. I'll see to getting one
organized. In the meantime, you have a job to do."
"Yes sir," answered Data.
Picard spun around and headed out of the room, bound for the bridge in
hopes of somehow communicating with Commander Riker and the others.
Over on the Rickover, the sub-phase communicator lay abandoned on the
deck plates in the middle of a pool of fresh blood.
(to be continued...)
*** Martin, Annapolis MD, USA (BBS: 410-626-7854) ***
* SLMR 2.1a * What is the difference between a duck?
Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative
Subject: NOTNG [7/14]
From: martin.richardson@delta.com (Martin Richardson)
Path: newserv.ksu.ksu.edu!moe.ksu.ksu.edu!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!uhog.mit.edu!news.kei.com!eff!news.duke.edu!concert!deltacom!martin.richardson
Distribution: world
Message-ID: <ac.4144.2128.0N0E2A0F@delta.com>
Date: Tue, 23 Aug 94 11:00:00 -0500
Organization: deltaComm Online :: 919-481-9399 v.32bis
Lines: 117
nIGHT oF tHE nEXT gENERATION
By Martin Richardson
* DISCLAIMER *
This may turn a few stomachs so please feel free not to
read if you are squeamish...
VII
Captains Log, Stardate 47343.2 - Several hours have passed now since our
last contact with the away team. I am still debating on whether or not to
send a second team over as a rescue party. To do so would endanger more
lives, and, while I hate to think about it, there is no guarantee that the
away team is still alive. This is one of the hardest decisions I have had
to make since becoming Captain of the Enterprise, and one which I had
hoped I would never have to.
On a personal note, I have been feeling much weaker lately, possibly caused
by the dreams. If only Counselor Troi were here.
* * *
"Close log."
The Captain sat on the sofa in his ready room. He had now been awake
for nearly two days, and dark circles were beginning to form under his
eyes. He dared not go to sleep as the dreams would come back; dreams he
awoke from in pools of sweat, and even sometimes vomit. And to cap things
off, his arm had changed from a mild itch to a really bad ache. He stared
blankly at the walls, rubbing it.
His comm-badge broke the trance.
"Emergency! Emergency in Sick Bay! Captain to Sick Bay!" It was the
frantic screams of Lieutenant Bowes.
"On my way," called Picard. He envisioned the creature somehow
crashing through the examining room doors into the main area.
The Captain shot out of the ready room and entered the Turbolift,
leaving the bridge crew standing, jaws agape. It took him a little over a
minute to reach his destination.
In Sick bay, the scene was chaos. Phaser burns scarred every wall,
tables had been overturned, and the window to Dr. Crushers office shattered
into a thousand pieces. Two security officers were on the floor, bleeding
profusely from large gashes in their arms and legs. Over in the Corner he
saw the reason.
Dr. Crusher, Lieutenant Bowes, and the other two security members were
standing against the wall. Lieutenant Commander Data stood in front of
them.
But it wasn't the creature that Data was protecting them from as
Picard was expecting.
It was Nurse Bannister.
The nurse heard Picard enter and turned to face him. Her face was a
sickly blue and her skin was beginning to droop on her bones. Her mouth
was dripping with blood, and from her teeth hung various pieces of flesh
and veins.
"Captain!" Data called. "You must seal the sick-bay doors before the
creature can get out!"
Picard suddenly felt a wave of fright pass over him as the thing
stared him down. He found he was paralyzed, unable to move a single part
of his body. Nurse Bannister advanced on him.
"Captain!" yelled Data, but Picard just stood there as the creature
approached. She reached the Captain's position and opened her mouth. Large
chunks of flesh fell to the floor and blood sprayed across his face as she
gave what amassed to a war cry in a high screeching voice. Picard closed
his eyes and waited for the inevitable.
But the end didn't come.
Instead the air was filled with a loud smacking sound. The Captain
cracked one eye and saw that Data had dislodged a chair from the deck and
had thrown it at the creature. Unfazed, it turned and advanced on Data
once again. The android took a defensive stance and prepared to meet the
nurse head on.
The Captain abruptly came to his senses realized he could move again.
Looking about, he spotted a long tube broken off from one of the beds
laying on the floor. He quickly grabbed it and ran at the creature.
"Data, stand back!" he yelled.
Hearing this, Nurse Bannister whipped around to face the charging
Picard, hissing and spitting. The Captain threw himself forward and sank
the rod into the nurses forehead.
Suddenly, the air was filled with a defining shriek sending everyone
but Data reeling, clutching their ears. Nurse Bannister flailed around the
room, the metal rod protruding from her head like the horn on a unicorn.
She grabbed at the air, kicking and spitting, knocking into crushed tables,
smashing whatever was within reach.
And then, quite abruptly, the shrieking stopped, and what had once
been Nurse Patricia Bannister fell motionless to the floor.
As they watched, what appeared to be a blue cloud rose out of her body
and hovered for a moment. It floated over to Picard who shrank back
against the wall, and then suddenly shot across the room and through the
far wall leaving no trace.
Data walked over and assisted the Captain to his feet.
"W-we were totally caught by surprise!" explained Lieutenant Bowes.
"We were mostly concentrating on the thing in the examining room. She just
suddenly sat up and before we knew it, both Ensign Culliver and Todd were on
the floor bleeding!"
They looked at the two hapless bodies.
And suddenly, Ensign Culliver began to twitch.
"Roy!" Bowes made to dash forward to aid the bleeding Ensign. Picard
grabbed her and held her back.
"Wait!" he ordered. "Beverly?"
Dr. Crusher scanned the bodies of the two Ensign's with her medical
scanner. She shook her head. "These readings indicate that both men are
dead!"
Ensign Culliver raised his head, a wild toothy grin adorned his
sickly blue face.
