First officer's log, stardate 51198.5. Lieutenant Rataan and I are in a shuttle currently en route to Beltane IX to attend a seminar concerning Jem'Hadar battle tactics being hosted by Starfleet. With eleven hours remaining in our flight, we are both trying to pass the time in our own way..."

"Sir, must we listen to this, and I use the term loosely, music?"

Kaleran Rataan, Kale to his friends, Lieutenant Rataan to the subjects of his surgical interrogations, flashed an extreme look of irritation. As extreme as his angled features allowed. His Vulcanoid appearance was already naturally severe, so as his usual expression was one of a seemingly chilly apathy. While this usually clashed with his reasonable attitude, in this instance it was deadly accurate.

The recipient of this barrage of foul expression was Lucas West, a Starfleet commander and first officer of the USS Avenger. In the shuttle's aft compartment, Lucas swayed and rocked to the music being played over the speaker system. Caribbean reggae, a combination of guitars, drums, whistles, bells, and chanting that had Lucas in a near-religious fervor.

"Kale, I just picked up this music program last week and I haven't had a single chance to listen to it until now," he said, shuffling back and forth to the beat. "This tactical conference is supposed to last three solid days and then it's back to the usual hectic pace aboard Avenger. So back off, Lieutenant, and try to enjoy it."

Kale sighed and leaned back in the pilot's chair, rubbing his eyes with the palms of his hands. He found Earth music in all its forms to be quite irritating. His own musical tastes drifted more towards the slow, tightly composed, single-tone forums of his home world of Rigel Prime. This "reggae" sounded like gibberish. He wished he had requisitioned one of the Avenger's high-speed type-9 shuttlecraft, rather than the slower type-8.

Lucas appeared completely oblivious to Kale's discomfort and continued to sway. When he wished, Lucas could distance himself from others without even leaving the room.

Kale realized his protests were falling upon deaf ears and so redirected his attention to the shuttle Francis Crick's control board. The craft could practically fly itself but occasional monitoring was required for safety purposes. He pulled up the computerized flight checklist and began running through it. Environmental systems were normal as were guidance and navigation. When he got to propulsion, he noticed some slight fluctuations in the power converter that were growing stronger. The readings set Kale on edge.

"Commander West--" Kale began.

"I said I'm not turning off the music, Kale."

"Sir, I think--"

The shuttle jolted suddenly, with rapid deceleration, then vibrated when the computer automatically returned it to its original speed. The tone of the engine power plant, usually a comfortable background hum, lowered and raised in a changing pitch of strain.

"Computer, turn of the music," Lucas said, picking himself off the floor. "What happened?"

"It would appear that our power converter has blown," Kale reported. "We are slowly loosing speed. Within two hours we will be completely out of power."

"Can you hail Avenger?"

"Negative. They are out of communications range."

Lucas furrowed his brow. "And we're still too far away from the Beltane System to raise anyone. We're going to have to fix the problem ourselves." He opened a small access hatch in the floor, revealing the shuttle's operating systems. Immediately, smoke began wafting out. Tears flooded his eyes as he began to cough. He immediately resealed the hatch. "It's a mess in there. I'm going to need to fashion replacement parts. Are there any inhabited planets within range?"

Kale consulted the computer, drawing up a star chart of the sector. "Just one. Lambda Hiromi III. Class-M, inhabited by a humanoid society." He paused, looking back at Lucas. "Sir, the civilization is pre-warp and has had no known contact with off-worlders. Starfleet regulations prohibit us from landing on the surface."

Lucas dropped into the other seat and began plotting a course adjustment. "I have just about as much inclination to making first contact with what is probably a primitive, xenophobic race as I have to slowly dying out here when our power fails. We'll land in an uninhabited area, make our way to a small settlement, steal what we need, and get out before anyone notices us."

Kale was forced to admit he could see no other available options. "Very well. Making course change. ETA is forty-five minutes."

"What do we know about this civilization?"

"Unfortunately, very little. There is nothing of strategic value to the Federation in the system. The starship Potemkin made a cursory scan ten years ago, determined the native society to be approximately equal to that of Earth in the late 20th to early 21st centuries, and decided first contact would be inadvisable at the time. Since then, Lambda Hiromi has been left alone."

Lucas nodded. "Let's see if we can keep it that way, Kale."

Lambda Hiromi III grew to a round disk that filled the Francis Crick's front view port. From space, the planet only had a passing resemblance to Earth. A purplish-blue ocean surrounded the three main landmasses; the continents themselves were mostly the same shade of green, evidence of flat terrain. Lucas noticed small blotches of gray that ran along the coastlines. Evidently, they were huge megacities, larger than any single settlement on Earth at any time. Two small moons peeked around the planet's curve.

"I'm picking up heavy communications traffic," said Kale. "And some of the signals are like nothing I have ever seen before. There is also an extensive network of small artificial satellites in orbit."

"If they are this far advanced technologically, we should definitely be able to find the materials we need," said Lucas. "I'll modulate our shield frequency. That should compensate for any tracking devices they may have. Start scanning for a good place to land."

Kale skillfully worked the controls. "Found one. Largest continent, northwest region. There is a heavily forested area seven kilometers from a small settlement. The heavy flora should hide the shuttle well."

"Agreed. We can sneak into the settlement under the cover of darkness," said Lucas. "Beginning our descent."

The whistle of air passing over the rapidly descending shuttle could be heard. Fluffy gray clouds filled the window. Darkness was ahead of them as the Francis Crick sped towards the terminator that separated the planet's day from night. Below, pinpoint lights of structures on the ground drove home the notion that this planet was definitely inhabited.

"Activating breaking thrusters," said Kale. "Setting us down."

The shuttle hovered over a large forest of trees. The horizon was red-violet; the last rays of the still setting sun peeking through. Large green fronds and brown trunks rose into view as Kale nestled them into a small clearing in the forest. And with the popping of dead plant matter being crushed by the shuttle's struts, they were down.

Lucas rose and walked aft as Kale shut down their shuttle. It was their only way to get back home. And they needed to fix it.

Lucas pulled off the cushions from a passenger bench, revealing an equipment locker underneath. He began rooting through it, filling a small satchel with supplies. Phasers, tricorders, some medical supplies, and a few ration bars.

Meanwhile, Kale was removing his uniform. A black jumpsuit, usually worn by Starfleet commando teams, waited for him on a chair. Being seen was the last thing they wanted. "I would suggest you secure your communicator in your waist band," said Kale, unzipping his mustard yellow turtleneck. "We don't want any reflective metal flashing that might give us away." Beneath was a simple gray tank top, a standard Starfleet undergarment. His physique was compact and muscular, as being Avenger's chief of security required him to be in peak condition.

"Good idea," said Lucas, also removing his uniform. He was not a physical slouch either. Cords of muscle, honed by years of swimming, rippled beneath coffee-colored skin.

Soon enough, the two men were standing outside the shuttle as the rear ramp moved upwards and sealed. The ground was slightly damp and peaty and the air was humid. There was also a trace of what Lucas assumed was air pollution. It was a slight rotten egg smell that tickled his nostrils. Above them soared huge trees with wide leaves that were nearly as long as a person. The stars were completely blocked by cloud cover. The moons shined through the murk, providing ample light.

Kale opened his tricorder. He looked at Lucas, pointing in a westerly direction. "It's this way." They began walking.

Unknown to Lucas West or Kaleran Rataan, small eyes of glass and metal were watching them.

Lucas had set his tricorder to alert him if any large biological entity approached within 20 meters. As it had not yet gone off, the walked comfortably through the forest. Lucas had to admit he was enjoying himself, despite the worrisome turn this trip had taken. Aside from his brief mission to Yadrani Prime, he had not set foot on a planet for almost a month and a half and was determined to absorb the surroundings. Although there were some odd-looking plant formations, the forest did not look too different from any back on Earth.

"So, Commander, are you participating in the ship's pool for the Parrises Squares tournament next month?" asked Kale, strolling along next to him.

Lucas grinned. "Not this year, I'm afraid. It's inappropriate for a command-level officer to participate in gambling with the crew, even if it's not for money." He paused. "Who's this year's favored to win? I heard the Benzites had a strong team."

Kale smiled back. "Rigel Prime of course."

"Of course. Kale, if you're anything, it's a hometown boy."

"'Hometown boy'? I'm not familiar with that-"

Lucas' tricorder began chirping suddenly. "Quiet," he hissed at Kale, pulling it out. There was something coming towards them, 50 meters ahead and closing. "Get down!"

