101.
Shakedown Cruise
The Anchorage goes for a shakedown cruise
and encounters Harcourt Fenton Mudd III.
102.
Preludes and Apparitions
A joint archaeological expedition with the
Romulans leads to treachery and the discovery of proof of a lost race.
103.
Aiding and Abetting
An Orion trade ship in distress hides a stowaway:
Jandra, wife of Centautian Tiam.
104.
The
Darkest Hour
Jandra is discovered to suffer from strange
headaches. Sheldon reveals she is pregnant. Jandra is traded for the Kenai
survivor. The crew watches the battle of Wolf-359, unable to intervene.
105.
The Eye of Arcimi
A hidden planet is discovered in a red giant.
The Anchorage is damaged, and caught in the pull of the red giant's corona.
A D'derix class warbird is caught with the Anchorage. Sheldon is killed,
and Korrodus is injured.
106.
Cat and Mouse
Alex Greene is acting Captain, Sovok is acting
XO. The crew must investigate a prison break.
107.
Marie Celestial
A Romulan Warbird is found on the wrong side of the neutral zone.
All of its crew has been killed by a virus. A second warbird shows up.
The two crews form a truce and discover the virus was a planted bio-weapon.
Korrodus returns and names Sovok XO.
108.
The Crusoe Effect
The Mongoose is missing. The search for the
Killerbee leads to Rogun II where Ensign Ames has violated the Prime Directive
and Cardassians have a secret base. Lt Ruppert is killed trying to escape
from the Cardassians.
109. The Skull
and the Sword
The crew, along with its two newest members (Korokh and Gallrown)
enjoy (or in Sovok's case, are forced) to take place in a holonovel of
epic fantasy written by Lt. Yert.
110. The Hand Dealt
To You
Dr. Willow must deal with a rocky relationship with his father and
a cousin who is not what he appears to be.
111. The
Lost Brethren part I
An officer exchange program leads to one ship being caught in time
and the discovery of a Rogue planet housing a secret Romulan base. Centaurian
Tiam, his wife Jandra and Beloved Sheldon (believed to be dead) are on
the rogue planet.
112.
The Lost Brethren part II
The crew of the Khorval must save a lost colony and return to their
timeline. The crew of the Anchorage enters a deadly confrontation with
the Romulans. The Leviathans (last seen in "Preludes and Apparitions")
are discovered to still exist..
113.
Galaxy Trek: The Canceled Series
Dr. Willow is pulled into an alternate timeline where he and everyone
he knows are fictional characters in a weekly television series.
114. Vindication
Rowne is accused of perjury by a young woman from his past. Handler
is discovered to be a saboteur. Dr. Willow discovers Greene and Jandra
both house an alien life form in their brains.
115. Mirror, Mirror on the Wall part I
Sovok, Marzi and Korokh are pulled into the mirror universe where
they must deal with a crew of terran slavers lead by an alternate Yollanda
Sheldon.
116. Mirror, Mirror on the Wall part II
Sovok, Marzi and Korokh recover an ancient artifact allowing them
to escape from the mirror universe.
117. Pacification
Investigations into an arms dealer leads the crew to a planet on
the fringe of the Neutral Zone. There they discover a race that the Romulan
Star Empire has scheduled for "Pacification".
118. Conquest's Tools
While escorting a Romulan scientist, the Anchorage discovers a planet
where the war between Romulas and Earth has been continuing for 200 years.
101.
Shakedown Cruise
Based on the adventure "Shakedown Cruise" from
Star
Trek The Next Generation Core Game Book.
The crew arrive at Starbase 39-Sierra. The U.S.S. Anchorage has just finished extensive repairs. She was previously assigned to patrol the frontier, and had sustained extensive damage from a rogue Klingon pirate vessel. She has now been reassigned to patrol the Romulan Neutral Zone.
Dr. Willow is the first to arrive. He spends his time with his mentor, Dr. Pulaski. Lt. Commander Greene & Lt. Marzi arrive and are greeted by Crewman Handler, The Captain's Yeoman. Handler leads them to the Holodeck aboard the Anchorage. There they meet Captain Sheldon in her hologarden. Marzi is put to work immediately checking the upgrades and repairs in Engineering. Greene is assigned as acting First Officer, as it will be a few weeks before Commander Korroduss is to arrive. She instructs Greene to have the Anchorage prepared for a shakedown cruise in no less than twelve hours.
The Anchorage launches for her shakedown cruise. After a few days of dealing with minor difficulties in engineering, an encrypted data stream is detected emitting from a mining operation located on the small moon P80-AS. The data stream is directed towards Romulan space. The colony is hailed. Harcourt Fenton Mudd III responds. Sheldon is suspicious of the shady Mudd, and orders Greene to assemble an away team to investigate.
The investigation determines that the mining operation is a front for illicit activities. Mudd is discovered to be smuggling protected species to collectors. Amongst his "collection" is a mugato which he sicks upon the crew, along with his hired goons. Meanwhile, an antiquated Klingon battle cruiser de cloaks near the Anchorage. It is Mudd's wife, a Klingon smuggler. The Anchorage easily deals with the threat, and the away team takes Mudd into captivity. Mudd claims to not know about the data stream. Later analysis discovers that the data stream is false information related to starfleet ship movements.
102.
Preludes and Apparitions
I believe in giving credit to my inspirations.
This adventure was loosely based on "Ghosts of the Past" from Planetary
Adventures, and has characters and situations from the novel Probe,
by Margaret Wander Bonnanno.
A few weeks later, the rest of the crew arrives at 39-Sierra. The crew is introduced to First Officer Commander Korrodus. They take an instant disliking towards him. Ensign Ames gets in trouble several times. Greene assigns him to PO Paupaub in Engineering with the instructions to have Ames perform any dirty job available. Ames continues to cause trouble. Finally, angered beyond return, Greene strikes Ames. Later, Greene makes Ames a part of the Killerbee project. Greene visits the Sierra House. There he meets a mysterious vulcan bartender named Votok. Votok informs him of a rumor he has heard. Rumor has it, the Praetor of the Romulan Star Empire is dead. Lt. Yert visits the Sierra House as well. He gets in a brawl with a Starfleet Marine assigned to the Anchorage. He is later reprimanded by Cmndr. Korrodus. The Anchorage departs 39-Sierra.
A few days later, Captain Sheldon calls a meeting. She informs the crew that the Romulan Star Empire has made a formal announcement that the Praetor has died. In the uproar, the Romulan Senate had undergone a radical change of power. A new, more liberal (by Romulan standards anyway) senate has taken power. Initial talks with the Federation have begun. Everyone is hoping for peace. The Anchorage has been selected to participate in a joint archaeological dig on the planet Dython VI. Dython VI is located in Romulan space, and is the sight of the ruins of a species who disappeared without a trace over a millennia ago. Several similar sights have been found throughout Federation space, and reportedly throughout Romulan space as well. None are as intact as Dython VI. The Captain's ex-husband, Vr'kk, is to be the head of the Federation Archaeological team. Their eldest daughter, Beloved, will be accompanying him. The Anchorage is to have one more distinguished guest, Ambassador Spock.
A few weeks later, with the Federation team aboard, and Ambassador Spock, the Anchorage arrives at Dython VI. The crew sits uneasy as a Romulan D'deridex class warbird decloaks before them. Ambassador Spock beams aboard the warbird, along with the Captain, Vr'rk and the Captain's senior officers. They dine with the Romulans. Centaurion Tiam is in command. His wife, Jandra, plays the piano. With perfection, she plays many Earth composers. Spock stays aboard, and the next day the dig begins.
The dig was tense, but all went well until it was discovered that Tiam had no intentions of peace. Tiam had placed a Tal Shiar spy amongst his archaeological team. A phaser battle was engaged. The Tal Shiar operative was apprehended, and Captain Sheldon managed to retrieve Spock from Tiam's grasp. Unfortunately, Vr'rk was killed by Romulan disrupter fire. However, the away team made a fascinating discovery. Deep in the underground ruins, they found vast chambers. At the heart of the chambers was a strange crystalline structure. After investigating it, it was activated. A Holo image of leviathan creature appeared. They were similar to earth whales. The image portrayed them running from their homes as they were attacked by Borg. Later investigation revealed the crystalline structure to be similar to the probe that had once threatened Earth in an attempt to make contact with Hump back whales. Tiam calls the joint dig, and the peace talks to an end. He orders the Anchorage to leave Romulan space.
