Star Trek: Season 3 - Shore Leave

[Geekyfanboy]

Previously that night...

The dinner was winding down.  Everyone was moving to the library for some tea and coffee. The evening wasn't as bad as Quinn had anticipated. Servyll and her mother were very civil to each other and Nicholas Took was perfect company for Quinn.  The hours passed as the two talked about their academy days, favorite classes and their lives growing up. Nicholas's past was riddled with violent and abuse while Quinn's life in this house was loving and warm. They continued to talk for hours after everyone had turned in for the evening.. Quinn walked Took to the guestroom and gave him a big smile as he wished him a good night. A few minutes later Quinn was lying down in his childhood bedroom.  Only a few minutes passed when he heard someone knocking on the front door. He grabbed his robe and headed down stairs with Jack at his feet. He opened the door...


After the Admirals Visit...

Quinn advised the Admiral that we would be departing first thing in the morning as soon as his recalled his crew. The Admiral thanked him and headed out the front door. Quinn turned to Servyll, "Are you okay?" She looked as though her mind was elsewhere, she noticed that Quinn was looking at her strangely and replied "I am fine. I will send out the recall to all crewmembers at 800 hours. We will prepare to depart Earth at 1100 hours." Quinn was still concerned but knew he was not going to get anything out of her... at lease for tonight. He nodded and she headed back up the stairs. Quinn sat down in a chair and starred out the window at the stars twinkling in the night.

[Jen]

Sevryll's thoughts kept her mind active throughout the night, preventing sleep from finding her weary form. When morning came, she left the quiet of the Quinn's home, to meditate in their garden. As it had during the evening, her father's situation remained at the forefront of her mind. Was he still alive? She wondered.  As she meditated, Sevryll reflected upon her childhood. Her father was the only person she never questioned. He was her encourager when she doubted her own abilities, and her defender when her mother assailed her with judgment. Now, it would seem, he needed those things from her...

She rose from the bench, in the center of the garden, and returned to the Quinn's home. The house was quiet—dawn was still two hours away.  There was much to do before their departure and first on her agenda, was the crew. Sevryll composed a mass communiqué, recalling all crew members still on shore leave; they were to return to the ship the following day. When the message was forwarded to the Tiberius for distribution, she sat back in the chair within her room, which was positioned near the children's bed. Glancing down at the twins as they slept, she was reminded of the message that she received from Aria...the young woman who had called her mother. Sevryll was outraged by her lack of ethics, yet despite this fact, she was resigned to conduct herself as a professional. She was a first officer now, and she had an example to set for her crew. So the Vulcan commander compiled yet another message—though she did not looking forward to the encounter, she accepted Aria's invitation to meet aboard her father's prototype ship.

[KingIsaacLinksr]

An excited Isaac looked at these very cuddly looking creatures.  "They are called Sugar Gliders*  They actually exist here on Earth." stated the store clerk.  "Really?  I have never heard of these." said Joseph.  "Oh yes, they are unusual pets.  They have the ability to glide for quite a distance.  They only eat insects and small vertebrae." replied the store clerk.  "But they aren't that rare.  Just not heard of much.  Besides, even you would admit that most people want dogs not squirrel like creatures."

Isaac looked at two smaller sugar gliders and fell in love with them.  They were smaller and they had a much more pale fur color with a black stripe down its back.  They seemed to have bonded to each other and were being very mischievous to the older Sugar Gliders.  "Ah, you noticed our twin Gliders.  Yes, they are very mischievous but are very close friends.  You should have seen it when we separated them for medical examination.  Some of us had pretty deep cuts from the flailing.  Trust me, we only sell them together.  The oddest thing about these guys is that their fur is pearl white instead of grey.  Its very recessive and rare." stated the store clerk. 