They took cover behind a recently fallen tree. Its roots hung in the air like a thick spider web, dirt still clinging to them. They were as quiet as they could be as they peeked over the log. Kale drew his phaser and crouched in wait.

They heard a rustling in the darkness. A nearby bush began shaking.

Suddenly an animal emerged. It appeared to be a combination of a panda bear and a hedgehog. It paused, sniffed the air once, and then slowly shuffled on its way.

Lucas exhaled in relief. "Whew. Sorry. Now what did you say?"

"I said put your hands in the air."

It wasn't Kale's voice.

Lucas slowly twisted his head and looked down the barrel of a weapon pointed at his head.

Kale swallowed the burst of adrenaline and forced it into the pit of his stomach. They were outnumbered six to one and fighting back now would only get them killed that much quicker. A steady hand was needed to operate Avenger's tactical systems and he was not about to loose his cool now. He assessed the situation.

Physically, the Hiromi were not very intimidating. They were approximately the same size as Lucas and Kale with high foreheads and long chins. Above their temples were two small horns, probably a genetic holdover, like a tailbone in humans. Their skin appeared to be decorated with colorful patterns of paint. They each wore black chest armor, with what appeared to be some sort of script stenciled on, above multi-colored clothing. Each also wore some sort of eyepiece, connected to a headband, that reflected a tiny bit of shifting light on their faces. Although it could have been some sort of visual comm or sensory tracking device, Kale was not absolutely certain what it was for. The way they kept shifting their gaze from it to them made it seem important.

Kale eyed their weapons wearily. They were compact projectile throwers, gauss weapons most likely. Mini-railguns that could inelegantly tear through concrete. Not nearly as clean or antiseptic as phasers or disruptors but they gut the job done. Each was mounted with a red light which he determined was a laser rangefinder. The lights from a dozen of them flickered around his face, threatening to blind him if they made contact with his eyes.

"Stand up," ordered the leader, his translated voice a disturbingly mellow tone. "Remove your bag and sidearms and place them on the ground, slowly."

Lucas and Kale did as they were told. Two soldiers came up behind them and locked their wrists into restraints. A third scooped up their items.

The leader spoke into a communicator on his wrist. "We have them."

There was a loud whirring sound, like several fans set on HIGH. Above the trees, a sort of hovercraft came into view, blowing the leaves to and fro with its backwash. It was cherry red and approximately the size of a Federation air taxi with similar stenciling on the sides as the soldiers. Kale wrinkled his nose at the smell of burning petrochemicals. A bright searchlight winked on, illuminating the area and a side door opened as it settled on the ground.

Lucas and Kale were hustled aboard it, along with the soldiers, and it took off again. Lucas and Kale were seated on benches that ran the length of the interior wall and their legs were shackled to eyelets in the floor. Soldiers were seated next to them and across the aisle. Kale studied them. Some smiled back, one glassy eye showing. Then they frowned. Then they smiled again. They must have been watching something on those eyepieces. But what?

"Excuse me," said Lucas. "But where are we going?"

"To headquarters," said the lead soldier. "Now please be quiet." One of the other soldiers jammed Lucas in the leg with the butt of a gauss gun, eliciting a grunt of pain.

"Sorry," said the soldier pleasantly.

They flew for several hours, the hover transport gently rocking back and fourth in the air. Kale glanced up through the cockpit window several times, catching glimpses of fields or trees or domiciles.

Just as the dawn light was breaking, the pilot announced, "We are entering the city."

"Acknowledged," said the lead soldier.

Kale and Lucas leaned as far forward as their restraints allowed and looked down the aisle out the front windshield. At first there was glare from the rising sun. When the transport banked slightly, clearing their vision, both officers gasped quietly. Jutted up to the ocean was one of the megacities they had seen from orbit. A thick wall of glass and steel rectangles of varying height that stretched along the coastline as far north and south as their range of sight permitted. The buildings themselves were quite large but not particularly attractive in design. Several had large projection screens mounted to one side that took up several stories. A variety of imagery flashed by at a dizzying speed. People, scenery, animals, animated icons. Kale did not know how a brain could process it all. It gave him a mild headache looking at it.

The transport weaved through the endless rows of skyscrapers. Other similar transports zipped by. Below, Kale could just barely make out crowds of people on the streets. The crowds seemed to ripple with movement like a living river.

Kale noticed a sharply different building before them, one that was taller than any of the others. It resembled an upside down steel flower. Navigation lights flashed at the tip. Traveling downwards along the stem, Kale noticed dozens of metal structures mounted to it, resembling old-fashioned comm transmission dishes and antennae. They pointed outwards in all directions like thorns. The stem tapered outward the farther down one traveled to a series of large domes, each at least 25 stories high, that ringed the tower like petals. Surrounding those were smaller support buildings that looked like boxes with windows. Projection screens were mounted to those as well, blasting digital imagery outwards like a multicolored sun. Shadows flickered and bounced from nearby buildings.

The transport slowed and banked towards one of the support buildings on the north side. "Is this headquarters?" asked Lucas.

"Yes," said the head soldier.

The transport shed its altitude and skimmed the paved ground. Before them, a door large enough to accommodate the boxy transport, slid open allowing access to a four-story garage facility. As the transport settled to the garage floor, Kale noticed several more identical transports parked beside them. They seemed to be the only type of vehicle the city used.

"Up," said the head soldier.

Their floor restraints removed, Lucas and Kale were guided out of the transport to the garage floor. Before them, a gauntlet of a dozen more soldiers stood along a lit pathway to a waiting elevator. Each had his or her laser sight trained on the Starfleet officers.

"Welcome to North West Continental Transmissions," said a cheerful female voice over loudspeakers as the off-worlders were led to the elevator. "Yes, NWCT. The People's partner in prosperity." It was obviously a recording as it began again when the doors were sliding shut. Six guards inside the glass elevator ringed Lucas and Kale.

"Take them to studio A-7," chirped a tiny voice over Head Soldier's wrist communicator.

"Affirmative," he said and tapped a series of numbers on a control panel by the door. The elevator began moving horizontally as they were drawn into the domed buildings. Then it paused and moved rapidly upwards. They passed out of the closed elevator shaft and into an open atrium of the dome. Around them, below, scurried Hiromi, each dressed in colorful garb, complete with lettering, and each wearing a similar eyepiece as the guards.

So it was not just for military purposes, noted Kale.

They appeared to be passing through some sort of large open office or work area. Several hundred Hiromi were seated at desks, busily going about a multitude of tasks. The interior was rather drab to Kale's eye, a rather stark contrast to the Hiromi dress. It was all sterile hospital or laboratory colors. Apparently not a particularly stimulating place, visually, to work. Kale guessed that most of the city probably looked like this, judging by what he saw outside.

The elevator ceased its upward movement and the door opened. Lucas and Kale were hustled down a long corridor. Several workers stepped aside to let them past. Kale noticed the same glassy expressions on their faces as the guards.

A guard opened a metal doorway revealing a very large enclosed room. On one side of the room there was a raised platform with two overstuffed chairs next to a wood desk. A Hiromi female, in even flashier clothing than what Kale had seen so far, was seated behind it. She was not wearing an eyepiece. She was shuffling through some sheets of paper and did not notice when Lucas and Kale were dropped into the chairs. Their restraints were removed but the guards made it imminently clear that they were not to stand.

On the wall behind them was a black grid that reminded Kale of a holodeck projection matrix. Before them was a glass wall behind which several males and females sat, surrounded by instruments and monitors. Was this some sort of interrogation room? Were they monitoring Lucas and Kale's vital signs to make sure they did not go 'too far' with their questioning?

Several males wheeled in rectangular boxes mounted on gyroscopic stabilizers. One end, pointed towards Lucas and Kale, had a large glass lens and a Hiromi stood on the opposite side. Torture devices?

"Okay, Ta, 10 seconds," came a voice from the glassed-in monitor room.

Ta must have been the interrogatrix's name as she noticeably fluffed herself up, sitting up straight and smiling towards the boxes. Bright lights from overhead flicked on.

"In five... four... three... two..."

Kale braced himself for some sort of shock or pain burst.

"Good evening, citizens," she said in a cheery voice towards the boxes. Kale looked at Lucas. Confusion crossed both their faces. "This is the twilight information transmission. NWCT is pleased to announce that the People's campaign against the aggressors on South Continent is proceeding well. The directors board announces that they hope a peaceful solution will be found soon, and, of course, you agree. In local information, lanka bean production is on the rise again. The directors board announces that rations will be raised by fifteen percent and, of course, you are happy.