Afterwards, the Captain's daughter with the help of Ensign Ames, steal the Kenai, a shuttle craft. She announces her attention to return to Dython VI to continue her father's work. She escapes the Anchorage and speeds into the Neutral Zone. Sheldon gives the order to let her go. Long range scans detect that her shuttle craft has been destroyed. It is not known if there were any survivors.
103.
Aiding and Abetting
"Aiding and Abetting" is an adventure that appears
in the book, A Fragile Peace.
The day after the events of episode 102, Greene is formally reprimanded by Cmndr Korrodus for striking Ensign Ames. Unknown to Greene, Ensign Alyok, a vulcan engineer, was in a nearby jeffries tube when Greene struck Ames. Alyok made a note of it in his daily report. Two months pass, no word is received from the Romulan Empire. At last, they confirm intelligence reports that there was one survivor from the Kenai. They give no indication as to the identity of the survivor. Captain Sheldon reveals to Dr. Willow that she is pregnant with her ex-husband's child.
A distress signal is detected from the O.M.S. Kamerain, an Orion merchant ship. She has suffered from a lack of maintenance and has a massive radiation leak. Captain Sheldon orders the crew to help. The Orions give several reasons for the crew to be suspicious of them. Eventually, it is discovered that they are smuggling weapons (a hog podge mixture of Federation, Romulan, Klingon and Cardassian), the medical supplies carried by the Kamerain mostly consist of an inoculation against Psillepsi Fever. Psillepsi Fever is a disease that only Romulans and Vulcans are susceptible to. All of her cargo was destined for Psellus III. Most importantly, the Kamerain have a stow-away: Jandra, Senator Tiam's wife.
The Kamerain is repaired. Her skipper, Mulian Smugg, and his first mate Harbra Kutch, are taken into custody. The rest of her crew are turned over to Orion officials. Upon regaining consciousness, Jandra requests asylum. After deliberation, Captain Sheldon grants it to her.
It is discovered by Lt. Yert that someone has been making encrypted transmissions from the Anchorage. It has been going on since she initially launched from 39-Sierra for her shakedown cruise. Captain Sheldon puts together an investigation team to look into the matter. She puts Lt. Yert in charge of the investigation.
Why is Jandra running? Can she be trusted? Why was the Kamerain delivering an inoculation to a planet that supposedly has no Romulans or Vulcans upon it? Who is making the secret transmissions and why?
104.
The
Darkest Hour
The Anchorage is ordered to return to 39-Sierra.
Jandra is to be turned over to Cmndr Doleo. Doleo has ordered that no one
but him is to question Jandra. Not liking this order, the Captain asks
the Dr. to build a "patient-Dr. relationship with Jandra". She wants
him to determine if Jandra really wishes to defect, or is she involved
in a Romulan plot.
Jandra tells the Dr. that she lived in fear of her husband's tantrums. She is a musician by trade. She knows all of the great Earth composers, but doesn't know how she knows them. She never remembers learning them, she's just always known their music. She wished for a level of freedom she would never gain in the Empire.
Lt. Sovok separately interrogates Smug and Kutch. Smug claims that he did not know that the Kamerain was carrying weapons. He states that Jandra was transferred to his care by an Andorian in Romulan space. The Andorian never gave him a name. He was smuggling Jandra out of the goodness of his heart. Kutch's story does not confirm his.
Lt. Marzi is approached by Korrodus. He asks her to dinner and suggests that they meet on the Holodeck. Nervously, she agrees. She is polite through dinner, but through her actions, makes it clear that she does not desire a relationship with him.
The Anchorage receives a surprise visitor: Commander Doleo of SF Intelligence. He questions each crew member, and rubs many people the wrong way. Dr. Willow states, "I don't like you".
Jandra begins to complain of headaches. The Dr. can find no medical reason for them. The pain grows to the point that Jandra collapses. Meanwhile, on the bridge, Captain Sheldon collapses. Dr. Willow is able to determine why she collapsed. In her pregnant state, she has been overworking herself. He orders her to go on light duty status.
Lt. Yert continues his investigation into the transmissions being made aboard the Anchorage. He makes no head way.
Greene and Sovok discover that there are strange energy emissions coming from sickbay. After investigation, they determine that there is a cloaked probe of some sort in sickbay. With the help of PO Paupaub, they are able to locate and destroy the probe. The remains of the probe are studied. It is determined that it is of Starfleet design. Greene seems very perplexed by the whole situation.
Meanwhile, the Anchorage is contacted by Starfleet Command. The Romulans have agreed to return the survivor from the Kenai, in exchange for Jandra. Jandra agrees to the trade. The exchange is made. The survivor is Ensign Ames. Ames informs the Captain that her daughter was killed in the attack.
Captain Sheldon promotes Yert to full Lt. She announces to her officers that she is pregnant. More bridge watch duties are placed upon the crew.
A few weeks later, The Anchorage receives word that Starfleet is going to make a last stand against the Borg at Wolf-359. The Anchorage is ordered to stay put and be vigilant in case the Romulans try to take advantage of the situation. The crew watches helplessly as ship after ship is slaughtered during the battle. Amongst the destroyed ships are the Ghazzit, and the Saratoga. The Ghazzit was the former ship of Commander Korrodus. The Captain's youngest daughter was assigned to the Science department of the Saratoga. With all of her family dead, the Captain excuses herself from the bridge.
The crew is left perplexed. None of their questions have been answered, and Starfleet is in its darkest hour.
105.
The Eye of Arcimi
Based upon "Red Giant" from the book Planetary
Adventures.
Starbase 173 detects what they believe to be a coded message emitting from the red giant 443 Serpens. With its proximity to the Neutral Zone, the Anchorage is ordered to investigate.
The Anchorage is struck by a particle beam emitting from the red giant and takes heavy damage. With no power, the Anchorage is being pulled into the red giant. Captain Sheldon orders an away team to find who ever is in there. The ships dilithium was fused when the particle beam struck the Anchorage. They will be pulled into the red giant's corona in four hours. Their only hope is for the away team to find dilithium.
The away team discovers that there is a sapient species living on a planet hidden within the red giant. They call themselves the Arcimi. The particle beam was not meant to be a weapon. It was meant as a means of communication. They had no intention of attacking the Anchorage. their planet is unstable, and will soon be destroyed. They must re-locate. They have dilithium in abundance, but are a xenophobic race. The crew tries using diplomacy, but to no avail. The Arcimi attempt to take them prisoner. The away team escapes their attempt.
Meanwhile, a D'deridex class Warbird decloaks and attacks the damaged Anchorage. The Captain and the XO are both gravely injured. Using the particle beam, the away team destroys the warbird.
The Dr. attempts to save the Captain, but fails. He is able to save the child within her. The XO will live, but will need extensive medical treatment.
Admiral Kiel names Greene acting Captain. Sovok is made acting XO. They are ordered to standby the red star until a relief team arrives. At which time the relief team will take Korrodus to 39-Sierra for extensive surgery.
106.
Cat and Mouse
Lt. Ruppert, a Betazoid from the Science department,
joins the crew.
A limping Anchorage is trying to make her way back to 39-Sierra for repair. The journey is interrupted by a communication from Starfleet. No word has been heard from Scorpio Penal Colony. It houses ex-captain John Hanson of Starfleet Marine Corps. He is a trained killer who snapped some years back and began killing in cold blood. To make matters worse, a Merchant Marine vessel, the S.S. Bradshaw, has gone missing. In the wake of Wolf-359, the Anchorage is the closest ship and must investigate.
It is discovered that all of the guards at the penal colony have been slaughtered. The Anchorage is approached by the Bradshaw. The crew suspects that the Bradshaw has been taken by Hansen. With strategic deployment of the Killerbees and by working with a surviving Merchant Marine aboard the Bradshaw, Lt. Jack Hurst, the crew is able to defeat Hanson, but not before even more damage is dealt to the Anchorage.