Data grabbed the rod sticking from the body of Nurse Bannister. He
placed a foot on Culliver's back forcing him back down on the deck. The
Ensign gave a guttural groan and began squirming, trying to get up. Data
raised the rod, and brought it down hard sinking it into the back of
Culliver's skull. This time, there was no death-wail. As a precautionary
measure, he did the same to Ensign Todd. Small blue clouds whisped from
both and disappeared through the bulkhead. The creature in the examining
room suddenly began to howl.
"Good work, Mr. Data," said the Captain. And with that, he fell to
the floor, unconscious.
(to be continued...)
*** Martin, Annapolis MD, USA (BBS: 410-626-7854) ***
* SLMR 2.1a * My shrink says I'm too sceptical, but I don't believe him
Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative
Subject: NOTNG [8/14]
From: martin.richardson@delta.com (Martin Richardson)
Path: newserv.ksu.ksu.edu!moe.ksu.ksu.edu!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!uhog.mit.edu!news.kei.com!eff!news.duke.edu!concert!deltacom!martin.richardson
Distribution: world
Message-ID: <ac.4145.2128.0N0E2A10@delta.com>
Date: Tue, 23 Aug 94 11:00:00 -0500
Organization: deltaComm Online :: 919-481-9399 v.32bis
Lines: 135
nIGHT oF tHE nEXT gENERATION
By Martin Richardson
* DISCLAIMER *
This may turn a few stomachs so please feel free not to
read if you are squeamish...
VIII
First Officers Log, Stardate unknown - Those of us that are left have
finally made it to main engineering. The creatures had been here as
evidenced by the destruction, but had abandoned it some time ago for
reasons unknown. They started appearing again almost as soon as we got
here, and Worf has sealed the doors with his phaser to keep them out, but I
don't know how much longer they will hold up under the pounding. Geordi
says the engines are still intact, but whether or not he can get them
running again is another story. The dilithium chambers were ripped open
and the crystals are completely de-crystalized. I'm afraid our chances of
making it back to the Enterprise look pretty bleak.
I still can't believe what has happened. Worf is weakening every hour from
the bites he took. His Klingon metabolism has kept him alive much longer
than a human I'm sure, but I don't think he has much time left. I'm afraid
that Engineer Thomas has died. If this is the case, we'll have to get rid
of him fast, before he comes back... Security Officer Barnes is standing
watch over him right now. I think that Barnes, Geordi, and myself were the
only ones who escaped injury. When I think about it, I'm not so sure that
we who survived are the lucky ones.
As much as it pains me to remember it, I'll relate it as best I can for
those that may be foolish to follow us, and dear god, let's hope we are the
last...
* * *
The access panel blew off sending Riker and Worf back into the far wall,
and the thing behind emerged.
It wasn't clear what it was at first. Disbelief clouded their minds
as it stood up and looked around.
Gradually it dawned on them.
This was a human being standing before them, or at least, it had been at
one time. It's stomach had been gutted and now all that was left of it's
abdomen was a bloody rib cage. Most of the pelvic bone visible, and
pockets of missing flesh riddled the rest of it's body. The collar was
still intact around it's shrunken, bony throat clearly showing the
starfleet rank of commander--Commander Bruce Lemkin, Captain of the
Rickover.
Doctor Rushka screamed as it gave a guttural cry and fell on her.
Doctor Reeves, standing next to her, cried out and grabbed the thing,
trying to yank it off. The creature swatted at Reeves with it's hand; the
exposed bones of it's fingers acted like knives and sliced cleanly through
his face. Reeves screamed and staggered off, clutching his bleeding head.
His nose lay back on the deck at the things feet.
Rushka screamed again as the thing opened it's mouth and bit down into
her left shoulder. A fountain of blood sprayed Security Officer Parks who
staggered backwards into the bulkhead, dropping his phaser.
"Shoot it!" screamed Engineer Thomas. "For Christ sakes, shoot it!"
"Wait! She's too close!" yelled Riker, getting up from beneath the
panel. "You might hit her!"
Worf gave a growl and pounced. He wrapped his arms around the thing's
throat and yanked backwards. The head snapped back and Rushka screamed
again as her shoulder tore free from her body. The thing let go, and the
doctor slumped to the deck, out cold.
The creature flailed it's arms, trying to reach around itself to get
at the Klingon which had attached itself to it's back. Suddenly, it bent
it's neck at an impossible angle and bit into the arm wrapped around it's
throat. Worf howled in pain, but did not let go. The thing whipped it's
head and tore a large chunk of flesh from Worf's arm. Klingon blood
splattered the wall nearby. Worf howled again, and pushed the thing into
the far bulkhead.
"Phasers!" screamed Riker. Amber light lit the air as streams of
energy danced across the corridor. The creature buckled at first from the
force, but quickly retained it's balance again--a blue glow began to shine
around it.
"It's not working!" yelled Laforge. "My visor indicates this thing is
drawing power from the blast!" The beams stopped.
"Yieeee!" The scream came from down the hall where they had just
come, and where Doctor Reeves had wandered. It was followed by a loud,
inhuman howl that curdled the blood. "Ohh jeezus it hurts! Ahh ahh ahh!
Oh mommy mommy mommeeeeeEEEEEEEE!" A loud, wet ripping sound suddenly
filled the air and blood came gushing down the corridor.
"Doctor Reeves!" called Riker. He received no response.
Suddenly, a second creature emerged from the access tube, blood caked
over razor sharp teeth. Worf pounced again and flattened it against the
bulkhead. The other one was faster than he thought, and bit into his leg.
Worf howled and kicked it off.
"We've got to get out of here!" the Commander yelled.