Isaac reached out with his mind and found a basic intelligence.  They must have detected his presence as they had jumped in their cages and stared right at him.  He immediately soothed them and they warmed up to him.  He asked the store clerk, "can I see those two?"  The store clerk raised an eye brow and then shook his head yes and unlocked the cage.  Isaac reached his hand into the cage and the two Sugar Gliders scurried up his arm and lay upon his shoulders.  "If they could purr, they would sing." commented Joseph.  "Wow, I've never seen Sugar Gliders do that to anyone else.  You must be someone special indeed." said the store clerk.  Isaac merely smiled and asked "can I get them?"

Fifteen minutes later, Isaac had walked out the shop door with two very boisterous Sugar Gliders in a small kennel.  He also carried some vitamin supplements so that the Gliders would stay healthy.  "I wonder what I should name them…" wondered Isaac aloud.  "How about troublesome and unruly?" joked Joseph.  Isaac punched Joseph in the arm then they decided it was time to return to the ship and get settled in for the next mission.

King Linksr


*See Isaac's page for picture of Sugar Glider and link.

[Bryancd]

The last few days of shore leave passed quickly for K'arath. He decided to spend his remianing time on board, working down in the relative solitude of Main Engineering. With only a skeleton crew on board, he had the luxury of .......peace and quiet in what is normally a hive of activity during normal ship operations. Everyhting was ready and tuned to his satisfaction....though he couldn't help but often wonder about that strange shuttle in the hanger bay and the equally odd new Lt. who recently came aboard.

[moyer777]

"I don't know what to say", the dr. said looking at his medal. 

"Don't say anything then" said Sudder.

Margon looked at the dr and smiled.  "You did good dr., you did good.  It will take some truth, some grace and some time.  Hang in there friend."

Andrus broke the emotional moment by announcing the final ride for the day.  "Ok, guys, it wouldn't be complete without a ferris wheel ride."

"No thank you gentlemen, I have had enough of these barbaric carnival rides.  Give me a good ship with a gravity stabilizer anyday."  The dr. sat down on a bench and let Margon and Andrus get on the ride.

The attendant slid the bar over their laps and the ferris wheel began to climb upwards. They had gone in circles for a few times, looking at the sites and chatting.  It was relaxing and quite fun for them.  Both Andrus and Margon's communicators chirped.  They looked at the small screen to see the call to get back aboard the Tiberus. 

Sudder laughed- well, just as we were relaxing. "  The Counselor looked down, there was no sign of the Dr. anywhere!  He started to panic.  What if this whole experience had been too emotional for him?  What if they had pushed the dr. over the edge instead of roping him in?

As the counselor frantically searched the ground Andrus punched him the shoulder. Margon looked up to see the the Hover ship in the air in front of them.  The Dr. had a grin on his face gazing out of the cockpit.  The transporters were activated and both counselors materialized in their seats.

The ferris wheel came around and the attendant was surprised to see the car empty. 

"Huh?" he said.  "Where the heck did those guys go?"

In a flash the ship shot off leaving Holo-world for another time and another place.

Andrus squirmed in his seat.  "What are we listening to Dr.?"

"Mozart my rock n roll friend, Mozart." 

"Can't we change the music?" said Andrus.

"Nope, I'm driving!"  the Dr. smiled again.

Counselor Margon shook his head.   "Boys, let's not get upset, let's just get home."

The dr. turned to his friends.  "Thanks gentlemen.  Seriously.  Thanks.  I needed some friends and you have been very kind to me.  Let's make it a point to get together from time to time just to talk.  What say you?"

Andrus and Margon nodded.

Andrus grinned "on one condition, I pick the music."

The dr. turned and laughed out loud.  "Computer, turn Mozart up!"

[X]

The sound of the communications system woke Aeric from the rest that the realignment of his nanites required only a few minutes before he was actually expecting to wake. They were still a work in progress and updates to their function were to be expected. A quick glance at the communications station near his bed alerted him to the recall of the Tiberius’ crew.  That meant that he would need to finish with his projection of needed resources sooner than expected. If the ship was leaving, he needed to make sure that he had all of the necessary equipment to complete the upgrades that his assignment required.