107.
Marie Celestial
"Marie Celestial" appears in A Fragile Peace.
The fledging command crew of the Anchorage is still trying to make their way back to 39-Sierra, but before they arrive they are put to the test again. A distress signal is detected from a decloaked D'deridex class Romulan Warbird. She is adrift in Federation space. Greene contacts Admiral Kiel. She orders him to investigate with extreme caution.
Sovok leads an away team to the warbird. They find one survivor. All the rest are dead from some sort of disease. The Dr. begins analyzing the disease and finds it is similar to Psillepsi fever. He begins working on a cure. Further investigation aboard the warbird leads Sovok to believe the Romulans were the victim of chemical warfare.
Another warbird decloaks. It is commanded by Commander Modex. He demands that the Sha'arik, all crew members, technology and information be given to him at once. Greene negotiates with him. Modex is convinced to investigate the findings of Sovok and the Dr. Dr. Willow contiues his efforts to come up with a cure and succeeds. A short time later, Modex hails Greene and states that he concurs with their findings. Greene invites him and his senior officers to have dinner aboard the Anchorage. Modex accepts.
Dinner goes well, if a bit uncomfortable. Modex returns to Romulan space and takes the Sha'arik with him. Admiral Kiel gives commendations to Greene and his senior staff.
The Anchorage finally arrives at 39-Sierra. Repairs are begun. Further investigation into the Sha'arik incident leads the crew to believe that the virus was created by a Federation scientist named Dr. Julius Marcus. Sovok investigates, but is unable to locate Marcus. Someone has gone through great pains to make him disappear. Late one night, Sovok finds a PADD in his quarters. It has the name John Tussey and information about Tussey. It states that Tussey was killed in an accident at his parents laboratory. Very vague, and confusing. Who is Tussey, and who left the PADD? Does Tussey somehow tie in with Marcus?
Korrodus returns. He is promoted to Captain and given command of the Anchorage. He reassigns Ruppert from Science to Tactical. He shocks the crew by naming Sovok as his XO. In a private meeting with Greene, he tells Greene that it is nothing personal. He just feels that Sovok would make a better first officer for him. Greene is less than convinced.
108.
The Crusoe Effect
Based upon "The Crusoe Effect" downloaded from
LUG's now defunct web page.
One of the Killerbees, The Mongoose, has come up missing. Its stealth technology has made tracking it difficult. It had a crew compliment of three aboard, Lt. Davis (its Marine pilot), Ensign Ames (co-pilot), and a crew chief PO Wickman. The stealth technology has made tracking the Mongoose difficult. By process of elimination, it is determined that the Mongoose could have crashed on the planet Rogun II. Rogun II is off limits via the Prime Directive. It is home to the Huth, a hunter gather society firmly entrenched in Stone Age technology.
In a private meeting with Dr. Willow, Korrodus asks the doctor what he could do to gain the respect of the crew. He grants Willow permission to speak frankly. Willow does so, stating "I think your problem is you left, and then you came back. Your mistake was returning".
Dr. Willow surgically modifies the away team to appear as Huth. Major Alkins, of SF Marine Corps, insists that he and two of his finest accompany the away team. Captain Korrodus allows him to do so. The Captain assigns Ensign James "Jimmy" Kelly to the away team. Kelly is an Anthropologist from the science department. This is his first away mission.
The away team locates the Mongoose. It is in a shambles. They also find PO Wickman. Wickman informs them that the Mongoose was downed by Cardassians. He believes that they are somewhere on the planet. He disabled the emergency beacon on the Mongoose, and their combadges in an attempt to hide from them. Davis was killed in the crash and is buried nearby, Ames was taken by the Huth. Wickman, having a severely broken leg, does not know the fate of Ames. Sovok, against the orders of Korrodus, instructs Lt. Marzi to put together a five man repair team and begin repairs to the Mongoose. He leaves Lt. Ruppert and two of Alkin's Marines with her. Sovok, Dr. Willow, Alkins and Kelly continue on to the Huth village.
Everything goes wrong. Way wrong. Lt. Marzi and her away team are captured by Cardassians. In an escape attempt, Lt. Ruppert and everyone except Marzi are killed. Marzi escapes by destroying anti-matter, causing an explosion felt for miles.
At the village, it is discovered that Ames has broken the Prime Directive. He has been instructing the Huth in agriculture, metallurgy, and basic defense. A group of Cardassians come upon Sovok's away team. Alkins goes gung-ho. The Dr. tries to sedate him, but doesn't get to him in time. The Cardassians begin firing upon the away team. Alkins is hurt badly. Sovok makes it to Ames, and Greene and Yert make an emergency beam out, as they were in the atmosphere above in the Fairbanks.
Ames is arrested and is to face court martial. Alkins will never walk again. Ruppert, two marines and four engineers are all dead. The Mongoose was destroyed.
109. The
Skull and the Sword
The Skull and the Sword, used to be available as an icon link
from LUG's web site. Now that the sight is down, trekrpg is gaining permission
to place the old icon links on their sight so that they won't be forever
lost. Trekrpg is now defunct as well.
Korrudos, out of concern for the crew's moral, returns the Anchorage to 39-Sierra. He grants two weeks shore leave to the crew. The cast is joined by the Bajoran Lt. Gallrown, the new chief of security and Counselor J'ean Korokh, a half-Klingon/Betazoid.
Greene attempts to talk with Ames. Ames leads Greene to believe that more was going on at Rogun II than anyone is aware of. Greene finds possible proof that Davis didn't die in the crash as Wickman and Ames first reported. Greene comes to the conclusion that Ames is somehow protecting Wickman; however, Ames does not seem willing to say what he is protecting Wickman from.
Dr. Willow convinces the too logical Sovok that he should participate in Lt. Yert's holonovel with him, Marzi and Greene. Sovok reluctantly agrees. Yert's holonovel is a work of cheesy Epic Fantasy. The crew hack their way through a night of Dungeons and Dragons meets Star Trek. Sovok grins (internally of course) and bears it. Captain Korrodus surprises them all by appearing as the evil villian the Skullking.
After the holonovel is finished, Korrodus calls a meeting in his ready room. He asks Counselor Korokh to meet him early. Since Dr. Willow seemed unwilling to help Korrodus become more personable, he asks Korokh if she could help him. She agrees. He informs her he will have a third chair installed on the bridge.
The rest of the senior officers arrive. Korrodus informs them that due to word of the Killerbee somehow leaking to the Federation Information Network reporter Leslie Wolfe, the Killerbee project is being axed by Starfleet Command. The Anchorage is to travel to Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards where they will surrender the Killerbees and their complement of Marines on board. He also informs them the the JAG investigation team, lead by Lt. Burke, has announced their intention to investigate the conduct of the officers involved in the Rogun II incident, namely Commander Sovok and Lt. Marzi. Korrodus believes it to just be a formality. He has already made an official statement to Burke clarifying his every confidence in the officers involved in the away team. The Cardassians have released an official apology. According to them, the presence of the soldiers at Rogun II was not sanctioned by the Cardassian High Command.
110. The Hand
Dealt To You
The Anchorage travels to Mars. Sovok, Marzi and Korrodus travel
to Earth for the trial of Ensign Ames and Major Alkins, where they become
part of Lt. Burke's "witch hunt" and must determine the fate of a fellow
officer. Greene is put in charge of surrendering the Killerbee Project
to Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards. In doing so, he must work with an old rival,
Lt. Commander Sisko, and deal with buried feelings of resentment.
Lt. Gallrown is left in charge of the Anchorage. Captain Korrodus instructs
Rowne to find out who is leaking information to the FIN reporter Leslie
Wolfe. Lt. Gallrown Rowne is confronted by a subordinate who is unwilling
to accept him. Dr. Willow visits home. The Doctor is forced to face a father
who has never accepted him, and a childhood bugbear named Conner Willow.
In a final lethal exchange between himself and Conner, the Doctor's pacifism
is put to the test.
