Chapter Three

     An Engineering team headed toward Ten Forward.  A security team,
consisting of Lieutenant Commander Johnson, Ensign Dong, and Ensign Pratt
followed.

     As usual Dong was given the task of finding the right codes to
open any doors which required clearance codes.  He was one of the few
personnel on the Enterprise who knew the constantly changing codes.
Dong wished he could have a different position, but Starfleet felt that
he was not qualified for anything besides keeping current clearance
codes in a tricorder.  He had never been promoted either due to behavioral
problems.

     "Computer, open this door."  Johnson said.
     "Beta clearance required."   

     Dong began entering codes into a tricorder.  He then pressed the
transmit button.  Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as the door slid open.
Dong entered a command to the computer which kept the door open.  Dong
then entered the codes to allow the engineers the necessary access to the
controls which were located in a sealed box inside Ten Forward.  The
engineers began their work.

     Dong left Ten Forward and headed for the Engineering team that was
waiting for him in front of holodeck two.  A medical team was also there
to take the body away.  Just prior to leaving the bridge, Dong had made
sure that holodeck two was inoperable and placed into a permanent "Freeze
Program" state.  All of this work would probably best be completed by
Lieutenant Worf, but Worf's shift had already ended.  Picard had given
Dong a temporary promotion to lieutenant so that Dong would have enough
security clearance to complete his duty.  After this was over, it was back
to the old Ensign Jimmy Dong, who spent most of his time tailing security 
teams, and following the orders of his superiors.

     The two teams waiting for him were glad to see him when he arrived.
Dong went to work immediately, and in another minute and a half, the door
slid open.

     They rushed in to find that the holodeck image was of a large
forest.  The dead woman was on the ground next to a large oak tree.
Dr. Crusher began examining the body with a medical tricorder.
     "This woman was dead before the power shutdown." she said as she
looked up.  Picard had just entered.
     "Are you saying that her holodeck program killed her?" he asked.
     "Yes."
     "I want a full investigation into this.  Someone run the program
and see what went wrong."  Picard said.
     "I will do it."  Pratt said quickly.
     "Make it so.  But be careful.  And freeze the program if something
goes wrong."


     "Tell me, Admiral, what caused the Kyrons to suspect the
Federation of causing the malady?" Riker asked.
     "One of the first to catch it was a member of one of the
work crews.  He spent most of his time outside the outpost."
     "Why are the hallways so desolate?"
     "Other than me, the only other surviving outpost personnel
is Dr. Ching Tai, a computer scientist."
     "Did he catch it or was he innoculated?"
     "He was innoculated several years ago.  The people he spent his
time with were innoculated more recently."
     "What is the current security status?" LaForge asked.
     "It is fine now, but rumors are floating around that a rebel
group is planning to attack the outpost soon."
     "You aren't part of the regular crew here, are you?" Data asked.
     "No.  I came here a couple of weeks ago as part of a tour of all
Starfleet medical facilities.  After all, I'm a doctor, not a
button-pusher."
     "Are the medical facilities at this outpost acceptable?" Data
asked as he began walking around the room with a tricorder.
     "Not very recent.  The outbreak and the deaths are proof the
facility here is unacceptable."
     "Admiral, a medical supply ship will be here in a few days. The
Enterprise has been asked to transport the most severely ill Kyrons to
quarantined quarters on the Enterprise until the medical supply ship
arrives."  Riker said.
     "Understood.  I'll have Dr. Tai search his computers for the names
of persons to transport."
     "Good."  Riker said.  He pushed his insignia/communicator, and
said, "Enterprise.  Three to beam up."
     "Stand by.  Enterprise is on red alert.  We are under attack by
Romulans.  Stand by."  Transporter Chief O'Brien replied.



Chapter Four

     "Status report, ensign!" Picard said as he got up from the ground.
     "All decks report only minor injuries." Dong replied. "Shields are
holding at 70%, sir."
     "Confirmed, sir."  Data said.
     "Fire phasers." Picard ordered.
     "Firing ... direct hit. 10% damage on flag ship." Dong said.
     "Fire torpedos at will."
     "Firing ... four hits. minor damage, all Romulan ships."
     "Fire phasers."
     "Firing ... phaser hit.  four torpedo hits."
     "Fire all at will."
     "Romulan flagship has suffered major damage." Data reported
"We've been hit.  Shields holding, sir."

     The Romulan ships continued to fire at the Enterprise as their
flagship retreated.
     "Shields holding.  Minor damage on all Romulan ships."
     Five minutes later, Data reported, "Shield failure in two minutes.
50% damage on all Romulan ships."
     "They have just lost their shields and their weapons.  They are
retreating, sir."  Dong said a minute later.
     Worf entered the bridge.  He immediately checked the instrument
panel, and nodded to indicate that Dong could leave. He then looked up at
the main viewer, and said, "Lieutenant Worf, reporting for duty, sir."
     "Damage report."  Picard said as he nodded to Worf.
     "Decks reporting in now.  No casualties, sir." Worf responded.
     "We are very vulnerable to further attacks, sir.  It will take at
least four days to make necessary repairs."  Data said.
     "Understood.  Keep me apprised."