"Sy will be here later for the meteorological report, but first, a NWCT exclusive interview."

The lights on Lucas and Kale brightened considerably. Kale could feel himself beginning to sweat beneath his black jumpsuit.

"With us today, citizens, are two South Continental residents." The interrogatrix turned to Lucas and Kale. The electronic boxes swung their way. "And what are your names?"

Lucas shrugged at Kale. "Might as well tell them," he murmured. "Lying now will just make it more confusing later." He straightened in his chair. "I am Commander Lucas West," he announced loudly, "Serial number-"

"I see," said the interrogatrix, cutting him off "And you are...?" she asked Kale.

"Lieutenant Kaleran Rataan," he replied.

"Wonderful," she said, smiling widely. "Thank you for joining me. Now then, how are conditions on South Continent at this time?"

Lucas and Kale looked at each other again. Then Lucas said, "Excuse me? I'm sorry but I've never been there before."

"That's awful. And how affective have the NWCT Peacekeepers been in liberating your home?"

"I'm sorry, but you're not..."

"She's not listening, Commander," said Kale. "This isn't what I first thought it was. It's some sort of broadcasting stage."

"Wonderful," said the woman as if she had not even heard Kale's remarks. "Thank you both for joining me." She turned back towards the boxes, which were some sort of image recorders. "Now onto Sy's meteorological report. Sy?"

"And end recording," said the voice from the glassed-in room. "We're done, Ta. Guards?"

The woman went back to her papers as the guards who had brought Lucas and Kale in, grabbed them and escorted them out. They were taken down another hallway to another elevator that dropped at stomach jarring speed. When the doors parted they were hustled down a bright corridor lined with doors. Towards the end, one door stood open. Lucas and Kale were immediately shown into a large cell.

The room appeared as if it had been molded from a single piece of plastic. Except for the edges of the door, it was seamless. Two bunks were sculpted out from the walls and the entire surface seemed to glow with an ambient white light.

As the door was closed and locked behind them, a projection screen of some sort activated on the back wall. Dancing animated icons zipped past accompanied by unreadable text.

"I think we're going to be here awhile," said Lucas.

Lucas' stomach gurgled loudly. "Sorry," he said to Kale. "I haven't had anything to eat since we left Avenger. I wonder if they are going to feed us."

"Quite all right," said Kale. "Rigellian metabolism is approximately the same as humans." He rubbed his stomach. "I'm hungry as well," he said and then returned his attentions to the vide screen. It had been operating non-stop since they had been put into the cell four or five hours ago. Lucas had been trying to ignore it but Kale had apparently been studying it the entire time.

"What have you learned from that thing, Lieutenant?" Lucas asked wearily.

"Very little of relevance, I'm afraid. This would appear to be some sort of one-way communications device that plays various types of recorded programs."

"What types of programs?"

"So far, I have seen two 'dramas,' though I hesitate the use the word, a crudely-animated children's program, and nearly one hundred sales promotions, all by North West Continental Transmissions." Kale rubbed his eyes. "I'm also experiencing a slight headache. Although I want to quit watching, it is growing harder to do so."

"Stop watching if it's causing you discomfort," said Lucas sternly.

"I believe I will." Kale sat on the bench opposite him. He peeked back at the screen a couple of times but then shook his head as if jarring something out of his skull.

Lucas lay back on his bench and stared at the illuminated ceiling, thinking. The screen reminded him of something he had heard of before, but where? Oh yes, Pre-Federation History at Starfleet Academy, his most boring class. His professor, a retired anthropologist who had to have been nearly 100-years old and who was exceptionally dull, had been giving a lecture on Earth history. The subject had been 1900-2100 AD, the two centuries in which the human race had experienced the greatest amount of change and growth in the shortest amount of time. The professor had mentioned some sort of entertainment device that had been extremely popular in the Western Hemisphere... Television. That was it. An apparatus for reproducing on a screen a view of scenes or events received by broadcast. It had died out just before World War III nearly drove humanity to extinction. This piece of equipment in the cell had a striking resemblance to the ancient Earth technology.

"Commander, look!" exclaimed Kale.

Lucas sat up and saw Kale staring at the screen and pointing. Lucas turned and saw the same Hiromi woman who had "interviewed" them earlier. She was speaking.

"-but first an NWCT exclusive interview," she was saying. The background behind her churned in a brain-frying swirl of psychedelic colors. Lucas felt himself strongly drawn to the screen, doubtless, the engineer in him said, due to the primitive projection technology that had been behind the illusion. "With us today, citizens, are two South Continental residents. And what are your names?"

The image shifted. Lucas' jaw dropped when he saw Kale and himself staring back.

"Lucas West," said his image.

"I see. And you are...?" she asked the image of Kale.

"Kaleran Rataan," said Kale's electronic image.

"Wonderful. Thank you for joining me. Now then, how are conditions on South Continent at this time?"

"Just terrible," said Lucas' image, a sad expression on his face. "The Lectuals are making life there very difficult for all of us peaceful farmers."

Lucas felt anger welling up inside of him. He knew he had not said that, no matter what this chattering box said. It was some sort of digital trick. He felt used.

"That's awful," said the interviewer, her face an expression of exaggerated pity. "And how affective have the NWCT Peacekeepers been in liberating your homes?"

"Most affective, Ta," Lucas' image said, suddenly smiling.

The shot moved to an eerily grinning Kale-image who said, "We are most grateful to the North West Continent and especially NWCT! They are our saviors and we love them all!"

Lucas looked at Kale and saw him bristle at his cheap tele-imitation's hokey theatrics.

"Wonderful," said the female Hiromi. "Thank you both for joining me."

"It looks like we have just become unwitting spokespeople for NWCT, whatever that is," said Lucas.

"Indeed," Kale replied. "Apparently the NWCT manipulates the truth to however it sees feet. I haven't heard of that much beguiling outside of the Romulan Tal Shiar."

Unexpectedly, Lucas heard the door locks click. He turned his head to see a guard pointing her gauss weapon at them from the corridor.

"Are you going to feed us?" Lucas demanded.

The guard jerked her thumb over her shoulder. "The First Director wishes to see you," she said flatly, sounding like most of the other Hiromi they had talked to; like she did not care about anything.

Kale cleared his throat quietly. Kale looked over at him as he made a quick motion that took Lucas a moment to understand. He pointed at the guard's eyepiece then at the viewscreen. The eyepiece must have been a miniature version of what they had been watching. If the crazy visuals had given them headaches and interfered with their ability to think, Lucas could only guess at how having one hanging in front of your eye at all times would affect someone.

The guard powered up her weapon, making a high-pitched whine. A warning. "We're coming," said Lucas.

The two men stepped into the cellblock and were marched to a now annoyingly familiar elevator. They were whisked upward countless stories and the doors opened with a ding.

Lucas was quite surprised with what he found. It looked like he had just stepped into the forest scene from "A Midsummer's Night Dream." It was quite a shock from the repetitive sterility of the rest of the complex. Laid out before him was a manicured arboretum or park that took up an entire floor of the building. Wide, sprawling trees similar to Earth's banyas swayed in a slight artificial breeze and gave shade from the artificial sunlight. Beneath their feet was a carpet of short grass and groups of colorful flowers. Avian creatures fluttered above. Lucas heard the sounds of tinkling music and running water.

He looked behind. Their "escorts" had taken up station on both sides of the door and did not appear as if they were going to move any time soon. Rather than force a confrontation that would get them shot, Lucas and Kale slowly wandered into the indoor garden.

The source of the running water became apparent as they strolled further in. In a clearing at the center of the room was a sculptured pool of water connected to a small artificial waterfall. Nearby a quartet of Hiromi played delicate, pleasing tunes. Their instruments were alien in design but not unrecognizable. There was a harp, a three-stringed guitar, a row of bells, and a circular synthesizer keyboard that surrounded the player.

Lucas then heard splashing from the pool. An elderly Hiromi was making his way out of the water. "Gentlemen, welcome," he said, as an attendant handed him an embroidered silk robe to cover his naked, bulbous body. "I was just finishing my bath."

Lucas and Kale stood still as the Hiromi man walked over. He was short, with gray hair hanging off his long chin that fell down to his long stomach. Each of his horns was wrapped with gold and silver rings.

"Allow me to introduce myself," he said, bowing slightly. "I am Zi, First Director of North West Continent Transmissions."

"Are you the leader of this place?" Lucas asked formally.

