Path: inforamp.net!winternet.com!hookup!newsfeed.internetmci.com!howland.reston.ans.net!nntp.coast.net!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!bunyip.cc.uq.oz.au!munnari.OZ.AU!metro!metro!wabbit.its.uow.edu.au!wabbit.its.uow.edu.au!not-for-mail From: GReNDeL Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative Subject: [fanfic] Bit o lore (1/1) Date: 25 Mar 1996 19:10:31 +1100 Organization: University of Wollongong, NSW, Australia. Lines: 244 Sender: llm01@wumpus.its.uow.edu.au Message-ID: <4j5kdn$cvp@wumpus.its.uow.edu.au> NNTP-Posting-Host: wumpus.its.uow.edu.au Summary: fanfic Keywords: lore X-Newsreader: NN version 6.5.0 #5 Status: N Ok, a friend asked me to post this. Reply to his email (if its in, or me, I'll bounce it over. Lets go shall we ^_^ *************************** Star Trek was invented by a man with a vision This story was written by a man without conscience Star Trek and Star Trek the Next Generation is Copyright bla bla bla. I don't own anything except my own chemically-imbalanced brain. A BIT OF LORE by Ian Taylor The two exhausted ensigns walked slowly down the corridor towards the sleeping quarters. Around them was the usual bustle of a standard shift change and other bleary eyed starfleet personnel trudging back to their own bunks. "_Fifty_six_hours!_" yawned Ensign McDonnel, almost having to justify the absurdity of his statement to the world. Ensign Sheldon just nodded in agreement. The pair had been on red alert in the engineering section due to the Enterprise encountering a Borg ship. "Did you hear anything about the Captain being captured?" asked McDonnel "No, nothing." answered Sheldon. "I think he beamed down to that planet we found, though" "You know what I heard? I heard that we managed to capture the Borg commander, and it turned out to be that 'Hugh' guy we captured last year and sent back!" "Yeah?" McDonnel lowered his voice. "Yeah. I heard that it was using Federation command techniques it got from talking to La Forge." "No! Not La Forge!" "It's true!" whispered McDonnel harshly. "Why do you think we've been dismissed from engineering? They're dismantling the Borg commander as we speak, but they don't want us to know that it's him." "Why?" "Now that's what I'd like to know!" The conversation ended just as McDonnel and Sheldon reached their bunks. "I'll see you next shift" said McDonnel. Sheldon nodded in agreement. After their first decent rest, Sheldon and McDonnel met again in the engineering section. "So what's happening today?" asked McDonnel, yawning. Sheldon shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing exciting. We're docked at Eastman Starport for emergency repairs, but that's it." McDonnel rolled his eyes skyward. "More work! Who're the idiots they'll get to do most of the repairs? Us, I'll bet!" Sheldon nodded in agreement before something shiny got his attention. He kneeled down to pick it up but before he could examine it, in walked Geordie La Forge. "Sir!" barked McDonnel, snapping to attention. Sheldon also snapped to attention but not before concealing his find in his pocket. "Easy guys!" said La Forge in a calming tone. "We won't be needing either of you today on the Enterprise, but I promised Commander Stewart at Eastman that we'd try and fix their transporters. You guys are experienced at transporter malfunctions, so you'll need to take a shuttlecraft over to the station, because the Enterprise's own transporters are being overhauled." "Yes, Sir!" the ensigns echoed in unison. "I've cleared you to take the Boy of Air over to the station. Whenever you're ready." With that, La Forge turned and left the room. McDonnel and Sheldon glanced at each other, picked up their engineering kits and left the room towards the shuttle bay. "Another damned repair mission!" bellowed McDonnel as he sat down heavily in the pilot's chair. Sheldon just nodded in agreement. After completing safety checks and rudimentary take off procedures, Sheldon reached into his pocket and pulled out his prize. "What's that?" queried McDonnel. "I'm not sure" shrugged Sheldon. "It seems to be some kind of component chip, but I've no idea what from!" "Never seen anything