The Continuing Story of Deep Space 2: Page 107
SETTING: Just after talking to Dr. Vergal but before Lt. Cmdr.
Stangya recovers in Sickbay Frances finds Karn and Sarah (and Ernie
with her) together in the Alice Cooper-B's 10-Forward, the two
(three) of them sitting at a corner table (talking and drinking) -
Frances overhearing the last of what Sarah had to say when Frances
decides to join them:
FRANCES (appearing to somewhat disturbed, shaken up, sounding
uncharacteristically subdued, and acting strange since they all
talked to Dr. Vergal in his cell): "Mind if I join you two?" <<>> "Sorry. the three
of you that is".
KARN: "Of course Admiral. Care for a drink?"
FRANCES (taking a seat, sounding a bit distracted): "No. no thank
you, Master Karn. I think not".
SARAH (addressing Frances straightaway): "I was just telling Karn
that it's like I said before -- for someone (Dr. Vergal) who claimed
he wasn't going to say another word sure did a lot of talking. Did
anyone else pick up on the stuff he voluntarily managed to reveal
without realizing it? We know now there is someone above Dr. Vergal
so he is not the `ring leader'. Also his leader seems to be male and
Dr. Vergal isn't half as `clever' as he thinks if he wrongly assumes
our main goal is to bring his boss to justice. As the saying goes, if
they aren't playing by the rules, why should we. I think we should leave Dr. Vergal in solitary confinement, without any more questions, because a lack of any further interest might lead him to assume we have learned more on our own than we have. I doubt Dr. Vergal's ego
could take being ignored very long and his need to know what we are
up to will prompt him to probably start thinking more strongly about
his boss & common goals -- which will make it easier for Ernie to try
to pick up his thoughts".
FRANCES: "Maybe, Sarah, maybe. Sounds good to me. As it is I'm
starting to wonder if I should have also let Karn continue playing
his rather aggressive version of `this little piggy' with Dr. Vergal
back in Dr. Sybrek's quarters".
KARN (grinning, taking another sip of his drink): "Really? Maybe we
should visit him again and have a rematch".
SARAH (more serious): "Think Lt. Cmdr Tiral and Captain Kalee would
put us in the brig if we tried that again. So would Admiral Arthur".
FRANCES (to both, first Sarah then Karn): "Yep, guess so. Then again
I'd like to know where you (Karn) heard of `this little piggy' when
Maccs assures me you're from an alternity having in it no version of
Earth at all".
KARN: "Maccs, of course. Came across it among other items I was
browsing in his library room on deck S-6 back board him".
FRANCES (shaking her head, grinning): "Should have known. Figures
that Mother Goose would be in his memory banks, the
entire `Chronosphere' downloaded into him right from the very get-go-
- the entire collected knowledge of all Woomankind. Shows how off my
feed I'm feeling now to have forgotten that".
SARAH (Frances taking a cheroot from her pocket, lighting it, acting
somewhat out of it): "Yes, Admiral. Ernie could sense you were
disturbed by something Dr. Vergal said. 'Really shaken up' Ernie
said".
FRANCES: "Give that bat a cigar. Yep, I guess he's right. To be
precise it was what Vergal said about how his `Boss' would `. blot
out all those who stand in his way, outshine all those stars now
beyond us, making desolate all those former gods before him".
KARN: "Wouldn't pay much attention to all that. Sounds like another
puffed-up egomaniac to me".
SARAH: "Agreed, but it sure shook up Ernie too".
FRANCES: "Don't blame the little guy even though I think it bothers
me for a different reason".
KARN: "Yes??"
FRANCES: "I can swear I heard something like that long ago, almost
word-for-word what Dr. Vergal said. Thing is I first read that quote
back home in the Commonwealth, something I read back in school as a
little girl in herstory class -- something someone really, really
nasty said about themselves far back in my own world's past -
something they said they'd do to anyone who got in their way".
KARN: "So who was it?"
FRANCES: "That's it Dear Laddie. For the life of me I can't remember.
