A TANGLED WEB Part 2: IS THIS YOUR CORUSCANT?
Chapter 1
By Charlie Nelson
Disclaimer:I do not own any of the characters written in this story. All major characters are owned by rich corporations and I am just borrowing them. Also, I am making no money by writing this story. I write this for the fun of it as well as to better my creative instinct and grammatical skills.
Classification: Crossover
I think I should explain that part of what I am trying to do with this story is to mix as many storylines together as possible and still make it interesting and true to the characters. The challenge to myself is to effectively blend some old sci-fi with some new sci-fi shows.
This story will include many crossovers starting with Doctor Who, Sliders and Star Trek. Star Trek will always be the main contributor in these stories. This part of the series will include Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Six Million-Dollar Man, The Bionic Woman, Star Wars and The Greatest American Hero. If anyone is unfamiliar with these shows, I recommend that they look them up on the Internet. It will help, and the information is out there on them.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: One girl in every generation is endowed in the skill and strength to fight vampires and other creatures of darkness, currently this trust has fallen onto Buffy. Xander is her friend, ally and quite often the comic relief. Spike is a rather nasty vampire who currently is unable to harm anyone without causing himself severe pain thanks to a computer chip the military implanted in his brain.
The Six Million Dollar Man & The Bionic Woman: Col. Steve Austin, an astronaut (not the wrestler), crashed. The government took what remained of Austin's living body and attached experimental cybernetic legs, right arm and eye. Austin became the government's first cyborg secret agent. A few years later Steve's childhood love, Jamie Sommers, had a bad parachute accident. With some coaxing, Jamie had received a similar treatment with replacement legs, right arm and an ear. Years later the two agents finally became married.
The Greatest American Hero: Ultra-conservative FBI agent Bill Maxwell and Super-liberal school teacher Ralph Hinkley have a close encounter with a UFO in 1981. Aliens with Earth's best interest at heart give Hinkley a red suit that would endow him with super powers when worn and instruct Maxwell to be his guiding partner. Unfortunately, Ralph lost the instructions for the suit before he read them. Putting their differences aside they use the powers of the suit to secretly help when nothing else seems to work.
Star Wars: Everybody knows Star Wars. For this story I am not using any of the characters, with the exception of a few dozen miscellaneous Stormtroopers, and the planet Coruscant, the main political planet in the Star Wars universe, as the main location for the Borg incursion.
Side note: This is a reposting of my first series which was about 17 years ago. I'm cleaning up most of my error and adding a little. I am mostly leaving the story as it had originally written. Love the reviews. Keep them coming.
Warning: There will be some character deaths.
A TANGLED WEB Part 2: WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE ON YOUR CORUSCANT?
By Charlie Nelson
Quark's Bar
Deep Space Nine
Currently orbiting Earth
A large reddish energy ball filled with hundreds of small white balls filled the space before him. He watched as the smaller white balls randomly moved in and out of his view while they twirled around as if being blown by an unseen wind. "What is this for?" asked Q.
"Don't worry so. All you have to do here is just reach in and grab one of the white balls."
"Why?"
Q2 just continued as if Q hadn't even said anything. "Each ball represents an alternate Earth, or planet that is in that general location in another universe, that has been successfully trespassed by the Borg." Seeing the questioning looks amongst the audience Q2 added a side note. "There were a few unsuccessful attempts which were basically due to landing in volcanoes, leaping into nuclear wars, having a planet-destroying asteroid vaporizing them before they landed or after. Yadda, yadda, and yadda."
For Q, the world around him seem to slow as he watched the balls float around. Finally, he turned to Q2. "I can't tell anything about them."
"I know. That's how this is supposed to work. Your powers cannot distinguish between them. It's a random selection. A lottery. Now pick one."
Q sighed and everyone in the audience held their breath. Finally, Q just thrust his arm into the red sphere and grabbed one of the white balls. Pulling out the little ball, he examined it more closely, but still could not see how it was any different than the other balls still in the energy sphere.
"I'll take that," said Q2 as he took the ball away from Q. Upon looking at it a little closer, Q2 chuckled. "I'd move fast on this one, Q. This particular alternate world is one the Borg would consider a delicacy. Very advanced. Lots of technology they have never seen before. Plenty of new alien lifeforms, too."
"Well, do I get to see it?" Q snapped snidely.