"This way!" shouted Laforge. He darted ahead down the corridor in the
direction they were initially traveling. Riker and Ensign Parks grabbed
the limp body of Doctor Rushka, and headed after Thomas and Geordi. Worf
threw the creatures he was grappling with back down the corridor and ran
after them. From behind, they could hear the moaning and groaning of the
things as they slowly regained their feet.
They quickly reached the mass of metal blocking the hall. Geordi felt
all around it, scanning with his visor, trying to find a weakness.
"We can try and cut through it with phasers--right there!" LaForge
pointed to a place in the mass. They all stood back, and fired. The metal
began to melt.
"We're taking too much time, those things will be on us before we can
burn through!" shouted Ensign Parks over the roar of the phasers. After a
few more seconds, they stopped firing.
"Damn," muttered Riker. "I need time to think."
"Well we don't have any more time, Commander. Look!" Geordi pointed
down the corridor from which they just came. Several dark shapes could be
discerned through the darkness. The shapes were slowly getting closer.
"What do we do?" asked Parks.
"We die in battle!" yelled Worf. He turned and started limping down
the hall towards the shapes.
"Worf, wait!" called Riker. He ran up to the Klingon, who now stood
beside a door in the wall.
"Geordi, where does this lead?" he called.
"I believe that's some sort of rec. room, Commander," was the answer.
The Commander pressed several keys on the keypad beside the door, but
nothing happened.
"Come on, Worf, let's get this thing open."
Together, Riker and Worf managed to pull open the doors enough, and the
party filed through. On the other side they closed them again, and Ensign
Barnes sealed it with his phaser. As soon as he was finished, a loud bump
filled the air as several of the things impacted with the other side of the
door.
"Jesus, those things are strong," whispered the Ensign.
"Well, we've bought ourselves a little more time," said Riker. "Those
doors should hold for a while. Let's get some rest and plan our next
move."
Exhausted, they all slumped into chairs. Parks dragged the limp body
of Doctor Rushka over to a far wall, just out of sight, and walked back to
join the main party.
Which is why nobody noticed it when here eyes suddenly popped open and
began looking around...
(to be continued...)
*** Martin, Annapolis MD, USA (BBS: 410-626-7854) ***
* SLMR 2.1a * This is more trouble than a toilet full of snakes
Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative
Subject: NOTNG [9/14]
From: martin.richardson@delta.com (Martin Richardson)
Path: newserv.ksu.ksu.edu!moe.ksu.ksu.edu!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!uhog.mit.edu!news.kei.com!eff!news.duke.edu!concert!deltacom!martin.richardson
Distribution: world
Message-ID: <ac.4146.2128.0N0E2A11@delta.com>
Date: Tue, 23 Aug 94 11:01:00 -0500
Organization: deltaComm Online :: 919-481-9399 v.32bis
Lines: 128
nIGHT oF tHE nEXT gENERATION
By Martin Richardson
* DISCLAIMER *
This may turn a few stomachs so please feel free not to
read if you are squeamish...
IX
It was Engineer Thomas who first noticed Doctor Rushka standing by the
far wall.
"Doctor!" His voice was joyful as he stood up and walked over to her.
As he approached, he noticed that her face was unnaturally blue, and she
didn't seem to mind that half of her shoulder was gone, bone showing
plainly through loose flaps of skin.
"Doctor? Are you ok?" He stepped up close and looked at the shoulder.
"We really need to put something on that." He turned to the party. "Hey,
did anyone grab the medical kit?"
Suddenly Rushka bent forward and bit hard into the side of Thomas's
head.
"EEEAAAA!" Thomas pushed against Rushka and she fell away. Blood
spurt into the air from where Thomas's left ear used to be. He
stumbled over a chair and crashed to the floor, moaning.
"Oh holy christ," mumbled Parks.
Thomas struggled to get up, and Rushka advanced on him. Parks picked
up a chair, ran over, and swung it into Rushka's back as hard as he could.
The Doctor went crashing to the floor from the blow. He began to beat the
thing over and over with the chair. It tried to get up, but was forced
back to the floor with each blow.
"Die you unholy abomination, DIE!" screamed the Ensign as he worked.
Finally the chair came in contact with the head. Rushka's skull split
wide open and her brains came spilling out onto the deck. He continued to
swing the chair.
"Ensign. ENSIGN!" screamed Riker. Parks finally stopped, sweat was
pouring down his forehead. "It's stopped moving."
Sure enough, Rushka now lay still. Suddenly, a small blue cloud
floated up from her body. It hovered over the corpse for a couple of
seconds, and then disappeared through the ceiling. Riker walked over and
kicked the body. He looked up at Parks.
"Looks like that blow to the head did it," he said.
Thomas suddenly moaned, and they all collected around him.
"He's lost a lot of blood," noted Geordi. "Without that med-kit,
we'll have to get him back to the Enterprise fast!"
"We've got to get ALL of us back to the Enterprise fast," commented
the Commander. He reached down to his belt for the communicator. His hand
met with empty air.
"Damn!" he growled. "I must have dropped it back there!"
Suddenly, a loud crack sounded as part of the entrance door started to
give way under the pounding of the creatures.
"We're out of time, any suggestions?"
Geordi looked about and stopped at a panel on the wall.
"That access crawlway!" he cried. "We can use it to get to the
Jefferies tube and then climb down to engineering. It's only two decks
from here."
"What if those things are in there?" asked Ensign Barnes.
"Do you have a better idea?" demanded Riker. Barnes looked at the
floor. "Ok, Geordi, let's do it."
LaForge worked to get the access panel loose while Riker walked over
to Thomas. Parks had found some cloth napkins and Thomas was using these
as a make-shift bandage.
"C-c-cold..." he shuddered. "It's s-so c-c-cold..."