     "Shields are down now.  You can beam up." Chief O'Brien
transmitted to the away team on the planet.
     "Understood, O'Brien.  On my signal."  Riker turned to McCoy.
"We'll get back to you.  O'Brien!  Three to beam up... energize."

     Riker entered the bridge two minutes later.  He found the captain
had an audio-only communication link with Admiral McCoy.
     "Status?"  he asked Worf.
     "The outpost was attacked immediately after you beamed up, sir.
If you had beamed up any later, your lives would have been in grave
danger."
     "The outpost shields will fail any minute." McCoy said.
     "We are sending down a security team to assist.  However, we need
your shields down before we can use our transporters."
     "By then it might be too late."

     Picard looked at Data.  "Outpost status?"  he asked.
     "Outpost shields down to 30% efficiency.  Outpost will be incapable
of returning fire in forty seconds."  Data responded.
     "Worf, send a second security team.  Have O'Brien beam them down
immediately behind the Kyron forces."
     "Aye, sir."
     Data turned around to look at Picard.  "Sir, the outpost has just
lost its shields.  Kyron fire now penetrating the outer walls of the
outpost.  The outpost has switched to emergency environment control."
     "Lieutenant, send two audio/visual probes to the surface.  I want
to be able to see firsthand what is going on down there." Picard said to
Worf.  He turned to Data and said, "Commander Data, continue monitoring
the situation."
     "Aye, captain."

     "Inform the bridge that Pratt has entered Holodeck Two,
ensign."  Lieutenant Commander Johnson told Dong.
     "Excuse me, commander, but Picard has promoted me to lieutenant."
Dong replied.
     "Sorry, lieutenant.  Just do as you were ordered."
     "Everything seems all right so far."  said Lieutenant LaForge, who
was looking at the panel next to the doors of Holodeck Two.
     "Good." Johnson said.

     There were two persons from Engineering, and five from Security
now standing in front of Holodeck Two.  All of them were very tense.
However, no one could come up with a better way to find out what went
wrong with the holodeck.
     "Computer, initiate constant report of the number of live sentient
beings in Holodeck Two.  Do not include those beings which are computer
generated."  LaForge said.
     "Working ... one... one ... zero..."
     Everyone gasped.  Sweat was forming on LaForge's face.  The
security personnel drew their phasers.  LaForge studied the panel in front
of him.
     "Computer, where is Ensign Pratt?" he asked.
     "Ensign Pratt is not on board this ship."
     "How could this be?" 
     "What happened?" Johnson asked.
     "Computer, allow us entry into this program." LaForge said.
     "You may enter when ready."

     LaForge stepped up to the door.  Suddenly, it opened and a dozen
Kyrons with weapons drawn appeared.  A phaser battle between the Kyrons
and the security personnel began.

     "Sir, deck nine is reporting a disturbance."  Worf said anxiously.
     "Sir, the Kyrons have now penetrated the outpost."  Data said as he
quickly pressed several buttons.
     "Lieutenant, send a security team to deck nine.  Get me a
communication link to the outpost and to Starfleet Command.  I'll take it
in my ready room.  Commander Data, you have the bridge.  Keep me informed."
said Picard as he entered his ready room.