"But of course," Q2 replied as he tossed the little white ball into the large red energy sphere. Almost immediately the energy sphere lost its red coloring and took on the likeness of the planet the little white ball had represented. "Behold, Coruscant. A planet covered completely by one towering city. The city, by the way, is used to govern thousands of the planets in its Galaxy."
Q just shook his head. "And now what do I do?" He was feeling anxious, and that was not something he was used to.
"Now you pick your three team players here in this universe, each must be associated with one of the groups you recruited. Only then can you head out to one of the available universes to select other operatives. The time periods will be restricted, too."
"Great," said Q with great sarcasm. "More restrictions."
"Rom volunteers!" came a voice from the upper walkway of the bar.
"Brother!" squeaked a shrill voice.
"Quark, don't you dare!" called out an outraged woman.
Looking up at the walkway, Q could see the Ferengi known as Quark pushing his brother, Rom, forward while a young Bajoran woman was trying to pull Rom back. With a wave of his hands, Q teleported the three of them in a flash of light to right in front of the bar.
"Quark!" Captain Sisko's deep voice carried his displeasure at having the Ferengi stir up trouble.
"Just a minute, captain." Turning to Q, Quark swallowed his fears and immediately began his sales pitch. "Rom would be perfect for this. He is used to working with wide variety of complex machinery. Federation technology. Ferengi technology. Cardassian technology. Dominion technology. Most of the time he's just wasting time trying to figure out how to make the different parts work together. It's what he does best, and he is also fast at it. And let's face it, this place you're talking about sounds pretty advanced, and will have lots of complex things that will need figuring out."
"No!" pleaded the Bajoran woman. "You're not taking my husband away! I just got him!"
Rom pulled his wife into a hug. "Leeta. Leeta. Quark's right. His intentions are way off," he murmured as he uncharacteristically cast his brother a look of rebuke, "but I probably am one of the most qualified when dealing with unknown technology." Stepping away from his wife he turned to Q. "I volunteer, your Q-ness."
Q looked him up and down. This was not the typical Ferengi. "This isn't exactly a volunteer operation at this point."
"Oh," was all Rom could say feeling very relieved.
"But this time I will accept."
"Oh," was all Rom could come up with again.
"Come on, Rom," piped Quark happily, "let's get all the tools you think you'll need."
"Oh, Quark?"
"Huh?" Quark turned to find Q2 right in front of him.
"I realize the concern you must have for your brother just now, so I have come to the conclusion that I will send you along with him to watch out for him." Q2 smiled. "After all, that is what big brothers are for, right?"
"Huh?" Quark had the Ferengi-watching-profits-go-down-the-drain look plastered on his face.
Q2 turned back to Q. "Next?"
Q frowned. "I hate to use him so early, but considering the technology and danger on Coruscant, I had better. I choose Data."
Data, now selected, quickly stood up and walked over by Quark, Rom and Leeta. As the rest were being chosen, Data whispered to Rom reminding him and Leeta that they should go gather whatever tools Rom thought he might need quickly. By the time they returned, Q and Q2 had also chosen Dr. Pulaski, who had been a physician on the Enterprise for a short while, as well as Tuvok and Ensign Vorik, the two Vulcans from Voyager.
"Well, let's get this show on the road, shall we?" spoke an eager Q2.
"It's about time," complained Q.
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Coruscant
Coruscant, seat of power for the Galactic Empire and residence of the Emperor himself. The planet itself, covered almost completely in duracrete and plasteel, was one never-ending skyline of buildings, where the wealthy and powerful lived on the uppermost levels, forcing the less fortunate and the mediocre to live below, as if to remind them physically of their place in society. Vagrants and impoverished lived further down still, along with the criminals that preyed on them. This was the lowest Captain Tsai had ever been in imperial city-until today.
About a standard hour ago, an Imperial monitoring station picked up some unusual activity. It was large, energy-based, and powerful. It was all the station engineers could figure out. Fearing a rebel incursion in the lower levels of the massive buildings that cover the planet, Captain Tsai had been ordered to take his squad and investigate. Then he was told how far down to almost the bedrock level. Well below were even hardened criminals, and Stormtroopers, fear to go. Tsai had heard the rumors: de-evolved human cannibals, flesh-eating moss, discarded alien pets that turn feral to survive, escaped science experiments gone horribly wrong and all sorts of other things to look forward to.
