Star Trek; Shuffle The Deck
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RobertScorpio
Pariah
Re: STAR TREK SHUFFLE THE DECK--#85 DS9
Star Trek: Shuffle the Deck
Federation Earth—DS9—Balboa—Riker—Essians
#86
It was nearly five pm, and Sisko’s was empty. There were no customers because there were no chairs, no fixtures, no nothing. Jake was in the final stages of vacating the building that had been in his family for over three decades. With the death of his wife, Korena, Jake no longer wanted to stay with the family business. It was time to move on, and let go.
He had paid the staff’s final wages, and had returned one last time to get some of the personal effects he had left behind. Some of them held great value to him. He had several items scattered about the floor, and sat next to them, going through them one by one. There were pictures of him, as a boy, helping his Grandpa in the kitchen. Then there were pictures of his father, Benjamin Sisko, helping as well. They were taken before Benjamin Sisko had even joined Starfleet, and still had a full head of hair.
Sisko’s diner had generated many memories down through the years. And now, it seemed to Jake, this was the time to end his stay, and the family’s stay as well.
He had also taken down the framed images of the books that he had had published over the years. There were books of poetry, and historical books. But his favorite books were the fictional stories that revolved around James Kirk and Edith Keeler, but set in an alternate universe where they had men aboard the sunken ship: Titanic. He put their covers in to the packing box as well. He decided he would also end his writing career. Was he feeling sorry for himself? He sure was, and he didn’t care. He had lost much in his life. He had lost his mother, to the Borg, at a young age. His father’s fate put him at the beckon call of the wormhole prophets, and so Jake had only seen his father twice since he became part of the Celestial Temple. He was nearly done when there was s knock at the door to the diner. He got up and prepared to tell another disappointed customer that Sisko’s was closed: forever.
Jake opened a door and a Benzite male stood at the door. He was a member of Starfleet and had one pip on his collar.
“I’m sorry,” Jake said to the Benzite, “But we’ve close down the business.”
The Benzite nodded, but didn’t seem deterred. “While I am sure the food items here are of an impeccable quality,” the Benzite said, “I am not here to eat, I assure you. Benzites can not eat ordinary human food with being inflicted with very bad bouts of indigestion.”
“Then why are you here?” Jake asked.
The Benzite looked around, and then he looked back to Jake. “I think I should tell you why I am here in private.”
Jake nodded, and then let the short Benzite inside. They both walked into the main area.
“My name is Marax, and I am a Lieutenant in Starfleet.” Marax said. “First off, I want to say, that I have prided myself on Starfleet history, and in my estimation, you’re father ranks right up there with the Captain kirks and Captain Pikes of Starfleet.”
“Thank you,” Jake said. But he was in no mood to carry on a conversation about the past. “But, if you can see, I am packing up, and I would like to get done sooner than later.”
Marax nodded. “I understand, Mr. Sisko, and I won’t take up any more of your time. I should tell you that I am with Starfleet Crime Scene Investigations. Or, as we call ourselves, S-CSI.”
“That’s interesting,” Jake said, “but what has this got to do with me?”
Marax continued. “I was part of the team that investigated Mr. Fullerton’s mansion soon after it was destroyed by the Klingon ship. Luckily Starfleet was able to get control of the ship not longer after the attack before the ship could attack anything else.”
“So,” Jake said, “You were part of the team that searched the debris of the mansion?”
Marax nodded. “Yes, I was. I should tell you, Jake Sisko that I am here with you outside my purview as a Starfleet officer. I need to tell you this because my theory as to what happened there at that mansion is not official and is considered by my supervisors to be outlandish.”
“Why? What is so outlandish about your theory?” Jake asked.
“I do not believe your wife is dead.” Marax said, flat out.
“What?!” Jake demanded. “How can you come in here and say something like that?”
“Please, listen to me,” Marax pleaded. “They found your wife’s DNA in the debris, and they concluded that she died. Now, here is what you probably don’t know. Fullerton lived. When the first blast happened, the ground beneath him collapsed into an old well that had been part of Hearst Castle’s original schematics. When the second blast hit, he was injured, severely. His hired help were all killed because they did not fall into the well with him. We found their DNA as well.”
“So?” Jake asked, “They found their DNA and my wife’s?”
“Yes, they found the henchmen DNA,” Marax repeated, “They found enough of it to completely account for their entire mass. Your wife’s DNA is not complete. We could only find enough that would equal the mass of a small part of her body, a finger perhaps.”
Jake pondered that for a moment. “What was your Supervisor’s conclusion?” Jake asked.
“That the blast hit an area of the mansion that totally,” Marax paused, trying to be sensitive, “destroyed all but a fragment of her DNA.”
“But you don’t agree?” Jake asked.
“No, I don’t.” Marax said. “In fact, I don’t think Moriarty was destroyed either. I have read the file on Professor Moriarty, who was created from a work of fiction from your world. This man never did anything with out a way out. I talked with Admiral Janeway, and Angela Ramos, she being the co-creator of the Janeway Android. She testified that she never saw your wife. And according to her testimony, which I take as valid, she met with Moriarty on three occasions, and again, never saw your wife.”
“Maybe they kept Korean from site?” Jake asked.
Marax shook his head. “No, I don’t think so. I don’t think your wife was ever with the others who were part of Moriarty’s mad scheme. And because of the lack of DNA, I also believe that your wife is alive and is with Moriarty as we speak.”
Jake looked at Marax and could tell that the Benzite believe what he was saying. And if there was a chance at all that Korena was alive, then he had to find her.
“What now?” Jake asked.
“The fact that Warp speed can not be used,” Marax said in reference to the Wave, “is a good thing for our cause. If that is the case, then she is somewhere in our system. All we have to do is find Moriarty and then, I believe, we will find your wife.”
“How do we do that?” Jake asked.
“I do not know.” Marax admitted. “I am only a lowly Lieutenant.”
Jake looked at Marax: And believed him. If there was one person on Earth he trusted to be able to find someone, Jake only knew one who could fit the bill. But to find this person would require that he and Marax headed to: Alaska.
Continued
Star Trek: Shuffle the Deck
Star Trek: Shuffle the Deck
Federation Earth—DS9—Balboa—Riker—Essians
#86
It was nearly five pm, and Sisko’s was empty. There were no customers because there were no chairs, no fixtures, no nothing. Jake was in the final stages of vacating the building that had been in his family for over three decades. With the death of his wife, Korena, Jake no longer wanted to stay with the family business. It was time to move on, and let go.
He had paid the staff’s final wages, and had returned one last time to get some of the personal effects he had left behind. Some of them held great value to him. He had several items scattered about the floor, and sat next to them, going through them one by one. There were pictures of him, as a boy, helping his Grandpa in the kitchen. Then there were pictures of his father, Benjamin Sisko, helping as well. They were taken before Benjamin Sisko had even joined Starfleet, and still had a full head of hair.
Sisko’s diner had generated many memories down through the years. And now, it seemed to Jake, this was the time to end his stay, and the family’s stay as well.
He had also taken down the framed images of the books that he had had published over the years. There were books of poetry, and historical books. But his favorite books were the fictional stories that revolved around James Kirk and Edith Keeler, but set in an alternate universe where they had men aboard the sunken ship: Titanic. He put their covers in to the packing box as well. He decided he would also end his writing career. Was he feeling sorry for himself? He sure was, and he didn’t care. He had lost much in his life. He had lost his mother, to the Borg, at a young age. His father’s fate put him at the beckon call of the wormhole prophets, and so Jake had only seen his father twice since he became part of the Celestial Temple. He was nearly done when there was s knock at the door to the diner. He got up and prepared to tell another disappointed customer that Sisko’s was closed: forever.
Jake opened a door and a Benzite male stood at the door. He was a member of Starfleet and had one pip on his collar.
“I’m sorry,” Jake said to the Benzite, “But we’ve close down the business.”
The Benzite nodded, but didn’t seem deterred. “While I am sure the food items here are of an impeccable quality,” the Benzite said, “I am not here to eat, I assure you. Benzites can not eat ordinary human food with being inflicted with very bad bouts of indigestion.”
“Then why are you here?” Jake asked.
The Benzite looked around, and then he looked back to Jake. “I think I should tell you why I am here in private.”
Jake nodded, and then let the short Benzite inside. They both walked into the main area.
“My name is Marax, and I am a Lieutenant in Starfleet.” Marax said. “First off, I want to say, that I have prided myself on Starfleet history, and in my estimation, you’re father ranks right up there with the Captain kirks and Captain Pikes of Starfleet.”
“Thank you,” Jake said. But he was in no mood to carry on a conversation about the past. “But, if you can see, I am packing up, and I would like to get done sooner than later.”
Marax nodded. “I understand, Mr. Sisko, and I won’t take up any more of your time. I should tell you that I am with Starfleet Crime Scene Investigations. Or, as we call ourselves, S-CSI.”
“That’s interesting,” Jake said, “but what has this got to do with me?”
Marax continued. “I was part of the team that investigated Mr. Fullerton’s mansion soon after it was destroyed by the Klingon ship. Luckily Starfleet was able to get control of the ship not longer after the attack before the ship could attack anything else.”
“So,” Jake said, “You were part of the team that searched the debris of the mansion?”
Marax nodded. “Yes, I was. I should tell you, Jake Sisko that I am here with you outside my purview as a Starfleet officer. I need to tell you this because my theory as to what happened there at that mansion is not official and is considered by my supervisors to be outlandish.”
“Why? What is so outlandish about your theory?” Jake asked.
“I do not believe your wife is dead.” Marax said, flat out.
“What?!” Jake demanded. “How can you come in here and say something like that?”
“Please, listen to me,” Marax pleaded. “They found your wife’s DNA in the debris, and they concluded that she died. Now, here is what you probably don’t know. Fullerton lived. When the first blast happened, the ground beneath him collapsed into an old well that had been part of Hearst Castle’s original schematics. When the second blast hit, he was injured, severely. His hired help were all killed because they did not fall into the well with him. We found their DNA as well.”
“So?” Jake asked, “They found their DNA and my wife’s?”
“Yes, they found the henchmen DNA,” Marax repeated, “They found enough of it to completely account for their entire mass. Your wife’s DNA is not complete. We could only find enough that would equal the mass of a small part of her body, a finger perhaps.”
Jake pondered that for a moment. “What was your Supervisor’s conclusion?” Jake asked.
“That the blast hit an area of the mansion that totally,” Marax paused, trying to be sensitive, “destroyed all but a fragment of her DNA.”
“But you don’t agree?” Jake asked.
“No, I don’t.” Marax said. “In fact, I don’t think Moriarty was destroyed either. I have read the file on Professor Moriarty, who was created from a work of fiction from your world. This man never did anything with out a way out. I talked with Admiral Janeway, and Angela Ramos, she being the co-creator of the Janeway Android. She testified that she never saw your wife. And according to her testimony, which I take as valid, she met with Moriarty on three occasions, and again, never saw your wife.”
“Maybe they kept Korean from site?” Jake asked.
Marax shook his head. “No, I don’t think so. I don’t think your wife was ever with the others who were part of Moriarty’s mad scheme. And because of the lack of DNA, I also believe that your wife is alive and is with Moriarty as we speak.”
Jake looked at Marax and could tell that the Benzite believe what he was saying. And if there was a chance at all that Korena was alive, then he had to find her.
“What now?” Jake asked.
“The fact that Warp speed can not be used,” Marax said in reference to the Wave, “is a good thing for our cause. If that is the case, then she is somewhere in our system. All we have to do is find Moriarty and then, I believe, we will find your wife.”
“How do we do that?” Jake asked.
“I do not know.” Marax admitted. “I am only a lowly Lieutenant.”
Jake looked at Marax: And believed him. If there was one person on Earth he trusted to be able to find someone, Jake only knew one who could fit the bill. But to find this person would require that he and Marax headed to: Alaska.
Continued
Star Trek: Shuffle the Deck
RobertScorpio
Pariah
STAR TREK SHUFFLE THE DECK--#87 RIKER!
STAR TREK: SHUFFLE the DECK
Balboa—Deep Space Nine—Federation Earth—RIKER
#87
Riker shook his head. “None of this makes any sense. A Wave sweeps through were I am from, and is threatening to sweep back, and kill everyone with it. The Essians send simple beings to another reality to stop it and, here we are, you and I, discussing this song and dance in some dark cave. I don’t buy it, I’m not a fool.”
Riker could feel his strength coming back, and he stood up, and faced the Stranger, who had also stood up as well.
“It’s time to end this charade,” Riker said, “I want to know who you are, and I want to know now.”
“Very well,” the Stranger said, “It is time I introduce my self to my new cellmate.”
The man stepped out of the shadows. Riker didn’t recognize him at first, but then he did. It all came together, it seemed, Riker thought to him self.
“Please to meet you,” Riker said, “Sybok of Vulcan.”
Sybok nodded his head. “Or, as they called me on Hotep: Morinva.”
“That part of the story is rather fuzzy to me,” Riker said, “Perhaps you can enlighten me.”
“I shall,” Sybok said with a genuine smile, which was strange seeing on a Vulcan, Riker thought to himself. “I hope you will see that you and I,” Sybok added, “Are actually on the same side.”
Sybok and Riker were both inside of a dark and damp cave setting. Sybok motioned for Riker to join him around a small fire that Sybok had been able to light-up in the center of a small pit. Riker had nothing to lose, so he joined the interesting Vulcan from the past. Riker’s mind ran through what little he knew of Sybok. Much of it was flavored with Riker’s own belief on the subject of all things Sybok.
Sybok was Spock’s half-brother. They both shared the same father, Sarek; one of the more interesting people Riker ever had the fortune of meeting. Riker always found it quite interesting that Sarek, the perfect symbol of what it meant to be Vulcan, sired two sons that were unique of Vulcan in different ways, and hardly in the ‘shadow’ of being Vulcan.
Spock was the product of Sarek and a human female, Amada Grayson. Spock and Sarek, as Picard explained to Riker, had a very rocky relationship due to Spock’s half human impulses. And when one looks at how Sybok, the elder of the two sons, turned out, one can almost understand Sarek’s strict and unyielding steering of his younger son; Spock. But, none-the-less, Spock followed his own path, not Sarek’s, and entered Starfleet which would create a several decade old distance between the two. And even on the eve of Sarek’s death, it seemed as if the distance wasn’t totally resolved. Riker had a very rocky relationship with his own father, who was now dead, a casualty of the Dominion War, and could identify with Spock’s father and son journey.
And then there was Sybok. As best as Riker could recall, the older son of Sarek threw away the notion of logic in favor of Vulcan’s recapturing their passion, wanting Vulcans to be more, at least Riker always thought, like their Romulan cousins. Sybok was exiled from Vulcan for these beliefs, and eventually was lured to the center of the galaxy, via hidden unknown means (unseen in the movie of course) by an unknown entity that claimed to be God. Kirk and his crew were able to prove that the entity was not God, but some kind of advanced life form that was seemingly imprisoned on the mysterious planet in the center of the great barrier. Riker seemed to recall further attempts to reach that world failed, and just like Talos IV, it was deemed too dangerous to return to and was made off limits to all.
“Now,” Sybok said as the both sat around the cave, “I am quite sure you have been guided through this entire endeavor by an entity known as Sheppard.”
Riker nodded his head. “Guided?” Riker asked. “I am not sure I would call it being guided, all I know is that Sheppard is a most interesting being. In fact, I’m not even sure what he is. I do know that he was created, on Earth, as a proto-type starship that was powered by cosmic string properties. Some how the ship has evolved into a living being that interacts with the Essians, and that he, Sheppard, can act as a bridge between planes of existence.”
Sybok nodded. “Your kind will find out, eventually, that what you call cosmic string, or super-string theory, is really far more than just ways to explain the unexplainable. Right here and now, all I can tell you is that the vessel you created allowed Sheppard to exist and too take form through-out time. Is Sheppard benevolent? I won’t pretend to know. I am at a different stage of the game than you, Riker. However, from my point of view, Sheppard is not entirely a force of good.”
“We only created Sheppard several months ago,” Riker said, “How can you have had interactions with a something we only just created?”
Sybok laughed, and then he went on. “As I said, Riker, it allowed him to take form. The being, the soul you will, of Sheppard, has existed and will exist past this point. You have just managed to give it mode of transportation, and a name. Think of Sheppard as the ultimate circle. He exists before he existed and will exist after he existed.”