Another crack sounded as the door gave way some more. Parks jumped up
and began pulling tables over to it. Barnes and Worf, favoring his wounded
arm and leg, helped.
"Can you walk?" asked the Commander. Thomas nodded his head. Riker
helped him up and assisted him over to the others.
"There!" said Geordi. The access panel popped off and he rested it
against the wall beside the opening. He then looked down into the tube for
signs of creatures.
"Do you see anything?" asked Riker.
"Negative, Commander. It's clear!" Geordi helped Thomas through the
tube, and then followed him in.
Another snap, and now the door was open enough so that hands and arms
could reach through, clawing the air.
"That things about to give, let's go!" ordered Riker.
Worf headed into the tube. After him went Barnes, followed by the
Commander. Riker turned back to where Parks was holding tables against the
door. "Let's move, Parks."
Parks let go and turned to the tube. Suddenly the door gave way and
the tables they had placed there tumbled into the room. One hit Parks on
the foot as he ran and he went sprawling onto the floor.
"Parks!" barked Riker. The Ensign scrambled to his feet and once
again raced for the tube. Behind him, the things were piling in through
the opening. Riker moved back into the tube as Parks entered it.
"Ok, let's go," he ordered, and started down towards the others.
Parks made to follow, but suddenly a bony hand shot out and grabbed
him by the ankle. He screamed in terror.
"Commander! Help me! Somebody!" Parks drove his fingers into the
deck plates as the thing began to pull him backwards.
"Parks!" called the Commander. He crawled back to the fallen Ensign.
"Grab my hand!"
The Security Officer batted a few times in the air, and finally the
two men got a solid grip on one another. Riker positioned his feet on
either side of the tube to brace himself, and pulled hard. Parks continued
to move in the opposite direction.
"Please, Commander! Please! I DON'T WANT TO DIE! Help me,
goddamnit! HELP ME!" Suddenly there was a loud pop as the bones in Park's
legs began to break. "Ayeeeee!"
"Hang on, Parks!" screamed the Commander. The Ensign's grip was slowly
weakening, and Riker was losing his hold.
"Ohhh it hurts!" Parks moaned, "It hurts so goddamn bad... please
Commander... please..."
"I... can't... hold... on!" grunted Riker. He gripped as hard as he
could and gave one last tug. Parks was suddenly ripped from his grasp, and
disappeared screaming back into the the blackness of the room. Riker
stared at his now empty palm in disbelief as the screams suddenly became
very high pitch, and then became wet, as if Parks was under water, and then
died off all together.
The sight of the creatures as they approached the tube again brought
him around. Riker skirted back into the tube a distance and, drawing his
phaser, he aimed high and fired at the ceiling near the entrance. Heavy
beams gave way and came crashing down, blocking him from the room. He
quickly spun back around and headed down the tube. At the end, the others
were just starting to climb down the ladder.
"Parks?" asked Geordi.
Riker shook his head. "Didn't make it. I blocked the passage, but
those things will probably get through with time."
"What the hell is happening here?" screamed Barnes. "Dead people just
don't come back to life like that!"
"I don't know," answered the Commander. "But I do know WE'RE going
to be dead if we don't get out of here. Now let's move!"
The team headed down the ladder towards main engineering.
(to be continued...)
*** Martin, Annapolis MD, USA (BBS: 410-626-7854) ***
* SLMR 2.1a * JIM: You? An athiest? SLIM: Swear to God!
Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative
Subject: NOTNG [10/14]
From: martin.richardson@delta.com (Martin Richardson)
Path: newserv.ksu.ksu.edu!moe.ksu.ksu.edu!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!uhog.mit.edu!news.kei.com!eff!news.duke.edu!concert!deltacom!martin.richardson
Distribution: world
Message-ID: <ac.4147.2128.0N0E2A12@delta.com>
Date: Tue, 23 Aug 94 11:01:00 -0500
Organization: deltaComm Online :: 919-481-9399 v.32bis
Lines: 143
nIGHT oF tHE nEXT gENERATION
By Martin Richardson
* DISCLAIMER *
This may turn a few stomachs so please feel free not to
read if you are squeamish...
X
Captain's Log, Stardate 47344.7 - We are currently on course out of
the Nebula. With the animated bodies safely behind force fields, we now
make our way back to Starbase 109. I have made the decision that sending a
rescue party to the Rickover would put additional Enterprise personnel at
risk, and hereby declare the first away team a loss, with all presumed
dead. Additional starships will be sent with proper equipment to retrieve
the Rickover for further study.
* * *
"Close log."
Acting Captain Data stood staring through the force field. The
creature that had once been his former Captain stared back. Picard looked
extremely pale. His eyes had lost almost all of their pigment, and his
flesh dropped from his bones. The once highly decorated Captain of the
Enterprise, now sat dis-shriveled in the corner, staring into nothingness.
The expression on Data's face was almost one of sorrow, and one would
believe that by looking at him that he was actually feeling emotion.
"It is a shame, Captain," he said, "for one to have such an
illustrious career, and then go out like this. I am truly sorry we could
do nothing to save you."
Picard stared out. He was CONSCIOUS goddamn it, couldn't Data see
that? He wasn't like those other things, his BRAIN was still alive! What
was Data doing? Will and the others could still be alive, and he was just
abandoning them!
He tried to communicate with the android once again. He opened his
mouth to speak, which caught Data's attention for a moment, but suddenly
his jaw broke off and splintered onto the floor. He tried to raise a hand
to perhaps signal Data in a form of sign language, and managed to get it
almost halfway up, before his arm slid off the bone with a shlurping sound
and hit the deck with a dull, wet thud. His body was falling apart around
him, and he was conscious through all of it.
