Thanks for the kind words! I got the idea for the worms from Pink Floyd's movie The Wall.
Tales from Topographic Oceans: Star Beagle Adventures episodes 20 - 24
- Thread starter Robert Bruce Scott
- Start date
Who was the Maharaja that the Beetles associated with? I don't think India had Maharaja in the 60', but I don't know.
-Will
-Will
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. The Beatles went to India to study transcendental meditation, which made the Maharishi and TM popular in the west until Lennon accused the Maharishi of inappropriate behavior toward his female students and especially toward the women who had travelled with the Beatles to study under him.
Thanks!! rbs
"Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, founder of Transcendental Meditation."
Ah, I thought there was a musician calling himself, The Maharaja.
-Will
Ah, I thought there was a musician calling himself, The Maharaja.
-Will
The Star Beagle Adventures
Episode 21: The Revealing Science of God, Part 2
Summary:
The Star Beagle Adventures
Episode 21: The Revealing Science of God, Part 2
Scene 1: The Rhythm of Moving Slowly
And through the rhythm
Of moving slowly
“Do you think we should get married?”
Private First Class Raanda Habib laughed lightly and kissed the young engineer who had so tentatively proposed to her on his far too handsome nose. “Hell of a way to propose to a girl, Gan. You’re going to have to do much better than that. Don’t try again today. You’re not ready.”
“But… our child…” Gan Baatan murmured.
“Children.”
The young descendant of Mongol tribesmen sat bolt upright in bed.
“Children?”
“Twins,” Raanda confirmed. “Identical twins. Not just me. All of us. Every pregnant woman on this island. We’re all carrying twins.”
Gan was staggered. His mouth was hanging open. The rest of his face was making random expressions of disbelief. It took several minutes for him to find his voice hiding somewhere behind an enormous wall of shock. It took a variety of random sounds before he managed to get his mouth to actually form speech.
“Uhh… Ummm… Ahh… Buh… Tuh…. Twins?”
Raanda had to laugh at his performance. But her brief amusement faded quickly and a more pensive expression crossed her features. She took a deep breath.
“Yeah. SkipRock really did a number on us. It’s early days, but they’re learning more and more about these children as things go. Our children are ours, genetically. But while we’re both human, they have traces of tellarite, denobulan, trill, and vulcan in their DNA. They have been seriously genetically messed with. Normally, the chances of anything good coming out of that would be really bad, but it seems that Skip is a genius when it comes to genetics. Or more accurately, he was. But he might not be anymore.”
“How’s that?” Gan asked.
“His pod, apparently about 200 of them, function kind of as a collective intelligence. At least that’s how the governor explained it. It wasn’t SkipRock alone. It was all of them, analyzing our DNA. Adjusting the fetuses. Twins. Apparently they will have much longer lives than us. Longer than vulcans. Even denobulans. They may live to be somewhere around 500 years old. Strongly telepathic. Enhanced intelligence. Enhanced strength…”
Gan’s eyes grew wider and wider as the implications sank home to him. His voice decided to hide from him again and it took another effort to find it and get it to work properly. “Ahh… Ohhh….” He shuddered. His voice was quiet, filled with fear and awe. “Augments…”
“Augments.” Raanda confirmed. “Which gives us an enormous responsibility. We’re going to have to raise these children to be the best, kindest, most caring people. And I have no way of knowing whether that is in their genetic potential. The most important part of being human… Far too few people understand that. We have no way of knowing whether these giant squids know that.”
“They can never return to the Federation,” said Gan. He shuddered again, staggered by the dawning realization of the enormity ahead of him. Tears appeared in his eyes. He tried, unsuccessfully, to blink them away.
Raanda got out of the bed and walked over to sit in a chair. It was a single room hut, the room sharing the functions of bedroom, living room, study, a tiny cooking and breakfast nook. She looked at Gan from halfway across the room. Only a few feet away, but in the dim light of a small nightlamp, his face was hard for her to read.
“They will return to the Federation. It’s not like we’ll be able to stop them. We have to make sure that they’re good enough people that they can safely do that. We have to make them ready to be the best people even in the presence of the worst people. To protect themselves, but to act with mercy.”
Gan took a shuddering breath. “How did you become so wise?”
Raanda made an amused noise. “Big family. All living together. Uncles, aunts, cousins, grandparents, brothers, sisters… You learn what’s important. We drove each other crazy. Tormented each other. But anyone else messes with one of us and look out… Some of my family were Jews. Some were Arabs. We came from a land cursed with ancient hatreds and found a way to be a family. Jewish, Christian, and Muslim traditions all blended together. My dad’s oldest brother was kind of the head of the family. Most of the time. When Grandpa let him. He told us all the time that we had to be the example for everyone else. Not just our fellow Israelis. When we moved to the United States, we had to become the example for our fellow Americans. Which included a lot of non-humans.”