     LaForge lay on the ground.  "I've got to get out of here."  he said
to himself.  He began to crawl toward the nearest turbolift. He heard
several screams behind him.  He entered the turbolift.
     "Bridge." he said.
     The turbolift began moving.  "How in the world did Kyrons get on the
Enterprise?  And in a holodeck, too?  What happened back there?"  he thought
to himself.  
     He collapsed just as the doors opened.  Worf quickly dragged him
out.  LaForge looked at him and tried to get up.
     "You are badly injured."  Worf said.  "You are bleeding on the
arms and legs."
     "Yeah.  I guess I am."  LaForge said as he looked at his injuries.
     "Sickbay, this is Lieutenant Worf.  Emergency on the bridge.
Captain Picard, return to the bridge, please."  Worf said as he tapped his
communicator.
     Picard ran onto the bridge.  Riker was already there.
     "LaForge, what happened to you?"  Riker asked.
     "Kyrons...Ambush...Holodeck Two...No..." LaForge's voice
trailed off as he collapsed again.
     Dr. Crusher and two other medical assistants entered the bridge.
They quickly put LaForge onto a stretcher and left the bridge.
     "Okay, what's going on here?" Picard said loudly to no one in
particular.
     "It seems that some Kyrons have managed to board the Enterprise
and ambushed the people at Holodeck Two.  Something may have happened to
Ensign Pratt."  Data said.
     "Lieutenant Worf, send all of your men to handle the sitaution.
We can not have renegade aliens ambushing everyone on this ship!"
     "Captain, I can not locate Ensign Pratt on this ship."  Data said.
     "Computer!" Picard said. "I need the whereabouts of Ensign Pratt."
     "Ensign Pratt is not on this ship."
     "Status, lieutenant?"  Picard said anxiously.
     Everyone turned around as Dr. Crusher reappeared on the bridge.
She immediately walked up to Picard.
     "The situation may be worse than you think.  Almost the entire
security team that Worf sent to guard Pratt is now in sickbay with phaser
wounds.  In Commander Johnson and Lieutenant Dong's case, their injuries
are so bad I have to keep them under sedation." she said.
     Behind them, Worf suddenly ran toward the turbolift and quickly
left the bridge.  Picard wondered what else could be wrong.
     "Captain, our probe is showing the Kyrons have taken Admiral McCoy
and Dr. Tai and placed them in the outpost's holding cell."  Data said.  A
minute later, he added, "Our security teams on the planet have retreated
and returned to the Enterprise.  There are several injuries."
     Picard activated the shipwide intercom.  "This is Captain Jean-Luc
Picard.  In one minute I will be initiating a red alert. It appears that
the enemy has invaded the Enterprise.  All personnel are advised to arm
themselves.  Non-essential personnel and all families are advised to seal
themselves in their rooms."
     The relief at Worf's station pressed a few buttons on the panel.
Immediately the alarm klaxons began sounding and the red lights began
flashing again.
     "Captain, the Kyrons have taken over Transporter Room Four.  More
Kyrons are being beamed on board, sir."  Data said.
     "Bridge, this is Lieutenant Worf.  We are outnumbered.  I have
ordered all security teams to retreat to Shuttlebay Two."
     Picard stood up and looked at Riker.  His face was pale. "What do
you suggest, Number One." he said.
     "If it gets any worse, we might have to evacuate the ship." Riker
replied.
     "Agreed, Number One." Picard turned toward Data.  "Commander Data,
is the invasion confined to a part of the ship?"
     "The saucer section, sir.  The stardrive section of the ship has
not been invaded."  Data replied.
     "Number One, command the battle bridge and take the stardrive
section back to Starbase One Seven Four."
     "Yes sir."
     "Data, prepare for separation.  Prepare for evacuation sequence in
saucer section."
     "Aye sir."  Data replied.  "Entering sequence now... switching to
main viewer..."
     "All hands, prepare for saucer separation.  Two minutes to saucer
separation."  Picard said over the shipwide intercom.
     Two minutes later, Data announced, "Retraction has started...
completed.  Captain, sensors have picked up several Kyrons who tried to
get into the stardrive section but did not make it."
     "Are there any Kyrons in the stardrive section?" Picard asked.
     "Negative.  We are now far away enough, sir."
     "Captain, transmission from Commander Riker."  Worf said.
     "Main viewer."  Picard said.

     "Ready to head for Starbase One Seven Four, sir." Riker said.
     "Make it so, Number One." Picard said.  As the screen returned to
the neutral stars picture, Picard turned to Data. "Activate evacuation
sequence.  Program in coordinates for the safest location on the planet."

     "This is not a drill.  Evacuation sequence protocol now in progress.
All personnel head to nearest Transporter Room or Shuttle Bay.  Evacuate as
follows..."
     Pandemonium broke out throughout the saucer section. Several more
persons were killed by the attacking Kyrons as they stood listening to the
seldom heard computer evacuation announcement.  Thirty minutes later, the
ship was deserted except for three bridge officers and a swarm of five
hundred Kyrons roaming the ship.
     "Computer, activate self-destruct sequence." Picard said.
     "Does first officer concur?"
     "Acting First Officer Data here.  I concur."  Data said.
     Working...  Accepted... Sequence, Five Minutes...Four Minutes,
Fifty-Nine Seconds...
     As the three bridge officers carefully made their way toward the
nearest Transporter Room, they saw Kyrons running by them. Picard wondered
why the Kyrons who were so intent on killing them hours earlier were now
all ignoring them.  Picard noticed that Data had taken out a tricorder and
was now pressing several buttons.
     "Captain...we must return to the bridge."  Data whispered.
     "Why, Data?"  Picard asked.
     "All of the Kyrons are evacuating the Enterprise.  They realized
that we were destroying the Enterprise.  They have all beamed down to the
Federation outpost."  Data whispered.
     "Make it so."  Picard said as he began running back to the bridge.  
Data and Worf followed.
     As soon as he arrived on the bridge, Picard said, "Computer,
deactivate self-destruct, no computer feedback on command."
     "Acting First Officer Data here.  I concur with deactivation
request."  Data said.