As his face began to melt into the bulkhead, he took one last look at
Data. The android was shaking his head, and Picard thought he almost heard
him sigh.
And then, blackness...
* * *
When he opened his eyes, he was in a meadow by a crystal clear stream.
Clouds floated lazily by a brilliant midday sun, and birds chirped from the
trees all around. Picard lay under a rather large tree, it's branches
hanging low providing him shade from the afternoon heat.
He was very relaxed.
Was this heaven, he wondered?
A bright light suddenly appeared above him. It beckoned him, calling
over and over with a soundless voice. Long tendrills of hazy smoke drifted
down and enveloped him. He closed his eyes, and allowed himself to be
carried by them, upwards into the light.
But he sensed something was wrong.
Were these loving fingers of mist supposed to be so cold? A shadow of
doubt briefly crossed the Captains mind.
And suddenly, dark clouds rolled rapidly in, clouding the sun. Picard
turned, and tried to wriggle free of the tendrills, but found he could not.
He looked and saw, not hazy smoke fingers as he expected, but branches of
the tree he had been lying beneath wrapped around his legs, immobilizing
him.
He screamed as the branches continued to surround his body, until all
that was showing was his head.
The world grew very cold, very suddenly.
And then the apparition appeared.
Had it just suddenly appeared, or had it been there all along? Picard
couldn't remember.
It's robes hung loosely from narrow shoulders, and a large hood
blanketed completely whatever face was beneath--if there actually was a
face there. It was old, perhaps older than time itself. And it was
hungry.
Picard looked again, and realized it wasn't the tree which held him,
but fingers from the outstretched hands of the apparition.
And it was pulling him towards it.
The landscape disappeared into an abyss of blackness, leaving only
the Captain and the Apparition floating in the middle.
A sudden wind caught the hood of the robes, flinging it backwards.
Picard was shocked to see Wil Riker staring back. But it wasn't just
Wil. It was also Data. And Beverly. And Troi and Geordi and Worf and
Tasha and Guinan and... It was everybody he ever knew, and all at the same
time.
The apparition paused and Picard felt confusion emitting from it.
Suddenly, the faces began to be replaced with something else, something
horrible, something he knew he didn't want to see--the true face of the
apparition.
And Picard understood.
He concentrated, and the faces began to re-form. They were his
friends... his family... his SOUL.
The apparition's fingers began to slowly slip away from him, and Picard
concentrated harder.
He brought all of his will forward. All of his being. All that he
was. All that he would ever be. And he directed it right at the
apparition. Light began to replace the blackness. Not a lot at first, but
then more and more and more and suddenly it was not so dark anymore.
Picard looked, and the apparition began to shrink backwards, into the
retreating darkness.
It was still there--he could still feel it's presence--but now there
was nothing but light...
* * *
"...must...leave..."
Dr. Crusher snapped awake. She had dozed off while sitting a bedside
vigil beside the still figure of Captain Picard. He had been there ever
since he passed out after the encounter with nurse Bannister. The sound of
his voice brought her immediately to attention.
"Jean-Luc?" she asked incredulously. The Captain's eyes were
partially open, staring into the overhead lights.
"...nebula...must...leave..." he gasped.
The Doctor slapped her communicator pin. "Data, report to Sick Bay.
Now!"
Above him, the readouts monitoring his life signs began to pick up a
bit, and Beverly's grin began to widen as she saw this. The on-duty nurse
came barreling in from the next room to see what the commotion was.
"Yes, Jean-Luc, YES! You can do it! Don't give up!" She grasped his
hand and squeezed it tightly. The readouts stabilized a little, but then
began to drop off again.
"Wait, No," pleaded the Doctor. "Damnit, Jean-Luc, you've got to
fight!" She grabbed a hypo from the nurse and emptied the contents into
him. "Stay with me!"
At that moment, Data came strolling into Sick Bay.
"Yes Doctor, you hailed me?"
"He's alive, Data!" said the Doctor. "Just barely, but alive all
the same."
Data walked over to the bed, and Picard looked over at him.
"...Data...leave...must..." Picard struggled to get out each word.
Data leaned forward and placed an ear next to the Captains mouth. The
Captain found it much easier to whisper his commands.
Data suddenly stood bolt upright and pressed his comm-badge.
"Data to bridge, lay in a course for the shortest way out of the
nebula. Full impulse," he commanded.
Picard smiled, and then blacked out.
(to be continued...)
*** Martin, Annapolis MD, USA (BBS: 410-626-7854) ***
* SLMR 2.1a * You could have amnesia right now, and never even know it
Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative
Subject: NOTNG [11/14]
From: martin.richardson@delta.com (Martin Richardson)
Path: newserv.ksu.ksu.edu!moe.ksu.ksu.edu!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!uhog.mit.edu!news.kei.com!eff!news.duke.edu!concert!deltacom!martin.richardson
Distribution: world
Message-ID: <ac.4148.2128.0N0E2A13@delta.com>
Date: Tue, 23 Aug 94 11:07:00 -0500
Organization: deltaComm Online :: 919-481-9399 v.32bis
Lines: 96
nIGHT oF tHE nEXT gENERATION
By Martin Richardson
* DISCLAIMER *
This may turn a few stomachs so please feel free not to
read if you are squeamish...
XI
Riker walked over to where Worf was sitting, resting against the
bulkhead. Though the Klingon had draped several work tarps over him, he was
still shivering.
"How you making out, Worf?" asked the Commander.
Worf looked up in surprise and threw off the cloths as he stood up.
Riker was shocked to see a phaser pointed directly at his head. He took a
step back.
"Leave.. Me.. ALONE!" screamed the Klingon. "I will not suffer the
dishonor of becoming one of...THEM!" He motioned to the main doors, behind
which came the sounds of wailings and scratchings. "I know what I must
do."