Zi smiled slightly. "For the most part, Commander West, for the most part. But there is time for questions after we eat. Come, my chefs have just prepared dinner."

He guided them to a long wooden table next to the pool. It was covered with embroidered blue cloth and large plates of food. Though not all of it looked particularly appetizing, the smells from most made Lucas' stomach growl. Three high-backed chairs waited for occupancy.

"Have a seat," said Zi. "All of this should be compatible with your nutritional requirements." He sat down at one end and Lucas and Kale sat at the other.

Kale quickly grabbed Lucas' hand before he reached for a plate of vegetables. "How do we know this is not drugged?" he demanded.

"Lieutenant Rataan, I have no wish to harm either of you. Quite the contrary, I hope we can become friends."

"Do friends lock friends into cells for hours at a time?"

Zi sighed and a pained expression crossed his face. Whether it was true or forced, Lucas could not tell. "Yes. That. Well, for that I'll apologize. That was out of my control. But I can understand why you would be suspicious. Very well, point out any dish and I will prove to you that it is not poisonous."

Kale studied the layout and then gestured at a large pan filled with something that resembled quiche. Zi took his utensils, cut out a large piece, and placed it in his mouth. He made a show of chewing and swallowed loudly. "Delicious. There, see?"

"Let's just eat, Kale," Lucas suggested.

The Rigellian nodded and began taking small portions from every plate and placing them on his. Lucas followed suit.

The commander had to admit that almost all of it was delicious, the sole exception being a type of soup that tasted like liquid polymer. There was a selection of beverages and he chose a red one that tasted like spicy strawberry-orange juice. In case it was alcoholic, he refrained from consuming too much.

Zi watched them while he ate, nodding approvingly and smiling.

When Kale finished he threw down his napkin on the table and demanded, "Will you answer our questions now?"

"I would be happy to," said Zi, "but let me tell you what I think you will want to hear and if I leave anything out, you can ask as we go along."

Lucas looked at him uncertainly. "Agreed."

"Quite obviously, you are both extraterrestrials," he began. "You came to my planet in your spacecraft, a very advanced piece of equipment I might say. I managed a good look at it when the recovery team brought it in."

"Where is our... spacecraft?" Kale asked.

"It's safe. Now, I'm going to guess and say you are both from the... Federation?"

Lucas and Kale both tried to keep their expressions neutral in the wake of this unexpected turn of events.

"I'm right, aren't I?" Zi said, grinning. "In my business, I learn how to read people. Doubtless, you are both shocked to find your secret revealed. Let me explain how I know. Fifteen cycles ago, another space vessel landed on this world. Actually, crashed would be a more accurate term. Only one of the aliens survived. He said his name was Linot and that he was a member of the Cardassian Union."

Kale flashed a look at Lucas. Cardassians! Starfleet's Prime Directive mandated that personnel were forbidden to interfere in the development of any non-Federation society. But the Cardassian military had no such rule. Pre-warp civilizations often made the easiest conquests.

"He explained the hostilities that existed between his people and yours as well as other affairs that existed elsewhere in the heavens. Sadly, he succumbed to his injuries and died. I decided to limit the knowledge of the existence of extraterrestrials to a few key people in NWCT and suppress it from the commoners. Our scientists dismantled the Cardassian vessel. Much of it was too complicated for us to decipher but we were able to incorporate many elements of the alien communications system into our vids as well as the surveillance systems, like the one that tracked your shuttle."

"What are 'vids'?" asked Lucas.

"Vids are what no one among the people can go without and we at NWCT program the vids. Vids are our link to them and their link to us." Zi paused. "But I'll let you in on a secret, mainly because no one would believe you if you told them. Vids are NWCT's way of guiding our people down the right path."

"'Guiding'? You mean controlling," said Kale. "I've seen how people behave when they are around those things. They become drones. And you distort or completely change reality to support whatever philosophy you think the people should believe in."

"Say what you will, the vids have kept the peace on this continent for a decade now. Even the civil government agrees with us. In fact, the other continents have been opening their doors to us. Well, that is except for a rambunctious lot on the southern continent."

"The Lectuals," said Lucas.

"Yes. The Lecutals. They would rather fritter and squabble amongst themselves, and us, rather than come together and work in peace."

"A peace where you call the shots," said Kale.

Zi grinned. "That's why I'm so excited by your presence here. Not only does your space vessel offer us more technology but also you both offer fresh perspective and intellect. Not to mention a knowledge of galactic events that could be of use to us."

Lucas stared then said, "Are you offering us something?"

"Good, good. Straight to the point. I like that. What I'm offering, gentlemen, is the opportunity to shape and lead an entire civilization. This is something most can only dream about. To be a ruler!" Zi stood. "But this is not a decision to be rushed. I'll leave you alone for the time being so as you can discuss it." He paused, then pointed at a line of embroidery stitched into his robe. It was the same Hiromi script Lucas had seen stenciled on the guards. "Do you know what this says? No, I don't suppose you have mastered our language yet. It says, 'NWCT. Your partner in prosperity.' Prosperity, gentlemen. Peace. Think about it." He walked away, leaving Lucas and Kale alone.

"He's nuts," said Lucas.

"What do terrestrial seeds have to do with Zi?" asked Kale.

"Sorry. He's crazy. Insane. Loco. Beneath that pleasant businessman exterior is a power mad dictator. I've seen his type before."

"Then what do we do?"

Lucas sighed. "I'm open to suggestions."

"We could accept his offer. Join whatever scheme he has planned and when the time is right, and he has earned our trust, we could steal the shuttle and leave."

The Avenger's first officer considered this for a moment and then said, "No. I don't think so. Zi may invite us aboard but who knows how long it would take him to trust us? My gut says a long time. How many Hiromi would be affected by what we know? With the help of two Starfleet officers he could conquer this planet."

The situation was the worst nightmare of any Starfleet officer. Avoid interfering at all costs. Lucas swallowed in fear of what that cost may be. But every Starfleet cadet was required to study the actions of the Federation's most notorious violators of the Prime Directive; people like Ronald Tracy or R.M. Merrick. Captains whose actions led to devastating contamination of alien worlds. Lucas would do anything to avoid such a thing if he could.

Kale said, "You do realize he very well may decide to kill us if we refuse."

"If that's what it takes," Lucas replied icily.

They waited patiently for Zi to return.

"Have you come to a decision?" came Zi's cheerful voice.

Lucas looked up at the fat old man. He said evenly, "We regretfully inform you that we cannot join you. Doing so would violate our cannon of laws, something the lieutenant and I both hold close to our hearts."

Lucas braced himself for... for what? A screaming fit? Threats of torture and death?

"Oh," said Zi. His face betrayed little but he said, "I feared you would say as much. But it is no matter?"

"Why?" Kale demanded.

"Because you never had a choice to begin with. You will both be taken back to your cell. With time, exposure to the vid will break down your self-identity and force of will. Then you will be in a better position to cooperate with me." He snapped his fingers. "Guards?"

Kale rubbed at his temples, trying to find a center of peace from the incessant chattering of the wall vid. He had lost all sense of time. How long had they been in this cell? Hours? Days? Weeks?

He looked up at Lucas who was laid out on his bench. Lucas' fingers were in his ears and his face was scrunched into a grimace. Trying to sleep with the noise and flashy imagery was near impossible. Kale was well aware that sleep deprivation was an affective tool in brainwashing. The subliminal harmonics of the Cardassian-influenced electronic media only made it worse. And they had to open their eyes and unblock their ears when the guards brought them their sparse food, just enough to keep them alive. Cannot have the valuable Starfleet prisoners starve to death. No, no.

He looked at the metal plates that had held their previous meals still sitting on the floor. They reminded him of a prison holodrama he was particularly fond of. In it, inmates had used metal objects to tap on their cell walls in a sort of code used to pass messages between themselves. If only there was some way he could communicate with the outside world.

Communicate.

Communicators!

Kale lifted the waist of his pants and was near ecstatic to find his commbadge still affixed there. Apparently, the guards had been too mind-numbed by vids to search them thoroughly. Kale could barely believe that he had almost forgotten about the device.

"Sir!" he shouted, shaking Lucas. "Look."

"What is it, Kale?" Lucas asked, bleary eyed. He would not survive much longer against the vid brainwashing.

"Our communicators." He held up the stylized metal arrowhead that also served as the Starfleet emblem.

"What good are they except as universal translators? We can't contact anyone and the shuttle's broken."