Raanda took a deep breath. “Gan, you are the kindest, gentlest man I have ever met. You’re going to be a terrific father. You have what it takes. Kindness. Patience. Humility. Curiosity. Love. That’s what’s important.”
“How can you be certain that’s you talking and not just the influence of those giant squids?” Gan asked.
“A lot of ways, really,” Raanda replied. “I only wanted you. They were really wanting as many cross-species pairings as possible. You remember how Norkie was all hot-to-trot for you. And you had a little crush on her, too. And a bigger crush on our Lieutenant Governor, Akri Dexx. I hate how beautiful she is. And how good she is in bed…”
“How do you know that?” Gan asked, slightly panicked.
“From the way she turns all of her lovers into love-sick, oversexed, puppy slaves…” Raanda suddenly understood Gan’s apprehension. She found something soft to throw at him. A small pillow. “I didn’t let her screw me, you goof!!!”
Gan caught the pillow, then lightly hit himself on the head with it, causing Raanda to laugh.
“Look, that pretty young vulcan, Falok, I was never attracted to him. The idea of being with a non-human… I don’t know why… I just never wanted that. But I found myself turned on by him. And by that great big bumbling oaf of a denobulan, Cetris Rye. I didn’t know why, but I was never tempted for a second. It was always you. I guess I like both of them a little more now. Nice guys, both of them. But I would never climb into bed with either one of them. Any more than you would climb into bed with Norkie…”
Gan was silent for too long…
“You never considered getting into bed with that little tellarite!”
Gan laughed. “Oh, I’ll admit, she’s terribly, terribly cute. Like a baby goat. And while I occasionally wanted to cuddle her, I had no more interest in bedding her than I would a goat…”
“Gan…”
“I’M NOT INTO GOATS!!!”
Raanda dissolved into fits of laughter.
She took a moment to gather her breath. “Anyway, all of that cross-species sexy fervor has died down. All except for Akri Dexx and her puppy slaves. And Fish Head and Arizona Kind and their various conquests… Don’t you get any ideas!” She huffed for a moment, earning another laugh from her lover. “SkipRock isn’t manipulating us anymore. He was doing that at the behest of his pod. We’re his pod now. And from what Governor T’Eln has told us, he has promised to protect us from his old pod. And apparently they’ve left him to us and us to him. It’s going to be really weird. A few of the women are really pissed at him. But not me.”
“Not even a little?” Gan asked.
“I wanted to have your children, Gan.” Raanda patted her belly. Her pregnancy wasn’t yet showing. Hers was still the perfect body of a teenager. She had only just turned 20. “Not as soon as these little guys have come along, but I want them. I wanted them before they were conceived. I’m terrified of what they are and what they might become. But if anyone has a chance of raising these kids well, it’s you. And me.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to get married?”
“I told you, not before you’re ready. Wait a few months and ask me when you really mean it.”
21.1Notes:
Episode 21: The Revealing Science of God, Part 2
Summary:
Notes:
The Star Beagle Adventures
Episode 21: The Revealing Science of God, Part 2
Scene 1: The Rhythm of Moving Slowly
And through the rhythm
Of moving slowly
21.1
The Rhythm of Moving Slowly
The Rhythm of Moving Slowly
“Do you think we should get married?”
Private First Class Raanda Habib laughed lightly and kissed the young engineer who had so tentatively proposed to her on his far too handsome nose. “Hell of a way to propose to a girl, Gan. You’re going to have to do much better than that. Don’t try again today. You’re not ready.”
“But… our child…” Gan Baatan murmured.
“Children.”
The young descendant of Mongol tribesmen sat bolt upright in bed.
“Children?”
“Twins,” Raanda confirmed. “Identical twins. Not just me. All of us. Every pregnant woman on this island. We’re all carrying twins.”
Gan was staggered. His mouth was hanging open. The rest of his face was making random expressions of disbelief. It took several minutes for him to find his voice hiding somewhere behind an enormous wall of shock. It took a variety of random sounds before he managed to get his mouth to actually form speech.
“Uhh… Ummm… Ahh… Buh… Tuh…. Twins?”
Raanda had to laugh at his performance. But her brief amusement faded quickly and a more pensive expression crossed her features. She took a deep breath.