“You know, it sounds like to me,” Riker said, “as if you have another God complex with a being that you don’t quite understand either.”
“Actually,” Sybok replied, understanding the reference, “My experience with the entity on Sha Ka Ree, when I saved Spock and his friends, gave me the unique ability to remember that existence in that plane when I went on to Hotep. I believe that the entity that lured me to Sha Ka Ree was made up of the same elements that Sheppard is, and I might add, you are.”
Sybok could see the look of doubt in Riker’s face.
“Why do you see me as a villain?” Sybok asked. “I went to Hotep, to a world without a purpose and tried to bring them direction. Is that not the role of one who is gifted as I am, and as you are?”
“I’m not gifted.” Riker said quickly.
“My friend, I am well aware of your being a Q.” Sybok came back with. “That is why Sheppard, and his Essian allies, chose you. They needed your unique abilities to get Spock and the others into the existence of Hotep to stop me there.”
“Did they?” Riker asked. “I assume we are in the future. Did they stop you?”
Sybok smiled. “I won’t tell you that because, in this place where we are now, you will find such knowledge can only bring you pain.”
“What is your pain?” Riker asked. “You seem to already know pain.”
“Mine is a simple regret,” Sybok said. “By the way, haven’t you wondered why the two of us, here in this place in between Hotep’s plane and the next one beyond that, are in these forms and not the ones we might have been on Hotep?”
“Yes, the thought had occurred to me.” Riker admitted.
“Well, first let me say that being in this form, one last time, allowed me to do the one thing I never had a chance to do before.” Sybok said.
“Which is?” Riker asked.
“Sire a child.” Sybok said with pride. “Oh, and by the way, you know him Riker because you met him in the past. His name is Tiberius.”
Riker searched his fuzzy memory. Then he placed the name with the face. Tiberius was the human/Vulcan offspring he had met back on Septos-14 before the Thraval had attacked. He was with another stranger, a young woman.
“Tiberius is your son?” Riker asked. “Why was he named after James Tiberius Kirk?”
“For one simple reason,” Sybok said softly, “Spock didn’t know that the son he thought was his,” Sybok said with a slight smile, “was mine.”
Riker could tell that behind each of Sybok’s words there was a tinge of anger, and cynicism. Riker could only wonder where this conversation would lead. Riker didn’t even know where he was, for sure. But all he knew was that he didn’t like Sybok. And something inside of Riker’s mind told him that this entire chain of events, the Wave, Hotep, all of it, would be decided in this cave between he and Sybok.
Riker was partially correct: Because, in that dark and dingy cave, Sybok and Riker were not alone.
Continued
STAR TREK: SHUFFLE THE DECK
DS9...Locutus of Borg Lives!!!
STAR TREK: SHUFFLE the DECK
Balboa—Deep Space Nine—Federation Earth—RIKER
#87
Riker shook his head. “None of this makes any sense. A Wave sweeps through were I am from, and is threatening to sweep back, and kill everyone with it. The Essians send simple beings to another reality to stop it and, here we are, you and I, discussing this song and dance in some dark cave. I don’t buy it, I’m not a fool.”
Riker could feel his strength coming back, and he stood up, and faced the Stranger, who had also stood up as well.
“It’s time to end this charade,” Riker said, “I want to know who you are, and I want to know now.”
“Very well,” the Stranger said, “It is time I introduce my self to my new cellmate.”
The man stepped out of the shadows. Riker didn’t recognize him at first, but then he did. It all came together, it seemed, Riker thought to him self.
“Please to meet you,” Riker said, “Sybok of Vulcan.”
Sybok nodded his head. “Or, as they called me on Hotep: Morinva.”
“That part of the story is rather fuzzy to me,” Riker said, “Perhaps you can enlighten me.”
“I shall,” Sybok said with a genuine smile, which was strange seeing on a Vulcan, Riker thought to himself. “I hope you will see that you and I,” Sybok added, “Are actually on the same side.”
Sybok and Riker were both inside of a dark and damp cave setting. Sybok motioned for Riker to join him around a small fire that Sybok had been able to light-up in the center of a small pit. Riker had nothing to lose, so he joined the interesting Vulcan from the past. Riker’s mind ran through what little he knew of Sybok. Much of it was flavored with Riker’s own belief on the subject of all things Sybok.
Sybok was Spock’s half-brother. They both shared the same father, Sarek; one of the more interesting people Riker ever had the fortune of meeting. Riker always found it quite interesting that Sarek, the perfect symbol of what it meant to be Vulcan, sired two sons that were unique of Vulcan in different ways, and hardly in the ‘shadow’ of being Vulcan.
Spock was the product of Sarek and a human female, Amada Grayson. Spock and Sarek, as Picard explained to Riker, had a very rocky relationship due to Spock’s half human impulses. And when one looks at how Sybok, the elder of the two sons, turned out, one can almost understand Sarek’s strict and unyielding steering of his younger son; Spock. But, none-the-less, Spock followed his own path, not Sarek’s, and entered Starfleet which would create a several decade old distance between the two. And even on the eve of Sarek’s death, it seemed as if the distance wasn’t totally resolved. Riker had a very rocky relationship with his own father, who was now dead, a casualty of the Dominion War, and could identify with Spock’s father and son journey.
And then there was Sybok. As best as Riker could recall, the older son of Sarek threw away the notion of logic in favor of Vulcan’s recapturing their passion, wanting Vulcans to be more, at least Riker always thought, like their Romulan cousins. Sybok was exiled from Vulcan for these beliefs, and eventually was lured to the center of the galaxy, via hidden unknown means (unseen in the movie of course) by an unknown entity that claimed to be God. Kirk and his crew were able to prove that the entity was not God, but some kind of advanced life form that was seemingly imprisoned on the mysterious planet in the center of the great barrier. Riker seemed to recall further attempts to reach that world failed, and just like Talos IV, it was deemed too dangerous to return to and was made off limits to all.
“Now,” Sybok said as the both sat around the cave, “I am quite sure you have been guided through this entire endeavor by an entity known as Sheppard.”
Riker nodded his head. “Guided?” Riker asked. “I am not sure I would call it being guided, all I know is that Sheppard is a most interesting being. In fact, I’m not even sure what he is. I do know that he was created, on Earth, as a proto-type starship that was powered by cosmic string properties. Some how the ship has evolved into a living being that interacts with the Essians, and that he, Sheppard, can act as a bridge between planes of existence.”
Sybok nodded. “Your kind will find out, eventually, that what you call cosmic string, or super-string theory, is really far more than just ways to explain the unexplainable. Right here and now, all I can tell you is that the vessel you created allowed Sheppard to exist and too take form through-out time. Is Sheppard benevolent? I won’t pretend to know. I am at a different stage of the game than you, Riker. However, from my point of view, Sheppard is not entirely a force of good.”
“We only created Sheppard several months ago,” Riker said, “How can you have had interactions with a something we only just created?”
Sybok laughed, and then he went on. “As I said, Riker, it allowed him to take form. The being, the soul you will, of Sheppard, has existed and will exist past this point. You have just managed to give it mode of transportation, and a name. Think of Sheppard as the ultimate circle. He exists before he existed and will exist after he existed.”
“You know, it sounds like to me,” Riker said, “as if you have another God complex with a being that you don’t quite understand either.”
“Actually,” Sybok replied, understanding the reference, “My experience with the entity on Sha Ka Ree, when I saved Spock and his friends, gave me the unique ability to remember that existence in that plane when I went on to Hotep. I believe that the entity that lured me to Sha Ka Ree was made up of the same elements that Sheppard is, and I might add, you are.”
Sybok could see the look of doubt in Riker’s face.
“Why do you see me as a villain?” Sybok asked. “I went to Hotep, to a world without a purpose and tried to bring them direction. Is that not the role of one who is gifted as I am, and as you are?”
“I’m not gifted.” Riker said quickly.
“My friend, I am well aware of your being a Q.” Sybok came back with. “That is why Sheppard, and his Essian allies, chose you. They needed your unique abilities to get Spock and the others into the existence of Hotep to stop me there.”
“Did they?” Riker asked. “I assume we are in the future. Did they stop you?”
Sybok smiled. “I won’t tell you that because, in this place where we are now, you will find such knowledge can only bring you pain.”
“What is your pain?” Riker asked. “You seem to already know pain.”
“Mine is a simple regret,” Sybok said. “By the way, haven’t you wondered why the two of us, here in this place in between Hotep’s plane and the next one beyond that, are in these forms and not the ones we might have been on Hotep?”
“Yes, the thought had occurred to me.” Riker admitted.
“Well, first let me say that being in this form, one last time, allowed me to do the one thing I never had a chance to do before.” Sybok said.
“Which is?” Riker asked.
“Sire a child.” Sybok said with pride. “Oh, and by the way, you know him Riker because you met him in the past. His name is Tiberius.”
Riker searched his fuzzy memory. Then he placed the name with the face. Tiberius was the human/Vulcan offspring he had met back on Septos-14 before the Thraval had attacked. He was with another stranger, a young woman.
“Tiberius is your son?” Riker asked. “Why was he named after James Tiberius Kirk?”
“For one simple reason,” Sybok said softly, “Spock didn’t know that the son he thought was his,” Sybok said with a slight smile, “was mine.”
Riker could tell that behind each of Sybok’s words there was a tinge of anger, and cynicism. Riker could only wonder where this conversation would lead. Riker didn’t even know where he was, for sure. But all he knew was that he didn’t like Sybok. And something inside of Riker’s mind told him that this entire chain of events, the Wave, Hotep, all of it, would be decided in this cave between he and Sybok.
Riker was partially correct: Because, in that dark and dingy cave, Sybok and Riker were not alone.
Continued
STAR TREK: SHUFFLE THE DECK
DS9...Locutus of Borg Lives!!!
Last edited:
RobertScorpio
Pariah
SHUFFLE THE DECK--CAST CALL WEEK OF JAN 5, 2009
STAR TREK: SHUFFLE THE DECK
The WEEKLY Cast Roll call
--due to the ever changing cast call, I do this once a week for readers and myself, so I don’t forget who is who and where they are…and since Riker jumps around, I need to keep track of him beyond all others…so will you very soon…
USS BALBOA
Captain Everett West -(took command of Balboa upon Captain Duell’s departure)
Commander Shigeru Ichiro- (promoted to first officer, in place of Bynak)
S’ovak- (Romulan commander who has, through events of the story, joined the Balboa crew as an “Unofficial” first officer)
Lt. Commander Thron- (Gorn communications officer. Third in command)
Lt. Anrolla- (male Swahili Helmsman)
LTjg. Wy’Clan -(Native American Navigator, and he DOES NOT wear a tattoo)
Lt. Kral-(Female Enfrosian Science Officer)
LTjG Tom Garman (new head of engineering on Balboa)
Elaine- (Human, who, as a child, was part of the voyage to Hotep. It is a world on the other side of existence. Not much is known of what happened there: Yet.
Tiberius-Is a Vulcan/Human hybrid. His mother is Michelle Duell, and his father has recently been revealed to be Sybok.
Ensign Rose (Mother of baby Elaine)
Kassidy Sisko (She was taken prisoner by smugglers working for Mr. Mortavo. Due to events of the story, she and the smugglers, as well as her 10 year old son, have crash landed on a world deep in the Gamma-Quadrant)
Joseph Sisko (10 year old son of Kassidy and Benjamin Sisko)
Betram Norris (smuggler who kidnapped Kassidy and Joseph Sisko)
Gawthar-Commander of Vaadwaurian battle cruiser
Thelin—First officer of Vaadwaurian battle cruiser
RIP
Lt. Elame- (Bajoran Navigator who lost his life during transit through wormhole
Lt. Kipfk-(Benzite female, and ships Chief surgeon. Killed by fellow crewmember due to actions of ‘emotion’ vampire entity)
Rehyes’valah-Wife of Romulan commander S’ovak
K'amort-Her Klingon "companion", and his men Ktalpa and T’var.
DEEP SPACE NINE
Colonel Kira
Admiral Picard
Captain Tom Paris
Commander Julian Bashir
Lt. Ezri Dax
Commander Nog (First officer of Deep Space Nine)
Commander Tuvok (Serves aboard the Titan, which is currently augmenting a fleet of ships, comprised of Federation, Klingon and Romulan vessels. They are there incase the Dominion fleet on the other side tries to come through)
Weyoun-(Now the temporary leader of the New Dominion upon the death of Odo)
Odo- (Currently MIA, but is still ‘alive’ inside the wormhole. Last seen with The Emissary)
Boraj-Bajoran security specialist serving with Captain Tom Paris
Bak’nor- Nausican, and brother of Bak’ooth (see Federation Earth)
Ro Laren-revealed to be alive, but only very few no
Devina-Ro Laren’s daughter. Has a contract out on her life. Bak’nor sworn to protect her.
Grom-Feringi who is helping Ro Laren stay hidden.
Smiley-Recently arrive from Mirror Universe. Bajor/Terek Nor have been destroyed in MU.
Locutus of Borg- This is the Mirror Universe version of one of Star Trek’s great villains.
RIP
Miles Obrien-(murdered)
Rotated out
Lt. Steven Hunt -(once served with now deceased Miles Obrien. Served at Setlik-3)
Lt. Rhonda Marks- (also served at Setlik-3, accused of attempted murder of Cardassian war criminal Lokad)
Legate Perham Lokad-(served at Setlik-3. Supervised aspects of torture done to Starfleet prisoners, including Obrien, Hunt and Marks.)
FEDERATION EARTH
Admiral Janeway
Jake Sisko
Korena Sisko (Jake’s wife)
Pascal Fullerton
Vic Fontane
Angela (gifted student who engineered the Janeway android’s mind, and ability to download memories of the android directly into Janeway’s mind)
Montgomery Scott
Geordi Leforge
Dr. Janet Kosinski (Daughter of the brilliant physicist Kosinski)
Commander Reg Barclay
Federation President Lania (Female from Pacifica)
Admiral Fynn Bachmeier (President’s military liaison)
Professor James Moriarty-Former nemesis of Sherlock Holmes. No longer a Hologram character, his essence now lives in a specially made Android.
Countess Regina Bartholomew-She is the beloved wife of Moriarty. She exists only, as he does now again (after his Android body was destroyed) as a hologram.
Marax—Benzite StarFleet officer who believes Korena, Jake’s wife, is still alive.
RIP
Bakooth-(Naussican chef at Sisko’s diner. Was revealed to be working with Mortavo, and then was killed by Pascal Fullerton simply for being an alien.
Daniel (gifted student, who along with Angela, built the Janeway android)
THE ESSIANS
Former Federation President Spock- (Transplanted from EARTH FEDERATION story line. Father of the Vulcan named Tiberius.
Captain Michelle Duell (transplanted from the BALBOA story line. Mother of Tiberius)
Bynak (Transplanted from BALBOA storyline. His future self tried to kidnap Baby Elaine several episodes ago. Does this version of Bynak share the same fate? And if so, why?)
Javah Halmes (Bajoran Constable of DS9. Transplanted from DS9 storyline)
Evan Cooper (Conman, and also transplanted from DS9 storyline.)
Baby Elaine (Her future, in her next plane of existence, is to kill the evil ruler of another world, who ironically, is SYBOK reincarnated in that other plane of existence.)
Sheppard (Was once the Starship Sheppard. But due to the unique properties of that ship, and the involvement of the Essians, Sheppard evolved into a living being)
RIKER
William T Riker- is now inside of a mysterious cave, on some world that is unknown to him, as of yet.
Sybok-Spock’s older brother, who is also the character of Morivna, the evil ruler on Hotep in another plane of existence. And he is also, unknown to all, except for Riker it seems, the real father of Tiberius (see Balboa)
Locutus, from the Mirror Universe has arrived….what will happen when he comes face to face with…BENJAMIN SISKO!!! Find out..soon…on STAR TREK: SHUFFLE THE DECK
STAR TREK: SHUFFLE THE DECK
The WEEKLY Cast Roll call
--due to the ever changing cast call, I do this once a week for readers and myself, so I don’t forget who is who and where they are…and since Riker jumps around, I need to keep track of him beyond all others…so will you very soon…
USS BALBOA
Captain Everett West -(took command of Balboa upon Captain Duell’s departure)
Commander Shigeru Ichiro- (promoted to first officer, in place of Bynak)
S’ovak- (Romulan commander who has, through events of the story, joined the Balboa crew as an “Unofficial” first officer)
Lt. Commander Thron- (Gorn communications officer. Third in command)
Lt. Anrolla- (male Swahili Helmsman)
LTjg. Wy’Clan -(Native American Navigator, and he DOES NOT wear a tattoo)
Lt. Kral-(Female Enfrosian Science Officer)
LTjG Tom Garman (new head of engineering on Balboa)
Elaine- (Human, who, as a child, was part of the voyage to Hotep. It is a world on the other side of existence. Not much is known of what happened there: Yet.