"Our cell door uses an electronic bolt to hold us in." He stood and pointed at an area on the wall next to the door. "The bolt's electronics are approximately right here. I think I can use my communicator to determine the exact frequency the mechanism operates at. Then I can send a subspace pulse and overload it, disengaging the lock." He looked at the small device in his hand. "Unfortunately, the pulse will also burn out the circuitry."

Lucas smiled. "That's okay. We still have mine. We won't be reduced to hand-gestures and charades yet. Do it."

Kale nodded and squatted down, beginning to work. It took nearly three hours of tinkering with miniature circuit assemblies before there was a high-pitched squeal and the sound of the lock retracting. "Got it!" Kale announced triumphantly.

Lucas stood, wobbling slightly on his feet. But he was strong willed and the vids had not broken him. "Let's get out of here."

There was no door handle on their side so Kale used the now defunct communicator as a wedge, jamming it into the door seals and slowly prying it open. He peeked into the hall filled with cells. There did not appear to be anyone nearby. He took several steps into the hall, poised for anything. "I think it's clear," he whispered.

Lucas quickly emerged, relief apparent on his face. "Come on. I think I saw an emergency staircase this way." He quickly began jogging with Kale right behind him. They were going to be missed soon and they needed to be as far away as possible when that happened.

They came to a T-intersection. Lucas paused, and then quickly looked left and right. He jumped back with a hiss. "There's a guard to the left of us. Armed."

Kale frowned in thought for a second. "Create a diversion," he said.

Lucas nodded and strolled into the T-intersection, whistling. He sauntered past the guard without so much as looking at him. The guard was leaned against the wall, his visible eye glazed over as he concentrated on the eyepiece vid. For a moment, Kale wondered if the guard was going to react at all. Just as Lucas reached the next corridor junction, the guard turned and said, "Hold it, please."

Lucas stopped and turned, an obviously forced look of innocence on his face. "Who, me?" he asked.

"What are you-"

The guard was not given an opportunity to finish his sentence. With the speed of a Circassian razor cat, Kale rushed up behind the guard, throwing his muscular body against him, knocking him to the floor. He then drove a palm into the base of the guard's skull, forcing him unconscious. He picked up the guard's dropped gauss weapon and then looked at Lucas who was waiting nearby. "Walking and whistling? You call that a distraction?"

"It worked, didn't it?" Lucas asked. "Come on, the stairs are just around the corner."

The stairwell dropped down nearly twenty stories. Kale looked up and saw it rose twenty stories more. "Roof or basement?" he asked Lucas.

"Basement," said Lucas as he began running down the first flight. His strength was rapidly returning. He called over his shoulder. "We will probably be able to find some sort of maintenance conduit somewhere. Come on!"

Kale ran after him, taking the steps two at a time. As soon as they were down the fifth flight, loud bells began ringing. "I think they know we are out," said Kale.

"With all the surveillance equipment on this planet I'm astonished they didn't know sooner," said Lucas.

Above them, Kale heard the sounds of a door banging open and shouting. "They are behind us!" Kale exclaimed, gripping the gauss gun tighter. He did not like the primitive weapon but it would probably be their only protection.

"Double time, Lieutenant!" Lucas barked and began leaping down the flights of stairs, landing with a loud thump.

Kale hoped neither of them would break an ankle. He heard footsteps above them, rapidly descending. He glanced up and saw a Hiromi face looking down the stairwell at them. The Hiromi pointed down at him and shouted, "There they are!"

Kale cursed.

As they landed on a stairwell, five flights away from the basement, an access door popped open and a guard stuck his head in the well. Kale, who was just coming down the stairs above, shouted, "Look out!"

Lucas leaped out of the way as Kale drove a flying kick to the guard's head. The guard dropped to the ground. More troops tried to pour in. Kale fired a few rounds into the air. The weapon sounded like a cross between an ancient sewing machine and a vacuum cleaner. Apparently, that was enough to frighten the guards as they scrambled back into the hall.

Lucas and Kale reached the bottom, soaked in sweat. A long utility corridor stretched out before them. Kale heard the sounds of machinery around them. This must have been where the complex's generators and air circulators were located.

The sounds of marching booted feet were still behind them and they were getting close. "Run," said Lucas and they bolted down the hall. Electrical and ventilation conduits snaked along the slab concrete wall.

Suddenly, they stopped. Before them, the hall ended into a smooth wall. "We're trapped," Kale growled, readying the gauss gun. There was no way he was going back to the cell. He would die fighting. He was certain Lucas felt the same way.

Kale then heard a creaking and groaning sound. He looked down and saw cracks appearing around one of the concrete floor slabs. It slowly lifted and moved to the side, revealing a large rectangular hole in the ground. Kale aimed the gun at it.

A Hiromi female, young and slightly pretty popped her head out from the darkness below. "If you want to live you will come with me," she said forcefully.

Lucas and Kale only allowed themselves a moment's glance before leaping down into the hole. Kale heard a splash as his boots hit bottom. Wetness seeped over his pant legs. Then there was a horrific smell. He was in some sort of sewage system.

Surrounding them dressed in simple functional attire, were five young Hiromi of various size and stature. One of them was carrying a familiar looking satchel. He handed it to Lucas.

"I believe this is yours," he said.

Lucas opened it, revealing their tricorders, phasers, and med equipment. "Thanks," he said, smiling quickly.

"No time for talking," said the woman as she replaced the floor slab. The conduit was very dim, lit only by small utility lights on the walls. Many were broken. But even in the dim light, Kale could make out the gauss weapons they were all holding. Theirs appeared to be heavily modified with lights and sensors taped on with adhesive tape. Kale also noticed that these were the first Hiromi, besides Zi, who did not wear vids or have logos stenciled on their clothing.

The woman pushed past Kale roughly. Above, the footsteps shuffled around. The guards had been confused for the time being. They seemed to be effective muscle but skilled investigators they were not. "Let's move," she said. "You two keep as quiet as you can. There are a lot of predavores down here who won't hesitate to make a meal of you." She turned and hurried down the tube, stooped over to avoid brushing her head against the sewage tunnel. The other Hiromi quickly followed with Lucas and Kale.

As they ran, Lucas handed Kale a tricorder and a phaser. Kale holstered the phaser. It felt oddly comforting against his hip. He opened the tricorder. Scanning around him, he whispered, "Commander, these tunnels go on for miles."

"I think our 'guides' know where they are going," Lucas panted. "Let's keep up."

They jogged along for what seemed like hours, stooped over, avoiding large dead things and piles of organic material in the water. Kale's back began to hurt and the stench made his stomach do flip-flops. At times he swore he heard a low growling and saw glowing eyes shimmering in the darkness of adjoining conduits.

Finally, the woman, who Kale soon realized was the leader, said, "We're here." She was standing next to a metal ladder, which lead up through an open manhole above. She quickly mounted the ladder and climbed, powerful legs propelling her upwards.

"After you," said the young man who had been holding their satchel.

Kale climbed and emerged into what appeared to be some sort of communal bathing room that was now nonfunctional. The room was done in patterns of mosaic tiles, many of which were cracked or broken. Metal bathing tubs rested on the floor, reduced to hulks of rust. Broken piping lay everywhere. Gray light shined through high windows above, illuminating dust motes.

"What is this place?" Lucas asked, wiping his hands on his pants. The last Hiromi emerged and sealed the cover. He then set a primitive mechanical alarm attached to twine atop of it.

The woman stood next to an open door. "This is safe house number seven," she said. "My name is An and we are the Lectuals."

Lucas stood in a massive hall, as large as the nave of a European Cathedral. It consisted of four levels that reached up to a vaulted ceiling. Each floor was lined with shelves and shelves of books, most of which were very old and crumbling. Some were oddly shaped: hexagons, tetragons, and even circles. With the tricorder deciphering, he was able to skim through them. There were stories, diaries, and even some "how-to" books. It would take a hundred people a hundred lifetimes to read through them all.

"This is... was the Grand Library," said An, standing in the glow of the buzzing fluorescent lamps that provided the only light against the encroaching night. The lamps were clustered on a heavy wood table in the center of the first floor. They cast eerie flickering shadows against every surface. The group was gathered around the table like campers to a fire. There were 10 of them now, eight Hiromi of various descriptions, yet all young, and two Starfleet officers, a dark-skinned human and a blue-eyed, raven-haired Rigellian.

"Where are we? Where is this structure, I mean?" asked Lucas.

"In an abandoned section of the city," said An. "The guards do not allow anyone to enter condemned areas, making it the perfect place for a staging area."

