Make It So 20

102 Pages·1994·3.6 MB·English

by  ScotPress

5cotprE55
CONTENTS
Time Out of Mind by Nina Lynch P 3
Captain Lerette has come lorward il1 time 85 years -and insisis on trying to
re/1InJ 'home' despite (he arglJlnctJls of the Enterprise crm'
Hidden Feeiings by Helen Connor r 4:)
The Closet Officer by Nola Frame-Gray r -!4
A Health Inspectioll tllms up all irregulari~/ in Data' 5 quarters ... (AIU sforyi
We're Back by Helen Connor r 60
Picking Up the Pieces by Margaret Connor P 61
Messenger by Sandra Edge P 62
The [ntelprisl? is Sf/It to check m a warril1g piallet.
Lutan by Margaret Connor P 69
A Bloody Revenge by Jenny Howsam P 7i)
No Place for the Innocent by Sean Christie P '7'1
A distress call is cancelled .. bllt thills,'S 011 Veitae II are jar from afl riShf ..
Illos C<1ile \lIlood -Cover
Ruth Mellor -P 2
Nola Frame-Gray -P 51
A ScoTpress publication
Editor Sheila Clark
*
Typing - Sheila Clark, Sandra Edge, Sara jackson, Fiona MacDonald, Carol Slerenberg,
Maggie Symon
Proofreading -janet Quarton, Sheila Clark & Valerie Piacentini
Printing of Masters -Janet Quarton
Printing -Urban Print, 57 Perth Road, Dundee.
Distracting -Shona and Cindy
MAKE IT SO 20 is put out by ScoTpress and is available from-
Sheila Clark
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© ScoTpress February 1994. All rights are reserved to the writers and artists. Anyone wishing
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STAR TREK material.
ScoTpress -Sheila Clark, Valerie Piacentini, janet Quarton & Shona
\
0\
3
TIMF. OUT OF MI/\ID
by
Nina Lynch
Nothing puzzles me more than time and space:
and yet nothing troubles me less,
as I never think about them.
(Charles Lamb)
Captain's Log: "The Enterprise is ''I'm on my way." Picu.rd stI'ode oul
on its way to Trantious Delta for a of his quarters to the turbolift, thinking to
much needed shore leave after a himself, I hop:? that this is /'lot ill10ther Fcycl'Igi
nerve-racking few months. I attack. He entered the Bridge \vondering
expect it to be a very short R&R, as "vhy the red alert was always so loud.
Our last visit to this planet was Riker looked up from o';"er Wnrfs
overcast with bureaucracy and console, and began to brief the Captain.
hostility from the very officious
leader. I wish there was another "Something just appeared in front of
planet nearby with facilities as the Enterprise; the computer caused lhe
good. To make matters worse, ship to come to a standstill and so
Starfleet has ordered that the preven ted a head-on collision. Geordi has
Enterprise be used to transport a gone down to Engineering to see if any
diplomatic entourage from damage has been done by such c1 rapid
Trantious Alpha to Trantious Delta deceleration."
containing the Vulcan Ambassador
who is to take over leadership, and Picard walked dmvn to his chair
a group of Trantiousian officials. and sat down slowly, gathering his
We are already delayed due to a thoughts. "Didn't any sensors pick it -
recent Ferengi attack, which win whatever it is -up earlier?" he asked.
not be wen received by the
Ambassador, who is known to be a "No Ci1ptain, it just nppeared." On!a
strict time~keeper." gave his aJ:1.':\wer while still studying the
computer reading. "But r can now tell you
what it is." He paused and seemed to be
"Red Alert. Red Alert." checking again.
Jean-Luc Picard's finger touched his "Well, Data, don't leave us in
communicator before the first red alert suspense." Picard tried not to let the
ended. irn.patience show in his yo ice.
"Captain to Bridge. What's going "Captain?" Data's voice heJd ,)
on?" question but, looking at the Captain, he
decided it was not the time to ask it. "It is
"Riker here, Captain. We are trying a shuttlecraft." Pressing a few buttons, he
to find the cause of the alert." asked, "Shall I put it on screen, sir?"