Tiberius-Is a Vulcan/Human hybrid. His mother is Michelle Duell, and his father has recently been revealed to be Sybok.
Ensign Rose (Mother of baby Elaine)
Kassidy Sisko (She was taken prisoner by smugglers working for Mr. Mortavo. Due to events of the story, she and the smugglers, as well as her 10 year old son, have crash landed on a world deep in the Gamma-Quadrant)
Joseph Sisko (10 year old son of Kassidy and Benjamin Sisko)
Betram Norris (smuggler who kidnapped Kassidy and Joseph Sisko)
Gawthar-Commander of Vaadwaurian battle cruiser
Thelin—First officer of Vaadwaurian battle cruiser
RIP
Lt. Elame- (Bajoran Navigator who lost his life during transit through wormhole
Lt. Kipfk-(Benzite female, and ships Chief surgeon. Killed by fellow crewmember due to actions of ‘emotion’ vampire entity)
Rehyes’valah-Wife of Romulan commander S’ovak
K'amort-Her Klingon "companion", and his men Ktalpa and T’var.
DEEP SPACE NINE
Colonel Kira
Admiral Picard
Captain Tom Paris
Commander Julian Bashir
Lt. Ezri Dax
Commander Nog (First officer of Deep Space Nine)
Commander Tuvok (Serves aboard the Titan, which is currently augmenting a fleet of ships, comprised of Federation, Klingon and Romulan vessels. They are there incase the Dominion fleet on the other side tries to come through)
Weyoun-(Now the temporary leader of the New Dominion upon the death of Odo)
Odo- (Currently MIA, but is still ‘alive’ inside the wormhole. Last seen with The Emissary)
Boraj-Bajoran security specialist serving with Captain Tom Paris
Bak’nor- Nausican, and brother of Bak’ooth (see Federation Earth)
Ro Laren-revealed to be alive, but only very few no
Devina-Ro Laren’s daughter. Has a contract out on her life. Bak’nor sworn to protect her.
Grom-Feringi who is helping Ro Laren stay hidden.
Smiley-Recently arrive from Mirror Universe. Bajor/Terek Nor have been destroyed in MU.
Locutus of Borg- This is the Mirror Universe version of one of Star Trek’s great villains.
RIP
Miles Obrien-(murdered)
Rotated out
Lt. Steven Hunt -(once served with now deceased Miles Obrien. Served at Setlik-3)
Lt. Rhonda Marks- (also served at Setlik-3, accused of attempted murder of Cardassian war criminal Lokad)
Legate Perham Lokad-(served at Setlik-3. Supervised aspects of torture done to Starfleet prisoners, including Obrien, Hunt and Marks.)
FEDERATION EARTH
Admiral Janeway
Jake Sisko
Korena Sisko (Jake’s wife)
Pascal Fullerton
Vic Fontane
Angela (gifted student who engineered the Janeway android’s mind, and ability to download memories of the android directly into Janeway’s mind)
Montgomery Scott
Geordi Leforge
Dr. Janet Kosinski (Daughter of the brilliant physicist Kosinski)
Commander Reg Barclay
Federation President Lania (Female from Pacifica)
Admiral Fynn Bachmeier (President’s military liaison)
Professor James Moriarty-Former nemesis of Sherlock Holmes. No longer a Hologram character, his essence now lives in a specially made Android.
Countess Regina Bartholomew-She is the beloved wife of Moriarty. She exists only, as he does now again (after his Android body was destroyed) as a hologram.
Marax—Benzite StarFleet officer who believes Korena, Jake’s wife, is still alive.
RIP
Bakooth-(Naussican chef at Sisko’s diner. Was revealed to be working with Mortavo, and then was killed by Pascal Fullerton simply for being an alien.
Daniel (gifted student, who along with Angela, built the Janeway android)
THE ESSIANS
Former Federation President Spock- (Transplanted from EARTH FEDERATION story line. Father of the Vulcan named Tiberius.
Captain Michelle Duell (transplanted from the BALBOA story line. Mother of Tiberius)
Bynak (Transplanted from BALBOA storyline. His future self tried to kidnap Baby Elaine several episodes ago. Does this version of Bynak share the same fate? And if so, why?)
Javah Halmes (Bajoran Constable of DS9. Transplanted from DS9 storyline)
Evan Cooper (Conman, and also transplanted from DS9 storyline.)
Baby Elaine (Her future, in her next plane of existence, is to kill the evil ruler of another world, who ironically, is SYBOK reincarnated in that other plane of existence.)
Sheppard (Was once the Starship Sheppard. But due to the unique properties of that ship, and the involvement of the Essians, Sheppard evolved into a living being)
RIKER
William T Riker- is now inside of a mysterious cave, on some world that is unknown to him, as of yet.
Sybok-Spock’s older brother, who is also the character of Morivna, the evil ruler on Hotep in another plane of existence. And he is also, unknown to all, except for Riker it seems, the real father of Tiberius (see Balboa)
Locutus, from the Mirror Universe has arrived….what will happen when he comes face to face with…BENJAMIN SISKO!!! Find out..soon…on STAR TREK: SHUFFLE THE DECK
Re: STAR TREK SHUFFLE THE DECK--#87 RIKER!
RE the last part: I see I had one of my two guesses correct! I was figuring either Riker was going to have a direct run-in with Sybok, or you were going to bring in yet another character. (Had you brought in somebody else, I was thinking red-eye Dukat, given the alignment of the Pah-Wraiths...
)
RE the last part: I see I had one of my two guesses correct! I was figuring either Riker was going to have a direct run-in with Sybok, or you were going to bring in yet another character. (Had you brought in somebody else, I was thinking red-eye Dukat, given the alignment of the Pah-Wraiths...
)
RobertScorpio
Pariah
Re: STAR TREK SHUFFLE THE DECK--#87 RIKER!
Dukat will make a cameo pretty soon....well, sort of...you'll see. I mean, I can't have all these TREK icons floating around without Dukat showing up...
Rob
RE the last part: I see I had one of my two guesses correct! I was figuring either Riker was going to have a direct run-in with Sybok, or you were going to bring in yet another character. (Had you brought in somebody else, I was thinking red-eye Dukat, given the alignment of the Pah-Wraiths...
Dukat will make a cameo pretty soon....well, sort of...you'll see. I mean, I can't have all these TREK icons floating around without Dukat showing up...
Rob
Re: STAR TREK SHUFFLE THE DECK--#87 RIKER!
Somehow I didn't think you'd be able to resist...
Somehow I didn't think you'd be able to resist...
RobertScorpio
Pariah
STAR TREK SHUFFLE THE DECK--#89 DEEP SPACE NINE
Star Trek: Shuffle the Deck
DS9—Riker—Federation Earth—Balboa—Essians
#89
Jean Luc Picard was staring at the devil; Himself.
Locutus, from the Mirror Universe, upon his arrival, had been brought down to security, and put inside one of the holding cells. Smiley understood the precautions those on this side of the Universal barrier were taking, having heard about what the Borg had done to Picard, and Earth, in this universe (BOBW 1-2). Smiley accompanied the Bajoran security team as they transferred Locutus; doing his best to keep tempers calm. Locutus was wise, and said nothing the entire time.
Picard arrived at security not long after Locutus was securely behind the energized cell. And now, here he was, Jean Luc Picard, staring at the exact double of that other part of his existence. Smiley and Boraj were there as well. Locutus was sitting on the far side of the cell, on the small bench inside the cell.
“Is this cell totally secure?” Picard asked as he stared at Locutus, not trusting the aberration the least bit.
“Yes,” Boraj, the Bajoran Constable replied. The Constable was very young, but had impressed Picard and Paris during the investigation of Obrien’s murder. “Commander Nog was able to get another 27 percent of power shifted to this cell’s energy buffer. That thing isn’t gong any where.” Boraj said resolutely.
Picard looked to the young Bajoran, and spoke softly, but with purpose. “Don’t let you guard down with it,” Picard said. “If you do, it could cost you, cost all of us, our very lives.”
“That isn’t going to happen,” Smiley said to Picard. “I didn’t trust Locutus either, when he came through our wormhole, and did what he did for our cause, I learned too.”
“Then how is it,” Picard countered, “That your station and your Bajor were destroyed?”
Smiley grimaced at the question. “Unfortunately two Klingon sisters, Lursa and BE’tor, got their hands on Trilithium and used it to destroy Bajor’s sun. Meanwhile, this Locutus, along with a crack Borg fleet, helped free Earth from the grips of the Alliance, and had only just arrived at Terek-Nor before the Klingon sisters launched their plan. But I assure you, this Locutus wants nothing more than the peace and security of Earth; even yours.”
Picard shook his head. “I will never trust that thing!” Picard said with his teeth clinched together. And then the Admiral stormed out.
“I guess that didn’t go to well.” Smiley said to Boraj.
“No, I would say it didn’t.” Smiley agreed. “So why did you both come here?” Boraj asked in his official capacity as Constable.
Smiley walked over to the energy barrier and looked at Locutus.
“We came here,” Smiley said, “because we had no where else to go. Going back there would be a death trap, and fruitless because of the high concentration of radiation that will no doubt surround the wormhole for thousands of years to come. For all I know, the blast may have destroyed the wormhole, since it hadn’t closed all the way when the blast passed by.”
“What about the portable dimensional jumpers people from your side have used from time to time? Why not use one of those?” Boraj asked.
Smiley shook his head. “The density between the two universes is at its greatest point. Those kinds of devices will not work for another century, even if that.”
“So,” Boraj said, “you’re refugees. Well, until your situation is settled, you will have to petition the Bajoran government for citizenship.” Boraj said. He looked to Locutus as well. “They may not grant it for that.”
“If you knew him, as I do,” Smiley said, “you would see him as something way more valuable than being the memory of a monster.”
Boraj nodded. “I’m afraid that I am not the person you need to convince of that. As long as Admiral Picard is here, in this system, I wouldn’t count on your friend ever being allowed any amount of freedom; at all.”
Smiley didn’t like the sound of that at all. And he was bound to do something about it!
--
Admiral Picard headed for the Turbolift. The flush of memories that flowed through his mind were unsettling. He stepped into the Turbolift and was joined by Commander Tuvok as he did.
“Sir, can I have a word with you?” Tuvok asked.
“Yes, by all means, Commander Tuvok.” Picard replied with a smile.
The doors to the Turbolift closed, and then the Turbolift started its movement.
“How can I help you?” Picard asked.
“I just wanted to point out sir, that if the Borg come through the wormhole, this other Locutus might become a very valuable asset.”
Picard looked to Tuvok. “Have you lost your mind, Commander?”
Tuvok shook his head. “No, Sir, I assure you I have not. Our dealings with the Borg, and I am speaking of my time on Voyager, lead me to believe that Locutus was still an enigma to them. I believe that if this new Locutus can be trusted, perhaps…”
Picard cut Tuvok off. “Excuse me, Commander,” Picard said. “I have had dealings with the Borg as well. They were able to break my mind once, and the Federation was nearly destroyed because of it. I will not let this Locutus finish the job.”
“Yes, sir, however, I must point out…” Tuvok began to say before he was cut off again.
“Commander,” Picard said with a tinge of anger in his words, “I am an Admiral, you are not. I will ask you to not follow this line of conversation with me again. If you do, I will have you brought before a General Court Martial for disobeying the direct order of a superior office; do I make my self clear?”
The Turbolift door opened, and Picard stepped out, Tuvok did not. The door shut and Tuvok rode the rest of the way alone. But he knew that Picard was reacting due to lingering issues he had with his being assimilated. If Picard would not listen, then perhaps someone else would. Going over Picard could cost Tuvok’s career in Starfleet. But it had to be done. The Borg, and their intent to assimilate Earth, were on the way.
--
Picard reached his quarters, still shaken by the events of the past hour, and his conversation with Tuvok. Coming face to face with Locutus had rattled Picard more than he had hoped it would. Perhaps, Picard thought, he was over-reacting due to his time as Locutus. But Picard knew the Borg. He knew what they wanted, and he would not let it happen: EVER! He entered his quarters to unwind, but was surprised to find a rather large Nausican standing with Tom Paris. And, between them, was a young Bajoran girl. The girl ran over and hugged Picard at the waist.
“Oh my,” Picard said softly.
--
On the other side of the Galaxy, a giant Borg fleet made its way towards the wormhole. Due to the fact that the Transwarp conduits were unusable, the wormhole was nearly seven thousand light years away. But the Borg Collective was in the process of creating a dimensional form of travel that would allow them to invade the Alpha-Quadrant, once and for all, and assimilate it. It was based on the same technology that the Federation had used.
Laas, the Founder of incredible abilities, stood with the Borg Queen. The Voyager, and Starfleet, had thought the Borg had been destroyed by a Neurolytic pathogen. Though it had caused much loss, the Collective had come back, strong as ever, and was now prepared to assimilate Earth. But not for Earth’s technology, but for the survival of the Collective, which was now a primary goal.
The Queen looked to Laas.
“The Collective,” She told Laas, “has concluded that our first Dimensional jump will take place in 114.4 cycles.”
Laas nodded. “Once that happens, then we can at last bring order to the Galaxy. You will assimilate all the solids through-out the galaxy, and then you will follow my directives.”
“By your command.” The Queen said to Laas.
Though, she thought to her self in a special fortified alcove in her mind, she would assimilate Laas long before any of that happened.
--
Continued
Star Trek: Shuffle the Deck.
Star Trek: Shuffle the Deck
DS9—Riker—Federation Earth—Balboa—Essians
#89
Jean Luc Picard was staring at the devil; Himself.
Locutus, from the Mirror Universe, upon his arrival, had been brought down to security, and put inside one of the holding cells. Smiley understood the precautions those on this side of the Universal barrier were taking, having heard about what the Borg had done to Picard, and Earth, in this universe (BOBW 1-2). Smiley accompanied the Bajoran security team as they transferred Locutus; doing his best to keep tempers calm. Locutus was wise, and said nothing the entire time.
Picard arrived at security not long after Locutus was securely behind the energized cell. And now, here he was, Jean Luc Picard, staring at the exact double of that other part of his existence. Smiley and Boraj were there as well. Locutus was sitting on the far side of the cell, on the small bench inside the cell.
“Is this cell totally secure?” Picard asked as he stared at Locutus, not trusting the aberration the least bit.
“Yes,” Boraj, the Bajoran Constable replied. The Constable was very young, but had impressed Picard and Paris during the investigation of Obrien’s murder. “Commander Nog was able to get another 27 percent of power shifted to this cell’s energy buffer. That thing isn’t gong any where.” Boraj said resolutely.
Picard looked to the young Bajoran, and spoke softly, but with purpose. “Don’t let you guard down with it,” Picard said. “If you do, it could cost you, cost all of us, our very lives.”
“That isn’t going to happen,” Smiley said to Picard. “I didn’t trust Locutus either, when he came through our wormhole, and did what he did for our cause, I learned too.”
“Then how is it,” Picard countered, “That your station and your Bajor were destroyed?”
Smiley grimaced at the question. “Unfortunately two Klingon sisters, Lursa and BE’tor, got their hands on Trilithium and used it to destroy Bajor’s sun. Meanwhile, this Locutus, along with a crack Borg fleet, helped free Earth from the grips of the Alliance, and had only just arrived at Terek-Nor before the Klingon sisters launched their plan. But I assure you, this Locutus wants nothing more than the peace and security of Earth; even yours.”
Picard shook his head. “I will never trust that thing!” Picard said with his teeth clinched together. And then the Admiral stormed out.
“I guess that didn’t go to well.” Smiley said to Boraj.
“No, I would say it didn’t.” Smiley agreed. “So why did you both come here?” Boraj asked in his official capacity as Constable.
Smiley walked over to the energy barrier and looked at Locutus.
