Season II: Damage
Episode One
Pok took the shuttle Asogi II out to survey the external hull of the Johnson. The damage was – bad enough. He sighed and moved the shuttle aft. Damage was – bad enough.
Chiita’s voice came over the speakers, “Well Pok, what’s the assessment?”
Pok wanted to say, “Oh dear oh dear.” Instead, “Nothing that requires dry-docking us, Sir.”
Silence.
“Sir?”
“Pok, I was waiting for the other shoe.”
The Tellerite sighed then said, “Around the clock, maybe, a week.”
Chiita replied, “Understood. We have a new assignment from Starfleet that’ll work nicely into the repairs. You’ll have two weeks. Chiita out.”
Pok relaxed. The Captain was in a good mood and there was nothing better, except seeing Kar’nl’s smile. After several more minutes Pok flew the shuttle back on board the Johnson. He stepped out preoccupied. Two weeks the Captain said. That really meant his staff had three days. He searched the knot of engineers working in the background. “Kelly!” He called out.
A Terran male was working on the Captain’s personal warp cycle. He looked up, “Yes, sir?”
Pok walked over to the Lieutenant. “We got work ahead of us. Serious work. Meeting in one hour.”
The Lieutenant nodded, turned, and left.
Pok considered his options and with a long face walked out the Hangar bay. This hour would probably be his last free one in a week. He found his way to the nearest turbo lift. “Holodeck, please.”
The computer beeped and Pok felt the familiar acceleration and deceleration of the lift. When the doors opened his heart pounded with anticipation. He always had a guilty feeling when he ran this particular program. It was his favorite and most often used. When he reached one of the Holodeck rooms he said, “Computer, run Mike Yankee Sierra Indio Kilo program please. Lockout protocols in place as usual.”
The computer beeped and the doors opened.
***
“Good Evening, Colonel Pok,” His Personal Aide said. Pok walked into the large and lavish mansion on his home planet. He stepped through the large foyer and handed his jacket to the Aide. “The President is waiting for your advice. I told him that you had just returned from the Outlands and crushed another rebellion. How long shall I have him wait?”
Pok smiled. “Tell the President I’ll talk to him in thirty minutes. I have other important matters to attend to.”
His Personal Aide bowed, “Very good, Sir. I shall. Oh, by the way, Sir. Your company is waiting by the pool.”
Pok smiled and walked out the building into an enormous open area. He spotted his guest and smiled. Kar’nl was sunbathing nude. He became aroused when he saw her perfectly shaped Terran female body lying in the sun.
She turned her head and smiled when she saw him walking toward her. She jumped up, ran to him, and flung her arms around him when she was close enough. “Oh, Pok, how I missed my Warrior!” she said. “Can you spend some time with me today?”
Pok smiled. This was his favorite program. “Of course, my sweetness. After I talk to the President we’ll be able to spend some time together.”
Her lower lip stuck out in a pout and quivered a little.
He reached up and kissed it. “No pouting. Daddy has a few moments he can spare.”
Kar’nl smiled and jiggled from joy.
“Computer, music please, ‘Spanish Guitar.’”
The computer beeped and a sauntering piece of vocal played in the background. “Dance for your Pok.”
Kar’nl expression turned serious and she swayed and guided her body to the rhythm of the music. She sang the lines and Pok sat on the blanket Kar’nl had sunbathed on. A breeze waft up her sweet scent and he inhaled deeply. He slipped out of his uniform and laid them next to the blanket. “Come to me,” he commanded.
She did. Playfully reluctantly at first, but she loved teasing him, if ever so slightly.
He stretched out and growled softly.
She purred and dropped to her hands and knees and slowly, seductively crawled toward him.
This was indeed his favorite program. He had twenty minutes to enjoy this part. More than enough time.
***
Pok sighed heavily. “I can’t sleep and when I do I have nightmares.”
Landers sat and listened to Pok. She already knew what was wrong with him. She just wanted him to understand it, needed him to understand actually. Admittedly, this was an iffy situation. Pok was sick all right, love sick. She had an idea who the object of his desire was, and she also had a feeling as to how far he had gone – she had access to the Holodeck logs. It would have been in her professional capacity to get a summary of each program but she respected the crew’s privacy. That was basically all she had with them –an element of trust that all their deepest and, sometimes, troubling desires and thoughts would stay with them. Or with her, once they decided to tell her. There were some very troubled individuals on this ship. “Okay, Pok, tell me about your last dream.”
“I’m falling down a deep dark humid hole. The walls seem to be very wet and I can’t stop. I want to continue falling but I’m afraid I’ll get hurt when I reach the bottom. I want to fall forever –“
In a perverted sense, she enjoyed the little insights and tidbits someone in her position could only get. She nodded to herself. Yes, their deepest and sometimes troubling desires and thoughts. Pok had it bad. “Go on,” Landers said, “I’m listening.”