"Yes, Data." Picard rubbed his "Is the shu ttlecratt stable enough to
temples. "And shut off the red <dert." He withstand a transporter beam?" Riker was
looked at t-he vie'l·vscreen and stood up as gazing at the old shuttlecraft on the
if to get a. better picture. "What nrt earth viewscreen.
is that doing here?"
"Yes; according to the sensors the
The rest of the Bridge ere\v looked damage is superficial," replied Data.
at the screen. There, indeed, 'Ivas a
shuttlecraft, a Federation shuttlecraft, but "SickBay to Bridge," Dr Crusher'S
nothing like the ones on the Enterprise, voice came through the intercom.
and looking very much the worse [or
vvear. "Captain here; 'Ivhat is it, Doctor?"
'" t's got to be ul least u hundred "I am unable to determine \"/ha t
years old." Riker 'Ivaiked dmvn to join form of life those readings come from.
Picard. He turned to the <:!ndroid. "Di1ta?" Can Data give me any more information
regarding where the shuttlecraft came
"I am running the computer from?"
librmies to correctly identify it." D(1ta ran
thruugh the information of all previous Picard turned to Data, who nodded.
Federa lion shu ttlecraft. "Doctor, Data does indeed have more
information. vVe are bringing it on board.
'·Captain." Riker, you have the con. Data and Worf,
come with me. Doctor, we will meet you
Picard turned to \-VorL in hangar deck three."
"I am picking up faint life signs "On lny way. Crusher out."
from the shuttlecraft, but they are unlike
any I've seen - they are very erratic. 1 Riker was heard giving the orders
have transferred them dmvn to Sickbay." to bring aboard the old damaged
Wl.wi's permanent irown novv descended shuttlecraft as the turbolift doors closed
into a scowl. behind the three Bridge crew.
Picard turned to Data. "I---Iave you
found out (lny more aboll tit?"
As they entered the hangar
Data looked up frorn his console to deck, they noticed Dr Crusher, who was
Picard, "The shuttlecraft is from the USS standing with her medical team. All had
Endeavour. \1av 1 recollunend that it is scanners and tricorders trained on the
brought on board?" shuttlecraft. There was a confusion of
voices, all questions and no answers.
"Can't 'Ive just beam aboard any life
{nrrns?" Picard \vas reluctant tu bring it "Well, Dala, would you care to lell
on board. us what all this is about?" Picard spoke as
they crossed the hangar deck to meet the
"The life readings are very err8tic. Mhers.
G'In't get a iix on them, but Dr Crusher
shuuld be alerted, and a lnedical temn "85.87 years ago, a Federation
ought to be nearby," expl.ained DatZl. shuttlecraft called Prospector was on its
vvav to l)teet up with its mother ship, the
5
Endeavour. It contained five crew and so used the mind-sifter on them."
members who were returning from a
briefing on Space Station Z26," started "No glory would come to him using
Data. such means," growled Worf.
"That was very close to the Klingon "And it did not," replied Data. "He
Empire," Worf butted in. was so occupied with extracting
information that he travelled too far into
"Yes," continued Data, "but the Federation territory. All of a sudden CU1
Endeavour was an exploratory vessel, not explosion was seen by the nearby USS
a military one, and never ventured Kingsley, which had been alerted to the
anywhere' near the Neutral Zone between Prospector's disappearance, and the
the Space Station and the Empire. Z26 Klingon ship decloaked. Although it tried
was always -" to fight, it was defeated and boarded by
Captain Draysus from the Kingsley, \'\'ho
Picard held up his hand. "Data, we found all the Klingons dead."
don't want an intergalactic geography
lesson. Please try to keep to the matter in "At least they died fighting," put in
hand," he advised as he v.. ' alked slowly V\lorf.
round the Prospector.
"No, Worf, thev killed thenlselves
"Yes, Captain. On the shuttlecraft rather than s1..1rren"der or b,,' taken
was the Endeavour's commanding officer, prisoner by the Federation, but th('~y did
Captain Elenor Lerette, also First Officer not have time to destroy their ship, which
Lt Sovik, and three new crew members - had suffered severe damage."
Lt Drake and Ensigns Trean and Karol.