After getting showered and dressed, Aeric left Aria in command of the ship and began his walk of the Tiberius and its Jeffries tubes. He would need space within the ship to install the more critical components of the upgrades and it was only through a visual inspection of the tubes that he would be able to find the best places to install the NRARS systems. He hesitated in his desire to even leave the access conduits. It was only a matter of time before he would once again be burdened with the task of meeting familiar faces and people he once called friends for the first time in this timeline. The return of his daughter has lessened the sting of that burden, but as always, Aeric felt as though he was only a tick of the clock away from the universe changing around him again. If his projections were correct, the Tiberius could become the shelter in the storm that had shaped his existence. In the crew of the ship, he found hope that he and Aria would no longer need to weather the storm alone.

After a quick inspection of the projected areas, Aeric made his way to engineering. With his dual posting on the ship, he needed to check in to see if he would be starting his duty shift in engineering or at the Conn of the Tiberius. As he moved through the conduits, the ship almost sang to him. Systems hummed around him in a complicated ballet of technological precision and organic intuition. Each ship was different. Each had its own unique heartbeat as the warp core pushed plasma through conduits much like a heart pumping blood through veins and arteries. Each had a unique mental presence, a combination of the computer core and the modifications usually performed by the crew of the vessel.

In Aeric’s mind, a ship was more than just a transport. It was a near living creature that functioned in symbiosis with her crew. If they took good care of the ship, more times than not, it would take good care of them. With his aid, the Tiberius might evolve as the Aurora had. The ship had potential to be the flag-bearer of its class. One look at the crew told him that this ship was destined for something special. It was destined to be greater than the sum of its parts. There was something about the crew and its composition that would only magnify the success of the new upgrades to be installed aboard. If any ship in the Federation qualified for the upgrades that he and Aurora offered, he had seen none save for the USS Tiberius.

Aeric had spent a good deal of his life studying history and witnessing the changes brought by the actions of others. Perhaps in this time and on this ship, it was time to move past observing history and making it. He had seen enough changes in time to realize that one being could quite literally change the universe. The Aurora was his ship and it was finally in the last stages of testing. His reports and schematics would probably bring about a new class of shuttle, but that was still some time away. Maybe it was time for Aurora to cease being unique. Maybe it was time that his other child had a sibling. Aeric smiled to himself as he entered engineering. Aurora could not want for a better sibling than one named after one of the two captain that taught him what it meant to wear the uniform. The Tiberius would be a fine sibling for Aurora and like the old Earth story of Dr. Frankenstein, it was time for the collection of parts that made up the Tiberius to be brought together in a new life.

Shore leave might have ended, but for the crew of the Aurora, the excitement was only now beginning.

[Duffster]

Tain cast the fishing line into the slow moving river and watched the bobber carefully. He had been getting some big nibbles all morning, and was determined to catch the thieving fish. He settled down on the shoreline, and grinned to himself. He was having a wonderful time on this shore leave, in fact he couldn't remember a time when he was more at peace.

As he watched for the next bite, he heard a sound down the path. "AHA", he thought to himself, "Manrique is finally going to try and get his revenge. I think I will turn the table a bit."

Tain quickly jumped down the bank into the weeds and mud. He quickly and quietly camouflaged himself with the mud. He smiled to himself as he imagined Manriques frightened look as Tain lept out at him from his hidden spot.

Tain waited, and waited. The mud started itching horribly, and he felt one or two leeches attaching themselves to his leg, but he knew he couldn't move. He heard another noise down the path, and tensed. It wouldn't be long now.

There was another sound now...from the opposite direction on the path. It was louder and clearer now...laughter???

Tain looked down the other path and saw Manrique, laughing at him.

"Tain?", said Manrique, "What the heck are you doing in the mud man??? I thought you were fishing, looks more like you are applying a beauty mask!"