* * *
Litchen rolled over and placed his arm around the figure underneath the covers. The Captain gave all the cadets a day off. So he and his companion decided to spend a romantic day on her home planet, Gornniska. They were on the volcanic zone of the planet. He didn’t mind as he was looking forward to the famed beaches and hot steamy surf. The figure moved and poked her head from the cover. She yawned and giggled. “That was nice,” she said, “You have strength to do it again?”
Litchen laughed and moved himself closer. Of all the things he liked about Gr’eel it was the way she made him laugh. She had a very good sense of humor actually. And she was much more relaxed than Stephanie. “Yeah, I got the strength,” he said. She giggled and threw the covers over both their heads.
***
Cot sat in the garden and watched the engineering team patch up pieces of wall and glass. The firefight against the Darkness Traveler had been fierce. Luckily, thought Cot, the Captain was a better Tactician than the look-alike. He heard a noise over his shoulder. It was the Hu-man female Stephanie. Something had been bothering her and she seemed to have extreme mood swings. Who needed that? Hu-mans were so – so – so different sometimes. He got over his bigotry quick enough but it still felt strange to see fully clothed females. It was equally strange that some of them would hold key positions. He secretly thought the Captain was doing them all. Why else would he have some many in those positions? You’re the Man Scar’an. But Stephanie said something. He looked up, “Yes, Stephanie, I was day dreaming.”
She frowned briefly. “Anything, worth talking about?”
“It depends, you like sex?”
Her face twisted up in disgust.
He laughed, “Not you Hu-man, to me you’re rather ug-ly –“
“I am not!”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever.”
She huffed and turned her back.
“Hey, you asked what I was daydreaming about.”
She looked over her shoulder, “Worth talking about, I said, worth talking about.”
Cot thought about how he wanted to reply. “I always wanted to ask –“
Stephanie turned completely around and relaxed her shoulders. “What?”
“Why are you such a bitch most of the time?”
Stephanie’s face dropped and she tightened her jaw and walked off.
Cot laughed to himself and turned his attention back to the Engineering crew. He let his mind drift – yeah the Captain is probably doing them all. I want to be a captain one day.
***
Se’eee enjoyed this program. He could swim any sea he desired. Anywhere. “Computer,” he said, “The waves of Korgoscon, please.”
The surrounding changed and Se’eee found him self surrounded with yellow tinted water. The sulfur irritated his gills a bit but he didn’t care. This is what he most wanted to do. Swim the oceans of every world they encountered. He arched his back to reposition himself in the water and did a powerful kick. Se’eee jetted forward and glided toward the base of the ocean. The continental plate edge was behind him in minutes and he swam harder and harder, going deeper and deeper. The bottom was within reach and he kicked all the harder. Closer and closer, then – there he made it to the bottom, eight thousand feet below the surface. He looked around and marveled that the computer was able to replicate so much. “If I could do this forever --” was his thought as he darted along the bottom effortlessly.
***
T’Irs eyed the board carefully. “My Husband, a most impressive run of the board. I am impressed.”
Chiita sat back and grinned.
“– however, the game is over. Check mate.”
The grin vanished. Defeated – again. “One day T’Irs I’ll win consistently.”
T’Irs nodded, “I am certain of the My Husband. One more game?”
Chiita smiled and nodded.
That was pretty much how it went.
* * *
A Good Day To Cry
Pok walked onto the bridge and sat at his duty station. He kept looking at Kar’nl. When she would turn her head he would look away and act like he was doing something. After the seventh time Kar’nl got up and walked over to Pok. He had been facing the control panel and hadn’t noticed.
“Pok!”
He nearly jumped out the chair. “What?!”
“Why are you staring at me?”
He looked surprised and shocked. “Me? Now that would be rude. I would –“
“Too do such a thing.” She finished.
He remembered what the Counselor told him. He was lovesick and he had to get it out in the open. Rejection or acceptance. Once he got it out she said he would feel better.
“Okay, sorry, I was looking. I –“
She frowned, “Yes?”
“Can we talk some place?”
Kar’nl looked at Lant. She was up close to the main view screen. Without turning she said, “One hour.”
***
Pok took Kar’nl to the Arboretum. He walked her over to his favorite area and stopped in front of a Bird of Paradise. He hadn’t really thought this through. What was he going to say now that she gave him the chance? He stared at the plant for a moment.
Kar’nl, at first, started getting impatient. She looked at the flower, then Pok, then the flower again. It was a Bird of Paradise. Nothing special. She’d seen many back home. They were all over the place. More like a weed, she thought. Then she looked around and noticed the lack of the weed. Pok brought her to the only one on the ship. It dawned on her that his was the only one in this part of the galaxy. She looked at Pok and her expression softened. “Pok, it’s beautiful.”