“Yeah. SkipRock really did a number on us. It’s early days, but they’re learning more and more about these children as things go. Our children are ours, genetically. But while we’re both human, they have traces of tellarite, denobulan, trill, and vulcan in their DNA. They have been seriously genetically messed with. Normally, the chances of anything good coming out of that would be really bad, but it seems that Skip is a genius when it comes to genetics. Or more accurately, he was. But he might not be anymore.”
“How’s that?” Gan asked.
“His pod, apparently about 200 of them, function kind of as a collective intelligence. At least that’s how the governor explained it. It wasn’t SkipRock alone. It was all of them, analyzing our DNA. Adjusting the fetuses. Twins. Apparently they will have much longer lives than us. Longer than vulcans. Even denobulans. They may live to be somewhere around 500 years old. Strongly telepathic. Enhanced intelligence. Enhanced strength…”
Gan’s eyes grew wider and wider as the implications sank home to him. His voice decided to hide from him again and it took another effort to find it and get it to work properly. “Ahh… Ohhh….” He shuddered. His voice was quiet, filled with fear and awe. “Augments…”
“Augments.” Raanda confirmed. “Which gives us an enormous responsibility. We’re going to have to raise these children to be the best, kindest, most caring people. And I have no way of knowing whether that is in their genetic potential. The most important part of being human… Far too few people understand that. We have no way of knowing whether these giant squids know that.”
“They can never return to the Federation,” said Gan. He shuddered again, staggered by the dawning realization of the enormity ahead of him. Tears appeared in his eyes. He tried, unsuccessfully, to blink them away.
Raanda got out of the bed and walked over to sit in a chair. It was a single room hut, the room sharing the functions of bedroom, living room, study, a tiny cooking and breakfast nook. She looked at Gan from halfway across the room. Only a few feet away, but in the dim light of a small nightlamp, his face was hard for her to read.
“They will return to the Federation. It’s not like we’ll be able to stop them. We have to make sure that they’re good enough people that they can safely do that. We have to make them ready to be the best people even in the presence of the worst people. To protect themselves, but to act with mercy.”
Gan took a shuddering breath. “How did you become so wise?”
Raanda made an amused noise. “Big family. All living together. Uncles, aunts, cousins, grandparents, brothers, sisters… You learn what’s important. We drove each other crazy. Tormented each other. But anyone else messes with one of us and look out… Some of my family were Jews. Some were Arabs. We came from a land cursed with ancient hatreds and found a way to be a family. Jewish, Christian, and Muslim traditions all blended together. My dad’s oldest brother was kind of the head of the family. Most of the time. When Grandpa let him. He told us all the time that we had to be the example for everyone else. Not just our fellow Israelis. When we moved to the United States, we had to become the example for our fellow Americans. Which included a lot of non-humans.”
Raanda took a deep breath. “Gan, you are the kindest, gentlest man I have ever met. You’re going to be a terrific father. You have what it takes. Kindness. Patience. Humility. Curiosity. Love. That’s what’s important.”
“How can you be certain that’s you talking and not just the influence of those giant squids?” Gan asked.
“A lot of ways, really,” Raanda replied. “I only wanted you. They were really wanting as many cross-species pairings as possible. You remember how Norkie was all hot-to-trot for you. And you had a little crush on her, too. And a bigger crush on our Lieutenant Governor, Akri Dexx. I hate how beautiful she is. And how good she is in bed…”
“How do you know that?” Gan asked, slightly panicked.
“From the way she turns all of her lovers into love-sick, oversexed, puppy slaves…” Raanda suddenly understood Gan’s apprehension. She found something soft to throw at him. A small pillow. “I didn’t let her screw me, you goof!!!”
Gan caught the pillow, then lightly hit himself on the head with it, causing Raanda to laugh.
“Look, that pretty young vulcan, Falok, I was never attracted to him. The idea of being with a non-human… I don’t know why… I just never wanted that. But I found myself turned on by him. And by that great big bumbling oaf of a denobulan, Cetris Rye. I didn’t know why, but I was never tempted for a second. It was always you. I guess I like both of them a little more now. Nice guys, both of them. But I would never climb into bed with either one of them. Any more than you would climb into bed with Norkie…”
Gan was silent for too long…
“You never considered getting into bed with that little tellarite!”
Gan laughed. “Oh, I’ll admit, she’s terribly, terribly cute. Like a baby goat. And while I occasionally wanted to cuddle her, I had no more interest in bedding her than I would a goat…”
“Gan…”
“I’M NOT INTO GOATS!!!”
Raanda dissolved into fits of laughter.