Chagrined Tain slowly rose from the mud and muck.

"Oh..uh.", stammered Tain. "I thought you were..well you know sneaking up on me and ..well I .. Oh forget it."

Tain started to climb the bank, then slipped on the slimy mud and fell back in river flat on his back. As he raised his head out the river sputtering, he looked over at Manrique. Tears were streaking down the Lieutenants face, he was laughing so hard at Tain.

"Well Tain," said Manrique between his laughter. "What I really came down here to tell you is that we have been recalled. Time to get back to the Tiberius."

Manrique looked at the soaked mud covered Orion looking at him grumpily from the river.

"You might want to clean up a bit though, I will see you back at the house."

Manrique headed down the path to the house. He smiled and whistled on the way back. As he headed down the path he emptied his pants pockets of the rocks he had gathered.

"Yep", he thought to himself. "That had been worth it." Watching Tain jump into the mud trying to hide had almost been too much for Manrique, he'd almost burst into laughter at the start, thus giving away his location. He thought to himself that it was almost enough to make up for the cigar incident. He smiled evilly...almost.

[Rico]

    Sirach Talbot moved about his office quickly.  He had a small Starfleet issue bag on top of his desk.  He had several items in the bag already and was looking about the room trying to decide what he might need with him.  In the days of replicators everyday items were no longer necessary to pack and carry with you everywhere.  Unless you happen to be going somewhere without the benefit of a finely tuned Starfleet replicator.  He had several Padd's of data in the pack along with a picture of his wife Lydia in an old frame that he always carried with him where ever he ended up going.  Sirach had sent a quick communication to his wife.  She was currently off planet and difficult to reach.  He had hoped to be on Earth when she returned but at this stage he was unsure that would work out.  He sat down for a moment in his desk chair and pondered at how quickly events had happened over the past couple of days.  The message from his old Vulcan friend Krell was unexpected.  He had been aware of Krell's activites since he had been away on Romulus of course.  But, hadn't expected the desperate message from his old friend.  The message along with Krell's daughter Sevryll on Earth at the same time was one of those amazing coincidence's the universe likes to hand out from time to time, Talbot thought to himself.  He stretched his long frame out in his chair and closed his eyes for a moment.  He was starting to wonder to himself if he was still prepared for what was maybe coming ahead.  Sirach still trained regularly and was in excellent shape.  But it was some of the mental strain that he had slowly felt getting to him over the years.  He had lived through and seen many wars and battles.  So many enemies over the years.  He thought of the Klingons, the Cardassians, the Borg and the Romulans.  All sometimes enemies and all sometimes allies - even the Borg.  Sirach had always felt any race or thinking being could be reasoned with.  It's what had made him very valuable to Starfleet and also had made him an excellent Starship Captain.  But there had been some losses and failures over the years.  And those weighed heavily on him now as he prepared for a new mission that he realized he had very little intelligence about.  But he was not about to fail his friend Krell.  Sirach tossed a few specialized engineering tools in a small pouch he always liked to have with him when on a mission with many unknown factors.  Then he opened a small key coded safe on the lower wall behind his chair.  He reached in for the old style, ancient phaser that belonged to his grandfather.  It was a small, black and silver device and completely outdated.  But Sirach had never gone on an away mission without it.  The old style hand phaser also had the advantage to avoid some modern weapon detection systems due to it's old style transtator circuitry.  He hoped he wouldn't need the weapon, but he learned long ago it was always good to be well prepared.  He stood up and tucked the small phaser inside his uniform tunic.  Then Admiral Talbot grabbed his bag, closed it and then tapped his comm badge.
   
    "Talbot to Tiberius, priority code alpha-one-tango.  One to beam up!"  The shimmering glow of the transporter beam enveloped Admiral Talbot as he took one last deep breath and braced himself for what trials lay ahead.

[Jen]

END OF SEASON THREE.
SEASON FOUR BEGINS FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 28.