Dr. Willow is contacted by his mother. She is excited about him visiting home. She reveals to him that not only will Jason get to spend time with his father, but his cousin Conner as well. Jason has never liked Conner. As children, Conner was a bully who chose Jason as his main target. He hasn't seen Conner for many years. Conner was turned down by StarFleet when Jason was twelve. He later joined the Merchant Marines and the family has heard very little from him over the intervening years. It seems Conner has done well for himself. He has returned home with his own star ship, the S.S. Willow. Jason's father, Gerald, is planning on making the Willow his prime mode of transport for the family business, Willow and Dewalt Enterprises.
Greene and Papuab escort the Killerbee to Utopia Planitia. Greene learns he will be working with his old Academy rival Benjamin Sisko. The last time he saw Sisko, Ben had run away with Greene's lover Jennifer. Ben and Jennifer later married, and Jennifer was killed at Wolf 359. Ben seems cordial. Ben and Alex begin the process of turning the Killerbee Project over to Sisko's control. Sisko informs Alex that the project will not end completely. A year ago, R&D ended a project called the Defiant Development Project (DDP). The Defiant was to be a small maneuverable battle ship. SF was never excited about the prospect of a ship developed for combat alone, but with Wolf 359 their interest has reluctantly been rekindled. R&D hopes to use the stealth technology from the Killerbee Project for the DDP. The purpose of the Killerbee Project was to develop a series of small craft that could be used to harry the enemy. This would be ineffective against the Borg. What is needed against them is a heavily armed ship that can get in close undetected and make a surprise attack; however, the stealth technology was never intended for a large ship. It will first be installed into a shuttle craft that Ben hopes to introduce the following year: the Danube-Class Runabout. He asks Alex if he has any recommendations for test pilots that are all ready familiar with the stealth technology. Alex recommends Lt. Yert, but states that he'd hate to loose him. Ben invites Alex to his quarters to have dinner with himself and his son Jake.
Aboard the Anchorage, Gallrown notices that the duty roster he wrote for Security has been completely revised by Lt. (jg) Joan Aksah. Aksah was acting Security Chief, after Sovok was promoted to XO and before the arrival of Gallrown. Rowne confronts her. The confrontation is a bitter exchange. She makes it very clear that she does not like him and believes that he only received his posting because of his acquaintance with Captain Korrodus. Rowne leaves with a sense that he has a long journey ahead of him to gain his subordinates' trust.
On Earth, Sovok and Marzi are both interviewed by Lt. Burke of JAG. While she is awaiting her turn to be interviewed, Lt. Marzi visits a cafe in San Francisco. While there, she is approached by FIN reporter Leslie Wolfe. Wolfe badgers her for information regarding the Rogun II incident. Marzi blows her off. She contacts Lt. Gallrown to let him know about her encounter with Wolfe. Later that day, Marzi is interviewed by Lt. Burke. By his mode of questioning, it is obvious that Burke is trying not only to build a case against Ames and Alkins, but against Sovok and herself as well.
Dr. Willow has dinner with his family. His father has not changed, and neither has their relationship. Their initial meeting is brief, Gerald and Jason's uncle Doug, quickly retire to Gerald's den, a room that Jason was never allowed into as a child, and still is not as an adult. Conner asks to speak with Jason. Conner apologizes for being a bully to Jason when they were children. He claims to be a changed man, and on the surface it seems that he is. Later, during dinner, Jason's nephew Peter throws a glob of mashed potatoes at Conner. For one brief second, Jason spots a look in Conner's eyes that he knew all too well as a child, pure hollow hatred. Conner suggests that Jason give them a tour of the Anchorage. Jason begrudgingly agrees. Gerald states that he can't go because "I don't have time to be playing starfleet officer, I've got real work to do". The same old argument quickly develops between Jason and his father. Dinner ends on a sour note.
Alex Greene has dinner with the Sisko's. Ben tells him to make himself comfortable in his living room while he finishes dinner. Alex notices that Ben has many pictures of Jennifer in the room, and a few from their Academy days. One photo of Ben and himself dressed in their baseball gear reminds him of a friendship turned rivalry. He recalls that the photo was taken by Jennifer just after he and Ben exited the holodeck after one of many baseball games played between them. He sees another photo. One of Ben and Jennifer at Gilgo Beach dated summer 2354. It was that summer at Gilgo Beach that Jennifer left him for Ben. Alex meets Jake. They have dinner. After dinner, Ben puts Jake to bed. He asks Alex to stay. At first they talk about baseball, then their academy days. Alex catches Ben up on what he has done since he saw him last. Alex describes his relationship with Korrodus and asks Ben for advice. He then confides in Ben that he believes that there is a spy on board the Anchorage and asks for advice on that issue. Eventually, Ben confronts Alex with an issue that has been burning within him. He understands Alex's resentment towards him for "stealing" Jennifer, but why didn't Alex at least contact him when she was killed? Had the situation been reversed, Ben feels that he would have put old resentments aside to be Alex's friend. Alex apologizes. Old wounds still hurt. He isn't sure if he can forgive Ben for his betrayal, but he is sorry for not trying.
Lt. Mark Reese, acting XO on the Anchorage, invites Gallrown to go fishing with him on the holodeck. They have a long conversation about fitting in. Reese reveals to Gallrown that he resented Captain Sheldon for assigning Greene as Ops Chief vs him. He expected that when she made Captain, he would be promoted. After all, the only person who has been aboard the Anchorage longer than him is PO Papaub. He eventually realized that Sheldon had made a wise decision with Greene. He has come to respect Greene. Eventually, if Rowne proves himself, Aksah will respect him as well.
Rowne continues his investigation to discover who is leaking information to Leslie Wolfe. He finds that Ensign "Jimmy" Kelley had an affair with her during his academy days. She was his "Mrs. Robinson". Kelley is visiting earth. Rowne makes contact with his cronies at SFI. He tells them the situation and asks that Kelley be watched. It isn't long before they discover the truth. Kelley has rekindled his old romance with Wolfe. Wolfe is using him for information. Gallrown puts a stop to it.
As promised, Jason gives his family a tour of the Anchorage. They arrive at the Anchorage aboard the Willow. During the tour, Lt. Gallrown discovers that someone has downloaded the personnel files of everyone in engineering. Whoever did it made an attempt to hide their tracks, but did not do a professional job of it. The attempt was made in the shuttle bay. The same shuttle bay that the visitors from the Willow arrived in (the Willow has cargo transporters only).
Lt. Burke arrives aboard the Anchorage. He has a list of people he
wishes to interview. On the list is PO Wickman, Lt. Yert, Ensign Kelley
and Dr. Willow. Dr. Willow is interviewed last. Burke tries to lead Willow
into a verbal trap. The Doctor is too wise for that. He turns the table
on Burke and catches him at his own game. Jason gets Burke in trouble.
By trying to lead his witness, Burke has tainted Willow. Because of Burke's
meddling, his testimony is of no use to JAG.
Burke leaves the Anchorage defeated.
The hearing of Major Alkins comes to a close. Alkins pleads guilty. He is reduced in rank to Captain and agrees to resign from SF Marine Corps.
At the request of Lt. Candice Rich of the SF Defense Council, Greene gives testimony at Ames' hearing. Greene reveals his doubts about the death of the Marine pilot (1st)Lt. Frank Davis. Greene's testimony acts as a catalyst for Captain Korrodus to contact Lt. Gallrown. He orders him to find the truth. "I won't let one of my officers go down without being absolutely certain of the facts." Rowne enlists the aid of Counselor Korokh. Together, they discover the truth. There was a reason Wickman had all three phasers aboard the Mongoose. In a panicked state, he took control. It was Wickman's opinion that they shouldn't waste what few meager supplies they had on Davis. To Wickman, it was obvious that Davis was going to die. Ames disagreed. They struggled, and in a fit of anger, Wickman killed Davis. Hearing the struggle, the Huth arrived. Wickman, still in a panicked state, began killing the Huth. It was at this time that Wickman took a bad fall, breaking his leg. This was also the reason that Ames never made an attempt to escape from the Huth and rescue Wickman. Later, Ames made a moral choice to protect Wickman. He knew what Wickman did was wrong, but the way he saw it, everyone has a breaking point. Wickman reached his. Wickman had a family and a promising career in Starfleet. Ames knew that he would never have a career in SF. He decided to protect Wickman.