like it." agreed McDonnel before turning his attention to the communications channel. "This is Ensign Andrew McDonnel of the Boy of Air requesting clearance to depart the Enterprise." The bland voice of the duty communications officer shot back. "Boy of Air, you are cleared to depart." "Thank you!" pipped McDonnel as he rudely cut the link and jammed his finger onto the impulse acceleration key. The Boy of Air shot out of the shuttlebay at three-quarter impulse, causing all of the doors to close as emergency loss-of-atmosphere controls kicked in. "Whoa!" exclaimed Sheldon as he examined the rear monitor and saw the Enterprise dwindling slowly in the distance. "Now, where exactly was this Eastman Starport?" queried McDonnel. "Uh, it was sort of wrapped around the Enterprise! Remember that we were docked! I think you flew through the space doors as well." "Lucky they were open, then." mused McDonnel as he slowly turned the Boy of Air around. "So" he chirped, changing the subject, "Let's have a look at what you found." Sheldon opened his engineering kit and picked up the strange chip. A few hours later, the communication link jumped into life. "This is Eastman Control to Federation shuttlecraft Boy of Air." McDonnel grabbed the comm switch. "This is Boy of Air. What the hell are you doing, Eastman?" "Full apologies, Boy of Air. We have a situation here concerning the Ferengi Grand Nagus. He's insisting that no ships may dock until he's finished unloading his supply of gold pressed latinum. Again, apologies for the delay." "Damn!" shouted McDonnel. "Eastman, we've been orbiting for six hours! If we can just get aboard we can fix your transporters in fifteen minutes!" "We'll keep that in mind, Boy of Air. Eastman Control out." The communications link severed as McDonnel turned towards Sheldon. Sheldon was still busy running tests on the mysterious chip. "Anything?" asked McDonnel in a raspy voice, still hoarse from yelling at Eastman Control for six hours. Sheldon looked up. "Actually, yes. I think that this chip is the same as the intelligence module for most small craft, like this shuttlecraft." McDonnel cocked one eyebrow. "Do you think we should try it out?" Sheldon nodded in agreement. Desperate for anything to relieve the boredom, McDonnel and Sheldon opened the engineering access panel and removed the artificial intelligence module from the Boy of Air. Sheldon held the new chip up to the light before inserting it into the now em pty component slot. Almost immediately the lights on the shuttlecraft dimmed and the Boy of Air juddered to a start as the impulse engines sprang to life. McDonnel and Sheldon gaped at each other in surprise as they broke orbit with Eastman and started back towards the Enterprise. McDonnel punched the comm switch. "Enterprise! This is Boy of Air! We're experiencing involuntary movement! Are you using the tractor beam?" "Negative, Boy of Air." came the reply. "Sensors show that your impulse engines are currently in use. Are you in control?" "Negative, Enterprise!" said McDonnel as the shuttlecraft picked up speed. "Can you help us?" "Very well, Boy of Air. Attempting to lock on with tractor beam." McDonnel and Sheldon looked at each other as the shuttlecraft lurched to a halt. The impulse engines, however did not go off, and started to make a high-pitched whine while they laboured against the tractor beam. McDonnel again punched the comm switch. "Enterprise! Can you beam us out of here?" "Affirmative! Stand by to be beamed aboard!" The Boy of Air started to shake violently as the impulse engines strained to break the tractor beam. McDonnel and Sheldon stood in silent prayer in the centre of the shuttlecraft, and they breathed a heavy sigh of relief as the Enterprise's transpor ter effect shimmered around them. The transporter room was the next sight that greeted the engineer's eyes. Ensign Chambers, who was operating the transporter at the time opened his mouth to question the engineers about any potential injuries when a wailing klaxon cut rudely cut him off. "RED ALERT! RED ALERT! All hands brace for impact!" came the warning from the Communications Officer. A split second later the Enterprise