"And you are the Lectuals," said Kale. "The rebels from South Continent."

An nodded. "We are a cell of the Lectuals. Due to security reasons each cell operates independently from the others without knowledge of their activities."

"Sounds like the Maquis," Lucas commented to Kale who nodded in agreement.

"Who are the Maquis?" asked An.

Lucas eyed the young woman. Despite her satyr-like Hiromi features, he found her somewhat attractive. There was a forceful intelligence behind her steel gray eyes that he could not help but admire. "Freedom fighters," he said. "From where we come from.

"You mean off-world?" An asked without really asking.

Kale frowned. "How did you know?"

An gracefully gestured at his Vulcanoid features. "Quite obviously you look nothing like anyone I have ever seen before. And we have the ability to break into NWCT's infobase from time to time. During our last data steal, we found the records pertaining to your arrival. Since they were similar to the alien landing of years back, they peaked our interest."

"Zi said only he and a few of the upper echelon at NWCT knew of the Cardassian landing," said Kale.

Anger flashed across An's face and a few of the other Hiromi muttered unpleasantly. "That arrogant worm would say such a thing. Little does he know, knowledge is the one thing he cannot keep from us. And the people."

Lucas saw an unpleasant parallel beginning to develop. The Maquis had fought the Cardassians for the freedom of their homes. These Lectuals were fighting Cardassian-influenced technology to keep THEIR homes free. He then swallowed, painfully remembering that the Dominion war machine had slaughtered almost all of the Maquis.

Kale said, "You seemed to know the sewage system very well. That is most commendable."

A sandy-haired youth, the man who had been holding their equipment and whom An had introduced as Ty, her brother, spoke. "The sewer system is the only place where we can travel through the city without the guards knowing about it. It is the law here that all citizens traveling in public must wear a vidset."

"I don't understand," said Lucas. "Can't you use disguises?"

"They would be seen through almost instantly. The vidsets are not simply tools that NWCT uses to keep the population mind-numbed. In conjunction with the citywide surveillance grid, they serve tracking and monitoring purposes as well. Anyone spotted without a vidset or with one that is malfunctioning by the grid is automatically held by the guards."

"And the sewers are not part of this grid system?" Kale asked.

"They try to install the devices in there but the predavores always chew them up within a few days. They are a constant pain in NWCT's side. They always try to have them exterminated and they always fail." The others chuckled at this.

Lucas changed tracks. "How did you know where to find us?"

"Luck, really," said An. "We had just finished a raid on the NWCT tech lab, where we found your equipment, when we heard the alarms go off. We decided it would be safer to stay put for a bit and then we heard you moving above us. When we heard Mister Rataan say you were trapped, I took a gamble and decided to help you."

"We are most glad you did," said Kale. "Thank you."

"You said you were in their tech lab. Did you happen to see our shuttlecraft?"

"Boxy looking thing with two cylinders on the side?" asked Ty. "Yes, we did. It did not appear as if the technicians had begun dismantling it yet."

Lucas breathed a sigh of mild relief. "Good. Then there is still a chance. Lieutenant Rataan and I need to get that shuttle back. Not only so we can go home but to prevent Zi's people from studying its technology. Its systems are more advanced than anything on this world and I don't doubt Zi would turn them against you."

An shuddered. "If that happened then all would be lost." She rubbed her chin in thought. "I wonder if we could help each other. We are planning a major strike against NWCT. In a few days we are going to destroy the Central Transmission Tower."

"That is the center spire of their headquarters," said Ty, "where all vid transmissions are routed and broadcasted. We plan to use explosives and collapse it in on itself."

"If we are successful, we will cut off all vids," An said. "Not only will we free the people but also we will disorient their soldiers on our continent, giving our other forces the chance to defeat them. You see, the vid is like a narcotic. If you take it away suddenly, it shocks the system and disorients the user."

"Will that harm the civilians?" Lucas asked.

"They will be confused for a time but they will adjust."

"What about the Tower? How many will die when it goes down?" Kale wanted to know.

"Few, if any," said Ty. "It is primarily an automated facility. And we plan to strike during the night when the majority of the civilian staff is at home, thereby reducing the chances of anyone being harmed.

"You both seem like capable fighters. Your help is dearly needed."

"What will happen to us if we decide not to go along with this?" Lucas inquired, biting his lip anxiously.

An said, "You will be held here until we are done but you will not be harmed. We are not barbarians. And the likelihood of you getting your shuttle back drops considerably."

Lucas ran a hand through the forest of twisted black locks that covered his head. "Is there a place where the lieutenant and I may speak privately?"

An handed him a fluorescent lamp. "You're welcome to use one of the bedrooms. Before NWCT took over, many scribes lived here at least part of the year." She sighed. "Their families are probably all vid watchers now. The Lectuals seem to be the only ones who make use of these books any more."

"Thank you," said Lucas. "This way, Lieutenant."

Kale followed him down a nearby hall lined with small sleeping rooms, like those used in a monastery. Lucas entered one and set the lantern down on a small writing desk.

"Close the door, Kale."

The wooden door swung closed with a thunk.

"I don't think we can go along with this," said Lucas. "Our presence here has already caused considerable damage. And I highly doubt that Starfleet would approve of our participation in alien civil wars." He rubbed his eyes. The whole situation was spinning out of control. He momentarily wished for the days when he wore a gold uniform and tinkered with engines. Now he was expected to make the Big Decisions. "I never should have ordered you to land here."

"What was our other option, Commander?" Kale asked sternly, but not harshly. "Suffocate and freeze out in space when we totally lost all power?"

"We are Starfleet officers, Lieutenant. We are expected to follow the principles set forth by the Prime Directive. Even to die for them."

Kale rolled his eyes. "I don't know what you studied at the Academy, but I was never taught the fine art of suicide." He sat down on a chair that creaked under his weight. "Every problem has a solution and this is just another problem." He thought for a moment. "Look at it this way. The Cardassians already made the mess when their technology was introduced and abused. We are here now to clean it up."

Lucas looked at him as if he had just sprouted an extra arm. "You call blowing up a building cleaning up a mess?"

Shockingly enough, Kale grinned from ear to ear. "It worked when I was a hoodrat on Rigel Prime. Remember the Erselrope Wars? I was there."

"You fought in the civil uprisings? I thought you were just a kid at the time."

Kale shrugged. "I don't like to brag."

Lucas paced the room for several long minutes, weighing his options. In the end there was only one reasonable conclusion. He sighed wearily. "I don't see any other choice. Let's go tell our hosts. We're in."

Kale nodded, stood and walked for the door.

"Oh, Kale?"

Kale paused as he reached for the door handle. "Sir?"

"At the Academy, I failed Suicide 101."

Kale eyed him in bewilderment until Lucas finally smiled.

"A joke."

Opening the door, Kale shook his head, muttering something about "twisted Earth humor."

The Lectuals were very pleased with Lucas and Kale's decision to join them. Lucas informed them that the shuttle was damaged and that it was going to need repairs. He gave a list of needed parts to Ty who promised to find what he could. Eventually, enough suitable parts were gathered though Lucas was weary about using a bathroom faucet for a manifold valve.

Over the following four days, the Starfleet officers and the Lectuals trained for the strike. Kale insisted on teaching some hand-to-hand combat techniques as well as ways of disabling an enemy with out killing him. On this, Lucas insisted.

The Hirmoi demonstrated how to handle the explosive charges. While they would not detonate on their own, a piece of shrapnel or a gauss pellet could induce an electrical current setting the charges off. They had to be careful.

Lucas and An studied primitive holographic schematics in order to determine the quickest access to the Tower's supports. It was decided that sewers would take them most of the way but they were going to have to enter the main building. That meant setting off alarms and fighting guards. Then, most of the Lectuals would have to stay behind and guard the soon-to-be detonated supports until the last possible moment while the other group made their way to the tech lab to retrieve and repair the shuttle. Lucas would only have 20 minutes to complete his repairs before the tower blew and collapsed on the building.

The night before their plan was to be executed, Lucas tossed and turned fitfully in his bed. The bed's mattress was thin and uncomfortable and the blankets were old and moldy. He lay there, dressed in his Starfleet commando outfit, minus boots, hoping to drift off.

Just as sleep was beginning to take him, Lucas heard his door quickly open and shut. Startled, he flipped on the lantern on the nearby desk of the small bedroom chamber. He then pulled out his phaser from beneath the dusty pillow, holding it in front of him with both hands like a dousing rod, both thumbs hovering over the trigger. "Who's there?" he demanded.