The new evidence was presented. It helped Ames' case. He was found guilty of one count of violation of the Prime Directive, and was discharged from Starfleet. He was only sentenced to 12 months rehabilitation. PO Wickman was arrested on charges of murder and Violation of the Prime Directive.
On Earth, Marzi is enjoying a couple days of solitude. She is busying herself in San Francisco visiting museums and her old haunts from her Academy days. She notices she is being followed. She confronts her stalker, a young human male unknown to her. He convinces her that he was stricken with her, and asks if they can get a cup of coffee together. She reluctantly agrees. He surprises her and stuns her with a phaser.
Aboard the Anchorage, Gallrown makes another discovery. The Willow had left the area on a transport mission. However, she does not appear on the Anchorage's long range scans. Gallrown had made it a point to track all incoming and out going vessels in the area. He was concerned for the safety of the Killerbee Project. Investigation reveals that someone placed a jamming device aboard the Anchorage intended to obscure the Willow's signature from their scanners; however, he makes his discovery too late to stop Conner from executing his plan: the kidnapping of Lt. Marzi for her knowledge of the Killerbee Project.
Marzi wakes up aboard the Willow. Conner has three other hostages: Vanessa, his sister and childhood friend of Jason, and her two sons Peter and Andrew. His megalomania and old hatred of Jason leads him to demand an exchange: one of the boys for Jason. Gallrown and Willow negotiate with him. Conner agrees to trade both boys for Jason. Before beaming over, Jason asks Gallrown for a phaser. Conner's threat to the only family he has ever held dear has challenged his pacifism. Gallrown grants it, but has a better idea: take a canister of deconstructing nanites with a dead man switch. Jason agrees, sets his phaser on the highest setting, and the exchange is made.
Aboard the Willow, Jason threatens to kill Conner and release the nanites if he doesn't surrender. Conner laughs. He knows Jason is a pacifist and believes he is bluffing. Conner begins taunting Jason. Jason makes a moral decision, and fires the phaser disintegrating Conner. He then addresses the crew of the Willow, demanding that they surrender or he will release the nanites. They agree and surrender.
Alex Greene bids his farewell to Lt. Yert, who has been reassigned to the Defiant Development Project at Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards. Sisko seeks Alex out. He has one request of Greene. He wishes to finish a seven game series that they started years ago. Greene agrees and they go to the holodeck. In the end, Alex wins the series and while he may still resent Ben for taking Jennifer from him, their friendship is rekindled.
Dr. Jason Willow is contacted by Vanessa. She begs him to come to Mars one last time. He agrees. They go to Jason's parents' house. No one is home. Together, they enter Gerald's office. Jason discovers that Gerald has an entire cabinet dedicated to Jason. From every blue ribbon he won in grade school, to every accomplishment he's made in his career. Jason leaves his tricorder as a message to his father. I know how you feel.
111.
The Lost Brethren (part I)
For this episode and part two of it, I once again blatantly stole concepts
and characters from the novel Probe, by Margaret Wander Bonnanno.
Five months after the events of episode 110, Captain Korrodus arranges for three of his crew members to take part in an officer exchange program. He selects Sovok, Greene and Gallrown. In addition, the Anchorage receives six cadets for their cadet cruise. Amongst the cadets are a young Orion woman named Valura Semeal, and a Trill named Alyzhaa Traa.
Sovok, Greene and Gallrown deal with several culture shocks aboard the A.D.S. Khorval, while aboard the Anchorage Lt. Marzi deals with two Andorian roommates she does not want. The cadets have a hard time adjusting as Semeal quickly gets into trouble with Ensign Arlea McHugh from engineering. The two of them, McHugh and Semeal, get into a "cat fight" in sickbay which the doctor deals with in his own unique fashion. Meanwhile, Counselor Korokh seems troubled by the appearance of Alyzhaa Traa. What those troubles may be, she keeps to herself. Lt. Gallrown is taken in as the student of retired Captain Tran Mazer of the Traacha, an elite starfleet security branch based on an ancient warrior caste of Andorians.
The Anchorage receives a duress signal from a romulan shuttlecraft on the wrong side of the Neutral Zone. The only passenger, whose life signs are weak, is beamed directly to sickbay. Dr. Willow discovers that the "romulan" is in fact a Cardassian surgically altered to appear romulan and has a genetic tag designed to fool many sensor systems into believing he is indeed Romulan.
The Khorval detects ionic activity near the planet Trilith VII. Trilith VII is the sight of a 300 year old mystery. During the first Andorian Space Age, Trilith VII was colonized by one of Andoria's sleeperships. The colony thrived for almost 300 years, then in the year 2067, a freak ion storm cut off all communication between Trilith VII and Andoria. When the Andorians developed warp technology 10 years later, they arrived to an empty planet. There was not a single sign that the colony ever existed.
As the Khorval attempted to back away from the ion storm, they experienced an odd phenomenon. Somehow they were pulled back in time to the year 2067. They arrived to a Trilith VII teeming with the life of a tech level 5 Andorian culture. They calculated that they had arrived 72 hours before the ion storm would once more occur.
The Anchorage is tracking the same ion storm. Because of the high ionic activity, their sensors detect a rogue planet. Captain Korrodus sends an away team below lead by Atol (commander) Lelva, Dr. Willow, Lt. Reese, Shaklas (lieutenant) Ket'Pem, and Lt. Romienei Luthin. On the planet's surface, the away team is taken prisoner by Romulans. Centurian Tiam and his wife Jandra reveal their presence, as does Beloved Sheldon, who is supposed to be dead.
112.
The Lost Brethren (part II)
Centuarian Tiam further explains his presence at the Rogue planet
to Dr. Willow and the away team. According to him, the Romulan's interest
in the crystalline computer is purely scientific. Beloved speaks on his
behalf to the away team. She explains that Tiam spared her life, she was
beamed out of the shuttle craft moments before it exploded ("Preludes and
Apparitions"). She inquires into the health of her mother. Dr. Willow tells
her that her mother is dead. Tiam comforts her as if he were her father.
The Khorval reviews theories pertaining to their situation. Jaro, a female andorian, postulates a few theories and reveals that she has detected chronotonic particle emissions from the Andorian civilization below. The Prime Directive is discussed. No conclusions were drawn as to rather the situation should be governed by the Prime Directive or not; however, it is decided that an away team will be sent below and contact with the civilization will be avoided if at all possible.
Aboard the Anchorage, Lt. Marzi recallibrates the sensors in an attempt to detect the presence of cloaked war birds. She successfully detects the presence of two warbirds, but is unable to pinpoint their location. The Cardassian who was captured in part one offers to speak freely. He informs the crew that there are at least two warbirds in the area. Below there are approximately 100 romulan ground forces. He informs them that Centurian Tiam has Beloved Sheldon working with him to discover the secrets of the crystalline computer. He is not sure what the computer is capable of, but he knows that they believe it can be used for time travel and has the capability to cause matter to cease to exist. He also knows that there is a second computer somewhere in the Andorian Sector.
The away team from the Khorval depart. Using their tricorders, they determine that the source of the chronotonic emissions are coming from beneath the city. A trip through the sewers arouses the attention of a local predator: a Ghelnoid Pouncing Devil. The devil manages to maim one of the Andorians before it is vaporized. The source of the emissions is located. It is being caused by a crystalline computer. A duplicate of that found on Dython VI ("Preludes and Apparitions"). The compound in which it is found is identical to the ruins on Dython VI as well. When Sovok comes within a close proximity to it, he collapses.
Captain Korrodus calls Marzi into his ready room. He has a plan. He is going to lead a force to the rogue planet below. Without a doubt, when he does so, the warbirds will decloak and attack. The Enterprise is on her way. He grants Lt. Marzi the conn. It is her mission to buy him as much time as possible. The Enterprise is not due for about three hours. She is to hold out as long as possible, then retreat. Preparations are made. As soon as the Anchorage drops her shields and transports the attack force below, a total of four warbirds decloak with their weapons powered. Lt. Marzi sits in the center seat with a not all together good feeling about her first command.