“We came here,” Smiley said, “because we had no where else to go. Going back there would be a death trap, and fruitless because of the high concentration of radiation that will no doubt surround the wormhole for thousands of years to come. For all I know, the blast may have destroyed the wormhole, since it hadn’t closed all the way when the blast passed by.”
“What about the portable dimensional jumpers people from your side have used from time to time? Why not use one of those?” Boraj asked.
Smiley shook his head. “The density between the two universes is at its greatest point. Those kinds of devices will not work for another century, even if that.”
“So,” Boraj said, “you’re refugees. Well, until your situation is settled, you will have to petition the Bajoran government for citizenship.” Boraj said. He looked to Locutus as well. “They may not grant it for that.”
“If you knew him, as I do,” Smiley said, “you would see him as something way more valuable than being the memory of a monster.”
Boraj nodded. “I’m afraid that I am not the person you need to convince of that. As long as Admiral Picard is here, in this system, I wouldn’t count on your friend ever being allowed any amount of freedom; at all.”
Smiley didn’t like the sound of that at all. And he was bound to do something about it!
--
Admiral Picard headed for the Turbolift. The flush of memories that flowed through his mind were unsettling. He stepped into the Turbolift and was joined by Commander Tuvok as he did.
“Sir, can I have a word with you?” Tuvok asked.
“Yes, by all means, Commander Tuvok.” Picard replied with a smile.
The doors to the Turbolift closed, and then the Turbolift started its movement.
“How can I help you?” Picard asked.
“I just wanted to point out sir, that if the Borg come through the wormhole, this other Locutus might become a very valuable asset.”
Picard looked to Tuvok. “Have you lost your mind, Commander?”
Tuvok shook his head. “No, Sir, I assure you I have not. Our dealings with the Borg, and I am speaking of my time on Voyager, lead me to believe that Locutus was still an enigma to them. I believe that if this new Locutus can be trusted, perhaps…”
Picard cut Tuvok off. “Excuse me, Commander,” Picard said. “I have had dealings with the Borg as well. They were able to break my mind once, and the Federation was nearly destroyed because of it. I will not let this Locutus finish the job.”
“Yes, sir, however, I must point out…” Tuvok began to say before he was cut off again.
“Commander,” Picard said with a tinge of anger in his words, “I am an Admiral, you are not. I will ask you to not follow this line of conversation with me again. If you do, I will have you brought before a General Court Martial for disobeying the direct order of a superior office; do I make my self clear?”
The Turbolift door opened, and Picard stepped out, Tuvok did not. The door shut and Tuvok rode the rest of the way alone. But he knew that Picard was reacting due to lingering issues he had with his being assimilated. If Picard would not listen, then perhaps someone else would. Going over Picard could cost Tuvok’s career in Starfleet. But it had to be done. The Borg, and their intent to assimilate Earth, were on the way.
--
Picard reached his quarters, still shaken by the events of the past hour, and his conversation with Tuvok. Coming face to face with Locutus had rattled Picard more than he had hoped it would. Perhaps, Picard thought, he was over-reacting due to his time as Locutus. But Picard knew the Borg. He knew what they wanted, and he would not let it happen: EVER! He entered his quarters to unwind, but was surprised to find a rather large Nausican standing with Tom Paris. And, between them, was a young Bajoran girl. The girl ran over and hugged Picard at the waist.
“Oh my,” Picard said softly.
--
On the other side of the Galaxy, a giant Borg fleet made its way towards the wormhole. Due to the fact that the Transwarp conduits were unusable, the wormhole was nearly seven thousand light years away. But the Borg Collective was in the process of creating a dimensional form of travel that would allow them to invade the Alpha-Quadrant, once and for all, and assimilate it. It was based on the same technology that the Federation had used.
Laas, the Founder of incredible abilities, stood with the Borg Queen. The Voyager, and Starfleet, had thought the Borg had been destroyed by a Neurolytic pathogen. Though it had caused much loss, the Collective had come back, strong as ever, and was now prepared to assimilate Earth. But not for Earth’s technology, but for the survival of the Collective, which was now a primary goal.
The Queen looked to Laas.
“The Collective,” She told Laas, “has concluded that our first Dimensional jump will take place in 114.4 cycles.”
Laas nodded. “Once that happens, then we can at last bring order to the Galaxy. You will assimilate all the solids through-out the galaxy, and then you will follow my directives.”
“By your command.” The Queen said to Laas.
Though, she thought to her self in a special fortified alcove in her mind, she would assimilate Laas long before any of that happened.
--
Continued
Star Trek: Shuffle the Deck.
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Re: STAR TREK SHUFFLE THE DECK--#89 DEEP SPACE NINE
"By your command"...HA! She's playing "Cylon"! AAAAHAHAHAAHAHA! I about fell out of my chair at that one!
It's interesting...I notice this Locutus hasn't said a word, anything that anybody is aware of. I wonder, too, why nobody in the MU tried to undo that Picard's assimilation, if this Locutus is passive enough to be around. That's very interesting to think about...
"By your command"...HA! She's playing "Cylon"! AAAAHAHAHAAHAHA! I about fell out of my chair at that one!
It's interesting...I notice this Locutus hasn't said a word, anything that anybody is aware of. I wonder, too, why nobody in the MU tried to undo that Picard's assimilation, if this Locutus is passive enough to be around. That's very interesting to think about...
RobertScorpio
Pariah
Re: STAR TREK SHUFFLE THE DECK--#89 DEEP SPACE NINE
Yeah..I stuck her BY YOUR COMMAND in there as a nod to BSG fans...and you are right about MU LOCUTUS, he has remained strangely quiet...we will learn some of his past soon VIA Mr. Tuvok....I wonder if the Borg were a force of "good" over there...there seems to be hints of that from what we heard from Smiley..
Rob
"By your command"...HA! She's playing "Cylon"! AAAAHAHAHAAHAHA! I about fell out of my chair at that one!
It's interesting...I notice this Locutus hasn't said a word, anything that anybody is aware of. I wonder, too, why nobody in the MU tried to undo that Picard's assimilation, if this Locutus is passive enough to be around. That's very interesting to think about...
Yeah..I stuck her BY YOUR COMMAND in there as a nod to BSG fans...and you are right about MU LOCUTUS, he has remained strangely quiet...we will learn some of his past soon VIA Mr. Tuvok....I wonder if the Borg were a force of "good" over there...there seems to be hints of that from what we heard from Smiley..
Rob
Last edited:
RobertScorpio
Pariah
STAR TREK SHUFFLE THE DECK--#90 BALBOA
Star Trek: Shuffle the Deck
Balboa—DS9—Federation Earth—Riker—Essians
#90
Special Guest Stars
William T Riker and
Sybok
Uncharted planet deep inside the Gamma-Quadrant:
Captain Everett West knew he was lucky to have most of the crew back together, alive, again. Some had arrived, with West, via the undiscovered wormhole near the Romulan/Klingon border. But now, due to some strange ‘conduit’ between Septos-14, and this world, the rest of crew, along with 4000 civilians, were now calling this world home as well. Many lives had been lost, over a thousand between the crew and Civilians, but they had to move on from those turns of events. There were no signs of the Thraval in the caves, and it would appear that the beasts were unable, or unwilling, to risk travel through the wormhole. However, West had the strange feeling they hadn’t seen the last of the Thraval.
Ever since the Wave had passed through the galaxy, nearly six months earlier, Captain West, and his crew, and every other Starship crew, were facing a future without any coordination from Starfleet. It was, no doubt, a dark time. Yet, somehow, West knew that most would persevere.
The Saucer section was more than large enough to provide comfortable living conditions for years on end. Hopefully Starfleet would find someway to remedy the effects of the Wave. But, were that not to happen, Captain West was quite sure he, his crew, and the civilians would do quite well on this world.
He sat in his ready room, which was situated near the bridge, and waited for Ichiro Shigeru, his first officer, and head of security as well, to bring the unidentified strangers, a human female and Vulcan male, to him to interview. Ensign Marcy Rose had told West about Captain Riker’s suspicions of those two, who seemed to arrive in a most mysterious way at the Federation outpost on Septos-14. Were they, these two strangers, the ones who attacked West, Shigeru, Thron, S’ovak and Elam, who had died during the trip through the wormhole, the night that they all encountered and destroyed the emotion vampire which was guarding the Hurq treasure? West believed these two knew something, and West was bound to find out what it was.
Another point of interest that West had to be aware of was the fact that the odds of the wormhole, being near Septos-14, which was a door to the are of the Gamma-Quadrant that they now found themselves in, and the ‘conduit’ device being located on Septos-14, and also, in essence, a doorway to this part of the Gamma-Quadrant, being random events was highly unlikely. Something more was going on that met the eye. Why were two such passages to the Gamma-Quadrant so close together in the Septos star system?
Captain West read through the status reports being sent back to the ship. Several scouting parties had used the shuttles to survey the planet and had found no sentient life forms. They were finding various edible food items, fruits and vegetables, along with large oceans stocked with sea life.
He was also getting status reports from a science team, which was headed up by Lt. Kral, the female Enfrosian science officer, which was digging through the cave debris, trying to garner anything they could from the wrecked Hurq devices that had brought so many through the conduit to this world. Perhaps some use could come from the fantastic technology. S’ovak was with the science team as well, which was fine with West. S’ovak, the Romulan treasure hunter, had become almost a second first officer since joining the crew and his talents were undeniable.
The door to his ready room opened and LTjg Wy’clan, who was the duty officer on the bridge, escorted Kassidy Sisko into the room. West stood up to greet her.
“Thank you Mr. Wy’clan,” West said to the Ltjg, who then turned and left, “Ms. Sisko,” West said to Kassidy, “I hope you and your son are finding our accommodations comfortable enough.”
“Yes, Captain West, we are.” Kassidy said. “My son and I had been held in captivity for nearly half a year. Not being with children his own age has really been the hardest part for Little Joe, these past months.”
“So, I hear you are assisting with the organization of a school for our civilian guests. Thank you for the effort.” West said to her.
“Yes, several of your crew members are helping as well,” Kassidy said with a smile. “We should have the school up and running in a few days.”
West offered her a seat, and she sat down. He also offered her a cup of hot coffee, which she gladly accepted. West sat back behind his desk.
“How can I help you?” West asked, as he set down the status report clipboard.
“I know this may sound like a strange request from me,” Kassidy said, “But I was wondering if you might reconsider your decision to hold Betram and his associates in the Brig.”
West was indeed surprised by the request. “I’m sorry,” West said, “Why the heck would you want me to release them? They abducted you and your son.”
Kassidy nodded, “I know, I can’t believe I am even asking you this. But, like all of us stranded here, I believe they deserve a second chance. They did assist your crew in the search and rescue for survivors inside that cave. I think Betram’s crew understands the situation well enough. I notice you have allowed a crew of Romulans to join your ship’s compliment. Can you see it in your heart to give these smugglers such a break?”
West thought over her request. He then turned to his computer, slid his finger across the viewing panel, and then maneuvered the screen so that she could see it as well.
“I had my communication’s officer, Thron, that big guy out there on the bridge of the ship, to check the ship’s library for any data on Betram, and the other two, to see if they had any criminal records.” West said.
The lists, under each of their images, which were displayed on the screen, were extensive. Though, as Kassidy read the lists, she saw that none of the crimes were major. The lists contained incidents of petty theft, and smuggling of small time supplies, and narcotics as well. There was nothing listed that was as severe as smuggling medical supplies to the Maquis, as she had in her past.
“Captain West,” Kassidy finally said, “I see nothing in their criminal files that as a starship Captain you couldn’t look past. I mean, I’m sure that the two of us have friends, or know of people, who helped the Maquis in small ways. Heck, I went to jail for it.”
West nodded, and grinned. “My brother,” West said pointing a family portrait hanging on the wall, “smuggled during that whole Maquis chapter. But the doofus never realized he was actually smuggling items to the Cardassians on those border worlds. He spent two years in prison, and I hoped it would have been a harsher sentence for being such a moron.” West paused for a moment. “I will consider your request, Ms. Sisko.”
“If you will consider it, then that is all I can ask for.” Kassidy said with a warm smile.
Kassidy took one last sip of coffee, stood, nodded to West, and then left the room.
West was about to return to reading his status reports when the door opened again and First Officer Shigeru escorted the Vulcan-human male into the ready room, as well as the human female. They were both very young, teenagers West concluded.
“Junbi dekita,” Shigeru said, “I have brought them.”
“Now,” West said, “I would like to know just who you two are. Captain Riker may have never gotten around to asking you, but I am. I have spoken with many of the civilian leadership of Septos-14, and they have no idea who you are either. So,” West said as Shigeru stood back as the teenagers sat in seats across from West, “who are you? And how is it you came to be on Septos-14?”
--
Just outside the uncharted planet’s star system, a large fleet of ships, a large fleet of Borg ships, was passing by. The Borg’s scanners were limited as well, due to the effects of the double-star system. Laas and the Queen watched as the scans came in.
“Just another star-system void of humanity,” Laas said. “What a comforting feeling.”
The Queen smiled. “Humans have their purposes,” she said slyly. “The Collective has decided that this system warrants no exploitation. We have marked it and shall return to it sometime in the future.”
The Borg fleet altered its course to negate the effects of the strange star-system.
--
Unknown to the Borg fleet, a Vaadwaurian battleship monitored the fleet’s progress. The Vaadwaurian sensors were more efficient than the Borg, and were also well camouflaged.
--
ELSEWHERE
Riker picked up on a subject that Sybok had hinted at moments ago.
“You said that you thought you and I were on the same side, in all this.” Riker said. “How come I don’t believe you?”
Sybok, who, like Riker, was leaning up against a crop of large rocks, looked to Riker. “It was assumed by all that I was this evil ruler of Hotep. Trust me, Riker, I am not evil in anyway. In fact, I tried to stop the one who was really responsible for the Wave that will soon sweep back and destroy the domain of Earth, and everything else in that existence.”
Riker smiled, “Okay, I’ll bite,” Riker said, “Who is the villain in all of this?”
“I am,” another voice answered from the dark area of the cave. The originator of the voice stepped from the shadows.
Riker had to search his memory, but he eventually recognized the species from which the new comer had originated from. They called themselves the Vaadwaurian, a species that dwelled in the Gamma-Quadrant, and which the Voyager had awaken from a long slumber.
“My name,” the Vaadwaurian said, “is Gawthar. Or, I should say, that was my name from the existence you and I share. My name, on Hotep, was Obriah. Sybok is right, I am the force behind the Wave, and I will soon be the force behind the second Wave as well.”
Gawthar laughed as anger grew in Riker’s eyes.
Riker looked at two and realized he was all along against these two, whom if he took them at their words, were responsible for most of what Riker, and Spock’s team, were trying to fix. And, strangely enough, he believed Gawthar. Even so, there was nothing Riker could do: or so they, and he, thought.
Continued
STAR TREK: SHUFFLE THE DECK
Next time: Commander Reg Barclay returns, with Scotty and Janice Kosinski...and with them, a strange visitor named...Sheppard
And coming soon..EPISODE #100!!! Picard, Locutus, Sybok, Elaine, Tiberius, Gawthar, Q, Benjamin Sisko, Odo, Moriarty, Janeway, Jake, Korena, Bak'nor....I CANT WAIT!!!
Also..on RMS ENTERPRISE, James Bond finds danger in Siberia!!
Star Trek: Shuffle the Deck
Balboa—DS9—Federation Earth—Riker—Essians
#90
Special Guest Stars
William T Riker and
Sybok
Uncharted planet deep inside the Gamma-Quadrant:
Captain Everett West knew he was lucky to have most of the crew back together, alive, again. Some had arrived, with West, via the undiscovered wormhole near the Romulan/Klingon border. But now, due to some strange ‘conduit’ between Septos-14, and this world, the rest of crew, along with 4000 civilians, were now calling this world home as well. Many lives had been lost, over a thousand between the crew and Civilians, but they had to move on from those turns of events. There were no signs of the Thraval in the caves, and it would appear that the beasts were unable, or unwilling, to risk travel through the wormhole. However, West had the strange feeling they hadn’t seen the last of the Thraval.
Ever since the Wave had passed through the galaxy, nearly six months earlier, Captain West, and his crew, and every other Starship crew, were facing a future without any coordination from Starfleet. It was, no doubt, a dark time. Yet, somehow, West knew that most would persevere.