A lone figure stepped from the darkness near the doorway into the small sphere of light. "It is only me, Lucas West," came a familiar female voice. "An."

He lowered the phaser slightly. "An, what are you-" His voice choked off when he saw her strolling towards him.

She was dressed only in gray, tight-fitting undergarments. Her tank top, leaving little to the imagination, revealed every curve of her womanly attributes. Sienna-brown hair, which had, until now, been pushed out of the way, was draped over her bare shoulders. Delicate patterns of makeup served to enhance her sharp and beautiful Hiromi features.

He felt his heart banging in his chest like a warp core ready to breach. His arms and legs felt numb and sweat trickled down his back. "Ah... what... what are you doing here?" he stammered, his voice cracking slightly like a teenager's.

"I was lonely," she purred, sitting down on the end of the bed next to his legs. She gently placed a hand on his knee and slowly pushed it forward, leaning over, revealing more. "Aren't you lonely?"

He hoped he would not have an aneurysm in the next few seconds. "N-not really. I was j-just sleeping..."

"Sleeping." She slowly climbed on top of him, sitting on his stomach. "Do you know how long it has been since I slept with the company of another?"

"I-I don't think that's any of my business." Her weight, while slight, made it hard for him to breathe.

"Much too long." She began running her hands over his chest and shoulders. "I've been fighting so long I forget what it is like to be a woman. None of the other Lectuals will even talk with me, outside of the business of intelligence gathering and guerrilla tactics. They all see me as a leader/mother figure. I think they are even a little frightened of me." She leaned forward again, her face hovering a few inches from his, her hair spilling into his eyes, her body pressing his into the mattress. "You're not afraid of me, are you?"

"You mean, right now?" he squeaked, unable to control the sense of panic rising inside him. It did not help that the woman slightly resembled Schyler Anderson, a lieutenant who had served as his assistant when he was Avenger's chief engineer. He had always been very attracted to Schyler but, like always, found an excuse to not admit his true feelings. He was slightly afraid of women. They seemed to have some sort of intangible power over him that he felt helpless to control. As this one did.

"I had no one. Then you came along; a strong, handsome, intelligent man," she breathed. "And an alien. Probably the only one I'll ever hope to see. And that makes you extra special." She began kissing his cheek and neck and whispered, "I saw you looking at me. The way your eyes moved over me. Tell me how your people make love."

That was it. He sat up suddenly, throwing her off of him. She crashed onto the end of the bed with an "oof." I'm sorry," he said sternly. "I can't let this go any further." She was correct in that he had been admiring her form and was embarrassed that she had noticed. But he was a man of his principles. He had a job to do. He was going to do it, leave this world, and, with luck, never even hear its name mentioned again. The last thing he needed was to be caught in some love affair with a member of a primitive culture, a culture that had not yet even left the atmosphere of its world.

"Don't you find me attractive?" she asked, now sounding hurt. She hugged her knees to her chest.

"Yes, I do. But this... this is not my way. I barely even know you."

"So? What has that have to do with anything?"

"Two people have to know each other before they can be in love. And sex without love is empty. Hollow."

A large frown then crossed her face. She unballed herself and stood, anger obviously growing. "So? What does love matter? We are going on a mission tomorrow, one in which I may very well not come back from. I'd like to take one tender moment with me if I have to die." She raised her hands in frustration and disappointment. "But I'm sorry if that's too much for you to give me. Good night, Lucas West." She turned and stormed out.

Sighing, he slowly lay back down on his bed, replaced his phaser, and turned off the light. It was indeed a primitive culture. Just when he thought that sleep would not come, it did.

As the sun sank below the horizon, the eight Lectuals scrambled to gather their equipment. Each Hiromi was dressed in a camouflage of grays and carried with him or her a personal gauss weapon and an explosive charge in a small backpack. Kale and West each carried their phasers and tricorders. Kale also hefted the shuttlecraft parts while Lucas had the satchel of medical tools.

"Are we ready?" An asked. The Lectuals voiced their confirmation. Kale noticed Lucas was purposefully avoiding eye contact with An and she, likewise. He wondered what was going on between the two. "Let's move." She opened the manhole cover in the bathing room and they all proceeded to drop down into the foul-smelling sewers below.

Sludge bubbled around Kale's feet. He swore the stench was even worse than the last time.

An motioned for them to all be silent. They moved down the tunnels at a steady pace with An in the lead, Ty at the rear, and the off-worlders sandwiched in the middle. Laser sights from the gauss guns flickered and swayed through fog and vapor. The only sounds were muffled footsteps, splashing, and heavy breathing along with the gurgle of raw sewage.

The tunnels twisted and turned numerous times. Often An would stop at an intersection, glance both ways and then proceed down a seemingly random choice. She did this so often that Kale suspected she might not have known where she was going.

At the next intersection stop, he hurried up to her and cupped his hand over her ear. "We seem to be doubling back quite a bit," he whispered. "What is going on?"

"Predavore nests," she whispered back. "It's not considered to be smart to just waltz right through them." She pointed down a tunnel to the right and said, "Listen."

Kale strained his sense of hearing until he finally heard low grumbles and snorts coming from the dark. It made his skin crawl. He decided not to question her again, for the time being.

They moved on again, through the dank and darkness like underground trolls. Just when Kale was beginning to forget what sunlight looked like, An announced they had arrived.

They stood at the base of a utility ladder, not indifferent to the one that led to the Grand Library. Above was a sealed hatch. Ty grabbed hold of the rungs and scrambled up. He leaned his shoulders against the metal cover and pushed. He grunted and strained but it did not budge. "It's sealed," he muttered.

"Stand back," said Lucas, adjusting the beam setting and width on his hand phaser. Ty dropped back down as Lucas took aim and fired. A thin beam of intense, swirling golden light shot out from the tip accompanied by the familiar high-pitched whistle of projected nadions. It was almost music to Kale's ears. Lucas ran the beam around the edges of the hatch, causing the occasional spark to flare and brighten the tunnels. When he was finished, the edges of the cover glowed red for a few moments before rapidly cooling off. "Try it now," he said.

Ty went back up the ladder and pushed at the hatch. It moved easily. "Those little ray guns of yours are rather handy," Ty said. "You wouldn't happen to have some spares lying around would you?"

Lucas shook his head. "I'm sorry, but my government expressly forbids us from sharing technology with non-Federation members."

"Too bad."

"Enough talk," An hissed. "Up the ladder. Now!"

One by one they emerged in a brightly-lit utility corridor, similar to the one Lucas and Kale had barely managed to escape from earlier. An looked around, studying a map on a piece of transparent plastic. "This way," she decided and they followed her.

They were slow and methodical in their movements, carefully watching for surveillance cameras. When they found one, Lucas temporarily disabled it so they could slip by undetected, at least for the time being. Kale was aware that even the mind-numbed guards would begin to notice the pattern of camera failures and send someone to investigate.

They took the stairs up to the next floor. Kale opened the door and peeked through. Movement caught his eyes. Down the hall, over 30 guards shuffled about, exchanging in short dialogues and gripping their guns. He quietly closed the door and informed the group.

"We can't fight that many," said Lucas. "We're going to need to find another route."

"There is NO other route," An snapped. She looked at her brother. "Ty, did you bring the whistle?"

"'Whistle'? What's that?" asked Kale.

Ty held up a small box with blinking lights. "I rigged it together. It emits a sub-sonic pulse that draws predavores."

"Why would we want to get CLOSER to them?"

Lucas snapped his fingers. "We could use the predavores to fight for us. Good idea."

"We need a place to hide," said An, glancing around. Nearby was a supply closet. "In there. It'll be cramped but I think we can all fit. Ty, set it up."

As the group pushed themselves into the closet, Ty used some sort of adhesive to secure the whistle to the door, which he propped open. He then quickly joined the others.

An cracked the closet door only so slightly to let air get in, but it was still stifling hot and cramped. Kale was wedged in between several of the Lectuals and could not even move his arms to scratch his nose. Sweat trickled down his face, stinging his eyes with the salts of his body.

"Maybe they're not coming," Lucas said after several torturous minutes. "We are pretty far into the building."

"They will be here," said Ty. "Trust me and be patient. Predavore hearing is excellent."

It was difficult advice considering the circumstances.

