STAR TREK II:
JACK BAUER"Kick the Can"
2382; Alpha Quadrant;
Wesley Crusher brought the shuttlecraft down through the atmosphere and soon Captain Riker pointed to a small clearing near a cluster of small hills. The planet was M-Class, and supported a small population of primitive life forms. As the shuttle came to a landing, Riker pointed toward a wall of trees nearby.
“There’s a ship over there,” Riker told Wesley, who struggled to see what Riker was pointing at. “Look, just beyond the first cluster of trees.”
“You’re right,” Crusher said. “Looks like a scout class vessel of some kind. Those ships are pretty fast, and, obviously, very easy to hide. I wonder who it belongs to.”
“And it’s pretty small too,” Riker added. “I bet it barely holds one person, and the cockpit most likely acts as sleeping quarters, with the rest of the ship nothing more than two small warp engines. I doubt it has any kind of weapons.”
“Those are small engines, but I bet she can push warp 9.5,” Wesley marveled, as he powered down the shuttle. “Why does someone even use one of those?”
Riker had his suspicions. The owner was most likely either a spy, or someone who made a living out of delivering high valued data. Criminal elements, weary that all communications were observed, used such methods so as not to leave a trail of transmissions records. Riker knew that they had come to this world to meet a courier of some kind. What he didn’t know was who that person was, and why the secrecy was so needed.
“Well, Wes, we didn’t come all the way here to look at trees and roast marsh mellows,” Riker told his young friend.
“You haven’t really told me why we’re here,” Lt. Commander Crusher said to Riker. “I guess that is part of that Captain’s discretion I keep hearing about. Sometimes I still feel like I’m still a child sitting at the children’s table at a family get together.”
“Trust me, Wes,” Riker replied, “I long for the days when I sat at that table. Enjoy it while you can. And as for why we’re here?” Riker decided to let Wesley in on what they were doing. “Last week I received a message, a coded message. It was captain’s eyes only and the gist of the message was that I come to this world and meet a courier of some kind.”
“Captain eyes only,” Crusher repeated, “but why you? Each captain has their own designated coded frequency, so how did this person get yours?”
“That’s what we’re here to find out.” Riker told him.
As they left their seats and headed towards the exit, Wesley Crusher couldn’t help but feel a little at unease. As they prepared to leave the shuttle, he asked Captain Riker one more question.
“Does Commander Vale know about this cryptic message?” Crusher asked softly.
“Welcome to the big people’s table,” Riker replied, with a grin, and in a serious tone. “And no,” he added, “she doesn’t know about the signal; not yet at least.”
Several minutes later, and after surveying the area, Riker and Crusher came upon an opening in the rock wall of one of the hills. After entering the opening, they came across a spider web of tunnels that led in all sorts of directions.
“Someone could really get lost in here,” Crusher said softly.
“That’s probably why we’re here,” Riker agreed. “In fact; a place like this would be a great venue for a game of kick-the-can.”
“Kick the what?” Crusher asked, as he and Riker made their way deeper into the myriad of caves.
“Its pretty much like hide-and-seek,” Riker explained, “No one wants to be the seeker in the next round, and so to avoid that, you have to kick-the-can, if you’re one of the hiders, before the seeker does. If he kicks it before you, then you’re the seeker in the next round.”
“Sounds kind of,” Wesley searched for the right words, “basic. Where’s the strategy?”
“Wes, it’s a game best played by teenagers, usually at night time.” Riker said with a look of melancholy in his eyes. “While hiding with your girl friend, you can do, how should I say it, you can do other things, until your hiding place is found.” Riker arched his eyes brows quickly, with a leering smile. “Know what I mean?”
“Oh,” Wesley said, realizing what Riker was alluding to. “I never played that game, but I can see why it would be fun.”
Riker knew that Wesley’s younger years were spent as a shy child, devoid of any real contact with girls. He felt sorry for Wes, but then again, playing kick-the-can with eager young girls wasn’t without its pitfalls. Riker was about to recall one such incident, but before he could, a voice came from deep in the tunnel.
“Stop where you are,” the voice said.
Riker and Crusher came to a stop.
“State your name,” the voice said.
“My name is William T Riker, Captain of the USS Titan,” Riker announced. “I am accompanied by Lt. Commander Wesley Crusher.”
Suddenly, stepping out from behind a twist in the tunnel was a man holding a weapon.
“There’s no need for weapons,” Riker told the man, who stood nearly twenty feet away.
“Excuse me,” the man said, “but I don’t trust anyone. Trust, in my line of business, can lead to death.”
“I understand,” Riker came back with. “But it was you who sought me out; why?”
The man took out a data chip from his pant pocket.
“My name is Bishop,” Bishop said. “I went through great lengths to get this data chip. The Klingon who gave it to me also paid me handsomely to deliver it to you.”
“That is interesting,” Riker came back with, “but why me?”
“Because you can get it to Picard,” Bishop answered.
“Admiral Picard?” Crusher asked.
“Quiet boy,” Bishop snapped.
“Alright, I’m here, so give it to me,” Riker said to Bishop, “and I’ll get it to Admiral Picard.”
Suddenly Riker’s communicator chirped. He pressed the communication device which was on the left side of his chest.
“Riker here,” Riker said allowed.
“Commander Vale here,” the female’s voice responded.
“What is it commander?” Riker, eyeing Bishop as he did, asked his first officer.
“Wil; Sensors have detected an approaching ship,” Vale told him, “a Negh’Var class Klingon warship.”
“Damn,” Bishop said. “They found me.”
“Who was that?” Vale asked.
“Christine, don’t worry about that for now,” Riker told her. “Try to contact the Klingons and find out why they are here. I’ll get back to you in a moment or two.”
Riker could only wonder what was happening.
“Alright,” Riker said to Bishop, “what is going here? Why do you think the Klingons are here for you?”
--
At that moment the Negh’Var ship fired a spray of disrupter blasts at the planet.
--
“Look,” Bishop said, “I do this for a living, and I know when things are spiraling out of control. Whatever is on this chip, others are willing to kill for. The Klingon hired me to get you this data chip, I’ve done my part, so here,” Bishop flung it over to Riker. “So take this and…”
Suddenly chaos erupted, as the disrupter blasts struck near the crop of small hills. Massive portions of the cave system caved in. Riker and Wesley pressed up against the cave wall they were next to, and could only watch in horror as a large rock, nearly the size of a shuttle, collapsed in and crushed Bishop, smashing his skull into the ground, crushing it and killing Bishop instantly.
“We have to get out of here!” Riker said to Wesley as the cave in continued. “Look,” Riker said, pointing to an opening in the cave wall up ahead. “Looks like a new way out was created by the cave in.”
“Let’s go,” Wesley said, as he took Riker by the arm and led him to the new exit.
“You don’t have to do hold me by the arm,” Riker said to Crusher.
“If it’s all the same, let me worry about you; that is why I am here, Captain Riker,” Wesley struggled to yell, as the ground began to quake, due to other cave ins, making loud smashing sounds, which they could hear in the distance.
Finally, emerging from the cave in, Riker and Crusher made their way towards the shuttle, when suddenly a blast from the sky struck the shuttle, destroying it.
“What the hell is going on up there?” Riker asked.
“Sir,” Wesley said, pointing at the scout class vessel which was still hidden in the trees.
“Good idea Wes,” Riker said, “let’s do it.”
The two Starfleet officers ran for the hidden tree, just as two more blasts hit the small hillside they had just exited moments before.
Their description of the small scout class vessel had been more correct (please follow this
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