rocked violently as the now-familiar sound of an exploding photon torpedo echoed throughout the starship. A second explosion was felt, but this one was more distant. "Bridge to transporter room!" came the voice of Commander Riker through Chambers' comm badge. "Transporter room, Sir!" answered Chambers. "The Boy of Air has just exploded. Did you manage to get the crew off safely?" "Yes, Sir! They're alive and well." "Good! Have them report to me on the bridge. Riker out." Just then, La Forge entered the room. "Thank God you guys made it out okay! I was a little worried when the Boy of Air exploded. How are you feeling?" "Uh, fine Sir!' answered McDonnel. Sheldon nodded in agreement. The two walked out on their way to the bridge when La Forge noticed the component chip from the Boy of Air that Sheldon was still holding. "Say, what's that guys?" Sheldon held it up. "Er, I found it in the engineering section during your briefing this morning, Sir!" stammered Sheldon. La Forge took it and examined it closely. "Thanks, Sheldon. I did wonder where this had gotten to. You guys had better get up to the bridge, though." McDonnel and Sheldon quickly left the room. "Damn! I thought that Riker was going to roast us alive." exclaimed McDonnel. "Yeah!" agreed Sheldon, nodding in agreement. "I wonder why the Boy of Air went crazy?" "It must have been something to do with that new chip we implanted. Somehow it made the impulse engines go nuts!" "And then it started firing _photon_torpedoes?_" "Lucky the chip was destroyed when Enterprise blew up the Boy of Air, but what was the chip you gave La Forge?" asked McDonnel quizically. Sheldon just gave him a sheepish grin. The two stood at the turbolift entrance on the bridge after their debriefing with Commander Riker. The turbolift doors sprang open, interrupting their conversation, and there stood La Forge. The engineers stepped in as La Forge stepped out and the turbolift sped off, taking McDonnel and Sheldon back to engineering. La Forge strode over to the Commander. Riker broke into a cheesy grin and spoke. "Geordi? Any word on that emotion missing chip?" "Yes, Sir. Ensign Sheldon found it, and I've been running tests for the last twenty minutes. It appears to be exactly the same as Federation artificial intelligence technology." Riker cocked one eyebrow. "I always assumed that Lore was more advanced than our own technology. I guess there's nothing else that we can learn from dismantling him. You'd better dispose of the components we recovered." "ALL of them?" queried La Forge. "I think Data wanted to keep the emotion chip as a souvenir." Riker nodded in agreement. **** Author's Notes **** I wonder exactly why the Enterprise has the best of everything. It's got the best Security officer (the only Klingon in Starfleet), the best Counsellor, the best barmaid (with reality-altering power), the best Engineer (who spent his first two years on board the Enterprise steering the ship), the best doctor (apart from Julian Bashir, because a man with his social skills has got to be brilliant at something!), the best first officer (who could command his own starship tomorrow), AND the best captain! (baldly going.....) So why not have a couple of sub-standard ensigns? I mean you throw in two boneheads I coughed up when I was watching a Penn & Teller special (the resemblance is there), a chip from the most evil android to permeate the extra-fluffy interiors of the Federation, a spaceport with Ferengi in it and a complete misunderstanding, and wackiness ensues! Don't get me wrong. I like Star Trek, really I do. It's the only genre I know that makes me laugh to myself about it's own corniness, but keeps me glued to the set for next week's show. Now I've established my own fan status, so don't flame me please! (constructive criticism is always welcome!) hawkeye0@ozemail.com.au **************** Any wierd spaces in the middle of a word were caused by going from dos -> unix and through several types of compression :P Luke -- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Luke "Grendel" Mason | |\/ \/| |\/ \/| llm01@uow.edu.au | -->.<-- VIVAT GRENDEL!! -->.<-- grendel@rabble.uow.edu.au | \ / \ /