She took a moment to gather her breath. “Anyway, all of that cross-species sexy fervor has died down. All except for Akri Dexx and her puppy slaves. And Fish Head and Arizona Kind and their various conquests… Don’t you get any ideas!” She huffed for a moment, earning another laugh from her lover. “SkipRock isn’t manipulating us anymore. He was doing that at the behest of his pod. We’re his pod now. And from what Governor T’Eln has told us, he has promised to protect us from his old pod. And apparently they’ve left him to us and us to him. It’s going to be really weird. A few of the women are really pissed at him. But not me.”
“Not even a little?” Gan asked.
“I wanted to have your children, Gan.” Raanda patted her belly. Her pregnancy wasn’t yet showing. Hers was still the perfect body of a teenager. She had only just turned 20. “Not as soon as these little guys have come along, but I want them. I wanted them before they were conceived. I’m terrified of what they are and what they might become. But if anyone has a chance of raising these kids well, it’s you. And me.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to get married?”
“I told you, not before you’re ready. Wait a few months and ask me when you really mean it.”
21.1
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There's a lot going on in that one conversation. Sort of spotlights much of the stage for the series. Great foreshadowing, too. Can't wait to see what is revealed when it steps forward out of that shadow.
-Will
-Will
I'm gratified to see a reader noticing all the Chekov's Guns strewn about that room... I'm writing the last few scenes for Episode 23 now, which will probably close with all those augment twins being born.
In the Tales from Topographic Oceans group of stories we have a pet Cthulhu, the fast-developing godchildren, the vaguely angelic holy landers, and now a batch of soon-to-be-born demigods. And I still have another demon/god that will come in from the Jar Galaxy...
Very much liking that .gif - Thanks!! rbs
The Star Beagle Adventures
Episode 21: The Revealing Science of God, Part 2
Scene 2: Work Out the Story
Sent through the rhythm
Work out the story …
21.2
Work Out the Story
Work Out the Story
“I’d like to turn your attention to the events that occurred in the Jar Galaxy in the star system that you named the Leprechaun System.”
“I was afraid you were going to say that...”
Lieutenant Commander Grimur Nurzer, Captain Rhonda Carter, Captain Ronald “Skip” Howard, XIV, and Yeoman Svort had reconvened in the U.S.S. Mako’s hindmost room, the Caudal Lounge, located at the rear of the secondary engineering hull. Nurzer liked the comfortable size of the room, neither too big nor too small, as well as its privacy, given that it was not close to anyone’s quarters and the only departments located nearby, Engineering, Medical, and Quartermaster, each had their own conference rooms.
“There was a single gas giant in that system, apparently in a stable figure-8 orbit, orbiting once around the twin main sequence stars on one side of the system, and a blue giant on the other,” Nurzer continued. “Because of that unique orbit, you gave it the name of a star instead of a planet, calling it Leprechaun D. Tell me about why you approached that planet and what kind of threat assessment you performed before going in.”
“Yeah, I screwed that one up,” Carter admitted. “And Escort paid the price.”
“You weren’t on the bridge when the approach was ordered,” Nurzer observed.
“I had told my staff we needed to fuel up on deuterium and pointed us toward that system,” Carter recounted. “But I deliberately did not change the rotation and given our course, I knew that we would enter the system at the 6th hour of Ensign Sevork’s 19th rotation in command. He may or may not have been aware, but I had been monitoring the bridge from my quarters. I knew when he didn’t order a probe into orbit before ordering the ship in.”
“Why didn’t you countermand?”
“He was in command.”
Grimur Nurzer took a breath. “That decision did not turn out well.”
Rhonda Carter shook her head. “No, it did not. I underestimated the potential damage from that oversight.”
“Did you enter a reprimand into his fact file?” Nurzer asked.
“I didn’t need to,” Carter responded. “After we had the emergency under control, he wrote his own reprimand and asked me to sign it. I signed it without comment.” Carter looked up. “He was a promising young officer. It was a rookie mistake. I severely underestimated just how dangerous it could be. There was nothing on the sensors to indicate there was any kind of threat. And we had never encountered anything remotely like those space bound mushrooms before.”
“It was your mistake,” Nurzer said.
“Yes. It was,” Carter admitted.
“Twice?” Nurzer asked.
“Twice,” Carter confirmed. “I didn’t order the probe in advance. It was okay to test the ensign, but not to risk ship and crew on it. I should have ordered the probe in advance.”
“And the other mistake?” Nurzer asked.
“Training and doctrine,” Carter responded.
“You paid a heavy price for those oversights. Your ship. And, arguably, your crew,” Nurzer said.
