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Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative
Subject: Five Star Trek - 4
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Date: 30 Apr 92 03:26:21 GMT
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:1 l
The bridge of Poseidal's giant vessel.  Poseidal sits again on his chair.  An
anonymous crew member appears in a holo before him.



Crewman:  Great Poseidal, the alien has overtaken us...

Poseidal:  I see that.

Crewman:  Of course, my Lord...

Poseidal [turning to Atrophos]:  Have we translated their transmissions?

Atrophos:  Yes, my Lord.  Their hailing appears to be a standard greeting.  The
carrier signal is quite rich, perhaps for use with indiginous translation
schemes...

Poseidal:  Can we see the message?

Atrophos:  Yes, Great Poseidal.

Poseidal:  Then, let us see it.



A panel of light appears before Poseidal.  The image of Captain Picard appears
in it.



Atrophos:  The carrier signal contains only enough data for a two dimensional
representation...

Poseidal:  I see that...

Picard:  Greetings, alien vessel.  I am Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the starship
Enterprise.  We represent the United Federation of Planets...

Poseidal:  Our translation has it's pronouns confused.

Atrophos:  I assure you, Lord Poseidal, the translation is accurate.

Picard:  We are a vessel of peace.  Please identify yourselves and your
intentions.

Poseidal:  A bit naive, this Captain Picard.

Atrophos:  The message repeats, once every five minutes.

Poseidal:  What of this 'Enterprise?'  How was she able to catch us so quickly?

Atrophos:  She appears to be very manueverable.  And heavily shielded, though
once her shields are breached she appears to have little other means of defense.

Poseidal:  An armored ship would not be 'a vessel of peace.'

Atrophos:  Her power plant uses a sophisticated anti-matter reaction, regulated
by a process with which we are not familiar.  We have seen no evidence of
weaponry, though most certainly she must have some means of defense?

Poseidal:  Most certainly.

Atrophos:  We could increase our speed.  Perhaps leave her behind...

Poseidal:  The Zentradi fleet will be arriving soon.  I do not want to leave any
trace of our passage.  Currently, the ez-laser turbines are operating at perfect
efficiency.  Increasing speed would begin to generate a trail of crumbs.  The
fewer crumbs Bretai has to go on, the better.  I will choose the time of our
next engagement.

Atrophos:  You are certain they will follow?

Poseidal:  They will follow.  They have no choice.  It is what they were made
for.

Atrophos:  And the alien?  This 'Enterprise?'

Poseidal:  We are now the alien, Atrophos.  And the Enterprise will follow as
well.



Poseidal stands up.  He walks towards the rear of the cavernous bridge, stepping
up onto a platform.



Poseidal:  It's what they were made for.



Poseidal disappears in a flash of light and crackling energy.



Atrophos [to herself]:  And you, Lord Poseidal?  What were you made for?

Poseidal [from the air]:  Dear Atrophos, ask you sister - the Sleeping Witch.




Enterprise Bridge.  Yellow alert.



Picard:  Worf, report.

Worf:  Alien craft holding steady on current course.  Moving at warp three.  No
signs off activity in any weapon systems.  No shields have been raised.

Riker:  And still no response to our hailing.

Worf:  Captain, if the alien continues along this course, it will violate the
neutral zone, and eventually enter Romulan space.

Riker:  That could start a war, Captain.

Picard:  I don't like it, Number One.  But there does not appear much we can do
about it at the moment.

Riker:  We could speak a little more directly...

Picard:  You mean, fire a few shots across their bow?  I'm not sure I'm prepared
to risk breaking into hostilities with an alien whose capabilities remain a
complete mystery.

Riker:  We'll have to do something, Captain...



Picard nods.  Several moments of silence go by as the Enterprise tracks
Poseidal's ship.  Picard rubs his forehead.



Picard:  Worf...

Worf:  Yes, Captain?

Picard:  Open a channel to Star Fleet.  Maximum security.

Worf:  At once, Captain.  Channel open.



Eventually, an anonymous admiral comes onscreen.



Admiral:  Why the security, Jean-Luc?

Picard:  The alien craft has begun moving, Admiral.  They have repeatedly
ignored all attempts at communication, and show no sign of doing so in the near
future.  They shall, however, cross into the Neutral Zone in that near future.