He smiled. “A friend owed me a favor and he paid up.”
“Must’ve been some favor.”
He nodded. “Kar’nl, I – I –“
Ah! She got it. It hit her like a phaser. Pok called in a big favor to get a stupid plant. For her! He never asked. Anger started to boil up inside her. She reached down and grabbed the plant by its neck.
“What are you doing?” Pok screamed.
She growled and yanked hard. The plant refused to be thrown from its home. She yanked again and the plant gave a little.
Pok grabbed at her arms. “Kar’nl! What are you doing?”
“Shuddup!” She screamed and yanked again. “Not without my permission!”
“But Kar’nl, I only did this because I love you!”
Kar’nl stopped. The plant halfway uprooted, the stem broken. She stared at him. “What did you say?”
He looked down, then quickly looked up. “I love you.”
“I thought that’s what you said.” She looked down at the broken plant. “Sorry about the plant. Really. We can talk later. Okay?” She put on her Vulcan mask and shut down her emotions.
Pok’s heart sank. He was being rejected. He only nodded.
Minutes later both were back on the bridge – busy doing other things.
Lant noted the change and decided that today was a good day to cry – at least for Pok. He was the more sensitive of the two.
The Johnson was motionless just outside the Wormhole’s event horizon. The ship had arrived the previous day and was now settling in for a series of scientific studies. Starfleet designated it as a Mystique class wormhole. Once every hundred years a thousand similar wormholes open simultaneously. The reason was still unknown, but speculation had run the field from ancient race to magic to the Preservers. The only information that Starfleet was sure of was that the Wormholes appearances were by design. No known natural occurrence operated on this scale. The Johnson’s job was to study this anomaly of the anomaly.
“My Husband, that makes ten –“
“To my three,” Chiita interrupted.
T’Irs nodded. “Yes it does. Are you bored?”
Chiita shook his head. The fact that he was enjoying himself gave him the giggles.
T’Irs asked, “What is it, My Husband?”
“I’m enjoying a game of chess.”
She raised an eyebrow.
Chiita smiled, “I would have never thought it –“ he searched for a word.
“Enjoyable?” T’Irs answered.
“I suppose that is as good as any.”
“I am finding these games stimulating, however, I am not quite sure if you would like to continue. We have played thirteen games without a break and I –“ She stopped and stared at Chiita.
His eyes were unfocused.
“Are you okay My Husband?”
***
Stephanie and Cot had been assignment external panel repair. Pok had personally given the cadets detailed instructions on what and what not to do. “Hand me the plasma torch,” which was in the not to do category.
“Cot, Pok said only use the torch once we latch the interlocking bolts.”
“Yes, I know.”
“And you can’t easily lock the bolts from inside --”
“Yes, I know.”
“– And if that is what you are planning. I –“
“Yes, I know.”
Stephanie stopped talking and thought for a few seconds. “What do you know?”
“Hand me the plasma torch, please.”
“First, tell me what do you know?”
“Hand me the torch please.”
Stephanie frowned. Cot was the least favorite of all the cadets. He was cocky, arrogant, boastful, selfish, and short. The only other two people she could talk to was Litchen and T’Irs. She liked Gr’eel alright, but looking into her eyes made her feel uneasy. Most of the time. And then there was the sneaking around Litchen and Gr’eel did. The two of them – sexing. Disgusting. Totally.
“Hand me the torch please.”
“No!”
Cot looked up from securing a bolt. “Excuse me?”
“I said, ‘no!’ Pok wants us to use the torch after we secure all the bolts.”
Cot sighed loudly. “Okay, okay, I’ll tell you what I know.”
Stephanie said, “Yes?”
“You’re a silly bitch. Now give me the plasma torch! I have to cut the top off this bolt. It won’t move.”
Lant cut in, “Cut the chatter, or switch to privacy mode.”
Cot replied, “D’oh!” He heard the Captain say it once and he thought it was neat.
The two cadets remained quiet for the next few seconds.
It was Stephanie who saw it first. The wormhole was hanging off to the left top of the Johnson. A bright flash came from the hole.
“Did you – Johnson, did you see that?”
“We saw it cadet. The two of you back inside. Quickly.”
The two started collecting the tools when Lant snapped, “Screw the tools. They we can replace. Move it cadets. Fast!”
***
Alarms went off on the bridge. Readouts went wild. Lant snapped out, “Report!”
One of the scientist yelled over the alarms, “The wormhole’s event horizon expanded. We got hit by a wave of bosons.”
Lant asked, “Radiation?”
“Only white light.”
“Cadets! Are you in yet?”