“I did the math,” Carter said. “We would have encountered Stephanie anyway.”
“With fully functional nacelles,” Nurzer countered. “You could have left after shooting up that inter-dimensional mushroom.”
“I seriously doubt that,” Carter rejoined. “It had sufficient attitudinal control of Escort to make sure our phasers were pointed at its inter-dimensional nads. We weren’t going anywhere Rocky didn’t want us to go.”
“No,” Nurzer mused. “No, perhaps not. But you might have tried if you had the option. And you didn’t have that option. Why?”
“Insufficient training and doctrine. Insufficient orders. Insufficient oversight,” Carter responded.
“It helps that you are aware of that,” Nurzer said. “Captains have lost their commands for less.” He sighed and dropped his hands to the table with a thump. "Now let's talk about using the ship's transporters to kill what was, if not an intelligent, at least a sentient life form. Thousands of them."
"I won't apologize for that," Carter replied.
"It could be considered, in fact it has already been characterized as a war crime," Nurzer retorted. "It is hard to imagine a more cruel and painful death."
"It would be cruel and extremely painful for me to kill you with a spoon. But if you're trying to kill me and all I've got is a spoon, I'm going to kill you with a spoon."
Nurzer suppressed a shudder. Even if he had not been aware of Rhonda Carter's impressive and rather grim record of kills in hand-to-hand combat, the cold look in her eyes alone was enough to convince him she was entirely capable of killing him with a spoon. There was something about her expression and bearing that screamed "KILLER" in capital letters.
"You had no other option?" Nurzer asked.
"Those little mushroom bugs walked through our shields like they weren't even there," Carter responded. "They were partially phased into subspace, so the phasers wouldn't have done anything to them. They got into the transfer chambers of the nacelles as if they were open to space and started gobbling up hydrogen. Do you know how much hydrogen is in your body?"
Nurzer's eyes widened.
"So yeah, kill or be killed," Carter concluded.
Nurzer sighed heavily. “Okay Captain. I will prepare my report and recommendations for the commodore and deliver them to her within the next 48 hours. I probably shouldn't tell you this, but just for your peace of mind, I do not believe this rises to the level of a court martial. There was no deliberate misconduct. And you are probably aware of the political considerations. No one instructed me about them, but that does not mean I am unaware of them. When it comes to any consideration of war crimes, Star Fleet captains are given pretty broad latitude when it comes to saving ship and crew. But there is a case to be made for gross negligence of duty. And the horrible death you inflicted on those creatures flows directly from that failure.”
“I will accept your report, Lieutenant Commander,” said Carter.
“I have no doubt you will, Captain. Especially considering those were your conclusions in your after-action report to the commodore. Your frankness in that report does not hurt you at all.”
“I will see you again before this is all over. Let me take this moment to thank you for your service, Captain Carter.” Nurzer stood up slowly. “It is no exaggeration to say that you have been credited with saving thousands, if not tens of thousands of lives during the wars. Quite possibly more. I was unaware of your record and accomplishments until I was given this assignment. It has not been an easy assignment for me.”
“I would rather you hadn’t known about my war record in advance of this investigation.”
“Me too.” Nurzer offered a formal salute, which was unusual for Star Fleet.
Carter responded by offering her hand.
“Thank you, Lieutenant Commander,” she said as he ended the salute and shook her hand.
“Thank you, sir.”
21.2
I'm really liking Captain Carter more and more.
Love the Robin Hood reference.
-Will
Love the Robin Hood reference.
-Will
One of my favorite Alan Rickman moments. He totally romped as naughty Notty - Thanks!! rbs
The Star Beagle Adventures
Episode 21: The Revealing Science of God, Part 2
Scene 3: Young Christians See It
Young Christians see it
From the beginning
21.3
Young Christians See It
Young Christians See It
Lieutenant Christian Singleterry took a shuddering breath. Her nearly perfectly black skin turned clammy. A thin layer of moisture appeared – a cold sweat. She barely breathed the word, “No…”
Major Cameron Payne did not have to ask what had the Star Fleet officer shaken. “Get us a visual, Mr. Singleterry.”
Singleterry was asking permission almost at the same moment the instruction was given. “Permission to take Skyline 2 into the atmosphere…”
“Do it.”
The small command group had been monitoring Captain Phillip Phlox, Pel, and their honor guard of six United States Marines as they had walked to the gates of the walled keep in the center of the City of Schweetz, had been welcomed through the gates, which had been standing open and had been allowed no nearer than about 30 yards from the increasingly disassembled holy lander destroyer that had landed so inauspiciously almost a month previously. A mild storm had swept in and brought rain into the city, the clouds partially obscuring orbital telemetry of this first meeting of human and ferengi with the llem, llellem, nallem, and llewedth. A meeting that now involved all parties being rained on, something that seemed to bother the local population very little.