"What are you talking about, Worf?" Riker asked. "You're not
seriously thinking of killing yourself, are you?"
"No, I must die with honor, in battle." Worf gripped the phaser
tightly. "You must let me out of here." he snarled.
"Honor?" The Commander stared down his security chief. "Where is the
honor of committing suicide? That's what you'll be doing. I don't call
that honor. I call that cowardice."
"You do not understand the Klingon way," growled Worf. "I am
finished. I can feel my life's blood slipping away. I will not die
cowering in a corner."
"No." said the Commander. "You are not going to die. I will get you
back to the Enterprise for medical attention. A rescue team is probably
already on the way over."
"None of us are leaving," said Worf. "The creatures will be through
those doors in a matter of hours. I recommend we all prepare for battle.
It is the honorable way to die."
Suddenly, Riker shot forward. Worf was completely caught by surprise
and tried to bring the phaser down to stun him, but Riker punched at his
hand sending the phaser spinning across the floor. Worf suddenly groaned
and fell back, unconscious. Riker caught him and rested him back against
the bulkhead. He re-covered the Klingon with the tarps.
"Rest well, old friend," he muttered.
"Commander?" It was Geordi. Riker stood up and walked over to where
the engineer was examining the engines.
"What is it, Geordi?" he inquired.
"You're not going to like this, Commander," he said. "The impulse
drives are shot. It would take days to fix them, and I don't even have the
equipment to do it. But that's not the worst of it."
Laforge walked over to the main warp chamber.
"The core is still hot, and my visor is picking up stress fractures in
the container. It looks like we have some kind of plasma buildup in there.
Sir, that things going to rupture, and when it does, this ship is going to
turn into a huge fire ball."
"Can't we dump the core?" asked Riker.
"Negative. All controls are out. Even the manual override is bent up
beyond repair." explained the engineer.
Riker sighed. "Ok, how much time do we have?"
Geordi looked over the core container. "Looking at the speed of
deterioration, I'd give us about twenty minutes."
"Damn. We've got to get back to the shuttlecraft. Ideas?"
Geordi sighed. "No sir. Not a one."
Suddenly the ship lurched sending everyone reeling. Geordi, who had
been leaning over the safety rail between the warp core well and the deck,
lost his balance, and started to fall into the shaft. Riker just barely
caught his space suit and pulled him back. The lurching stopped almost as
quickly as it had begun.
"What the hell was that?" exclaimed the Commander.
"I don't know, sir. It almost seemed like something grabbed onto us
and yanked," answered Laforge. He walled over to one of the bulkheads and
scanned it with his visor. "I think the structure of the ship is finally
giving way to fatigue."
Riker's stomach knotted up. It looked like Worf was right after all.
They weren't going to make it out.
"Sir!" It was security officer Barnes. "Come quick!"
Riker and Laforge ran to where the Ensign was calling. A large tarp
occupied that corner of the room, under it lay the dead body of Thomas.
The fact that the tarp was now moving indicated that the body was not so
dead anymore. Barnes held his phaser aimed at it. "What do I do sir?"
Riker looked around. He walked over and grabbed a metal pipe from a
pile of loose parts near where a burt out power conduate was being worked
on. He walked back to Thomas, knelt down, and threw back the tarp.
Thomas sat abruptly up. His eyes had lost all pigment and now he
stared at them with lifeless, white orbs. His hair was matted with dried
blood from the hole in his head. His face was partially covered with it
as well, and he was trying to lick it off with his tongue. Riker's
stomach knotted even tighter.
"Sorry to do this, Lieutenant," he mumbled. Riker grabbed Thomas's
hair and pulled his head back. He positioned the bar like a spear in his
right hand and drew it back...
And that was when the main doors gave way and blew inward.
(to be continued...)
*** Martin, Annapolis MD, USA (BBS: 410-626-7854) ***
* SLMR 2.1a * Got pills for my cotton alergy, but I can't get to them!
Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative
Subject: NOTNG [12/14]
From: martin.richardson@delta.com (Martin Richardson)
Path: newserv.ksu.ksu.edu!moe.ksu.ksu.edu!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!uhog.mit.edu!news.kei.com!eff!news.duke.edu!concert!deltacom!martin.richardson
Distribution: world
Message-ID: <ac.4149.2128.0N0E2A14@delta.com>
Date: Tue, 23 Aug 94 11:06:00 -0500
Organization: deltaComm Online :: 919-481-9399 v.32bis
Lines: 106
nIGHT oF tHE nEXT gENERATION
By Martin Richardson
* DISCLAIMER *
This may turn a few stomachs so please feel free not to
read if you are squeamish...
XII
They came through the door like water through a funnel--an endless
stream of them. All were in some sort of deteriorated condition. Some
were missing arms, others legs. Some crawled in but most walked. It was
an eerie parade of the dead, and the away team stood stunned as it entered.
Barnes was first to react. He whipped around screaming and fired his
phaser. The blasts went wild, slicing through support struts and ceiling
beams. Some made contact with a thing or two, sending it crashing to the
floor, but it got back up almost instantly showing renewed vigor.
Riker's attention was diverted to this new spectacle for only an
instant, but it was enough for Thomas. The engineer opened his mouth and
bit hard into Riker's arm. The Commander cried out in pain and brought the
rod down on Thomas's shoulder. The engineer lurched backwards from the
blow, ripping a large hunk of flesh from the arm as he did. Blood streamed
from the wound, becoming a ghoulish purple as it stained the yellow
environment suit. Riker dropped the rod and grabbed the wound trying to
staunch the flow of blood. Thomas shook his head, and stood up. Riker
staggered backward, nearly blinded by pain, as Thomas advanced on him. His
foot met with something solid and the Commander fell backwards to the
floor. He kicked himself back further, but Thomas was too fast. The
engineer stepped on his leg glueing Riker to the spot. Riker's strength
was fading unnaturally fast. The Commander raised his good arm and
prepared a feeble punch as a last ditch effort as Thomas opened his mouth
and leaned down to bite.