The Saucer section was more than large enough to provide comfortable living conditions for years on end. Hopefully Starfleet would find someway to remedy the effects of the Wave. But, were that not to happen, Captain West was quite sure he, his crew, and the civilians would do quite well on this world.
He sat in his ready room, which was situated near the bridge, and waited for Ichiro Shigeru, his first officer, and head of security as well, to bring the unidentified strangers, a human female and Vulcan male, to him to interview. Ensign Marcy Rose had told West about Captain Riker’s suspicions of those two, who seemed to arrive in a most mysterious way at the Federation outpost on Septos-14. Were they, these two strangers, the ones who attacked West, Shigeru, Thron, S’ovak and Elam, who had died during the trip through the wormhole, the night that they all encountered and destroyed the emotion vampire which was guarding the Hurq treasure? West believed these two knew something, and West was bound to find out what it was.
Another point of interest that West had to be aware of was the fact that the odds of the wormhole, being near Septos-14, which was a door to the are of the Gamma-Quadrant that they now found themselves in, and the ‘conduit’ device being located on Septos-14, and also, in essence, a doorway to this part of the Gamma-Quadrant, being random events was highly unlikely. Something more was going on that met the eye. Why were two such passages to the Gamma-Quadrant so close together in the Septos star system?
Captain West read through the status reports being sent back to the ship. Several scouting parties had used the shuttles to survey the planet and had found no sentient life forms. They were finding various edible food items, fruits and vegetables, along with large oceans stocked with sea life.
He was also getting status reports from a science team, which was headed up by Lt. Kral, the female Enfrosian science officer, which was digging through the cave debris, trying to garner anything they could from the wrecked Hurq devices that had brought so many through the conduit to this world. Perhaps some use could come from the fantastic technology. S’ovak was with the science team as well, which was fine with West. S’ovak, the Romulan treasure hunter, had become almost a second first officer since joining the crew and his talents were undeniable.
The door to his ready room opened and LTjg Wy’clan, who was the duty officer on the bridge, escorted Kassidy Sisko into the room. West stood up to greet her.
“Thank you Mr. Wy’clan,” West said to the Ltjg, who then turned and left, “Ms. Sisko,” West said to Kassidy, “I hope you and your son are finding our accommodations comfortable enough.”
“Yes, Captain West, we are.” Kassidy said. “My son and I had been held in captivity for nearly half a year. Not being with children his own age has really been the hardest part for Little Joe, these past months.”
“So, I hear you are assisting with the organization of a school for our civilian guests. Thank you for the effort.” West said to her.
“Yes, several of your crew members are helping as well,” Kassidy said with a smile. “We should have the school up and running in a few days.”
West offered her a seat, and she sat down. He also offered her a cup of hot coffee, which she gladly accepted. West sat back behind his desk.
“How can I help you?” West asked, as he set down the status report clipboard.
“I know this may sound like a strange request from me,” Kassidy said, “But I was wondering if you might reconsider your decision to hold Betram and his associates in the Brig.”
West was indeed surprised by the request. “I’m sorry,” West said, “Why the heck would you want me to release them? They abducted you and your son.”
Kassidy nodded, “I know, I can’t believe I am even asking you this. But, like all of us stranded here, I believe they deserve a second chance. They did assist your crew in the search and rescue for survivors inside that cave. I think Betram’s crew understands the situation well enough. I notice you have allowed a crew of Romulans to join your ship’s compliment. Can you see it in your heart to give these smugglers such a break?”
West thought over her request. He then turned to his computer, slid his finger across the viewing panel, and then maneuvered the screen so that she could see it as well.
“I had my communication’s officer, Thron, that big guy out there on the bridge of the ship, to check the ship’s library for any data on Betram, and the other two, to see if they had any criminal records.” West said.
The lists, under each of their images, which were displayed on the screen, were extensive. Though, as Kassidy read the lists, she saw that none of the crimes were major. The lists contained incidents of petty theft, and smuggling of small time supplies, and narcotics as well. There was nothing listed that was as severe as smuggling medical supplies to the Maquis, as she had in her past.
“Captain West,” Kassidy finally said, “I see nothing in their criminal files that as a starship Captain you couldn’t look past. I mean, I’m sure that the two of us have friends, or know of people, who helped the Maquis in small ways. Heck, I went to jail for it.”
West nodded, and grinned. “My brother,” West said pointing a family portrait hanging on the wall, “smuggled during that whole Maquis chapter. But the doofus never realized he was actually smuggling items to the Cardassians on those border worlds. He spent two years in prison, and I hoped it would have been a harsher sentence for being such a moron.” West paused for a moment. “I will consider your request, Ms. Sisko.”
“If you will consider it, then that is all I can ask for.” Kassidy said with a warm smile.
Kassidy took one last sip of coffee, stood, nodded to West, and then left the room.
West was about to return to reading his status reports when the door opened again and First Officer Shigeru escorted the Vulcan-human male into the ready room, as well as the human female. They were both very young, teenagers West concluded.
“Junbi dekita,” Shigeru said, “I have brought them.”
“Now,” West said, “I would like to know just who you two are. Captain Riker may have never gotten around to asking you, but I am. I have spoken with many of the civilian leadership of Septos-14, and they have no idea who you are either. So,” West said as Shigeru stood back as the teenagers sat in seats across from West, “who are you? And how is it you came to be on Septos-14?”
--
Just outside the uncharted planet’s star system, a large fleet of ships, a large fleet of Borg ships, was passing by. The Borg’s scanners were limited as well, due to the effects of the double-star system. Laas and the Queen watched as the scans came in.
“Just another star-system void of humanity,” Laas said. “What a comforting feeling.”
The Queen smiled. “Humans have their purposes,” she said slyly. “The Collective has decided that this system warrants no exploitation. We have marked it and shall return to it sometime in the future.”
The Borg fleet altered its course to negate the effects of the strange star-system.
--
Unknown to the Borg fleet, a Vaadwaurian battleship monitored the fleet’s progress. The Vaadwaurian sensors were more efficient than the Borg, and were also well camouflaged.
--
ELSEWHERE
Riker picked up on a subject that Sybok had hinted at moments ago.
“You said that you thought you and I were on the same side, in all this.” Riker said. “How come I don’t believe you?”
Sybok, who, like Riker, was leaning up against a crop of large rocks, looked to Riker. “It was assumed by all that I was this evil ruler of Hotep. Trust me, Riker, I am not evil in anyway. In fact, I tried to stop the one who was really responsible for the Wave that will soon sweep back and destroy the domain of Earth, and everything else in that existence.”
Riker smiled, “Okay, I’ll bite,” Riker said, “Who is the villain in all of this?”
“I am,” another voice answered from the dark area of the cave. The originator of the voice stepped from the shadows.
Riker had to search his memory, but he eventually recognized the species from which the new comer had originated from. They called themselves the Vaadwaurian, a species that dwelled in the Gamma-Quadrant, and which the Voyager had awaken from a long slumber.
“My name,” the Vaadwaurian said, “is Gawthar. Or, I should say, that was my name from the existence you and I share. My name, on Hotep, was Obriah. Sybok is right, I am the force behind the Wave, and I will soon be the force behind the second Wave as well.”
Gawthar laughed as anger grew in Riker’s eyes.
Riker looked at two and realized he was all along against these two, whom if he took them at their words, were responsible for most of what Riker, and Spock’s team, were trying to fix. And, strangely enough, he believed Gawthar. Even so, there was nothing Riker could do: or so they, and he, thought.
Continued
STAR TREK: SHUFFLE THE DECK
Next time: Commander Reg Barclay returns, with Scotty and Janice Kosinski...and with them, a strange visitor named...Sheppard
And coming soon..EPISODE #100!!! Picard, Locutus, Sybok, Elaine, Tiberius, Gawthar, Q, Benjamin Sisko, Odo, Moriarty, Janeway, Jake, Korena, Bak'nor....I CANT WAIT!!!
Also..on RMS ENTERPRISE, James Bond finds danger in Siberia!!
Last edited:
RobertScorpio
Pariah
STAR TREK SHUFFLE THE DECK--#91 Federation Earth
Star Trek: Shuffle the Deck
Federation Earth—DS9—Balboa—Riker—Essians
#91
Captain James T Kirk sat in his command chair, his right hand massaging his chin, as he was strategizing the next move in this cat and mouse battle between the Enterprise and the Klingon battle cruiser they had been engaged with in a running battle in unclaimed space.
Scotty was monitoring the engines; doing his best to keep them at full power.
“Scotty,” Kirk said to his engineer, “keep those shields up too.”
“Aye, cap’n,” Scotty said as an Orion-slave girl began to dance on Scotty’s control panel.
“Get that slave girl out of here!” Kirk ordered.
“But Captain,” Scotty pleaded, “I can do both things at the same time.”
“That is highly illogical, engineer Scott.” Spock said as he walked over Kirk’s command chair.
“I order you!” Kirk said Scotty, in his usual, over the top, manner, “to let that slave girl go!” Kirk said, pointing at the slave girl.
“Negative sir,” Scotty she said, “I ain’a gonna follow that order.” Scotty replied with gusto. He then sat back in his chair and watched the green-skinned beauty dance for him and him alone.
Suddenly the ship was rocked with a violent shaking motion and then…..
Montgomery Scott opened his eyes. He was no longer on the bridge of the NCC-1701, but instead, he was in his comfortable quarters at Starfleet Command, situated on the bay of San Francisco. And the shaking sensation was caused by none other than Commander Reginald Barclay.
“Scotty,” Barclay stated anxiously, “You need to wake up.”
Scotty shook his head. “What are ye doing lad?” Scotty asked in an annoyed tone. “I was about to finally get the girl, and at my age, you dooon’t get that dream to often.”
Scotty sat up in bed as Barclay looked through Scott’s closet, and found Scotty some clothes to wear.
“What time is it?” Scotty asked.
“It’s two in the morning.” Barclay said as he put Scotty’s clothes on his dresser, and then left the room. “And hurry up!” Barclay added as he left Scotty’s room.
--
Twenty-minutes later the two were sitting in a transit tube that took them across the bay, via the Golden Gate Bridge. The Transporter net was undergoing security upgrades for the next two days, which was ordered by Star Fleet Security after the Klingon ship incident two weeks prior. Due to the early hour, they were the only ones riding the transit tube, which didn’t surprise Scotty at all.
“Now, Mista Barclay, would’ya mind telling me just why we are both up at this time of hour?” Scotty asked, impatiently.
Barclay sat with his arms folded in front of him, and was determined not to tell Scotty what was going on.
“I can’t tell you,” Barclay said.
“It has something ta’do with the Sheppard I bet.” Scotty said with a knowing grin.
“How do you know that, I didn’t tell you anything?” Barclay protested.
“Ya didn’t lad,” Scotty said with a slight chuckle, “But now I know it has something ta’do with the Sheppard.”
Barclay looked at Scotty with a perturbed looked. “You tricked me. Friends don’t do that to each other.”
Scotty patted Barclay on the back. “Friends also don’t wake up friends at two in the morning with’outta telling them why.”
Barclay nodded in agreement. “No, I don’t suppose they do.”
“So,” Scotty said, “what is going on?”
Barclay made the motion of locking his lips and throwing away the key.
“Aye,” Scotty said with a dismissive breath, “I guess I’ll find out soon enough.”
Moments later they arrived at the transport hub on the other side of the bay from Starfleet Command. They boarded a transfer shuttle that took them to the new silicone valley, and to the Kosinski labs. Scotty ordered him self a pancake breakfast from the replicator, while Barclay had two sugar-glazed donuts.
--
Nearly ten minutes later they walked into the darkened hallways of Kosinski labs. Luckily Admiral Janeway had been able to convince Admiral Bachmeier to keep the Sheppard project at this research center, instead of transferring them to Starfleet labs in Liverpool England.
As they rounded the bend Scotty saw something that he never thought he would see again; The Sheppard was back! The Sheppard was the sleek ship that had been built with experimental properties. Janice Kosinski, daughter of the late famed scientist, and rather successful in her own right, was sitting on the boarding ramp with a man Scotty did not recognized. Kosinski and the man were both sipping from two cups of tea.
“This is why ye brought me here?” Scotty asked Barclay, “To chaperone a date?”
“No,” Janice said, “not quite. I want you to meet a very interesting man, Mister Scott. His name is,” and she paused, partly because she found it hard to believe as well, “his name is Sheppard. And, if I understand what he had been telling me correctly, he is the Sheppard ship we created, but in a highly evolved state of existence.”
Scotty looked at the man, who seemed normal enough. Scotty had known quite a few characters in his life that were quite unique. From Charlie, to Trelane, and to the Greek God of Apollo, Scotty indeed, knew many so called higher beings, and if he were to be honest, he was never really impressed with any of them.
“I see you have your doubts,” Sheppard said to Scotty.
“Well,” Scotty said, “to paraphrase an old friend of mine, what would a God need with a starship?”
Sheppard shook of the question, and smiled. “Sorry, I do not know what you are referring to; however, I claim to be no God. However, I am someone who has come to you for your assistance. And unless we act quickly, I fear we shall all perish.”
“Well,” Barclay said, “I believe you. What exactly is the help you need?”
Sheppard set his cup of tea down, and stood up.
“Come inside the Sheppard, I think you will need to see this for yourselves.” Sheppard said.
With nothing to lose, Janice Kosinski, Scotty and Barclay all entered the ship: And then, with out warning, the ship was gone!
Continued
Next time on
STAR TREK: SHUFFLE THE DECK
FEDERATION EARTH
Jake Sisko and his new Benzite friend, Marax, travel to Alaska to find the one person who might be able to track down Moriarty, and Jake’s “dead” wife: Thomas Riker.
Star Trek: Shuffle the Deck
Federation Earth—DS9—Balboa—Riker—Essians
#91
Captain James T Kirk sat in his command chair, his right hand massaging his chin, as he was strategizing the next move in this cat and mouse battle between the Enterprise and the Klingon battle cruiser they had been engaged with in a running battle in unclaimed space.
Scotty was monitoring the engines; doing his best to keep them at full power.
“Scotty,” Kirk said to his engineer, “keep those shields up too.”
“Aye, cap’n,” Scotty said as an Orion-slave girl began to dance on Scotty’s control panel.
“Get that slave girl out of here!” Kirk ordered.
“But Captain,” Scotty pleaded, “I can do both things at the same time.”
“That is highly illogical, engineer Scott.” Spock said as he walked over Kirk’s command chair.
“I order you!” Kirk said Scotty, in his usual, over the top, manner, “to let that slave girl go!” Kirk said, pointing at the slave girl.
“Negative sir,” Scotty she said, “I ain’a gonna follow that order.” Scotty replied with gusto. He then sat back in his chair and watched the green-skinned beauty dance for him and him alone.
Suddenly the ship was rocked with a violent shaking motion and then…..
Montgomery Scott opened his eyes. He was no longer on the bridge of the NCC-1701, but instead, he was in his comfortable quarters at Starfleet Command, situated on the bay of San Francisco. And the shaking sensation was caused by none other than Commander Reginald Barclay.
“Scotty,” Barclay stated anxiously, “You need to wake up.”
Scotty shook his head. “What are ye doing lad?” Scotty asked in an annoyed tone. “I was about to finally get the girl, and at my age, you dooon’t get that dream to often.”
Scotty sat up in bed as Barclay looked through Scott’s closet, and found Scotty some clothes to wear.
“What time is it?” Scotty asked.
“It’s two in the morning.” Barclay said as he put Scotty’s clothes on his dresser, and then left the room. “And hurry up!” Barclay added as he left Scotty’s room.
--
Twenty-minutes later the two were sitting in a transit tube that took them across the bay, via the Golden Gate Bridge. The Transporter net was undergoing security upgrades for the next two days, which was ordered by Star Fleet Security after the Klingon ship incident two weeks prior. Due to the early hour, they were the only ones riding the transit tube, which didn’t surprise Scotty at all.
“Now, Mista Barclay, would’ya mind telling me just why we are both up at this time of hour?” Scotty asked, impatiently.
Barclay sat with his arms folded in front of him, and was determined not to tell Scotty what was going on.
“I can’t tell you,” Barclay said.
“It has something ta’do with the Sheppard I bet.” Scotty said with a knowing grin.
“How do you know that, I didn’t tell you anything?” Barclay protested.
“Ya didn’t lad,” Scotty said with a slight chuckle, “But now I know it has something ta’do with the Sheppard.”