What had alarmed the Star Fleet lieutenant was a sudden increase in the storm’s intensity, coupled with a series of electromagnetic pulses that had knocked out the communicators and other electronics carried by the landing party.
“I will never question your assignment of sidearms again, sir,” Singleterry said.
“In an uncertain situation, when it is possible that modern weapons could become inoperable, we are required to also issue .45’s,” Cam Payne replied.
“Full shielding for Skyline 2 is holding against ongoing EMPs from the grounded destroyer, but it is affecting the quality of the telemetry. On screen now,” Singleterry reported. Then: “Oh…”
“Not good,” Staff Sergeant Jill Samson observed.
“You think?” Gunnery Sergeant David Clayton Powell, Jr. offered.
“Can we beam them out?” Payne asked.
“Not with that EMP traffic,” Singleterry responded.
The viewscreen did not provide a clear picture. The imaging was based on infra-red and showed that the honor guard had surrounded Pel and Captain Phlox. Heat plumes erupted from their sidearms. Useless phasers were slung on their backs. A number of the local populace had joined the marines, their single-shot firearms also issuing plumes. The locals they were shooting at were not shooting back. They were just surging forward.
“Can we beam in?” Payne asked.
“No sir.”
“Full shielding, can we land?”
“Yes, but we might not be able to take back off,” Singleterry responded.
“Bluebird to Crow and Cassowary, standby to receive weapons.” Payne turned to his sergeants but did not need to give the order.
“Nothing electronic. Chemical and mechanical only,” Gunnery Sergeant Powell said as he and Samson exited the cabin.
“I’m receiving green light signals from both ships,” Singleterry reported.
She touched a control and the crowded cabins of both runabouts were displayed.
“Once transport is complete and weapons are received, you are to land under full shields and rescue our people. You will then need to put an end to the EMP coming from that downed holy lander destroyer by any means necessary,” Payne ordered.
“Transport complete, we are go for landing,” Lieutenant Kevin Axlerod reported from the U.S.S. Cassowary.
“Go!” Payne ordered.
“Transport received,” Lieutenant Sarah Stoneking reported from the flight cabin of the U.S.S. Crow. “We are go for landing.”
“Go!”
“Are we going down?” Singleterry asked.
“That would be a violation of the captain’s orders, Lieutenant,” Payne responded. “Captain Phlox ordered me to remain in command in orbit. We have to communicate with Commander Wyr aboard Citadel. Open a channel.”
It took a few minutes before the Citadel’s albino first officer appeared on screen from her office.
“Major Payne, this is an off schedule report. Is there an issue?”
“Aye, Commander. The Captain’s effort at first contact is not going well, we are unable to beam his landing party out and I have sent in both the Crow and the Cassowary to rescue. There appears to be some sort of spontaneous civil war among the locals. Some are supporting the landing party. Others are attacking. The downed holy lander destroyer is emitting a powerful electro-magnetic pulse that has knocked out all power. Crow and Cassowary are landing fully shielded. And there’s an increasing rain storm.”
“Understood, Major,” Commander Alicia Wyr replied. “Remain in orbit and hold on this line.” Wyr turned to look at another screen. “Commander Lek, fire up your engine, we’re going to emergency speed as soon as you are ready."
The Citadel’s yridian engineer could be overheard off-screen: “Aye, Commander.”
Wyr could be seen touching a control. “Lieutenant Wren, cancel all leave. Anyone not back aboard in 10 minutes gets left behind. But first, get me Commodore Yui Song.”
The communications officer’s response was cut off as Wyr touched a control and returned her attention to the Bluebird.
“Major Payne, I want a continuous telemetry feed and update reports as the situation develops. Hold tight, Major. We’re coming to you. Citadel out.”
21.3
A diplomatic mission is probably not going well when gunfire erupts, unless it's a 21 gun salute.
-Will
-Will
It's so much worse than it appears.... Thanks!! rbs
The Star Beagle Adventures
Episode 21: The Revealing Science of God, Part 2
Scene 4: Old People Feel It
Old people feel it
That's what they're saying …
21.4
Old People Feel It
Old People Feel It
“I’ve got a bad feeling about this…”
Captain Phillip Phlox was walking through the suburbs of the walled city of Schweetz. Pel hated trying to carry on a conversation with the captain simply because he was nearly twice her height. Not only was he absurdly tall, if thin, their escort of United States Marines had been, apparently, selected from the largest marines traveling with the task group. Two of them were nearly as tall, and both were twice as massive as the half-denobulan captain of the U.S.S. Citadel.
