The Continuing Story of Deep Space 2: Page 92
SETTING: The Operations Centre aboard DS-2, two strange messages
coming in at almost the same time, all heck breaking loose as they
did:
ADMIRAL ARTHUR (the message concerning Denorado, its vanished
population, having just been heard... the distress call from the
Alice Cooper-B just moments away): "If any of you have any idea or
have any experience in the past in your universe about what is going
on here, I surely like to hear about it".
FRANCES (quite amazed, confused): "I regret saying so, but I can't
think of anything back home even coming close to what we just
heard... 'Denorado', wasn't it?? As far as Terran herstory back home
is concerned, there was the end of World War III on October 27th,
2038 A.D. -- a population of..."
MACCS AVAAT (objecting, but respectful about it): "Sorry, Ma'am, but
the end of W.W. III involved a known cause -- the 'Lions' -- whereas
the situation here sounds more to me like a mass kidnapping of sorts
involving teleportation technology, or what they call 'transporters'
in this universe. Hard to imagine anyone being able to 'pull-off'
such a feat, or why they'd even want to".
FRANCES (responding first to Maccs, then Admiral Arthur: "Agreed,
Maccs. So unless Master Karn, Prince Roshi, and/or Ms. Ewok
perchance know of some simular event occuring in their own universe,
I'm afraid we can't help by way of relating to you any comparable
incident occurring Womankind's own herstory back home. Once again,
Admiral, I apologize".
KARN (the distress call from the Alice Cooper-B having just been
received, Admiral Arthur inviting the crew from Starchild passage
aboard the USS Strike): "Seems to me the best way we could help you
defend this 'Alice Cooper-B' of yours, Admiral Arthur, would be for
Admiral Straker, myself, and Lt. Katz to accompany you aboard
Warbird One -- the Strike and my joining up together at the actual
site of battle... with Admiral Straker's permission, that is".
FRANCES: "Excellent suggestion, Master Karn. Permission granted.
With three-against-one, it sounds like this Alice Cooper-B of yours
could use all the support it can get. And as for the incident
involving the planet Denorado, I agree with Admiral Arthur that the
Alice Cooper-B should be our first priority -- the Denorado incident
already a 'done deal', no way now to help its missing population
other than an investigation of what actually happened after the
fact".
MACCS AVAAT; "Agreed, Ma'am, and... in light of all that... may I
suggest Sarah, Prince Roshi, and I in 'True Form' follow you there
should the Alice Cooper-B needs additional help after the battle as
well as during".
FRANCES (sounding desicive): "Agreed, Maccs. In the meantime Karn,
Lt. Katz, and I will meet both you and the USS Strike there aboard
Warbird. Let's go".
"Actually Admiral Frances, I read in some of Maccs files when we were
in the alternate universe, that on Earth there too have been
unexplained disappearances-- the mystery of the Lost Colony of
Roanoke, Virginia and more well known stories of the disappearance of
Atlantis. Even after all these centuries the humans still argue about
what accounted for the sudden absense of all dinasours after existing
for countless years when Earth was evolving." said Sarah.
Maccs Avaat listened, the avatar expressing with its smile the humour its actual starship self felt listening to Sarah address Admiral Straker -- Maccs telling himself at the same time, however, not to forget to inform Sarah that... in his universe/reality at least... Womankind learned what, indeed, wiped out all the dinosaurs some 65,500,000 years ago. And as Frances likewise conceeded "defeat" with good-humoured grace all her own, confessing that Sarah indeed had a valid point -- Admiral Straker likewise impressed with how much the enigmatic Sarah Ewok had learned already from "Young" Maccs Starchild's rather extensive database aboard himself -- starting to wonder how advanced in intellect these little Ewok really were despite what Karn assured her was a primitive technology back on the Ewok home world; a moon- world Karn called "Endor"... Maybe Karn was right about the Ewok of Endor being a primitive species when it came to their outward technology; the mere physical, outward, examples of sentient existence such as computers, spacecraft, subspace & ultraspace travel, etc...; Frances likewise couldn't help now, but wonder how much of that was due to something lacking on Endor itself (i.e.: the physical raw materials needed for technical development such as certain metals, radioactive power sources, etc...) rather than anything lacking in the Ewok themselves... In fact, if Sarah was a typical example of the average intelligence her species did indeed possess, Frances couldn't help but wonder what kind of civilization the Ewok might be capable of in comparison to Womankind back home had Sarah's people only the material resources with which to advance in the realm of physical technology. Even Sarah's ability to grasp the main concept behind the "Theory of Evolution" despite what Frances gathered from Maccs was a shamanistic, tribal, belief system on the part of the Ewok suggested a species in possession of an otherwise flexible, expansive, and investigative intelligence able to accept new concepts... Nor did it matter to Frances that the so-called "Theory of Evolution" was proven back home to be pure bunk... more
a "fantastical religion" than an actual science in itself... as
early as the late 20th century -- the very fact that Sarah took the time to study it, to examine the very concept while coming from what
Frances understood to be a very different cultural viewpoint,
suggested to Frances that there was much more to the Ewok people
than meets the eye... Yet, even so, Frances realized as well that this wasn't the proper time to indulge in such philosophical musings... more pressing matters at the present time to worry about... both she, Karn, and Lt. Katz making their way back to the DS-2 hangar bay where Karn's "Warbird" waited all this time for their eventual return -- a cavalry charge as it were in aid of yet another ship already under attack. However, considering nevertheless all the above, maybe that was why she turned to Sarah, placing her in command of Young Maccs Starchild until Frances said otherwise -- leaving Sarah in charge of Maccs until able to resume command of Starchild herself -- suggesting at the same time to Prince Roshi he pilot his own ship, "Guardian1", into battle once Starchild reached the destined rendezvous point with both the USS Strike and Warbird1.