In the complex beneath Trilith VII, Sovok walks up to the computer in a daze. He places his hands upon it. All present are pulled into a dream like stasis in which they find themselves floating in space. Around them are several of the Leviathans that they saw in the holo recording from Dython VI. They begin communicating with the Leviathans. The Leviathans are unaware that they have inadvertently folded the colony of "mites" into space with them. They are in hiding from the "machine mites" who slaughtered many of their kind eons ago.
Jandra enters the brig where the prisoners are being held on the rogue planet. Outside of the brig, the away team can hear the sounds of a raging battle. She tells the guards that her husband wishes the prisoners to be moved to a more secure area. When they turn to lower the force field, she stuns them with a disrupter. She frees Dr. Willow and company. She tells them that she can take them to Beloved Sheldon, and can get them to a shuttle. Quickly, they move to act.
The battle in space rages on. Marzi, using two consecutive full spreads of torpedoes manages to destroy one of the warbirds. The battle rages for some time, with the Anchorage doing much better than expected; however, eventually her shields are worn down. The Anchorage, after a real good show, begins taking structural damage. Marzi prepares to make the jump to warp in order to save countless lives.
Dr. Willow, Jandra and the away team make their way to Beloved's quarters. In her quarters they find Tiam with another romulan soldier. Both are armed. The soldier has his disrupter aimed at Beloved. Tiam once more thanks the Doctor for saving the life of Jandra, although it is a pity he'll have to watch her die. He aims his disrupter at Jandra.
The away team from the Khorval continues to communicate with the Leviathans. The creatures reveal that there is another place in which they can hide. They "show" this place to the away team. It is the rogue planet. The away team sees that the Anchorage is in danger. The Leviathans ask if they wish them to take them their. They say yes. Within an eye blink, they find themselves in the Khorval. They materialize at the scene of the battle, along with the Leviathans. Understanding that the Romulans are there to hurt the mites with whom they've communicated, the Leviathans cause the remaining warbirds to cease to exist.
Korrodus and several officers arrive on the scene of Tiam's treachery. Korrodus makes it plain to Tiam that if he fires upon Jandra, he will die. Tiam surrenders. In space, the Leviathans give the crew time to evacuate the rogue planet, then they fold themselves into time once more.
A few days later, the exchange program has been brought to an abrupt end. Marzi is walking down the corridors of the Anchorage when she spots two naked humans, one male, one female, darting from bulk head to bulk head. Investigating, she finds Ensign Fuller and Cadet Conely. It seems they were engaged in a friendly game of strip poker in the quarters of Ensign McHugh. They were obviously losing, when they suddenly found themselves the victims of a sight to sight transport into the corridors. Captain Korrodus arrives, and seems unimpressed by the two being out of uniform. Marzi goes to McHugh's quarters. There she finds McHugh, and Cadet Sameal along with Yeoman Handler. Handler has lost and stands at her unexpected entrance, only to sit down immediately when he realizes his state of undress. McHugh and Sameal explain to Marzi that they have put their differences aside. Fuller was fooling around with Conely, not Sameal (Conely and Sameal are assigned as roommates). McHugh had assumed it was Sameal Fuller was fooling around with. The two of them conspired together to get a bit of vengeance. Thus we have our Super Friends ending where everyone chuckles in the end.
113.
Galaxy Trek: The Canceled Series
Five days pass since the events of the previous episode. During
that time, Dr. Willow has been investigating the headaches of Jandra. Since
she left his care, her headaches have increased in intensity and frequency.
A level one medical diagnostic leads him to discover two things about Jandra:
1. She has extensive surgical scars with no memory of how or why she had
surgery. 2. She has an irregular synaptic pulse in her brain activity.
The Doctor spent his time investigating the synaptic pulse. He came to
the conclusion that exploratory surgery would be needed for further investigation.
The adventure opened on the bridge. The Anchorage was cruising along quietly when suddenly she was attacked. Ensign Patrick, who was at flight conn., was seriously injured. The source of the attack could not be found. Korrodus called for Dr. Willow, only to have the computer reply that Dr. Willow was not on board. An intruder alert was sounded. The intruder was discovered to be in Dr. Willow's quarters. Sovok, Gallrown and three security beefs left the bridge to investigate. When they arrived at the doctor's quarters, they found the doctor walking around his room, dazed and confused. He looked at them and said, "Chris? Carl? What is this some kind of joke?"
Change of scene to the doctor. Jason Willow wakens. He is in a plush bedroom. On the night stand next to him is a picture of himself wearing a gray tuxedo, standing next to a dark haired woman in a white wedding dress. He notes that the woman in the dress bears a striking resemblance to Marzi, minus blue skin, white hair and antennae. He hears the sound of a shower. Following the sound, he investigates. He finds the same woman in the picture standing in the shower. She shuts off the shower, opens the door, looks at him with a smile and says, "Cliff, could you hand me a towel?"
Back aboard the Anchorage, Sovok and Korokh question "Dr. Willow". He claims his name is Cliff Anderson. Externally, he is identical to Jason Willow. He does, however, have enough minor internal differences to have set off an intruder alert. On the bridge, Greene and Gallrown busy themselves looking for the source of their unprovoked attack. They find no trace of the attacker(s). Marzi busies herself in Engineering trying to repair the damage of the mysterious attack.
Cut back to Jason in the mysterious bedroom. Willow discovers that he is in LA. It is the year 1990. Apparently, this woman who looks similar to Marzi, is in fact named Mary Anderson, and she is in turn married to Cliff Anderson. Mary has mistaken Jason for Cliff. She sets him about the task of ordering breakfast. While trying to order breakfast, Dr. Willow finds a flyer which has the heading: "Galaxy Trek Convention". Reading this flyer, he learns that this Cliff Anderson fellow, who everyone assumes is he, is an actor in a television show titled "Galaxy Trek: A Fragile Peace". Apparently, Cliff Anderson plays the part of Dr. Jason Willow. He also reads that apparently, this television show is slated to be canceled, and has only one episode left. This last episode is a two hour special, and is top secret. Not even the actors have read the script in its entirety. Dr. Willow ultimately fails miserably at his assigned task of ordering breakfast. His failure does not impress Mary.
Back to the Anchorage. Counselor Ryan enters Korokh's office. She is preparing to attend a senior staff meeting called by the Captain. Ryan's ego seems to be injured. He has been on the ship much longer that Korokh, not to mention that he has been a counselor twice as long as she. Neither Captain Sheldon, or Korrodus ever asked him to attend a senior staff meeting. Not to mention, Korrodus has taken Korokh into his confidence. He even allows her to sit on the bridge. Ryan has been to the bridge once the entire time he's been aboard. He informs her that he is "tired of playing second fiddle to an Ensign" and that he will speak to the Captain of this matter.
Back in time to Earth, 1990. Jason is herded into a limo by Mary. She is still upset over the whole breakfast issue, and orders the driver to take them to a McDonald's. Dr. Willow discovers that he has a taste for 20th Century Coca-Cola. They arrive at a convention hall. Milling about in the parking lot, Dr. Willow spots, Klingons, Romulans and Starfleet officers in full force. Outside of the hall is a large banner that reads "Galaxy Trek Convention, Saturday and Sunday". Under the protection of three beefy men, Jason and Mary are taken to a sitting room. In the sitting room, Willow spots a gentleman who looks exactly like Alex Greene, but is identified as Derrick Kelly; and a gentleman who looks similar to Gallrown (minus a wrinkled Bajoran nose, and a scar on the side of his face), but he is identified as Carl Dees. A man wearing a command red starfleet uniform walks in. He identifies himself as Jack Harrison. He graciously thanks Willow and Mary for attending. After a while, two more people walk in: a drunken Sovok, minus his Vulcan ears, and a similarly drunken Counselor Korokh, minus her Klingon heritage. These two are identified as Christopher Ramey and Jean Elmore, in turn. After being bewildered by these turn of events, Dr. Willow is ushered onto a stage where he is identified as Cliff Anderson. Before him is a crowd of people, again the same mix of Klingons, Romulans and Starfleet officers. They are all chanting "WILLOW!" The lights blaze in his eyes, his vision blurs, and he finds himself sitting on a bed in the sickbay aboard the Anchorage.