Pel felt as if she were walking in the midst of a grove of gigantic legs. But the difference between the tiny ferengi and her unusually large human companions was not as striking as the differences among the various inhabitants of Schweetz. Enormous houses for the giant nellem and the more human-sized llellem were interspersed with the much smaller houses of the llem. A channel of clear water ran broad and deep and straight next to the main road into the keep, the original walled city. And the homes of the llewedth, partially submerged, emerged from the middle of the channel like giant turtle shells with windows and gardens for roofs.
All the buildings were brightly painted. It was a beautiful city. Even with a thin, gray veil of rain misting the many plants. Public gardens lined the channel and the roadway, with food growing everywhere.
But the people themselves were not to be seen. A few guards were waiting at the open doors of the keep.
“These people are not afraid of a light mist. We should see economic activity,” Captain Phlox continued.
“Perhaps they are afraid of us?” Pel suggested. She craned her neck to try to catch Phlox’s reaction.
“I don’t see anyone peering at us from indoors,” Phlox replied. “It’s too quiet. It’s like the jungle when all the birds and even the insects fall silent.” He gestured to the mixed group of armed inhabitants waiting for them at the gates of the old city. “Our welcoming party. They’re not excited about us or afraid of us. They’re distracted. They want to be anywhere else and we are not the reason.”
Pel was able to confirm the half-denobulan’s observation. She did not reply. She had already been uncomfortable being a tiny person surrounded by some of the biggest humans she had ever encountered, each one easily double her weight and probably more. Now focusing on what the captain was focusing on, she had to agree. She suppressed a shudder. “I wonder where Shadow is.”
“Last contact, she had found a holy warrior and requested a phaser rifle so she could cut the tunnels widely enough to rescue him.”
“I hope she’s safe,” Pel muttered. “I’d hate to think that she volunteered for us only to die in this place.”
“If you want to be able to help her, you’re going to have to put her situation out of your mind and pay attention to what we came here to do,” Phlox replied. He looked down at the minuscule ferengi. “I feel the same way. Admiration for her courage. Responsibility for any harm that comes to her.”
“You’ve lost people?” Pel asked.
“Yes,” Phlox replied. “But not often. Shadow was literally made for this kind of work. I have every reason to believe she will endure.”
In the next moment they reached the walls and the great, open gates of Schweetz. The rain was starting to pick up.
And the guards, seeing very different looking and heavily armed aliens walking into their keep, did not greet them or react in any normal way. They were distracted.
Finally, out of some confusion, Captain Phlox cleared his throat. “Um… Hello… I am Captain Phillip Phlox of the United Federation of Planets.” He paused for a moment, then: “You seem a little distracted. Care to tell me what is bothering you?”
“You don’t hear that?” said one of the giant nellem.
“Gebish, you and the other big guys are the only ones who can hear that,” said one of the llem.
“Yeah, but all of you can feel it.” The giant turned his attention to Captain Phlox. “You feel it too, don’t you? Something’s off.”
Phlox paused, then said, “Yeah. Something’s seriously off. I got a bad feeling about this...”
21.4
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Bad feeling? Where have I heard that one before?
-Will
-Will
I liberally sprinkle T.V., movie, and literary references into my stories.
No... not sprinkle... dunk...
Thanks!! rbs
No... not sprinkle... dunk...
Thanks!! rbs
That's why the ship in Deeper into the Final Frontier is named the USS Doohan, and Hecatellia felt a "disturbance in the force". Also T'Nilz with her Schall'Ert sensor cloak, not to mention Lieutenant Junior Grade Elroy Jetson. 
Can't help but love those little Easter eggs.
Your reference actually brought to mind Lou Costello. I can't find the specific reference for Lou saying it.
-Will
Can't help but love those little Easter eggs.
Your reference actually brought to mind Lou Costello. I can't find the specific reference for Lou saying it.
-Will
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The Star Beagle Adventures
Episode 21: The Revealing Science of God, Part 2
Scene 5: Sons of Old Fighters Past
Move over glory to sons
Of old fighters past …
21.5
Sons of Old Fighters Past
Sons of Old Fighters Past
“What the hell is that?”
“Phaser rifles, heavy stun, area effect, fire on my mark...”