They had collected the new crew Picard now remembered \vhy the
members when they arrived at Station name Was familiar to him - a history
Z26 for a briefing, and were on their way lesson many years ago on Sta.rfle~t
back to the Endeavour to begin another legends - and so he continued. "On the
deep space scientific study, when the Klingon ship, as well as the dead
shuttlecraft suddenly disappeared, Klingons, Captain Draysus found four of
leaving no trace or indications as to its the shuttlecraft crew; the three new crew
whereabouts. The details of the follOwing dead from the effects of the mind-sifter
events are very disjointed, but it seems a and Lt Sovik, who appeared to have died
Klingon Captain seeking glory for from a brutal attack."
himself decided to enter Federation
territory and steal one of our ships." Dr Crusher came and stood next to
Picard. "Perhaps they knew the mind
The thought of a renegade Klingon sifter would have little effect on him as a
brought a low grunt from Worf, but Data Vulcan," she said, "so did they just kill
carried on. "He came in cloaked and the him for pleasure?" Her face showed
first craft he saw was the Prospector. He disbelief.
managed, somehow, to get the
shuttlecraft on board, then recloaked "We believe S0, Doctor," Data
before anyone could get a fix on him. To added, "but no trace of Captain Lerette or
reinstate himself as a warrior of the the shuttlecraft was found, although
Empire, he decided he would extract as according to the Klingon logs the Captain
much information from the shuttlecraft had been subjected to the mind-sifter."
crew about the Federation as he could,
6
"How come she did not die?" WorE "The effects of the mind~sifter
wanted to get the facts straight in his varied with everyone. It could kill or
mind. reduce the recipient to a quivering
madman, and although it did not have
"Captain Lerette looked Terran but much effect on a full Vulcan, the effect on
was, in fact, half Vulcan. The Klingons the Captain would depend on how
would think she was Human." Data dominant her Vulcan half is. I cannot tell
looked at Worf, then at Picard. you much more by taking readings
through a closed door." Dr Crusher
"C.:1rry on, D.:1t.:1." looked at Picard who signalled Data to
open the shuttlecraft door. Worf stood
"Th.:1nk you, Capt.:1in. It is genemlly close by, poised for action.
thought that Captain Lerette managed to
esci1pe somehow to the shuttlecraft and The shuttlecraft door opened; an
fired it straight out of the cloaking field, eerie silence fell on everyone in the
causing the explosion that resulted in the hangar deck. Inside the craft it was dark
Kingsley seeing the Kling-on ship, thus and quiet - no computer talking, no
ensuring .:1n .:1ttack. It has been held as a engines and no-one ranting or raving.
victorv for the Federation." Worf entered first, and called out,
"Doctor, I think you can pu t away the
Picard carried on with the history tranquilliser." Beverly entered the craft
lesson. "C,1ptain Lerette was presumed and took more readings. Picard and Data
de.:1d. It W.:1S at the beginning of the truce followed. Lying on the floor was an
between the Federation and the Empire unconscious female wearing a gold
that others were successful in completing. command ttmic and Captain's braids.
There has been no h'ace of Captain
Lerette or the Prospector until now. Can "Take her to Sickbay." Crusher'S
you give an expbnation as to why here voice was very matter-of-fact. "But keep a
and now, Data?" tranquilliser ready."
"The only explanation is time "\i\forf, please accompany them."
travel," replied Data.
"Yes, Captain."
"Do you think that Captain Lerette
is in that shuttlecraft?" Dr Crusher was Picard then turned to Data who was
taking more readings. absorbing all the history around him.
"Data." The Captain's voice was quiet,
"Highly probable, Doctor." almost a whisper, "Is that ~" He paused
as though he didn't believe his next
"The readings are very question ~ "Captain Lerette?" He watched
disorganised, but that may be a direct as Dr Crusher and her team took the
result of the mind-sifter." Beverly unconscious form to Sickbay.
Crusher stood by the door of the
shuttlecrait with a hypo full of "Yes, Captain." The full meaning of
tTanquilliser in her hand. "Just in case," a person travelling through time meant
she added, looking at Wort. nothing to him. "The action of the
shuttlecraft on the cloaking device -"
"Is she likely to be dangerous'?"
Picard looked from Worf to the Doctor. Picard held up his hand. "Not now,
Data."