Dr. Willow recounts his strange "journey" to the senior staff. It is decided that he has somehow traveled into an alternate historical timeline. He is placed under the care of both Counselor Korokh, and Ensign Corwin. The crew busy themselves trying to find an answer to his dilemma. They discover traces of chronotonic particles in his bedroom. Sensor logs indicate, that the particle emissions were strongest when Dr. Willow disappeared and was replaced by Cliff Anderson, and in turn when Cliff Anderson disappeared and was replaced by Dr. Willow. After a long investigation, it is called a day. Meantime, the Anchorage remains at Yellow Alert.
That night, Alex Greene has a really bad night. He awakens to a searing pain in his chest. He seems to now be sporting a gaping chest wound. He has just enough consciousness to call for help. Meanwhile, the chronotonic emissions have increased in intensity. Dr. Willow suddenly finds himself on the bridge. He is crouched over the form of Alex Greene. Alex has a chest wound caused by a disrupter blast. Willow hears a voice behind him say, "Step aside Doctor, or you're next". He turns to see a leering Centurian Tiam holding a disrupter. Behind Tiam are several people with odd looking devices aimed at the three of them (Willow, Greene and Tiam). One of them, a dark haired man sporting a close cropped beard, shouts "CUT!" The man, who looks familiar to Willow, walks up to Tiam and says, "Jerry, you need to sound more menacing. It's late, we'll pick up here tomorrow." At that, Alex Greene stands up and begins complaining that his chest wound is sticky. He then reaches down and peals it off. Willow spots Captain Korrodus, who grumpily reaches up and yanks off his antennae.
Greene wakes up in sickbay. He is being attended by Ensign Corwin. She has healed his chest wound. She informs him that she ran a level one medical diagnostic on him. He checked out in perfect health, but she did notice two things. He has a number of surgical scars that are not on his medical records, and he has an irregular synaptic pulse in his brain activity. She tells him that she would like him to come back for further testing on the brain activity. She then barters with him. She will place him on light duty, vs. bed rest, if he agrees to take part in a ballroom dancing holoprogram she has been wanting a dance partner for. Alex agrees to her terms.
Dr. Willow rides in a limo with Mary, back to the place he has identified as Cliff Anderson's home. When he arrives, Mary informs him that he has a message on the answering machine. The message is played for him. It is from a boy with a high, weasel like voice. The boy calls himself, Brett Rose, and informs Mr. Anderson that he has something that he would be interested in seeing. He leaves a phone number. Willow dials the number. Brett seems excited to speak with him. He repeats the message on the phone, then invites "Mr. Anderson" to his home the following evening. Willow agrees to meet him and is given his address.
In Gallrown's quarters, Rowne receives an odd text only subspace message: "I know what you did to him".
Dr. Willow awakens in his quarters. Sitting next to him is Nurse Tifft. He informs her that he is himself again. She contacts the Captain. Captain Korrodus calls another senior staff meeting.
On his way to the staff meeting, Sovok is stopped in the hallway by Counselor Jame Ryan. Ryan voices the same complaints he previously mentioned to Korokh. The Captain has thus far refused to see Jame. Ryan insists that Sovok speak to the Captain on his behalf. Sovok agrees to inform the Captain of Ryan's complaint, but no more.
At the staff meeting, an unexpected visitor arrives: Cadet Alyzah Traa. It seems Cadet Traa has a theory. Lt. Luthin voices her opinion that Traa's theory is too out there. The rest of the crew respond that in light of recent events, the notion that a theory can be "too out there" is itself "too out there". The Captain concurs and asks Traa to present his theory. Traa believes that Dr. Willow has somehow been caught up in a nexus between two realities. He believes that the focal point of this nexus is in Cliff Anderson's reality, not their own. He points out that both incidents occurred when Dr. Willow was sleeping. He suggests that Dr. Willow's dreams are acting as a conduit between this world and Cliff Anderson's world. Traa points out that events which occur in Anderson's world are influencing their own. He believes that this will continue until Dr. Willow discovers what this nexus is and deals with it. Sovok decides to mind meld with Dr. Willow in hopes of opening this conduit. It is his hope that by doing so, he can journey to this other realm with the doctor. Korrodus approves the plan. After everyone has left except Sovok and Korrodus, Sovok informs the Captain of Ryan's complaints. Korrodus tells Sovok that he in fact plans on getting rid of Ryan. He does not feel that Ryan's services will be needed any longer, now that Korokh is aboard. He instructs Sovok to contact SF Command and tell them that it is Korrodus belief that it is dangerous to have a civilian aboard with their proximity to the Neutral Zone. He is to then instruct Ryan that he has two weeks to seek employment elsewhere.
Sovok initiates the mind meld. In attendance are himself, Dr. Willow, Korokh, Traa and a small security attachment. It is successful. Willow once more finds himself in the familiar bedroom he has visited twice before. Sovok finds himself in a dark dirty bar. Slumped in a bar stool next to him is Jean Elmore. A bar tender is the only other person there. Sovok has entered an inebriated Christopher Ramey. The feeling is very disconcerting for him. Elmore is an annoying companion at best. In the first of what is to be a generous offering of nerve pinches, Sovok gives Elmore a vulcan nerve pinch, thus ending his difficulties with her. He psionically contacts Willow. He informs Willow where he is. It is decided that Willow will pick him up, and together, they will visit Brett Rose.
They decide to visit Brett in full "costume". They are introduced to the Galaxy Trek, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Comic Book and Roleplaying Fan Club, East Bakersfield Chapter. The fan club consists of six individuals who are obsessed with Galaxy Trek: A Fragile Peace. Each member is an impersonator of a chosen crew member aboard the Anchorage. At the meeting, Brett presents them with two things: 1. A script written for the final episode, originally written by Cliff Anderson, and 2. The "secret" script heavily edited by Clint D. Shulenski, which concludes with the ship being blown up and the death of all the cast members. Sovok and Willow discuss their options while the Fan Club is gleeful over their special guests. Sovok and Willow come to the conclusion that they must meet this Shulenski and convince him to use Anderson's ending, vs. the current ending. Their lives, and the lives of all those aboard the Anchorage depend upon it. At the request of young Wesley Rassmussen, a Sovok impersonator, Sovok dishes out the second of three nerve pinches for the adventure. The fan club is awed.
The next day, Sovok and Willow attend the filming of the final episode in the guise of Cliff Anderson and Christopher Ramey, in hope of meeting Shulenski. Sovok, of course, flubs the opening scene. He asks the director, Jonathan Flakes, if he can speak to him in private. When Flakes agrees, Sovok nerve pinches him. Discovering that Shulenski is not in attendance, they find a way of contacting him and make arrangements to meet with him.
Sovok and Willow meet Shulenski. Shulenski is a handsome devil, and is in the middle of entertaining guests by holding a high stakes poker game. They attempt to persuade Shulenski to use Anderson's script. Shulenski won't budge, but decides to play Willow for the script in a game of blackjack. If Willow wins, they use Anderson's ending, if not, they use Shulenski's. In a high stakes game that puts the lives of everyone on the line, Willow manages to win. Deciding that Sovok has held the mind meld for a dangerous amount of time, they return to the Anchorage hoping that Shulenski keeps his word.
No one dies. Therefore Shulenski must be a man of his word. Captain Korrodus receives a communication from Starfleet. The Pselliad government has officially declared a state of emergency. Their government, declining for some time now, has reached rock bottom. The planet itself, long since stripped of its natural resources during the Romulan Occupation, is in a state of economic disaster. They have called upon the Federation for emergency aid. Admiral Kiel has ordered the Anchorage to return to 39-Sierra.
At 39-Sierra, Jame Ryan departs; however, he does not do so before visiting Counselor Korokh. He warns her that he blames her for his being "fired". He threatens her before leaving, "This isn't over. I'll find a way to get even."