Barclay looked at Scotty with a perturbed looked. “You tricked me. Friends don’t do that to each other.”
Scotty patted Barclay on the back. “Friends also don’t wake up friends at two in the morning with’outta telling them why.”
Barclay nodded in agreement. “No, I don’t suppose they do.”
“So,” Scotty said, “what is going on?”
Barclay made the motion of locking his lips and throwing away the key.
“Aye,” Scotty said with a dismissive breath, “I guess I’ll find out soon enough.”
Moments later they arrived at the transport hub on the other side of the bay from Starfleet Command. They boarded a transfer shuttle that took them to the new silicone valley, and to the Kosinski labs. Scotty ordered him self a pancake breakfast from the replicator, while Barclay had two sugar-glazed donuts.
--
Nearly ten minutes later they walked into the darkened hallways of Kosinski labs. Luckily Admiral Janeway had been able to convince Admiral Bachmeier to keep the Sheppard project at this research center, instead of transferring them to Starfleet labs in Liverpool England.
As they rounded the bend Scotty saw something that he never thought he would see again; The Sheppard was back! The Sheppard was the sleek ship that had been built with experimental properties. Janice Kosinski, daughter of the late famed scientist, and rather successful in her own right, was sitting on the boarding ramp with a man Scotty did not recognized. Kosinski and the man were both sipping from two cups of tea.
“This is why ye brought me here?” Scotty asked Barclay, “To chaperone a date?”
“No,” Janice said, “not quite. I want you to meet a very interesting man, Mister Scott. His name is,” and she paused, partly because she found it hard to believe as well, “his name is Sheppard. And, if I understand what he had been telling me correctly, he is the Sheppard ship we created, but in a highly evolved state of existence.”
Scotty looked at the man, who seemed normal enough. Scotty had known quite a few characters in his life that were quite unique. From Charlie, to Trelane, and to the Greek God of Apollo, Scotty indeed, knew many so called higher beings, and if he were to be honest, he was never really impressed with any of them.
“I see you have your doubts,” Sheppard said to Scotty.
“Well,” Scotty said, “to paraphrase an old friend of mine, what would a God need with a starship?”
Sheppard shook of the question, and smiled. “Sorry, I do not know what you are referring to; however, I claim to be no God. However, I am someone who has come to you for your assistance. And unless we act quickly, I fear we shall all perish.”
“Well,” Barclay said, “I believe you. What exactly is the help you need?”
Sheppard set his cup of tea down, and stood up.
“Come inside the Sheppard, I think you will need to see this for yourselves.” Sheppard said.
With nothing to lose, Janice Kosinski, Scotty and Barclay all entered the ship: And then, with out warning, the ship was gone!
Continued
Next time on
STAR TREK: SHUFFLE THE DECK
FEDERATION EARTH
Jake Sisko and his new Benzite friend, Marax, travel to Alaska to find the one person who might be able to track down Moriarty, and Jake’s “dead” wife: Thomas Riker.
RobertScorpio
Pariah
Re: STAR TREK SHUFFLE THE DECK--#91 Federation Earth
Star Trek: Shuffle the Deck
Federation Earth—DS9—Balboa—Riker—Essians
#92
The small village of Anvik, Alaska, was situated just northwest of the Anvik River. In it’s pre-historic past the village was one of many places in Alaska that early migrations of humans would stay at, before moving on to the warmer areas to the south. In more recent times, the village and surrounding areas were struck with influenza epidemics in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The population, in 2010, was 115.
A small shuttle-pod landed at the small landing site just outside the small town of Anvik. Lt. Marax, a Benzite, who had been granted special permission by Admiral Janeway to follow up on his outlandish theory, that Korena Sisko was still alive, stepped off of the shuttle-pod. Jake Sisko followed him. Both of the men were bundled up with giant jackets, and two layers of sweaters beneath the jackets to help keep them warm. Snow was starting to fall, again, as the two started walking toward the town.
They walked over to a population sign. It read: ANVIK: HOME OF THE ANCIENT DEG HI’TAN PEOPLE. POPULATION: 208
Jake and Marax both read the sign.
“Amazing,” Jake said, as his teeth chattered in the snowy and cold weather.
“What is amazing?” Marax asked.
“I was reading up on this place on the shuttle,” Jake said, “the population four hundred years ago was just barely over a hundred. They’ve doubled that in four hundred years.”
Marax seemed perplexed. “Does that mean your world should implement population controls here? How much space does one Earthling need?” Marax asked as he stared out at the vast land which showed very little sign of life.
The wind was starting to pick up, as did the rate of snowfall. Jake also looked out at the vast land. The clouds were white, and grey, and stretched out forever. The land was white, covered in snow, and stretched out forever it seemed as well. Large mountains could be seen in the near distance. Why anyone would want to live in such a place, Jake wondered, was beyond him.
They had come to Anvik to find Thomas Riker. Jake had been a kid when Thomas Riker had come to DS9. Thomas was the creation of a transporter malfunction. He was an exact duplicate of William Riker, Captain of the Titan. But Thomas had spent years, many years, stranded by him self on some far off world. Eventually he was found, and would join the Maquis. It was in that capacity that he had come to DS9, stole the Defiant, and was eventually stopped, and handed over to the Cardassians, after using the Defiant to illegally invade Cardassian space. During the Dominion War, he escaped from the prison, and in a small turn of irony, ended up helping the Cardassians toward the end of that war when the Cardassians jumped sides, and joined the Alpha-Quadrant alliance.
Since that time, Thomas Riker had returned to Earth and came back to his native home, Alaska.
Anvik was one of the few places on Earth where the Transporter-Net did not work. The only way to get to Anvik was by shuttle, or foot. Riker had come here to live out a peaceful existence, fishing, and trading fur with the local native population, the Deg Hi’tan. They were commonly referred to as Eskimos, though technically they had settled here before the term Eskimos became a default label for all natives of Alaska.
Jake and Marax entered the town and found that it had three buildings. Each building, made of wood, and looked as old has hell, had a number painted on the side. And it was a simple system, Jake concluded. The first building they came two was labeled, in bright yellow paint, NUMBER ONE. Then, across the way, was NUMBER TWO. And, finally, for some reason, the third building was painted with the NUMBER FIVE.
“You humans have a strange numbering system. What happened to numbers three and four?” Marax asked.
“They were churches,” A voice said from behind them.
The two bundled up visitors, Jake and Marax, turned around to see where the voice had come from. A man stood before them. He too was bundles up, but with animal skins and fur. He also held a massive animal tooth as though it were a walking stick. The man pulled back the hood of his animal skin, and Jake recognized the bearded face: Thomas Riker.
There was now a large scare on Riker’s face that stretched from the left corner of his forehead, down toward his right eye, which now had a patch, then across the lower part of his face. Thomas Riker was very scary looking, the affect being aided by a goatee that hugged his face, and the scar.
“What is a church?” Marax asked, as he was visibly intimidated by Riker’s rough appearance.
Riker shook his head, with a look of disgust in his eyes. “They brought disease to these parts, centuries ago, and killed many. So they burned down the first church, and built another. Then, disease came again, and they burned it down as well.”
“So,” Jake said, “if building five is no longer a church; what is it now?”
Riker looked across to the other side of the small town, and at the wooded building labeled NUMBER FIVE.
“Inside there is a skating ring,” Riker said, “which we use during hokey season against the other nearby towns. There is also an Olympic-size pool, along with several hot pools. Pool tables, Ping-Pong tables, Pinball machines, all kinds of relics from the past,” Riker said with a grin, “It’s a place for the children. Even though the population sign reads two hundred and eight,” Riker said, “we have nearly two-thousand people here, and the kids, the children, are our number-one priority.”
Jake shook his head in agreement. “I like that,” Jake said. “All for the children: nothing wrong with that.”
Riker stepped closer and put his massive hand on Jake’s shoulder.
“Even though I had issues with your father,” Thomas said, “I respected him for treating me like a man. What I did, stealing his little ship like that, put your father in a very tight situation. So what is this about your wife? I read in the News that she had been killed when that Klingon ship attacked Earth.”
As they talked, Thomas Riker led them into Building ONE. Once inside they took off their bundle of jackets, since the temperature inside was very warm. The building was much larger looking on the insides. There was a stage in the far corner. There were several benches neatly arranged through-out. And, more importantly to Jake, it also had the smell of breakfast!
Jake explained to Riker how Korena had supposedly died. Marax took over, and told Riker his belief that Korena was still alive, and somewhere in the Sol star system.
“And so,” Thomas said, “Kate Janeway sent you to me.”
“She did,” Jake said. “She told me that if anyone could track down Korena it would be you, due to your time with the Maquis, and afterward when you, and your small crew, would raid Jem’Hadar outposts and rescue Federation or Klingon prisoners of war.”
“That was long ago,” Riker said, “And my crew has scattered overtime.” Riker told Jake. “However, I hate cowards that kidnap women. I wasn’t going to help you at first, Jake,” Riker said, “But, crap, life has thrown some pretty shitty balls of fate, as it has me, and so I knew I had to help you.” Riker said as he showed them both to a table.
They were inside what appeared to be a small café area. The smell of Eggs/Hashbrowns made Jake hungry, as did the smell of warm coffee.
“This building is huge,” Marax said, as he was offered a mug of Green-tea by Riker. “What were they built for?”
Riker sipped on his own mug of coffee. “This building was used, centuries ago, to store living cattle while on their way to Russia during the famine of 2185. The other buildings were here before that for various reasons. The heaters in this building are still the original issues.”
“Well, no matter how old they are,” Jake said, “They work just fine.”
Riker thought for a moment. Then he looked at them both.
“Well,” Riker said, “I’ll have to dig up the Applewhite.”
Marax and Jake gave each other quizzical looks.
“Excuse me, sir,” Marax said, “What is an Applewhite?”
Riker smiled, “Oh, you’ll just love her.” Riker said. “It’s my ship. My crew and I flew her all over the Badlands, even into the Gamma-Quadrant a couple times. She may look like a pile of camel dung, but trust me, she’s got a few moves on her that even the Defiant can’t match; and I would know.” Thomas could see the feigned look of humor in Jake’s eyes. “Don’t worry Jake,” Riker said, “if your wife is alive, I’m going to find her.”
And then he took a large knife, with obvious Klingon writing on it. “And whoever took her,” Riker said, “Will have to answer to me.”
“I don’t think that weapon will help much,” Marax said, “The person we are searching for is a hologram.”
The men laughed at Marax's obvious statement, and then chatted for a few more minutes, ate some breakfast, and then they followed Riker out and began to prepare for their search for Korena Sisko.
CONTINUED
Star Trek Shuffle The Deck
This weekend on ESSIANS: Destiny comes to the tyranical Morinva!!!
Star Trek: Shuffle the Deck
Federation Earth—DS9—Balboa—Riker—Essians
#92
The small village of Anvik, Alaska, was situated just northwest of the Anvik River. In it’s pre-historic past the village was one of many places in Alaska that early migrations of humans would stay at, before moving on to the warmer areas to the south. In more recent times, the village and surrounding areas were struck with influenza epidemics in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The population, in 2010, was 115.
A small shuttle-pod landed at the small landing site just outside the small town of Anvik. Lt. Marax, a Benzite, who had been granted special permission by Admiral Janeway to follow up on his outlandish theory, that Korena Sisko was still alive, stepped off of the shuttle-pod. Jake Sisko followed him. Both of the men were bundled up with giant jackets, and two layers of sweaters beneath the jackets to help keep them warm. Snow was starting to fall, again, as the two started walking toward the town.
They walked over to a population sign. It read: ANVIK: HOME OF THE ANCIENT DEG HI’TAN PEOPLE. POPULATION: 208
Jake and Marax both read the sign.
“Amazing,” Jake said, as his teeth chattered in the snowy and cold weather.
“What is amazing?” Marax asked.
“I was reading up on this place on the shuttle,” Jake said, “the population four hundred years ago was just barely over a hundred. They’ve doubled that in four hundred years.”
Marax seemed perplexed. “Does that mean your world should implement population controls here? How much space does one Earthling need?” Marax asked as he stared out at the vast land which showed very little sign of life.
The wind was starting to pick up, as did the rate of snowfall. Jake also looked out at the vast land. The clouds were white, and grey, and stretched out forever. The land was white, covered in snow, and stretched out forever it seemed as well. Large mountains could be seen in the near distance. Why anyone would want to live in such a place, Jake wondered, was beyond him.
They had come to Anvik to find Thomas Riker. Jake had been a kid when Thomas Riker had come to DS9. Thomas was the creation of a transporter malfunction. He was an exact duplicate of William Riker, Captain of the Titan. But Thomas had spent years, many years, stranded by him self on some far off world. Eventually he was found, and would join the Maquis. It was in that capacity that he had come to DS9, stole the Defiant, and was eventually stopped, and handed over to the Cardassians, after using the Defiant to illegally invade Cardassian space. During the Dominion War, he escaped from the prison, and in a small turn of irony, ended up helping the Cardassians toward the end of that war when the Cardassians jumped sides, and joined the Alpha-Quadrant alliance.
Since that time, Thomas Riker had returned to Earth and came back to his native home, Alaska.
Anvik was one of the few places on Earth where the Transporter-Net did not work. The only way to get to Anvik was by shuttle, or foot. Riker had come here to live out a peaceful existence, fishing, and trading fur with the local native population, the Deg Hi’tan. They were commonly referred to as Eskimos, though technically they had settled here before the term Eskimos became a default label for all natives of Alaska.
Jake and Marax entered the town and found that it had three buildings. Each building, made of wood, and looked as old has hell, had a number painted on the side. And it was a simple system, Jake concluded. The first building they came two was labeled, in bright yellow paint, NUMBER ONE. Then, across the way, was NUMBER TWO. And, finally, for some reason, the third building was painted with the NUMBER FIVE.
“You humans have a strange numbering system. What happened to numbers three and four?” Marax asked.
“They were churches,” A voice said from behind them.
The two bundled up visitors, Jake and Marax, turned around to see where the voice had come from. A man stood before them. He too was bundles up, but with animal skins and fur. He also held a massive animal tooth as though it were a walking stick. The man pulled back the hood of his animal skin, and Jake recognized the bearded face: Thomas Riker.
There was now a large scare on Riker’s face that stretched from the left corner of his forehead, down toward his right eye, which now had a patch, then across the lower part of his face. Thomas Riker was very scary looking, the affect being aided by a goatee that hugged his face, and the scar.
“What is a church?” Marax asked, as he was visibly intimidated by Riker’s rough appearance.
Riker shook his head, with a look of disgust in his eyes. “They brought disease to these parts, centuries ago, and killed many. So they burned down the first church, and built another. Then, disease came again, and they burned it down as well.”
“So,” Jake said, “if building five is no longer a church; what is it now?”
Riker looked across to the other side of the small town, and at the wooded building labeled NUMBER FIVE.
“Inside there is a skating ring,” Riker said, “which we use during hokey season against the other nearby towns. There is also an Olympic-size pool, along with several hot pools. Pool tables, Ping-Pong tables, Pinball machines, all kinds of relics from the past,” Riker said with a grin, “It’s a place for the children. Even though the population sign reads two hundred and eight,” Riker said, “we have nearly two-thousand people here, and the kids, the children, are our number-one priority.”
Jake shook his head in agreement. “I like that,” Jake said. “All for the children: nothing wrong with that.”
Riker stepped closer and put his massive hand on Jake’s shoulder.
“Even though I had issues with your father,” Thomas said, “I respected him for treating me like a man. What I did, stealing his little ship like that, put your father in a very tight situation. So what is this about your wife? I read in the News that she had been killed when that Klingon ship attacked Earth.”
As they talked, Thomas Riker led them into Building ONE. Once inside they took off their bundle of jackets, since the temperature inside was very warm. The building was much larger looking on the insides. There was a stage in the far corner. There were several benches neatly arranged through-out. And, more importantly to Jake, it also had the smell of breakfast!
Jake explained to Riker how Korena had supposedly died. Marax took over, and told Riker his belief that Korena was still alive, and somewhere in the Sol star system.
“And so,” Thomas said, “Kate Janeway sent you to me.”
“She did,” Jake said. “She told me that if anyone could track down Korena it would be you, due to your time with the Maquis, and afterward when you, and your small crew, would raid Jem’Hadar outposts and rescue Federation or Klingon prisoners of war.”