7
"Bridge to Captain." Riker's voice closed his eyes and let the past events run
brought with it a reminder of the present. through his mind. The attack from the
Ferengi which had caused the delay in
Picard touched his communicator. taking shore leave, and now here was
"Yes, Riker?" another delay in collecting a crotchety old
Ambassador, who should have more
"Geordi says no damage was done, sense than to commission a Starship for a
but there will be a slight delay." short transfer of a small diplomatic group
from one planet to another in the same
"How slight a delay?" questioned solar system, when they had already
Picard. travelled half-way across the galaxy in a
variety of distinctly unsuitable crafts. He
"We can now continue to Trantious knew'very little <.;f the Ambassador, but
Alpha to collect the delegates," replied did know that 'impossible' \vas never
Riker. taken as an answer.
"We are now four hours behind "Please state destination." The
schedule," added Data. computerised voice brought Picard back
to t-he present.
"Data." Picard was trying to remain
calm. "I am well aware of how late we "Sickbay." He gave the order
are." Why cOllldn't the Pro.;~X?ctor have almost without thinking. The
materialised somewhere else? "Riker, please Ambassador would have to wait; he had a
give our apologies to Trantious Alpha potential madwoman in Sickbay who
and i.nform them of our new arrival time, should, by all accounts, be dead and
but - " he hesitated, looked at the buried. QucsriOl1S nre going to be asked by
shuttlecraft, then added - "make no e'ueryone. He had already noticed the
mention of the Prospector, yet." enquiring faces of the engineering te('l111
who were tending the Prospector. Were
"Aye, sir." The hangar deck seemed they to mend it, scrap it or use it 11) ,1
to be strangely quiet again, although history lesson? He was going to have to
engineering staff were busy examining find some answers, and quickly. The
the shuttlecraft. lurbo~doors opened, he exited and walked
over to Sickbay. As he entered he was
"Data." struck by the calm and tTanquillity that
Beverly kept her Sickbay in. He stood
"Sir?" next to the Doctor, who acknowledged
his presence.
"Please get as much information
from the computer on the Prospector, "Nothing to report yet, Captain,"
analyse and report to me in the Briefing she said quietly.
Room in fifteen minutes; and Data, keep
it to the basics." Picard looked at the readings.
Although not a medical man, he did have
"Yes, sir.·' Data went back to the enough knowledge to realise something
shuttlecraft and began to work at the was not right \'\'ith Captain Lerette. I-Ie
computer console. turned to Beverly and pointing at the
readings asked, "Are those readings for
Picard walked into the turbo-lift and real or has our sudden stop caused your
stood stilL thinking, as the doors shut. He scanners to malftmction?"
8
Beverly smiled, then more seriously diminishing of the power around her
replied, 'That's no malfunction; but it is limbs and across her chest became more
very unusual. It seems as though I am marked as the cerebral chaos grew in an
getting two sets of readings running attempt to find physical release. Then it
alongside each other at different time happened; she was free! She screamed as
lapses, and before you ask, it is not she hurled herself off the table and landed
because of her Vulcan-Terran mixture, it's in a fighting stance. But who was she
much more than that. I haven't dealt with fighting? Where was she? And who
any real cases of the mind-sifter, but these were these people?
readings match none that have ever been
recorded on the computer from any races' Picard and Crusher, who were by
encounter with the mind-sifter." now dose to the doors of the Sickbay,
heard Lerette scream and turned as she
Worf looked at the unconscious leapt from the bed, eyes wide and
figure lying on the bed. Slight spasms of unblinking.
her restrained extTemities were the only
outward manifestation of her inner Lerette saw Worf from her crouched
turmoil. If the vie\ving scanner had not position and, staggering to her feet, used
been attached, no-one present would the bed to balance herself, then ran. Worf
have believed the cerebral dvsfunction jumped over the diagnostic bed but just
going on bet\-veen both hemispheres of missed getting hold of her. Lerette bolted
her cerebrum. It was incredible. No sign towards the door, knocking two surprised
sh<"l\·ved on her face. At last her recessive nurses out of the way. As she ran she
Vulcan genetic make-up was dominant, turned to check on her pursuers. Worf
and how. It had to have been the mind was close now and grabbed her by the
sifter. Unconsciously Lerette must have shoulders, preventin.g her escape. He
brought into play all' her inherent Vulcan turned her round to restrain her even
techniques of self-defence for that most more and held her arms still as Dr
precious of things - her mind. The mind Crusher approached with a hypo full of
rules! The mind I11Ust rule. She was tranquilliser, which she gave the
alone, in darkness, disorientated, sh'uggling Captain in the arm. There was
confused sensory messages flashed into no let-up i.n her resistance but Worf was
her Vulcan cerebral centres from all over having no problem holding her.