Gallrown visits the Sierra House with Lt. Reese. Reese excuses himself to go use the rest room. While Reese is away, Rowne is approached by a Cardassian woman who looks very familiar to him. "Hello Rowne. Remember me? It's Saladar."
Aboard the Anchorage, Willow performs exploratory surgery on Jandra. He discovers a thick green mucus substance grafted into her brain. It is imbedded into the nodes which control memory and conscience.
At the same time, Greene is participating in Corwin's ballroom dance holo program. In the middle of a Samba, he falls to the ground clutching his head in intense pain.
114. Vindication
Lt. Gallrown is accused of perjury. Dr. Willow discovers that Greene
suffers from the same condition as Jandra. A saboteur is found aboard the
Anchorage. Ensign Corwin administers a possibly dangerous drug to Greene.
The adventure opens with Rowne being confronted by Saladar, a Cardassian woman from his past. With her is Lt. Burke (last seen in "The Hand Dealt To You"). Burke informs Gallrown that he is being accused of perjury. Rowne is taken into custody by Lt (jg) Aksah and Ensign Fuller.
Dr. Willow finishes his exploratory surgery on Jandra. He has discovered that the chance of him removing the mucus substance from her brain without killing her is slim. As he finishes up, Ensign Corwin and Lt. Commander Greene transport from the holodeck directly to sickbay. Dr. Willow diagnosis Greene as having the same condition as Jandra. Suspecting an outbreak, Willow places Greene and Jandra under quarantine.
Meanwhile, in Engineering after a long day of repairs, Lt. Marzi is assisting Cadet Zerith with repairs to the Life Support systems. In the midst of their repairs, there is a sudden explosion. Marzi and Zerith are both injured. Marzi retains consciousness and beams them to sickbay.
The next day, Korrodus holds a senior staff meeting. The Doctor briefs the Captain about Greene and Jandra. He has calculated that if he were to surgically remove the substance, Jandra would have a 4.1% chance of survival and Greene would have a 13.2% chance. Furthermore, he suspects Jandra will be dead within two to three years, while he predicts Greene to have six to seven years of life left. Worse still, he believes Jandra will be a vegetable in a little over a year, Greene will be a vegetable in four or five years. The Doctor is researching a cure for both patients. In the mean time, Greene is placed on light duty. Lt. Reese is now acting Ops Manager. Captain Korrodus orders Sovok and Korokh to investigate the guilt/innocence of Lt. Gallrown. He expects to have to leave for Psellus III at any time.
Papaub asks to speak with Marzi. He has discovered that the explosion was no accident. He has found several explosive charges on board the Anchorage. There is obviously a saboteur on board. It is Papaub's opinion that Marzi is the target of the acts of terrorism.
Burke questions Rowne. In attendance are Sovok and Korokh. It is explained that one of the Cardassian military targets attacked by Gallrown "The Alley Killer" Rowne was in fact not a military target. Burke claims to have evidence that the Cardassians were a scientific/medical group. Amongst the targets was Saladar's brother.
Marla speaks with Greene in private. She has been given an experimental drug by Commander Tom Doleo of SFI. He has told her that the drug is called Terakine B, and that it is often used by SFI to help their field agents overcome the pain that they may endure from torture, if they are captured. He has told her it has flu like symptoms as a side effect, and that these will diminish in 3 to 5 days after each administration (the subject will require six shots initially one per month, and a bi-annual booster afterwards). Corwin believes that while the drug will not stop Greene's pain attacks, it will help him overcome the pain. Greene agrees to take the drug and Corwin gives him his first injection.
Commander Tom Doleo asks to speak with Marzi and Papaub. He has heard of their discovery. He wishes for them to help him capture the saboteur. He informs Marzi that she will have an agent close by her at all times. When the leave, Papaub says to Marzi, "I don't trust that slippery son of a dugon". Later, Papaub meets Marzi at Seward's Folley. He looks nervous as he sits alone in a dark corner of the lounge. He tells Marzi that he has a suspect: Lt. Reese. He also suspects that Doleo has the Anchorage bugged.
Sovok receives a summons from the Cardassian captured in the episode "The Lost Brethren". The Obsidian Order agent is still waiting to be released. He tells Sovok that he can give him solid proof of Gallrown's innocence in exchange for his own freedom. If Sovok agrees, then he and Gallrown are to meet him at set coordinates (somewhere in the middle of empty space). He explains that the nature of his proof would only make sense to Gallrown. Sovok does not commit.
Dr. Willow receives a subspace transmission. It is from a Dr. Johsef Megan. Dr. Megan explains to him that he formally worked at the Darwin Genetic Research Station, located on Gargarin IV. He informs Willow that while he was there he worked on several projects of a sensitive nature. The last project he worked on was developing a drug for SFI. This drug, called Terakine B, is derived from standard Terakine, but he discovered that it is just as much derived form the Angosian Super-Soldier Drug, Marcospentol. He found this to be against his personal ethics. Terakine B, while not as destructive as Macrospentol, it does have an addictive side effect; furthermore, the drug can cause continuous biological damage if the subject does no receive yearly boosters. It has not been proven if Terakine B causes bloodlust as Macrospentol is prone to do. Since leaving the Research Station, Megan has made it his personal crusade to see that this drug is stamped out. He has even gone so far as to hire an Investigative Firm to track the usage of the drug. That firm has tracked a shipment of the drug to 39-Sierra. Furthermore, he knows that it was dispensed to Ensign Marla Corwin. Dr. Willow chastises Corwin for her actions. He places her on probation. He informs Greene of his mistake in accepting the drug.
Reese makes a complaint to Marzi. It seems that Papaub has been following him everywhere. He asks that Marzi speak to him and tell him to stop. Marzi does so.
Korrodus, informed about Corwin administering the drug to Greene, confronts the ops manager. Korrodus, is furious that Greene would do so without his or the Doctor's authorization. Sovok, as executive officer, places Greene on probation. He may not go on any away missions until Sovok lifts his probation. Greene reveals to Sovok and Willow that he is a member of SFI. Korrodus, of course, all ready knew this. It is his mission to find a spy who is believed to be operating aboard the Anchorage, and has been doing so for almost two years. Sovok and Willow leave the meeting unsure if they can any longer trust Greene.
Greene works with Willow to set a trap for the saboteur. Greene and Doleo both believe that Marzi was not the target. They feel that the target was Cadet Zerith. Cadet Zerith is actually a SFI agent placed aboard the Anchorage to assist Greene in his mission. They make it look like Zerith is dead.
Willow sets up a trap for Doleo. He tricks Doleo into coming aboard the Anchorage. Willow confronts Doleo. He does not trust SFI, or its intentions. He tells Doleo to never "mess with his crew again". He's "overcome his pacifism once, and can do so again". Doleo seems smug about the Doctor's threats.
Sovok, running out of time, agrees to meet the Cardassian at the designated coordinates. Sovok, Gallrown, Korokh and Ensign Patrick travel in a shuttle to the designated meeting place. The Cardassian does deliver the proof, but manages to take control of the shuttle craft's shields as well. The Cardassian mentions the reward offered by Gul Dukat for the death of The Alley Killer. They are placed under attack.
Greene's trap is sprung. The saboteur reveals himself: Yeoman Jason Handler. A phaser fight is begun.
Meanwhile, Sovok regains control of the shields. After a short battle, followed by a chase, the Cardassian is recaptured.
Back in sickbay, Greene manages to stun Handler.
With the proof in hand, Gallrown is cleared of all charges. Greene talks with Handler, but little of value is discovered from him.
Dr. Willow, after a long term research and investigation discovers something unexpected about the things in Greene and Jandra's heads. It is alive. Greene convinces Sovok to mind meld with him in an attempt to make contact with it. Sovok succeeds in contacting it. They learn that the thing in Greene's mind refers to Greene as Subject 115. They also learn that there are over 30,000 "subjects" and that the thing receives its instructions from "the Hive". What those instructions are remain a mystery. Dr. Willow is not sure if he wants to remain aboard a ship where he is constantly being spied on. He has made no decision yet, but he is in a dilema.