Just when Kale was ready to force his way out again, he heard sniffing and shuffling outside. Several of the Lectuals held their breaths. Many large quadrupeds slinked past the doors, growling. Kale's eyes widened at the sight of them. They were larger than tigers with slick blue skin and a long tail that swished rapidly back and forth. They moved on powerful legs that ended in finger-length claws. Their snouts were long and filled with many razor-sharp teeth. Gold eyes on the sides of their heads flicked as they scanned the area.

For a moment, Kale imagined the teeth sinking in his throat, the claws ripping open his guts, spilling them out.

The pack leader paused by the door. It then barked loudly and ran past. Several similar forms followed.

There was another pause. Then came the screaming. Apparently vid-influenced zombies COULD feel pain. Kale heard the sounds of gauss gun fire, barking, and wet meat hitting the floor.

"Move!" An ordered.

They all burst forth from the closet. Cool air hit Kale's face. An bolted into the hall, followed by Kale. The guards were down near one end fighting for their lives. The gauss guns tore at the predavore's flesh but did not slow them down. Blood and bodies were everywhere. The predavores did quick work.

"This way," ordered An, leading them in the opposite direction.

"This is going horribly wrong," said Lucas, his face pale with a look of disgust on his face. "Those men are being shredded."

"It's them or us, off-worlder," said An.

They jogged down more plain corridors as Lucas muttered under his breath.

They came to a cross-corridor. Two guards stood next to a door around the corner. "The Tower's main load-bearing strut is in that room," said An. "Can your weapons take care of those guards without killing them?"

"In fact, they can," said Kale, adjusting his phaser to wide beam, medium stun. He pointed it around the corner and fired blind. He then looked around it, pleased to see the two guards in a heap on the floor.

"We will set the charges," said An. "Ty, Io. Take the off-worlders to their shuttle. Help them if they need it."

Ty nodded then turned to the officers. "Shall we?"

The shuttle was parked in a large laboratory that the four men reached without incident. The far wall was a large sealed hatch that Kale assumed led to the exterior. It struck Kale as odd to leave such an important area unguarded but he did not think much of it.

"Fifteen minutes," said Ty as he and Io stood watch at the door. Lucas broke open the equipment sacks and got to work.

"Does anyone else hear that?" Kale asked. A high whistle, like some sort of generator starting up tingled in his eardrums.

"Hear what?" Lucas asked, not looking up as he installed replacement parts into the nacelles. He grumbled something about low-tech metallurgists.

Suddenly, a thin beam of red light shot out of a fixture in the ceiling, striking Io directly in the chest. It then quickly shut off. There was a smoking hole where Io's hearts used to be. He collapsed to the floor.

"Laser defense system!" Ty screamed running toward them.

"Under here! The hull should protect us!" Lucas scrambled for cover underneath the shuttle, between the nacelles. Kale and Ty dove in after him, just as a sweeping beam of light connected with Kale's boot, causing it to smoke and burn. He slapped the rubber with the palm of his hand.

"I knew NWCT was advancing its weapons research but I did not think they were THAT advanced," panted Ty.

"What was that?" Kale demanded.

"An automated focused laser mounted to a track on the ceiling. It senses motion and opens fire upon it."

Kale thought for a moment. "Sounds like a pretty easy system to fool. I'll take care of it." He rolled out from under the shuttle and then stopped. The laser cannon whirled around as it gaged his position. Lying on his back, he then threw a small piece of metal from his hand. The cannon turned and as it fired on the metal scrap, Kale drew his phaser and fired like a quick-draw cowboy. The cannon was vaporized into ionized particles.

"Ten minutes," said Ty. "Better work fast." He scrambled over to watch the door again.

"Kale, give me a hand here," Lucas ordered. Kale assisted where he could, handing the commander pieces as he asked for them and holding them in place as Lucas soldered them in. It was slow work, replacing the damaged power converter elements. Lucas commented that he was going to have a long chat with the shuttle maintenance crew when they got back to the Avenger.

"Oh, by the good spirits, An!" cried Ty. Lucas did not look up from his work but Kale did. Ty held onto his sister, keeping her from falling on the floor. She was a bloody mess. She was holding onto her shoulder as blood seeped through her hand and dribbled down her arm. "I'm the only one left," she panted. "But we got the charges locked down before the guards could get in. They will never get the explosives out before they go off." She blinked. Her face was very pale. "We fought like... predavores." She focused on the shuttle. Lucas was still working on attaching the final components. With her damaged arm she slowly raised her gauss gun. "We will be taking that spaceship... of yours," she said.

Kale sucked his breath through his teeth and slowly stood, reaching again for the phaser at his side.

"Don't move, Rataan," she said. "I would hate to have to shoot you."

"What's she doing?" Lucas asked, refusing to look up from his work. Every second counted.

"I think we were just double-crossed," said Kale, hand hovering over his weapon.

"What are you, An?" cried Ty. "Put the gun down and let's get out of here!"

"No, Brother. With that vessel, we can rid the scourge of NWCT's forces of darkness once and for all." Hatred, pure and raging, burned like hot phosphorus behind her eyes. "Avenge our family's death."

"We can't let you have the shuttle, An," said Kale.

"We made a deal with these people," said Ty. "Ever since I was little and you took care of me, you have said that our word is the only one true thing a person can give another."

"Times change," she grunted. "Now," she tightened her grip on the trigger. "Move away."

"Take care of her, Lieutenant," said Lucas, light from the soldering iron reflecting on his face. "Our time here is almost up."

Kale snorted. Why was it that command-level officers thought that they could just give an order and that order would be magically fulfilled? Then he had an idea. "An," he said softly. "Do you consider us, Lucas and I, to be an advanced people?"

An eyed him wearily. "I suppose. In some respects."

"Do you consider the Lectuals to be advanced?"

"Yes."

"Our people, the citizens of the Federation, do not believe in the act of revenge. We have a higher sensibility." Actually, Kale could remember times during his life when that ideal had been broken but he saw no reason to tell HER that. "You, as a Lectual and an advanced being must feel the same way. Or you have been simply fooling yourselves into thinking you were further developed morally than your enemies." He gave her his most gentle look. "I saw all the books in the Great Library. I saw how the Lectuals looked upon them with wonderment and awe. That is NOT the behavior of revenge-minded people."

There were several long moments of An not moving while Kale sweated, hoping he had succeeded.

Finally, she said, "Fine." She lowered the gun. "Go." She looked at her brother. "Take me home, Ty."

As they were walking out the door, Lucas called over his shoulder. "Good luck to you, An. And to your revolution."

They paused. An nodded. "Thank you, Lucas West. I will always remember you." They departed and Kale never saw them again.

"Got it!" Lucas said finally as Kale opened the shuttle's aft hatch. "Start it up, Kale, and let's get out of here!"

"Beginning pre-flight sequence-"

"There's no time!" Lucas shouted running up the ramp. "Those explosive charges are going to go off any second! Bring the engines to full power!"

Kale gritted his teeth as he said, "Aye, sir." Ramping the power core's output to full after a cold shutdown was very dangerous but there was no other choice. Suddenly there was a series of loud "thuds".

"Firing phasers at that hatch! Get us out of here!" ordered Lucas.

Zi was enjoying a fine vintage fruit alcohol when a shower of metallic beams and concrete came crashing through the artificial sunlight roof and smashed him into unrecognizable jelly.

Neither Lucas nor Kale looked back as the Francis Crick climbed out of the planet's atmosphere and glided into the silent vacuum of space. They had barely made it out of the Tower when a massive support column had collapsed in the spot the shuttle had occupied only seconds previous.

As the shuttle cleared the star system, there came a melodious beeping from the control panels. "Sir, we're being hailed," said Kale. "It's the Avenger."

"Open a channel," said Lucas.

"Avenger to Francis Crick." The tenor voice of Captain Brower resonated over the speaker system. "Come in please."

Lucas said, "This is West, Captain."

"Commander West! Is Lieutenant Rataan with you?"

"Yes, sir."

"Thank God!" The young captain obviously felt no hesitation in holding back his emotions on the open communications channel. "The authorities on Beltane IX contacted us when you failed to arrive and we have been searching for you two for several days now. Our sensors finally picked up your weak warp particle trail and we followed it to this system."

"We have... quite a bit to tell, sir," said Lucas. "Not all of it is good."

"I'm sure it can wait until you are safely back aboard, Commander. I'm just glad to know you are both all right. We will be waiting. Avenger out."

Kale looked at Lucas. "No doubt there is going to be a formal inquiry into our actions, sir."

"No doubt, Kale. But something tells me the captain will probably understand and may even help us put a case together. At least I hope he will." He leaned back in his chair. He was ready for whatever came. "Take us home."