From: "Melvin Pollack" <pollack@enews1.nrl.navy.mil>
Date: Wed, 25 Jun 1997 09:40:03 -0400
Subject: USS CHESAPEAKE: Last Minute Arraingements
[OPS log, Stardate 90625.0830. We are almost finished the preparations for the
mission, and are looking forward to a relatively easy mission. What I mean is
that only half of the crew will be shot at this time....]
MD 9.0115
Scene: Jeffries Tube
Tats - Marush had finally spotted the rat again, and this time it was
staring at her. She smiled; this rat would be easy to catch. In the back of
her mind, however, she wondered why the rat had stopped moving. She also
wondered how she would capture and carry it. (NRPG: I'm guessing that nets
and rat traps aren't standard Starfleet issue designed to be carried next to
the phaser.) She drew her phaser, leaving it set for stun, and happened to
glance down at the tricorder.
Suddenly, she realized that there was a form running toward her.
Glancing behind, she felt a heavy object jump on her back, biting her before
it landed. Rattus Astrus Supremus, she guessed.
Instinctively, she jerked upright and rolled, knocking the newcomer
off. As she trained her phaser at the second rat, the first one bit her on the
hand, causing her to drop the phaser. Shrieking in pain, she slammed her hand
against the wall, smearing blood and rat hair as the first rat let go. Then
she turned to look for her phaser.
The larger rat was eating it. After finishing enough of the wires to
render the weapon permanently inoperative, he turned to the Counsellor and
hissed. While Marush knew it was impossible, she could have sworn the rat had
an evil grin on its face.
Then both rats attacked at once.
Kicking the first rat off, she wished she was stronger. She needed a
weapon now, and she - the tricorder. Knocking the second rat off, she dove for
the tricorder. She grabbed it, watching the first rat attack out of the corner
of her eye. She waited until the rat was in midair, and then she swung as hard
as she could, catching the rat full in the face. Using her momentum, she
slammed the objects into the wall, listening to the sound of crushed bone and
electrocuted skin. Finally, she let go and watched as the dead rat slid to the
floor.
Quickly turning around, she spotted the second rat shrieking in anger.
She winced as it jumped at her throat and exploded.
Opening her eyes, she realized that there was another officer in the
corridor, his phaser drawn. "Will you come with me, please?" he asked.
Scene: th'Tellan's office
MD 9.0800
Tats - Marush remembered how it had bothered her that th'Tellan usually
kept to either a full Vulcan attitude or a flirtatious "man of evil" attitude.
She would have given anything for one of those attitudes right now. th'Tellan
looked like he was trying to decide if he should laugh, cry, or just strangle
her and be done with it.
"What were you thinking? You just took of after a space rat with no
preparation at all? Did you intend to stuff it, or just mount its head on the
wall?"
The counsellor played with the bandages on her arm. "I don't
understand why you're so upset."
"You mean, besides the fact that a fellow officer got eaten? Besides
the fact that a repair crew has been dispatched to fix the Jeffries tube you
destroyed? How about the fact that an animal loose in the ship can be stopped
with a combination of force fields, internal sensors, and nerve gas? Or the
fact that we can't use these techniques as long as a brainless officer, who
shall remain nameless, is running around after it?"
th'Tellan began to calm down, his Vulcan side returning. "Look, just
tell me why you ran after it and we'll forget the whole thing."
[Insert explanation here.]
The Counsellor studied th'Tellan further. "Is there anything else
bothering you."
"No, it's just that...." th'Tellan sighed. "No, I'm all right. Just
a little stressed, I suppose. It's been a rough couple of days."
[Stavay's continuation begins here.]
Scene: th'Tellan's office
MD 12.0930
th'Tellan allowed himself to relax. He thought the day would never
come, but everything on the ship seemed to be running smoothly, and all the
paperwork had been completed.
th'Tellan stood as a young Ensign walked through the door. "Ensign
Mellissa Robinson, Sensor Division, reporting for duty."
"Yes, Ensign. We need you to coordinate with Science and Security on
sensor sweeps. You also need to work with Engineering, so I'm placing Smith in
charge. How are the sensors doing at this point?"
"Well, we were worried when the ion storm...."
"Ion storm?"
"Yeah, we went through a small ion storm that night that nobody was
flying the ship. Drove a lot of small systems wild: sensors, universal
translators, things like that. Don't worry, we've checked through everything,
and there isn't any permanent damage or bizarre behavior. The sensors are
woking perfectly, and we should be ready for any sweeps."
"Good, I'll leave it to your discretion. Dismissed."
"Oh, sir. I was wondering if you'd care to join our inventors meeting.
We have a meeting tonight, where we'll discuss thethings we've been tinkering
with. It should be fun. For instance, I've been working on a couple of mobile
robots that actually have their positronic brains in the main computer, they
get instructions by simple radio communications, and...."
"If I have the time, maybe I'll show up."
"Thank you, sir."
NRPG:
James: We're all set. Sorry if I ruined your mousecapades, though. Next
time, leave the vermin to us.
Submitted by ....
Melvin Pollack
Lt Cmdr Avikar th'Tellan
OPS USS Chesapeake
mpollack@wam.umd.edu
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