“That was long ago,” Riker said, “And my crew has scattered overtime.” Riker told Jake. “However, I hate cowards that kidnap women. I wasn’t going to help you at first, Jake,” Riker said, “But, crap, life has thrown some pretty shitty balls of fate, as it has me, and so I knew I had to help you.” Riker said as he showed them both to a table.
They were inside what appeared to be a small café area. The smell of Eggs/Hashbrowns made Jake hungry, as did the smell of warm coffee.
“This building is huge,” Marax said, as he was offered a mug of Green-tea by Riker. “What were they built for?”
Riker sipped on his own mug of coffee. “This building was used, centuries ago, to store living cattle while on their way to Russia during the famine of 2185. The other buildings were here before that for various reasons. The heaters in this building are still the original issues.”
“Well, no matter how old they are,” Jake said, “They work just fine.”
Riker thought for a moment. Then he looked at them both.
“Well,” Riker said, “I’ll have to dig up the Applewhite.”
Marax and Jake gave each other quizzical looks.
“Excuse me, sir,” Marax said, “What is an Applewhite?”
Riker smiled, “Oh, you’ll just love her.” Riker said. “It’s my ship. My crew and I flew her all over the Badlands, even into the Gamma-Quadrant a couple times. She may look like a pile of camel dung, but trust me, she’s got a few moves on her that even the Defiant can’t match; and I would know.” Thomas could see the feigned look of humor in Jake’s eyes. “Don’t worry Jake,” Riker said, “if your wife is alive, I’m going to find her.”
And then he took a large knife, with obvious Klingon writing on it. “And whoever took her,” Riker said, “Will have to answer to me.”
“I don’t think that weapon will help much,” Marax said, “The person we are searching for is a hologram.”
The men laughed at Marax's obvious statement, and then chatted for a few more minutes, ate some breakfast, and then they followed Riker out and began to prepare for their search for Korena Sisko.
CONTINUED
Star Trek Shuffle The Deck
This weekend on ESSIANS: Destiny comes to the tyranical Morinva!!!
Re: STAR TREK SHUFFLE THE DECK--#91 Federation Earth
I don't like this Thomas Riker any more than I did on DS9--and now I hate him even worse. Surely in the 24th century he should know that a church building couldn't cause disease and that it was the result of foreign travelers bringing diseases the locals hadn't had. What a bigoted attitude.
And then he has the nerve to go and name his ship after the Heaven's Gate cultist. Yeesh. I hope he gets put in his place, quickly, or he could really spoil this entire thing.
I don't like this Thomas Riker any more than I did on DS9--and now I hate him even worse. Surely in the 24th century he should know that a church building couldn't cause disease and that it was the result of foreign travelers bringing diseases the locals hadn't had. What a bigoted attitude.
And then he has the nerve to go and name his ship after the Heaven's Gate cultist. Yeesh. I hope he gets put in his place, quickly, or he could really spoil this entire thing.
RobertScorpio
Pariah
Re: STAR TREK SHUFFLE THE DECK--#91 Federation Earth
I just think Riker, right now, is bitter. Hell, I would be bitter if I were him. As for APPLEWHITE? I didn't even make that connection. So I will make it a point to show that the ship was not named after that Applewhite. In fact, we will find out that it was named after a good friend of Riker's who died in a Cardassian prisoner of war camp...and you know those Cardys. They know how to run a POW camp...
The fact you dont like him is a good thing..I wanted that impression...I want to see him evolve from where he is to a new, hopeful, point in his life...and he will..I have plans for him..
Rob
I just think Riker, right now, is bitter. Hell, I would be bitter if I were him. As for APPLEWHITE? I didn't even make that connection. So I will make it a point to show that the ship was not named after that Applewhite. In fact, we will find out that it was named after a good friend of Riker's who died in a Cardassian prisoner of war camp...and you know those Cardys. They know how to run a POW camp...
The fact you dont like him is a good thing..I wanted that impression...I want to see him evolve from where he is to a new, hopeful, point in his life...and he will..I have plans for him..
Rob
RobertScorpio
Pariah
Is My Story Coming true???
IS this the WAVE coming our way????
LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Space is typically thought of as a very quiet place. But one team of astronomers has found a strange cosmic noise that booms six times louder than expected.
The roar is from the distant cosmos. Nobody knows what causes it.
Of course, sound waves can't travel in a vacuum (which is what most of space is), or at least they can't very efficiently. But radio waves can.
Radio waves are not sound waves, but they are still electromagnetic waves, situated on the low-frequency end of the light spectrum.
Many objects in the universe, including stars and quasars, emit radio waves. Even our home galaxy, the Milky Way, emits a static hiss (first detected in 1931 by physicist Karl Jansky). Other galaxies also send out a background radio hiss.
But the newly detected signal, described here today at the 213th meeting of the American Astronomical Society, is far louder than astronomers expected.
There is "something new and interesting going on in the universe," said Alan Kogut of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.
A team led by Kogut detected the signal with a balloon-borne instrument named ARCADE (Absolute Radiometer for Cosmology, Astrophysics, and Diffuse Emission).
In July 2006, the instrument was launched from NASA's Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility in Palestine, Texas, and reached an altitude of about 120,000 feet (36,500 meters), where the atmosphere thins into the vacuum of space.
ARCADE's mission was to search the sky for faint signs of heat from the first generation of stars, but instead they heard a roar from the distant reaches of the universe.
"The universe really threw us a curve," Kogut said. "Instead of the faint signal we hoped to find, here was this booming noise six times louder than anyone had predicted."
Detailed analysis of the signal ruled out primordial stars or any known radio sources, including gas in the outermost halo of our own galaxy.
Other radio galaxies also can't account for the noise – there just aren't enough of them.
"You'd have to pack them into the universe like sardines," said study team member Dale Fixsen of the University of Maryland. "There wouldn't be any space left between one galaxy and the next."
The signal is measured to be six times brighter than the combined emission of all known radio sources in the universe.
For now, the origin of the signal remains a mystery.
"We really don't know what it is,"said team member Michael Seiffert of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.
And not only has it presented astronomers with a new puzzle, it is obscuring the sought-for signal from the earliest stars. But the cosmic static may itself provide important clues to the development of galaxies when the universe was much younger, less than half its present age. Because the radio waves come from far away, traveling at the speed of light, they therefore represent an earlier time in the universe.
"This is what makes science so exciting," Seiffert said. "You start out on a path to measure something – in this case, the heat from the very first stars – but run into something else entirely, some unexplained."
I'm telling you..its the WAVE!!!!
IS this the WAVE coming our way????
LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Space is typically thought of as a very quiet place. But one team of astronomers has found a strange cosmic noise that booms six times louder than expected.
The roar is from the distant cosmos. Nobody knows what causes it.
Of course, sound waves can't travel in a vacuum (which is what most of space is), or at least they can't very efficiently. But radio waves can.
Radio waves are not sound waves, but they are still electromagnetic waves, situated on the low-frequency end of the light spectrum.
Many objects in the universe, including stars and quasars, emit radio waves. Even our home galaxy, the Milky Way, emits a static hiss (first detected in 1931 by physicist Karl Jansky). Other galaxies also send out a background radio hiss.
But the newly detected signal, described here today at the 213th meeting of the American Astronomical Society, is far louder than astronomers expected.
There is "something new and interesting going on in the universe," said Alan Kogut of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.
A team led by Kogut detected the signal with a balloon-borne instrument named ARCADE (Absolute Radiometer for Cosmology, Astrophysics, and Diffuse Emission).
In July 2006, the instrument was launched from NASA's Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility in Palestine, Texas, and reached an altitude of about 120,000 feet (36,500 meters), where the atmosphere thins into the vacuum of space.
ARCADE's mission was to search the sky for faint signs of heat from the first generation of stars, but instead they heard a roar from the distant reaches of the universe.
"The universe really threw us a curve," Kogut said. "Instead of the faint signal we hoped to find, here was this booming noise six times louder than anyone had predicted."
Detailed analysis of the signal ruled out primordial stars or any known radio sources, including gas in the outermost halo of our own galaxy.
Other radio galaxies also can't account for the noise – there just aren't enough of them.
"You'd have to pack them into the universe like sardines," said study team member Dale Fixsen of the University of Maryland. "There wouldn't be any space left between one galaxy and the next."
The signal is measured to be six times brighter than the combined emission of all known radio sources in the universe.
For now, the origin of the signal remains a mystery.
"We really don't know what it is,"said team member Michael Seiffert of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.
And not only has it presented astronomers with a new puzzle, it is obscuring the sought-for signal from the earliest stars. But the cosmic static may itself provide important clues to the development of galaxies when the universe was much younger, less than half its present age. Because the radio waves come from far away, traveling at the speed of light, they therefore represent an earlier time in the universe.
"This is what makes science so exciting," Seiffert said. "You start out on a path to measure something – in this case, the heat from the very first stars – but run into something else entirely, some unexplained."
I'm telling you..its the WAVE!!!!
RobertScorpio
Pariah
STAR TREK SHUFFLE THE DECK--#93 DEEP SPACE NINE
STAR TREK: SHUFFLE THE DECK
DS9—Federation Earth—Balboa—Riker—ESSIANS
#93
Commander Tuvok sat with Chancellor Martok in the Chancellor’s quarters aboard his Neg’var flagship. The Klingon fleet, consisting of nine ships, had just returned from a patrol of the Bajoran sector. The Chancellor had granted Tuvok’s request to speak with him in private.
And so they met in on the Neg’var. Martok had just had his servants whip up a bloodpie, in celebration of another successful patrol. Tuvok declined the offer to share some of the pie. They both sat at the massive eating table.
“Let me get this straight,” Martok said as he ate some of the pie, “You want me to convince Picard that this…”
“Counterpart,” Tuvok said as Martok searched for the word.
“This, counterpart, might be an effective tool should the Borg come through the wormhole, or however else they might get here.” Martok restated Tuvok’s statement from moments before.
“Yes, Chancellor,” Tuvok said. “Colonel Kira is a way on Bajor, or I would have addressed her with this issue.”
“Captain Sisko,” Martok said, “told me what the Borg did to Picard. He told me how he blamed Picard for many years, for the death of his wife, the mother of his son Jake. To be forced to kill, destroy like that, must have left scars on Picard that will never truly heal.”
“It was a pure violation,” Tuvok said, “That can, and will never be denied. However, if this other Locutus can interact with the collective, in the same way the first Locutus did, it would give us a much needed strategic option.”
Marktok was chugging down a bottle of Bloodwine, but listened to Tuvok as he did.
“You took your idea to Picard?” Marton asked, as he wiped his mouth with his stained sleeve.
“He threatened me with a Court-martial should I ever broach the subject again.” Tuvok replied.
Martok sat, quietly, for a few moments, and thought about what Tuvok had said to him.
“I have heard your words,” Martok said, “I think you have valid points. For now we will agree this conversation did not take place. Should the time come I will contact you again.”
“Thank you, Chancellor. That is a most logical decision.” Tuvok said.
“By coming to me,” Martok continued, his tone becoming filled with anger, “You have circumvented the chain-of-command. I have every right to kill you where you stand; Vulcan. Do not let it happen again.”
“I shall endeavor to follow your advice.” Tuvok said as he stood up to leave.
“Those were not word of advice,” Martok said, eyeing Tuvok with his one eye the entire time, “Those are words of fact. If you wish I shall show you the difference, the Klingon difference, between advice and fact.”
Tuvok shook his head, “That is not necessary.” And then Tuvok turned, and left Martok’s quarters.
Then Martok stood up, and entered his private room. Once he was secured behind the door, he began to change shape. For it was not Martok that Tuvok had been speaking with: it had been a Changeling.
--
Quark, enjoying one of his few days off, rounded the turn and was heading towards his quarters. He had passed Tuvok moments earlier, on the turbolift, and was now moments from his quarters. One of the Dabogirls, Mytha, a very sexy Deltan female, was coming over to his quarters to audition for a new holo-suite program Quark was working on. It was called The Deltan Bordello Queen. Of course there really was no such production, but it was always a way to get women to come to his quarters to audition for a role that never existed: for free!
But as he made the final turn towards his quarters, Quark was startled when a large hand wrapped around his neck, and pinned him to the wall. The hand belonged to a very mean Nausican.
“What did I do?” Quark was barely able to say through the force of the choking of his neck.
“Tell me who put contract out on Ro Laren’s daughter, or I will kill you!?” Bak’nor demanded.
“What are you talkin…” Quark managed to say, and then the crushing sensation around his neck got worse. “I swear I don’t know,” Quark pleaded, “But I can find out.”
Bak’nor opened his large hand and Quark fell to the ground, out of breath, gasping for air.
Bak’nor crouched down and leered into Quark’s eyes. The Nausican’s breath stank of raw blood and meat. Quark could even see small bits of meat still tangled around its teeth.
“You find out, now.” Bak’nor said softly. “Ferigni soup is one of my favorite desserts.”
“Oh, do you mean the soup with grub worms and Liagi sauce?” Quark asked innocently.
“No,” Bak’nor said, “I meant the Feringi soup with Feringi meet in it.”
“I thought that was what you meant.” Quark said, as he gulped in fear.
The Nausican lifted Quark to his feet with one hand, and then followed the much shorter Feringi back towards his Bar on the Promenade.
--
Continued…
STAR TREK SHUFFLE THE DECK
This weekend
THE ESSIANS..and all new episode. The rest of the team is reincarnated, and prepares to take down the leader of Hotep: Morinva (Sybok of Vulcan)….
STAR TREK: SHUFFLE THE DECK
DS9—Federation Earth—Balboa—Riker—ESSIANS
#93
Commander Tuvok sat with Chancellor Martok in the Chancellor’s quarters aboard his Neg’var flagship. The Klingon fleet, consisting of nine ships, had just returned from a patrol of the Bajoran sector. The Chancellor had granted Tuvok’s request to speak with him in private.
And so they met in on the Neg’var. Martok had just had his servants whip up a bloodpie, in celebration of another successful patrol. Tuvok declined the offer to share some of the pie. They both sat at the massive eating table.
“Let me get this straight,” Martok said as he ate some of the pie, “You want me to convince Picard that this…”
“Counterpart,” Tuvok said as Martok searched for the word.
“This, counterpart, might be an effective tool should the Borg come through the wormhole, or however else they might get here.” Martok restated Tuvok’s statement from moments before.
“Yes, Chancellor,” Tuvok said. “Colonel Kira is a way on Bajor, or I would have addressed her with this issue.”
“Captain Sisko,” Martok said, “told me what the Borg did to Picard. He told me how he blamed Picard for many years, for the death of his wife, the mother of his son Jake. To be forced to kill, destroy like that, must have left scars on Picard that will never truly heal.”
“It was a pure violation,” Tuvok said, “That can, and will never be denied. However, if this other Locutus can interact with the collective, in the same way the first Locutus did, it would give us a much needed strategic option.”
Marktok was chugging down a bottle of Bloodwine, but listened to Tuvok as he did.
“You took your idea to Picard?” Marton asked, as he wiped his mouth with his stained sleeve.
“He threatened me with a Court-martial should I ever broach the subject again.” Tuvok replied.
Martok sat, quietly, for a few moments, and thought about what Tuvok had said to him.
“I have heard your words,” Martok said, “I think you have valid points. For now we will agree this conversation did not take place. Should the time come I will contact you again.”
“Thank you, Chancellor. That is a most logical decision.” Tuvok said.
“By coming to me,” Martok continued, his tone becoming filled with anger, “You have circumvented the chain-of-command. I have every right to kill you where you stand; Vulcan. Do not let it happen again.”
“I shall endeavor to follow your advice.” Tuvok said as he stood up to leave.
“Those were not word of advice,” Martok said, eyeing Tuvok with his one eye the entire time, “Those are words of fact. If you wish I shall show you the difference, the Klingon difference, between advice and fact.”
Tuvok shook his head, “That is not necessary.” And then Tuvok turned, and left Martok’s quarters.
Then Martok stood up, and entered his private room. Once he was secured behind the door, he began to change shape. For it was not Martok that Tuvok had been speaking with: it had been a Changeling.
--
Quark, enjoying one of his few days off, rounded the turn and was heading towards his quarters. He had passed Tuvok moments earlier, on the turbolift, and was now moments from his quarters. One of the Dabogirls, Mytha, a very sexy Deltan female, was coming over to his quarters to audition for a new holo-suite program Quark was working on. It was called The Deltan Bordello Queen. Of course there really was no such production, but it was always a way to get women to come to his quarters to audition for a role that never existed: for free!