Stunned, not knowing what to say in reply, Sarah didn't have much a
chance to say anything in reply anyway. Maccs already teleporting
her, Prince Roshi, and the avatar back aboard himself before she
could lodge any possible protest: Maccs setting course for their
final destination behind the USS Strike, following in its wake close
behind the smaller vessel as if tailgating the smaller ship.
"Well, 'Acting Admiral' Ewok, you might as well report to the
bridge", Maccs advised Sarah upon their materialization in
Starchild's own hangar bay, Young Maccs Starchild appearing
otherwise quite sanguine with Frances' decision to place Sarah in
command:
"Until Fleet Admiral Straker resumes again command of me, I guess
her command chair on my bridge is rightfully yours".
Then, understanding that Sarah might be a wee bit anxious about her
new (albeit temporary) post as Starchild's new C.O., Maccs laughed
in an affectionate. almost fatherly. manner:
"Don't worry, Admiral Ewok, I'm very 'user friendly'".
Nor was it all that long after Sarah found herself back aboard
Starchild, Frances likewise found herself at Karn and Lt. Katz's
side aboard "Warbird-1" -- Karn piloting Warbird out of the DS-2
hangar bay where it was docked, its course provided already by
Admiral Arthur and his people aboard DS-2. And as Frances watched from her position in Warbird's cockpit both Starchild and the USS Strike depart as well on their way to help the outnumbered Alice Cooper-B -- Warbird entered hyperspace at about the same time, the other two ships employing a different means of travel altogether. While the small crew of the USS Strike entered the bridge Arthur
contacted Colonel Theys, asking him for an update him about the
situation. Theys, an experienced Starfleet Marine realized that USS
Strike was not battle tested yet. Therefore he ordered to leave the Denorado system and speed up to the coordinates of the USS Alice Cooper-B. At the same time the USS Strike left Deep Space 2 space dock, a message was sent to Captain Keuleers in command of the USS Gandhi currently on deep space mission. The helm 'droid reported.
"Admiral we can use only two jump points to reach USS Alice Cooper-B
The voyage will take 7 minutes."
"7 minutes? That battle can be over in 7 seconds. Get us there."
There was silence on the bridge. Then Lieutenant Maserino had some
kind of objection.
"Sir, what is this droid talk about? What does it mean; jump points,
sir?"
"Don't you read any manuals Lieutenant? This ship does not have a
warp engine. This ship uses the electrical and gravitational forces
in the galaxy to travel faster than light. It jumps through space
from one point to another, based on positions of black holes and
large stars. And yes... it folds space a little too..."
Lieutenant Maserino retreated with a bit ashamed. Slowly he turned
to one of the consoles and started reading. He only had a few
minutes to get it done.. And just when he understood the basics of this ship, the helm droid announced they had arrived at the battle scene, both Starchild and Warbird arriving in close procession behind the USS Strike -- Maccs reconfiguring himself at the last moment to employ the same method of interstellar travel. ultradrive having a couple of drawbacks as well as its positive aspects. Maccs' reconfiguration more a matter of composing a new program application for pre-existing onboard technology as opposed to a physical remodifying of actual, internal, "hardware" mechanisms. And as all three rescue ships reached the battle site in question, it was apparent to all concerned that the USS Alice Cooper-B was indeed in trouble, three alien craft of unknown origin already surrounding the Alice Cooper-B in a pincer move -- all three attack craft of a type and make neither Admiral Arthur, or those aboard either Starchild, or Warbird recognized -- all three enemy craft truly alien to both the Alice Cooper-B and all those arriving on the scene in order to help save the Alice Cooper-B. And noting the arrival of the three friendly craft there to assist him -- the USS Strike, Warbird, ad Young Maccs Starchild -- it wasn't long after that that Captain Raz Kalee received a communiqué from Admiral Arthur announcing their purpose there in answer to the Alice Cooper-B's recent distress call. However before Raz had a fair chance to thank Admiral Arthur for his timely arrival, all three attacking craft opened fire yet again in hopes of bringing down the Alice Cooper-B's metaphasic shields, the shields already beginning to weaken.
"Captain, all power to the forward shields are down now 50 percent.
aft shields likewise beginning to give way", Gav Tiral, Chief of
Security aboard the Alice Cooper-B, informed Captain Kalee from his
security post on the bridge -- his warning backed up by Chief
Engineer Jelana Frankel-Stangya at her own command post on the
bridge -- Cmdr. Alice V.F. Cooper the 7th, Captain Kalee's Chief of Operations, alerting everyone of an even more serious problem in the
making.
"Captain, I've just received word from Security forces below decks
that an invasion party consisting of several armed individuals has
just beamed aboard ship from the alien hostile attacking us off our starboard bow", Alice #7 informed Raz Kalee, his voice betraying
both concern and confusion seeming a bit odd. even out-of-place.
given his obvious Vulcan heritage.
"They seem to be making their way to deck 13, security personnel
already engaging them in open combat", he added.