Suddenly a deafening howl filled the air and Thomas left his feet,
tumbling across the deck, a large dark figure grappling with him. It was
Worf! The Klingon pinned Thomas to the deck, the latter's teeth gnashing at
empty air, trying to find flesh. Worf threw back his head and raised his
right hand up. He gave a gutteral war cry and then sank his fingers into
Thomas's eyes. Using the sockets for purchase, he gripped the bone and
ripped the engineers face off. The bone splintered and the skull caved in
as large chunks of flesh and brain ripped up with it. The dead lieutenant
shuddered violently for a moment, and then lay still.
Worf breathed heavily, a violent grin splayed across his face.
Suddenly, two other creatures fell on him. One bit into his side
causing blood to spurt in a fountain. Worf howled and threw it off. The
other one grabbed his legs and began to pull him back to the main crowd.
Worf kicked, but two others joined and began pulling the Klingon into the
throng. Worf howled a Klingon war cry as he disappeared fighting into the
mass of creatures.
Riker watched in horror. He could barely move. He could feel
something gripping him slowly, inside. A poison perhaps? No. It almost
felt ALIVE.
He could do nothing to aid his friends.
And it was growing so cold.
He watched Ensign Barnes get pulled to the ground, thrashing. "No, no,
Jesus Christ no, pleeaazzzzzeee! Gahhhh!" The things were biting him all
over, ripping large chunks of flesh from his body, exposing bone in some
areas. One grabbed his hand and bit hard, severing the fingers. It drew
back chewing, blood splashing it from now bloody stumps.
"Oh my God NOOOO.." One of the things stuck it's fingers into Barnes's
mouth and pulled. The Ensign's lower jaw ripped from his head with a
thick, wet tearing sound. Barnes's lungs immediately filled with blood
silencing his screams.
Geordi was backed up against the core. He swung another rod in an arc
in an attempt to keep the things at bay. One of them managed to duck the
rod and swiped at Geordi's face. It contacted his visor and ripped it from
his face. Blind, Geordi screamed and tried to get back around to the other
side of the core, but the things swelled and totally engulfed him, blocking
the Commander's view.
Riker looked about. Some of the things had spotted him and were
advancing. So this was how it was going to end. He would never have
imagined it in his wildest dreams. All the battles he had been in, all the
things he had done--to wind up the main course at a zombie buffet. He
would have laughed, but didn't have the strength. At least when the core
blew, those things would go up with it.
"See you in hell," he managed.
And then the world went white.
* * *
The light was bright, so very very bright, but it didn't hurt to look
at it.
It was all around him.
And he was falling.
He struggled, a heat burning in his stomach.
He cried in pain as the heat intensified, and then suddenly, it burst
from his chest and went streaking off, disappearing into the light.
The pain was now gone, and Commander William Riker felt at peace.
Nothing mattered now.
He was free of the pain.
He was free to fall forever.
Then, shapes began to slowly form.
Angels perhaps, come to guide him on his journey?
Riker smiled.
One looked like Beverly.
One looked like Jean-Luc.
His friends were always with him, just as he knew they would be.
Forever into eternity.
Riker closed his eyes and went to sleep as he finished materializing
in the Enterprise sick bay.
(to be continued...)
*** Martin, Annapolis MD, USA (BBS: 410-626-7854) ***
* SLMR 2.1a * I like to go to salad bars and test out the sneeze guard
Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative
Subject: NOTNG [13/14]
From: martin.richardson@delta.com (Martin Richardson)
Path: newserv.ksu.ksu.edu!moe.ksu.ksu.edu!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!uhog.mit.edu!news.kei.com!eff!news.duke.edu!concert!deltacom!martin.richardson
Distribution: world
Message-ID: <ac.4150.2128.0N0E2A15@delta.com>
Date: Tue, 23 Aug 94 11:08:00 -0500
Organization: deltaComm Online :: 919-481-9399 v.32bis
Lines: 92
nIGHT oF tHE nEXT gENERATION
By Martin Richardson
* DISCLAIMER *
This may turn a few stomachs so please feel free not to
read if you are squeamish...
XIII
The first thing Riker thought when he opened his eyes was that heaven
sure did look a lot like sick bay.
"Wil, you're awake!"
And the angels sure did sound a lot like Beverly Crusher. He turned
his head and saw the doctor sitting beside him. It took him a few seconds
to realize that he wasn't dead and this wasn't heaven and now wondered just
what the hell happened and how he got there.
"D-doctor?" He started to raise up on his elbow's, but as he planted
his right one a sharp pane tore through his arm, causing him to fall back.
"Easy Wil, that arm still needs time to heal." The doctor opened her
medical tricorder and scanned the patched wound. "I fixed up most of it,
but you lost a big chunk of skin and muscle. It needs some natural healing
time."
Riker looked around the room. Across from him on another table lay
Worf, snoring loudly. To his left was Lieutenant-Commander Laforge. "W-hat
happened?" he managed.
"They were in a little worse shape then you were when we got them--
especially Worf--but they'll be all right," Crusher said. "That Klingon
metabolism still amazes me. Worf lost enough blood to kill two humans."
She turned back to the Commander. "We played back your logs. It must have
been horrible over there."
Suddenly, the memories came flooding back like a tidal wave.
"Rickover! Those things!" he cried. He started to get up again, but
Crusher immediately hit him with a hypo and he lay back down, calmer.