But as he made the final turn towards his quarters, Quark was startled when a large hand wrapped around his neck, and pinned him to the wall. The hand belonged to a very mean Nausican.
“What did I do?” Quark was barely able to say through the force of the choking of his neck.
“Tell me who put contract out on Ro Laren’s daughter, or I will kill you!?” Bak’nor demanded.
“What are you talkin…” Quark managed to say, and then the crushing sensation around his neck got worse. “I swear I don’t know,” Quark pleaded, “But I can find out.”
Bak’nor opened his large hand and Quark fell to the ground, out of breath, gasping for air.
Bak’nor crouched down and leered into Quark’s eyes. The Nausican’s breath stank of raw blood and meat. Quark could even see small bits of meat still tangled around its teeth.
“You find out, now.” Bak’nor said softly. “Ferigni soup is one of my favorite desserts.”
“Oh, do you mean the soup with grub worms and Liagi sauce?” Quark asked innocently.
“No,” Bak’nor said, “I meant the Feringi soup with Feringi meet in it.”
“I thought that was what you meant.” Quark said, as he gulped in fear.
The Nausican lifted Quark to his feet with one hand, and then followed the much shorter Feringi back towards his Bar on the Promenade.
--
Continued…
STAR TREK SHUFFLE THE DECK
This weekend
THE ESSIANS..and all new episode. The rest of the team is reincarnated, and prepares to take down the leader of Hotep: Morinva (Sybok of Vulcan)….
Re: STAR TREK SHUFFLE THE DECK--#93 DEEP SPACE NINE
Oh dear, a Martok Changeling AGAIN? Did we EVER get to meet the real Martok or what??
Oh dear, a Martok Changeling AGAIN? Did we EVER get to meet the real Martok or what??
RobertScorpio
Pariah
Re: STAR TREK SHUFFLE THE DECK--#93 DEEP SPACE NINE
A big twist up ahead on this one...so I ain't saying a thing!!!
Rob
Scorpio
A big twist up ahead on this one...so I ain't saying a thing!!!
Rob
Scorpio
RobertScorpio
Pariah
Re: STAR TREK SHUFFLE THE DECK--#93 DEEP SPACE NINE
STAR TREK SHUFFLE THE DECK
ESSIANS--Federation Earth--BALBOA--Deep Space Nine--Riker
(Essian will now rejoin the wheel in these final episodes)
“Gathering”
The musty smell of rain, soil, and trees, blew through the forest upon the light wind that was blowing. And, in the deep of the forest, two Hotepians, one of them female, the other male, were balancing themselves on a giant fallen tree trunk, while engaged in a contest of wills. A swampy, muddy mess waited who ever fell on this rainy day. Each held a club, made of wood, and shield, made of tightly woven branched, shrubbery, and leaves. The male was much larger, much much larger, and his name was Topo. Topo descended from a line of Hotepians who were large boned, and thick skinned. They were known for their raw strength, and made up the bulk of the armies on Hotep. But, like all Hotepians, Topo’s people were growing weary of Morinva’s rule.
Maram was now sixteen years old. She was a beautiful young woman, but, she was becoming a skilled fighter. Sheppard had made Robern, who listened to her and Topo fight from the safety of a sheltered hut, Marams guide, and learner. Sheppard had only returned twice in the past fifteen years, after leaving Robern, a child at the time, the task of watching over the child Maram. And watch over her he did.
Robern had used his friendly nature to put together the ragtag team that Sheppard said was required to confront Morinva, as had been prophesized for generations. Who better to assemble such an effort than a blind child over the ensuing years?
The first of those that Robern approached was indeed Topo. He had been exiled from his people for being to rebellious. And a rebellious physical trainer is exactly what Maram needed. And he did not show Maram any mercy through the many years they had trained. Her body had the scars and stitches to prove it.
But this time, the splash that Robern heard, followed a loud curse from Topo’s voice. Maram had struck the winning blow, causing Topo to smash into the muddied puddle below.
There were three others who were part of their little ‘outsider’ group. That was really what they were; a group of outcasts. When Maram had been born, her mother died soon afterward, and her father gave her up to Sheppard.
Robern was blind, an outcast from his peers. Topo was the outcast he was. And then there were Nodin, Edgern and Mita.
Nodin was the thief of the group. Living outside any norm of a family required that they steal most of what they had, including food and clothing. Nodin had many ways to do this. Two sure ways were by either begging, or grabbing and running. Both methods had worked very well over the ten years Nodin had been with them. He could also fetch a good price for selling these items. It was a vicious circle.
Edgern had once been part of the royal guard that had, as its primary duty, defending the tower that Morinva called home. But injuries forced him to become a commoner again, and he carried that anger with him. He was the oldest among them, at 35 cycles, but his tactical ability was beyond measure.
And then there was Mita. She was 30 cycles old, making her five years older than Robern. She was the so called mother of the group. It was her task to make them meals, and to instill proper manners and how to be civilized.
Sheppard had personally, on one of his two visits, brought her with him. She was quiet, but strong. And she had an inner pain that she hid from them all. Soon after her arrival, she and Robern started seeing more in each other than just friendship. Though, in actuality, her being there was for such a purpose. She had kept this ‘secret, but they all knew.
As Topo climbed out of the muddy slop, he cursed some more.
“What’s wrong,” Maram said, “I’ve beaten you before.”
“No,” Topo’s deep voice countered, “I let you win those times.”
“You let me win?” Maram said. “If so, then what just happened now?”
Topo smiled as he climbed back on the log.
“You won, fair and square.” Topo allowed. “The first time in over twenty-thousand attempts. It was bound to happen.”
“Less talk,” Robern said from his rain protected hut, “More splashing.”
“We tire,” Maram said.
“You have practiced in worse conditions,” Robern said. “Besides,” Robern added, “The day is still young. Sunlight will be a premium due to the clouds. So, you will practice balance until the dark comes.”
“I hate him,” Maram said to Topo said as they faced each other for another round of pounding on each other.
At that moment Nodin came out of a cluster of trees, having just returned from one of his scavenging runs. He carried several clothing items, water, and some much needed food.
“This should last us three days,” Nodin said, “Provided Topo only eats what is his.”
“Shut-up, I heard that.” Topo said from the tree as he looked over at where Nodin stood. The brief lack of concentration cost him as Maram’s club landed on the side of his jaw, sending Topo to the muddy trough below.
“Come eat,” Robern said to Maram and Topo.
Robertn looked over to the tree where the usually silent Edgern was. Edgern was studying his own drawing of Morinva’s tower. He did so every day, every moment. For when the time came, and it would be soon, Edgern’s task would be to get them in to the tower.
Mita came from the small campfire she had kept burning in another hut. She came and sat next to Robern. The six of hem shared food, drink, and some laughter. And as the night came, the others saw how Mita and Robern were looking at each other. The women of Hotep could only mate the day before the second moon of their planet rose into the sky. All other days, their mood and ability to fertilize was affected. But that was not the case on this day. So the other four found excuses to leave the hut that Robern called his own. They had mated in this way ever since Mita had been brought to group by Sheppard. Never had a child come from their mating. And yet, somehow, Robern and Mita knew that the time was near for them to do just that: have a child.
--
The next day, Sheppard had finally returned. And with him he brought the news they had been waiting a life time for. He gathered them around the campfire as the sun, on the rainless day, set.
“My friends,” Sheppard said, “I know it has been nearly 10 cycles (years) since my last visit. But the winds of destiny have arrived. The moment we have been preparing for most of your lives is upon us. Tomorrow night, Morinva’s rule will end.”
“How do you know this?” Topo asked.
“My large friend,” Sheppard said with a smile, “You do not need to know how I know, only that I do.”
“It is Maram’s life, in fact all our lives,” Robern said, “That will be at risk tomorrow, Sheppard. I think it is time you tell us more than just whimsical words.”
Sheppard nodded. “You are quite right, Robern. In fact,” Sheppard said to Robern, “The answers have always been inside of your head.” Sheppard said as he patted Robern on the head.
“More whimsical,” Edgern said in his usual disappointed tone.
“Quite the contrary, I assure you,” Sheppard countered.
And with that, Sheppard closed his eyes and his entire body began to radiate a strange white glow. The others watched in stunned silence, and were equally stunned when Robern began to glow as well. And then, suddenly, a strange light streaked out of Robern’s eyes and entered each of the other’s eyes. Then, all was calm.
They all looked at each other with looks of total confusion, and then Sheppard smiled as it started.
“Evan Cooper,” Nodin said.
“Bynak.” Topo said.
“Javal Halmes.” Edgern said.
“Michelle Duell.” Mita said.
“Elaine Rose.” Maram said.
They all looked to Robern. Robern held up his hand and made the Vulcan salute.
“Spock.” Robern finally said.
The time had come….at last.
CONTINUED..
STAR TREK SHUFFLE THE DECK
ESSIANS
THE END IS NEAR...CAN SPOCK AND HIS REINCARNATED TEAM PREVENT THE END OF ALL THAT IS??? FIND OUT!!!!...
__________________
STAR TREK SHUFFLE THE DECK...is nearing episode 100!! The end is near...Spock's team is ready for the finale..are you??? STAR TREK SHUFFLE THE DECK...THE ESSIANS!!!!!!!
STAR TREK SHUFFLE THE DECK
ESSIANS--Federation Earth--BALBOA--Deep Space Nine--Riker
(Essian will now rejoin the wheel in these final episodes)
“Gathering”
The musty smell of rain, soil, and trees, blew through the forest upon the light wind that was blowing. And, in the deep of the forest, two Hotepians, one of them female, the other male, were balancing themselves on a giant fallen tree trunk, while engaged in a contest of wills. A swampy, muddy mess waited who ever fell on this rainy day. Each held a club, made of wood, and shield, made of tightly woven branched, shrubbery, and leaves. The male was much larger, much much larger, and his name was Topo. Topo descended from a line of Hotepians who were large boned, and thick skinned. They were known for their raw strength, and made up the bulk of the armies on Hotep. But, like all Hotepians, Topo’s people were growing weary of Morinva’s rule.
Maram was now sixteen years old. She was a beautiful young woman, but, she was becoming a skilled fighter. Sheppard had made Robern, who listened to her and Topo fight from the safety of a sheltered hut, Marams guide, and learner. Sheppard had only returned twice in the past fifteen years, after leaving Robern, a child at the time, the task of watching over the child Maram. And watch over her he did.
Robern had used his friendly nature to put together the ragtag team that Sheppard said was required to confront Morinva, as had been prophesized for generations. Who better to assemble such an effort than a blind child over the ensuing years?
The first of those that Robern approached was indeed Topo. He had been exiled from his people for being to rebellious. And a rebellious physical trainer is exactly what Maram needed. And he did not show Maram any mercy through the many years they had trained. Her body had the scars and stitches to prove it.
But this time, the splash that Robern heard, followed a loud curse from Topo’s voice. Maram had struck the winning blow, causing Topo to smash into the muddied puddle below.
There were three others who were part of their little ‘outsider’ group. That was really what they were; a group of outcasts. When Maram had been born, her mother died soon afterward, and her father gave her up to Sheppard.
Robern was blind, an outcast from his peers. Topo was the outcast he was. And then there were Nodin, Edgern and Mita.
Nodin was the thief of the group. Living outside any norm of a family required that they steal most of what they had, including food and clothing. Nodin had many ways to do this. Two sure ways were by either begging, or grabbing and running. Both methods had worked very well over the ten years Nodin had been with them. He could also fetch a good price for selling these items. It was a vicious circle.
Edgern had once been part of the royal guard that had, as its primary duty, defending the tower that Morinva called home. But injuries forced him to become a commoner again, and he carried that anger with him. He was the oldest among them, at 35 cycles, but his tactical ability was beyond measure.
And then there was Mita. She was 30 cycles old, making her five years older than Robern. She was the so called mother of the group. It was her task to make them meals, and to instill proper manners and how to be civilized.
Sheppard had personally, on one of his two visits, brought her with him. She was quiet, but strong. And she had an inner pain that she hid from them all. Soon after her arrival, she and Robern started seeing more in each other than just friendship. Though, in actuality, her being there was for such a purpose. She had kept this ‘secret, but they all knew.
As Topo climbed out of the muddy slop, he cursed some more.
“What’s wrong,” Maram said, “I’ve beaten you before.”
“No,” Topo’s deep voice countered, “I let you win those times.”
“You let me win?” Maram said. “If so, then what just happened now?”
Topo smiled as he climbed back on the log.
“You won, fair and square.” Topo allowed. “The first time in over twenty-thousand attempts. It was bound to happen.”
“Less talk,” Robern said from his rain protected hut, “More splashing.”
“We tire,” Maram said.
“You have practiced in worse conditions,” Robern said. “Besides,” Robern added, “The day is still young. Sunlight will be a premium due to the clouds. So, you will practice balance until the dark comes.”
“I hate him,” Maram said to Topo said as they faced each other for another round of pounding on each other.
At that moment Nodin came out of a cluster of trees, having just returned from one of his scavenging runs. He carried several clothing items, water, and some much needed food.
“This should last us three days,” Nodin said, “Provided Topo only eats what is his.”
“Shut-up, I heard that.” Topo said from the tree as he looked over at where Nodin stood. The brief lack of concentration cost him as Maram’s club landed on the side of his jaw, sending Topo to the muddy trough below.
“Come eat,” Robern said to Maram and Topo.
Robertn looked over to the tree where the usually silent Edgern was. Edgern was studying his own drawing of Morinva’s tower. He did so every day, every moment. For when the time came, and it would be soon, Edgern’s task would be to get them in to the tower.
Mita came from the small campfire she had kept burning in another hut. She came and sat next to Robern. The six of hem shared food, drink, and some laughter. And as the night came, the others saw how Mita and Robern were looking at each other. The women of Hotep could only mate the day before the second moon of their planet rose into the sky. All other days, their mood and ability to fertilize was affected. But that was not the case on this day. So the other four found excuses to leave the hut that Robern called his own. They had mated in this way ever since Mita had been brought to group by Sheppard. Never had a child come from their mating. And yet, somehow, Robern and Mita knew that the time was near for them to do just that: have a child.
--
The next day, Sheppard had finally returned. And with him he brought the news they had been waiting a life time for. He gathered them around the campfire as the sun, on the rainless day, set.
“My friends,” Sheppard said, “I know it has been nearly 10 cycles (years) since my last visit. But the winds of destiny have arrived. The moment we have been preparing for most of your lives is upon us. Tomorrow night, Morinva’s rule will end.”
“How do you know this?” Topo asked.
“My large friend,” Sheppard said with a smile, “You do not need to know how I know, only that I do.”
“It is Maram’s life, in fact all our lives,” Robern said, “That will be at risk tomorrow, Sheppard. I think it is time you tell us more than just whimsical words.”
Sheppard nodded. “You are quite right, Robern. In fact,” Sheppard said to Robern, “The answers have always been inside of your head.” Sheppard said as he patted Robern on the head.
“More whimsical,” Edgern said in his usual disappointed tone.
“Quite the contrary, I assure you,” Sheppard countered.
And with that, Sheppard closed his eyes and his entire body began to radiate a strange white glow. The others watched in stunned silence, and were equally stunned when Robern began to glow as well. And then, suddenly, a strange light streaked out of Robern’s eyes and entered each of the other’s eyes. Then, all was calm.
They all looked at each other with looks of total confusion, and then Sheppard smiled as it started.
“Evan Cooper,” Nodin said.
“Bynak.” Topo said.
“Javal Halmes.” Edgern said.
“Michelle Duell.” Mita said.
“Elaine Rose.” Maram said.
They all looked to Robern. Robern held up his hand and made the Vulcan salute.
“Spock.” Robern finally said.
The time had come….at last.
CONTINUED..
STAR TREK SHUFFLE THE DECK
ESSIANS
THE END IS NEAR...CAN SPOCK AND HIS REINCARNATED TEAM PREVENT THE END OF ALL THAT IS??? FIND OUT!!!!...
__________________
STAR TREK SHUFFLE THE DECK...is nearing episode 100!! The end is near...Spock's team is ready for the finale..are you??? STAR TREK SHUFFLE THE DECK...THE ESSIANS!!!!!!!
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