her body - it tried to send out meta
impulses -escape ~ t!scape! "Another hypo, quickly!" Beverly
barked out the order and administered
"The mind-sifter was an evil piece another, in the neck this time. The
of machinery. There is no telling of what Captain showed no sign of calming down
it can do to any race," Worf explained. and now found her voice.
He stood close to the diagnostiC bed and
although he was obviously in the way, "Put me down you great overgrown
no~one asked him to move. rat!" she shouted. Worf growled but did
not retaliate to the insult, or the kicks
In Lerette's brain the electrical given by Lerette.
Jctivity became more intense Jnd various
combinations were tried by the Klingon "I am not going to tell you anythi.n.g
affected brain. Sudden Iv she felt a at all, so you may as well tell your
restraint weaken - then giv'e. The neural commander he'd be better off talking to a
impulses must have knitted \·vith those of Denebian slime devil, with whom I know
the restraints of the 1701D. The he has relations!" She spat the words out
9
at the Klingon officer. A third hypo memory banks. Deanna also sat at the
hissed into her neck; she did not react at table; after visiting Captain Lerette in
all to it and continued trying to escape Sickbay, she was talking softly to Dr
Worf, and insult all he was and stood for. Crusher. The mind-sifter and its effects
All of a sudden, Lerette went quiet and were something that none of them had
slumped to the floor. Dr Crusher checked ever been in contact with and, judging by
her life signs and announced, "There is the affected Captain, was something they
enough tranquilliser in her to knock out never wanted to come across again.
several Vulcans and yet she is only just Picard swung his chair round to face the
out." assembled trio.
Lerette was put back on the bed, "Data." The android ceased what
he was doing and immediately gave his
"1 think we'd better put physical undivided attention to his commimding
restraints on her," Dr Crusher said, officer; Deanna and Beverly also stopped
remembering a lecture on Vulcan their conversation and faced the Captain.
physiology and electrical force fields. Picard noticed the intense concentration
Perhaps the Vulcan was more dominant on their faces, wanting to know what he
in Lerette than they had been led to intended to do; but first he wanted some
believe. answers. "Data," he repeated, "could you
now tell me if the Prospector did in fact
Picard walked over to Worf. "You come forward in time?"
conducted yourself most admirably,
Worf." "Yes," was Data's short reply.
'Thank you, Captain, but if the Picard smiled to himself; wel,l he
third tranquilliser had not worked, I had asked for answers to be to the point.
would have fow1d a way to shut her up." "How?"
"I'm sure you would. Perhaps Data put his head on one side like a
another member of your security team young child formulating a sentence, and
could stand watch now?" Picard after a few seconds decided he had the
suggested, answer that the Captain wanted. "When
Captain Lerette managed to get into the
"Yes, Captain." shuttlecraft on the Klingon ship, she was
not altogether sane but had enough
"I shall be in the briefing room," computer knowledge left to open the
Picard told no-one in particular as he left Klingon doors, even though they had
Sickbay. Lerette was restrained with their shields up. She then just pressed
straps, a Terran security officer by her every button and left the Klingon ship
side, and order was restored to the with such force that she hit the cloaking
Si.ckbay in a very short time. shield, ricocheted off the shield and
started to come back into the Klingon
ship. But the force of the shuttlecraft
engines propelled her forward again, into
Picard sat in the Briefing Room, the shield, this time causing ,ill explosion
looking out at the stars, his back to the which lowered the shields." Data stopped.
large table. Data had arrived and was still He had h'ied to put it as simply as he
tapping information into the computer could.
and analysing the feedback to store in his