Admiral:  I see.  What do you propose we do?

Picard:  Actually, Admiral, I was hoping you could provide some insight.

Admiral [noding]:  Yes, well you know how large organizations work, Picard.
Especially one as representative as Star Fleet.  I'm afraid I won't be of much
help - at least not in time.  How long until they cross into the Neutral Zone?

Picard:  Data?

Data:  If they continue to maintain warp three, they shall cross the boundary in
twelve hours and elven minutes.

Admiral:  I couldn't even get High Command together in twelve hours, Picard...

Riker:  Admiral, this may provoke an armed conflict with Romulus.  At the very
least, it will give them an excuse for some... 'excursions.'  

Admiral:  I recognize that fact, Commander Riker.  But I'm still afraid you will
have to react before I can manage any consensus here.

Picard:  I must admit, Admiral, I was afraid of that.

Admiral:  I'm sorry, Picard.  But if there was anyone I would want in this
situation, you're the man I'd pick.  You may act with my full authority.  Use it
however you wish.

Picard:  Thank you for the vote of confidence, Admiral.



The Admiral nods.  The screen goes blank. Several moments pass.



Riker:  Well, Captain?

Picard:  Worf, contact the nearest Klingon cruisers.  Order them to rendez-vous
with us.  Sooner than possible.  They are to approach fully cloaked.  

Worf:  At once, Captain.

Picard:  Engineering...

Geordi:  Yes, Captain.

Picard:  Divert full shield power to those surfaces facing the alien craft...

Geordi:  Aye, Captain.

Picard:  Data.  Calculate the angles of the alien's heavy weaponry.  Not so much
the main guns, but her more maneuverable turrets.  Put us someplace she can't
get to easily.

Riker:  We're going to attack.

Picard:  I hope not, Number One.  But we're going to get their attention.  Red
alert.  All personnel, battle stations.  This is not a drill.  Repeat, this is
not a drill.



The klaxons begin to blast.  Organized pandemonium breaks out. From space, we
see the Enterprise swing gracefully into position dangerously near Poseidal's
dreadnaught.



Picard:  Phaser banks, target the alien's gun embankments.  Hold all fire until
my command, and only my command.  Repeat, hold all fire until my command, and
only my command.



Poseidal's ship.  Another large chamber, the oval walls of which bulge with all
manner of strangely biological mechanics.  Poseidal floats in the center of the
chamber, showered by light and electricty.  

A holograph materializes before him.  A woman.  Tall and beautiful.  Looking
very much like Poseidal himself.  AISHA.  In Poseidal's personal guard - the
Mirage Knights - AISHA stands first.



Aisha:  I know how you love your showers...

Poseidal:  But, something has come up.

Aisha:  Yes.  The alien...

Poseidal:  We are the aliens.

Aisha:  Ahem.  A short time back, the native vessel adopted a more belligerent
profile.  It was - and still is - my belief that their new stance is intended to
elicit some response from us...

Poseidal:  We have been somewhat rude...

Aisha:  Ahem.  Stop interrupting. They have since ceased all transmissions and
even discharged a few unusual explosive devices across our bow.

Poseidal [becoming interested]:  Oh?

Aisha:  I thought that would elicit a rise from you.  To bad nothing else I do
does...

Poseidal:  Back to the point, yes?

Aisha:  In any event, I allowed all this to transpire without giving it much
thought...

Poseidal:  Until...

Aisha: Stop interrupting.  Until the arrival of five vessels - slightly smaller
than the Enterprise - however quite unusual in that they are invisible to our
scanners.

Poseidal: If they are invisible, how did you discover them?

Aisha:  I'm good.

Poseidal:  And these new arrivals, they are acting in concert with the
Enterprise?

Aisha:  Difficult to say.

Poseidal:  Well, perhaps we have ignored the aliens...

Aisha:  Natives.

Poseidal [laughter]:  Yes, the natives, long enough.  I'm on my way.

Aisha:  Don't bother to get dressed.

Poseidal:  Maybe I won't.

Aisha:  Promises, promises.

Poseidal:  Perhaps you should pay more attention to what's going on outside the
ship?

Aisha:  But what's inside is so much more appealing...



Poseidal sweeps his hand through the holograph, snapping his fingers.  Aisha
vanishes with a pout.