Stephanie and Cot had worked their way to the opposite site of a large tear in the Johnson’s hull. The hatch was on the other side.
“Almost there, Commander, we –“
Then the Johnson lurched forward.
***
“What is troubling you?” T’Irs asked for the third time.
Chiita realized he had been holding his breath. He let it out and said, “Terrible.”
The Johnson lurched forward and the Alarm went off.
Lant’s voice came over the intercom. “Red Alert, red alert. This is not a boring drill, people. This is the real deal. Report to your duty stations. Repeat --” And she did.
Chiita’s eyes refocused and he leaned forward to give T’Irs a kiss on the forehead.
T’Irs met him half way.
“See you in a few,” He said. Chiita never saw T’Irs nod. He was out the door and into the nearest turbo lift. “Bridge,” he said.
The lift accelerated then suddenly stopped. Just before Chiita slammed into the doors the lift accelerated again tossing him back against the wall. Several seconds later it stopped and the doors opened to Bridge chatter.
Lant smoothly got up from the seat and Chiita quickly slid in.
“Assessment, please,” he said.
“The Wormhole’s event horizon expanded and bathed us with harmless radiation. We have two cadets outside coming in –“
The Johnson lurched again and the Wormhole’s mouth started to grow larger.
Lant yelled out, “Full reverse!”
Ensign Anderson tapped at the forward thrust control. Then he tapped at the full reverse control. “Sorry, Ma’am.”
Lant said, “Add auxiliary thrusters – throw rocks!”
Chiita hit the comm button, “Pok! Are the cadets in?”
“No, Sir. We’re in rescue mode. One slipped off the hull.”
“Beam them in.”
“Tried, Sir. Can’t get a solid lock. Too much Gravity fluctuation.”
Over the intercom Chiita heard Cranston’s voice. “Already on a cycle. Launching now.”
***
Cranston tapped the open code for the hangar doors. The opening was barely wide enough when he tapped the accelerate button. The cycle surged forward and shot out the opening. He swung the cycle around in time to see the Johnson swing around to face away from the Wormhole.
***
The Johnson lurched again and her magnetic boot connection disengaged. The Johnson hit reverse thrusters and Stephanie quickly drifted away. Cot spotted a tether ring and swiftly pulled one of the safety cords attached to his belt. He clamped the head to the ring and launched himself toward her.
She yelled, “What are you doing?”
“Being the hero again.”
He came straight at her at high-speed.
She yelled, “Idiot! You’re gonna –“
And he hit with full force. He grabbed her and held on tight. He said, “Grab me before the line goes taunt!”
She did just as the line yanked hard.
The Johnson hit full auxiliary thrusters and the line snapped.
The two started drifting away.
“That was dumb,” Stephanie said.
“And you’re still a silly bitch.”
***
Cranston spotted the cadets and zipped toward them. He slowed the cycle down and drifted close. “Need a ride?”
Cot said, “I do, Sir. The cadet here found another ride.” He pointed to the Wormhole.
“Ha ha!”
“Clamp on and let’s get out of here.”
Stephanie snapped her line to the side of the bike. Cot yanked on the second line and clamped onto the other side.
After several seconds Cot asked, “Sir, we’re not moving.”
“It’s the Lobes, right? Two gold stars for you Cadet.” Cranston tapped out full power. Then he tapped the Warp button. The computer display flashed ‘Warp offline. Cannot maintain a warp field.’ “Johnson, this is Cranston. We need assistance.”
Chiita watched the whole thing play out. He wondered if a shuttle would have been better idea, but thought the outcome may have been the saw. The only difference would be that the Shuttle could ride out the crushing gravity forces of the wormhole.
Kar’nl said, “Sir, they’re getting close to the point of no return.”
Chiita nodded. “Anderson, any luck?”
“No Sir. The best I can do is slow the evitable.”
Chiita nodded again. “Do you think you can catch them at high-speed.”
Anderson considered it. “50-50, Sir.”
Chiita sat back and said, “Reginald?”
The Johnson’s avatar appeared on the main view screen. “Yes, Chiita?”
“You’ve been listening?”
Reginald nodded. “I can do it. I was just waiting for you to ask.” The avatar smiled.
Chiita took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He hit the intercom button. “All hands, all hands, collision alert. Prepare for collision. Hangar bay, incoming. High-speed. Setup dampening fields. Signal when ready.”
A few seconds later Pok’s sad voice came through. “Ready.”
Chiita held his breath again. “Reginald – make it so.”
The Avatar winked out.
***
Cranston saw the hangar bay doors open. He swallowed hard. Then he said, “Do you guys have any last thoughts?”
Cot said, “Why?” Then he noticed the doors.
Johnson rushed toward them.
“Oh, My Deity!”
Stephanie screamed!