It's as though I've got some mental block deep down inside refusing
to let me remember".
SARAH: "So why not ask Maccs if, as you say, he has everything about
your people inside him".
FRANCES (hating to even admit it): "Maybe, but I'm afraid to".
KARN: "Afraid he might not know?"
FRANCES: "No, Dear Laddie; afraid he WILL know. afraid he'll tell me.
Somehow I got a feeling I don't want to know".
SETTING: After Lt. Cmdr. Stangya wakes up, after Dr. Kaynizmyr orders
everyone out of sickbay, everyone out in the corridor beyond, Frances
overhearing Maccs Avaat moan in misery "Dear Lord, no. Not again".
FRANCES (guessing at what Maccs was referring to): "Okay, Maccs, what
do you know about `Starslayers'?"
Karn rolled over the events in his head as he finished his drink.
First arriving they detect an explosion in the future of an
incredible magnitude. Then they join up with a station that is a
little confused about where they are in the time space continum,
mainly manned by secret robots. Shortly after an entire race of
people just dissappears and MACCs darker family in law attacks.
Meanwhile all theseloose ends are tied together to some plotting
fanatics and an ancient device. It sounded familiar to stories he
had heard about many ancient Sith and Jedi legends.
Karn poured a shot of a strong drink he had discoverd in this
alternity called whiskey.
Could this ancient device be the cause of the time line changes that
have lead to the erasing of an entire civilazation? Did the Dr
activate it on orders from his "BOSS" and if so what does this "GOD"
want with changing the time line? Fanatics and self imposed
omnipotent were insane and umpredictable. Thats what makes them
dangerous.... And how did the Station or the Vice President tie into all of this? OR the other living ships for that matter. Why would they want to use the artifact? Or were they trying to protect us from it...?
Karn cleared his mind and let the shot down the hatch. The strong
drink burned slightly but left a satisfing tingly sensation in his
stomache and throat.
Karn wanted to hear about these star slayers.
At that moment Admiral Arthur and Colonel Theys were alone. The entire party had split up in their particular groups and Colonel Theys had taken the time to talk to his Commanding Officer.
"This is armegeddon isn't it? A disaster of ancient religious proportions, the end of civilization and all we know, maybe even the destruction of all life in this galaxy or beyond..."
"Colonel, did anyone ever told you you can be very dramatic. Where is the time you and I were in the tranches fighting the Cardassians... Some days it seemed we destroyed them all... At least we though we had. No Colonel, if we go down we will go down fighting or at least hunting this person down. Maybe a mind meld with a Vulcan and Dr. Vergal will reveal some things, but it is very well possible Dr. Vergal is brainwashed in shuch a way that even a mind meld won't give any answers. Besides we will have to leave that up to Captain Kalee and his security chief. The attack of Dr. Vergal was on his ship, it would not be... appropriate to take over. But the search for this star-slayer, whatever it is must be continued. I have made contact with Starfleet Command and all Starfleet ships and facilities are on the look out. One thing is sure, Dr. Vergal's leader hasn't got it as most likely these aliens have got it. I have the impression though that these aliens are the keepers... guards of this star-slayer. But I could be wrong."
"I hope not. My goodness and I destroyed one of them..."
And then it was silent for a moment. Both officers remembered the battle in which the USS Alice Cooper-B was attacked by living entities, which seemed to be starships...
"It was the logical consequence of the situation. One of our fellow ships was in need and was attacked. Don't blame yourself for anything. In our younger days we would have destroyed them all if we could, without any questions."
And Arthur and his friend remembered some vicious battles, where almost no rules had applied. The years had made them more... diplomatic. But what had to be done, would be done. Deep space 2 had some very intelligent spies abaord. They had already been set to work, but there was no result yet.
Unknown to Arthur and his entire crew, the droids aboard Deep Space 2 also were very busy in trying to find more about this star-slayer. It was not sure the Federation had information about this star-slayer, but entire histories of other species were checked, even the Borg...