Sergeant Jefferson Pierce Johnson was less than an inch shorter than Captain Phillip Phlox and easily twice as massive. He stepped in front of the captain as he raised his phaser rifle, making the adjustment to the weapon in the same movement. The weapons carried by the local guards of the keep amounted to various sizes of smooth-bore, single-shot muskets. The local guards fired first.
From her position among the legs of United States Marines, Pel could only barely see the figures coming toward their joint party. The rain had chosen this moment to go from stiffening to pelting. The noise of the muskets firing was similar to cannon fire. She could not see well or hear well what was happening, but she was nearly paralyzed by raw terror, washing over her in freezing waves. She could see that the local guards were having trouble reloading their weapons. Two of them, one giant nallem and one of the tiny llem, were frozen with terror, holding their weapons as if they had forgotten how to reload them.
Not so Captain Phlox, who had drawn his phaser. Nor the marines raising theirs. The sight of them gave Pel some hope and at the same time made her feel ashamed of the terror threatening to freeze her in place.
Distantly, she heard Captain Phlox trying to order evacuation: “Bluebird, get us out of here! Bluebird respond!”
Lance Corporal Sam Sessions, catching at a glance the impact of the local guard’s weapons fire on their own people, sang out in a loud voice above the storm and roar of weapons fire, “Gut shots ineffective. Head shots work.”
“Mark!” ordered Jeff Johnson. An enormous, circular, green shockwave erupted in every direction from the marine unit, knocking down the first wave.
“Confirmed knock down,” Sessions responded. “They’re getting back up.”
“Knock them down again,” Johnson ordered. “Full stun force, non-deadly. I repeat, do NOT use deadly force.”
The next burst of green energy was brighter and lasted longer.
“They’re getting up again,” another of the marines said, needlessly.
“Bluebird is non-responsive,” Captain Phlox said. “They can’t hear us. They probably can’t lock on to us either. We’re on our own down here until help arrives.”
“Get to the alien ship,” the massive African American sergeant ordered. “Cover the captain. Pasha, bring the ferengi.”
Pel found herself roughly lifted by a gigantic, dark-skinned, and absurdly handsome marine. He tucked her under his left arm like a football as the unit moved smoothly to their left, clearing the way with repeated phaser blasts.
Three of the llem and one of the larger llellem, gathering that their alien visitors probably had a good idea, tried to join the unit, but found themselves unable to filter among the marines. They settled for following the marines toward the downed and largely deconstructed holy lander destroyer.
The two giant nallem both went berserk and crashed into the wave of people that Pel could barely make out through the rain. The giants made it easily through the first part of the wave, who were suffering from repeated stuns delivered at high power. Pel could hear the giants’ screams as they went down, barely visible in the rain.
“Okay, now we know what these things plan to do to us when they get to us,” Lance Corporal Sessions observed.
Then the phaser rifles stopped working. All of them.
“Sling phasers,” Sergeant Johnson ordered. “Draw sidearms! Aim for the center of the head. One shot; one kill! Do NOT let them touch you!”
The marines slung their beige plastic phaser rifles and drew black metal projectile weapons. Pel had no idea why the marines referred to these weapons as “10’s.” Each of the marines used two hands to steady and carefully aim these weapons. Only Private First Class Payton Pasha was firing single-handed as he was carrying a terrified ferengi under his other arm. They began firing at the same time as they moved toward the alien craft, their form well honed by extensive training. Pause, squeeze off one round, move, fast-walking in a squat position entirely behind their sidearms. Transforming themselves into fast-moving, walking handguns. Pistols with legs. Taking turns so that at any moment, only two were briefly paused to take a shot, only one shot at a time, but keeping up a high rate of fire.
Pel squeezed her eyes shut and wished she could close her ears. The marines’ sidearms were so much louder than the local muskets. She felt as if a construction project had begun inside her ears. Each shot was like a hammer blow to the head. Worse. The roar of a hull breach in progress. Especially the sidearm carried by PFC Pasha, going off mere inches away from her head. She tried to cover her ears but her arms were pinned to her sides.
Pel’s high-pitched squeal of terror and agony became part of the rising din.
21.5
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Petite Pel is in a pickle, probably.
Ferengi have highly sensitive ears. Must be maddening for Pel.
-Will
Ferengi have highly sensitive ears. Must be maddening for Pel.
-Will
I think, in her one and only appearance on Deep Space 9, something happened that caused Pel to squeal in fear and agony - it was a hell of a sound.
Glock .10's are very, very loud.
It's so much worse than it appears... Thanks!! rbs
Glock .10's are very, very loud.
It's so much worse than it appears... Thanks!! rbs
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