"Destroyed," came a voice to his right. The Commander looked and saw
Captain Picard resting in the bed beside him. "Commander Data detected the
plasma buildup the moment we got out of the Nebula. We detected your
life signs, and beamed you out seconds before it exploded."
"But how, how did we get out?" asked Riker.
"Well, since the tractor beam was useless in the Nebula, Data brought
the Enterprise in contact with the front of the Rickover and the resultant
force pushed the Rickover giving it momentum to escape the Nebula,"
explained the Captain. "Basically, we gave you a good shove. The
Enterprise suffered some damage as a result, but Data calculated this and
those sections affected were evacuated beforehand."
Riker paused a few seconds to take this in, and then said "What about
the rest of the away team?"
The Captain shook his head. "Geordi and Worf were pretty badly
injured as the Doctor noted, but they will pull through. What was still
attached to the other comm badges wasn't identifiable as .. human. I'm
sorry, Wil."
The Commander stared at the floor. He now remembered. Rushka,
Thomas, Barnes, Parks, Reeves--He had lost nearly his entire team. "And
those things? What about those things?"
"We're still not entirely sure, but Data thinks they are some kind of
energy-based life form," Picard explained. "They apparently feed on other
energy, and use dead bodies as hosts to find their food. They live in the
Nebula like we live in oxygen; remove them from it, and they die--or
rather, just disappear as in this case."
"Which would explain why phasers had no effect on them, and also what
happened to the dilithium crystals." Riker grabbed his chest. "I felt
one, I think. It was cold and heavy. It must have been feeding on my
energy which is why I was suddenly so weak. But it must have left me when
we got out of the Nebula."
The Captain gave an understanding nod, thinking about his own battle.
"Wil, did you get a chance to see the Rickover Logs? Can you tell us what
happened to her?"
The Commander shook his head. "No. We didn't have a chance to even
look for them. My guess is that most of the damage was done by phaser fire
when the crew first encountered those .. entities. The rest was probably
done by the creatures themselves, probably looking for energy--" he
shuddered, "--and people."
The Captain nodded. "We put up several warning beacons to warn other
ships, but not enough to cover all parts of it. The Federation will be
sending more ships to compensate for that, and perhaps study the Nebula
further."
"Study it?" The Commander was incredulous. "Are they crazy? You
heard my logs, they should stay as FAR away from it as possible!"
"As this is a possible new life form, Starfleet feels further study is
justified." Picard frowned. "They insist that, now that they know what
to expect, they will take every precaution."
"You need to stop talking and get some rest, Jean-Luc," said the
Doctor. She looked over at Riker. "Both of you,"
"Rest?" The Commander now noticed the bandage on the Captain's upper
arm. "What happened to you?"
"Oh, nothing," said the Captain as he leaned back into the bed. "Just
a scratch."
(to be continued...)
*** Martin, Annapolis MD, USA (BBS: 410-626-7854) ***
* SLMR 2.1a * I was in a band once where I played the radio
Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative
Subject: NOTNG [14/14]
From: martin.richardson@delta.com (Martin Richardson)
Path: newserv.ksu.ksu.edu!moe.ksu.ksu.edu!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!uhog.mit.edu!news.kei.com!eff!news.duke.edu!concert!deltacom!martin.richardson
Distribution: world
Message-ID: <ac.4151.2128.0N0E2A16@delta.com>
Date: Tue, 23 Aug 94 11:03:00 -0500
Organization: deltaComm Online :: 919-481-9399 v.32bis
Lines: 57
nIGHT oF tHE nEXT gENERATION
By Martin Richardson
* DISCLAIMER *
This may turn a few stomachs so please feel free not to
read if you are squeamish...
EPILOGUE
Captain Picard stood by the window of his ready room, staring out into
space. Stars blurred by in a kalidascope of color patterns as the ship
sped along at warp 5.
The encounter had shaken him up. Badly. Even more so then when he
had been assimilated by the Borg. He still had that cold feeling, and knew
it would never go away; something he would have to get used to for the rest
of his life, but he would hide it, just like he always did.
Yes the Rickover incident had indeed shaken him up, but even more
disturbing was Data's report.
The android had combined his analysis of the Hiaratu Nebula with that
the Federation had been maintaining and had come to a conclusion.
The Nebula was expanding.
The door chirp brought him out of his trance.
"Come!" he barked, without turning.
The ready-room door slid open and Riker walked in. He was still
favoring his right arm, and had it cradled against his stomach. With his
left hand he dropped the report he had made of the incident on the
Captain's desk.
"...and the dead shall walk the Earth," Picard muttered.
"Sir?" Riker looked up at him. Picard turned to face his first
officer.
"Something I read, long ago," he said. "Number one, do you believe in
the apocalypse?"
"The universe ending all at once? Fire and brimstone, that kind of
stuff?" His brow furrowed. "You don't think..."
"No, no," sighed the Captain as he turned back to the window. "I'm
sure Federation scientists will figure something out."
Riker didn't like the sound of the Captain's voice, and knew at once
that he was lying, but didn't say anything.
"Yes sir, I'm sure they will," The commander turned and exited the
room.
Picard continued to stare out into space.
"Computer, increase room temperature by 2.5 degrees," he ordered.
After a moments pause, he smiled. As if that was going to change anything,
he thought. It was going to get very cold in the next couple of years.
Very cold indeed.
* * *
Well, that's it. From the twisted mind of Martin. Sequel? (Dawn of
the Next Generation? Big mall in space. Hmm, I guess there's DS9...)
Well, I did leave it open ended, but who knows. (Who want's to? Any
takers?)
We'll see if I have any more time to waste... <-8
*** Martin, Annapolis MD, USA (BBS: 410-626-7854) ***
* SLMR 2.1a * I try to avoid using cliche's like the plague
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