The Empire almost never sent troops this far down, but after it was discovered that the Millennium Falcon had snuck into the capitol, dissolved the crime syndicate known as Black Sun by destroying the building of its leader, Prince Xisor, and escaped about three months ago, the Emperor Palpatine had instituted several 'policy reforms'. Captain Tsai and his squad had carried out several 'reforms' on lax officers.
As the turbolift slowed, Tsai brought his attention back to the present. As his men filled out, Tsai noticed that they immediately assumed defensive positions, expecting attack from all sides. They must've heard the rumors too. "Specialist, do you have a bearing?" asked Tsai.
"Yes sir. About twenty meters that way," responded the trooper as he pointed in the appropriate direction.
"Good. Squad, move out."
Tsai was glad for his helmet filter. Seeing the huge piles of garbage, the dank water, and the general decay made Tsai think how horrid this place must smell.
The specialist at the front of the formation held up a fist. The squad came to a halt. "Movement. Twelve meters ahead, to the right."
"Flanking positions. Sergeant, rear guard."
Tsai stepped around the corner; he saw two cyborgs, dressed all in black, tearing various components out of a wall and off of an old street sweeper droid. "You there, what is your business here?" Tsai demanded.
When he got no response from either cyborg, Tsai made a choice. "Clayst, stun one of them. We can take him back for interrogation."
The trooper switched his weapon to stun and fired. The cyborg dropped like a rock. The other cyborg, however, looked at his fallen comrade, scanning it with a red laser near his right eye, and then turned his attention to the Stormtroopers.
"Movement detected!" shouted the specialist. "At least ten, we're practically surrounded and they're closing!"
"Defensive positions!" shouted Tsai.
It was only then that the cyborg and similarly designed creatures coming out of the shadows spoke as one saying "We are the Borg. Lower your weapons and prepare to be assimilated. Resistance is futile."
Tsai's only response was, "Fire!" He determined to take them down, then check for survivors who they would obtain information from.
The Stormtroopers never had a chance. They managed to kill two or three drones before they adapted. With no other options, the Stormtroopers kept firing, thinking the personal shields of the cyborgs would weaken and fail, not realizing that their weapons would remain useless while using the same energy output frequency. The Borg drone closed to arm's reach and began to infect their victims with Borg nanites by injection.
Captain Tsai managed to pull out his vibroknife and stab one drone in the neck. For a moment, as the drone fell to the floor, he had hope of surviving; but then felt two pinpricks on the back of his neck. The last thing Tsai realized was that resistance really had been futile.
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TARDIS
"You look quite refreshed," commented the Doctor as he paged through a book entitled '500 Year Diary' which he had dug out of one of the many cabinets in the TARDIS.
"Yes, this little girl named Naomi showed me something called a sonic shower. It was invigorating, but had an annoying humming sound to it," his female companion commented while combing her hair.
"Well, it evidently worked fine."
"Whatever do you mean?" asked Leela.
The Doctor shrugged off her question, not daring to comment on her personal hygiene habits, which were not that bad considering the barbarous upbringing she had. "Not now, Leela. I'm busy."
Leela had seen the Doctor like this many times so she just ignored him. "What are you doing?"
The Doctor sighed. "Research. Now plea-" The Doctor's eyes widened as he read on. "Oh, this should do the trick!" Having said this, he put the book down and rushed over to the console. "Here we go again, Leela. Back to Earth."
"Again with this Earth place. What is this fascination you have with it?"
The Doctor smiled. "Oh, it's not that bad of a place. Besides, everyone needs a hobby to focus their energies on. And this particular planet just seems to call to me."
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Residents of Rupert Giles
Sunnydale, CA
"Let me get this straight. Robot zombie aliens with a bee hive personality are going around from planet to planet putting mechanical parts in people, thus making them a part of their cultic mentality. And now they have gained the ability to go to alternate worlds because of something you did; however, you need someone else, like me, to fix it." The blonde girl shook her head in wonder. "I need a new job. This one just keeps getting weirder."
The slender redhead quickly corrected the blonde. "They're not a cult, Buffy. He said they had a collective mind. Like a hungry mind sponge soaking up other peoples' intellect and being. Then adding recycled parts and alien technology to the bodies to make them more formidable."
Xander took the donut he had been eating and set it down on the side table. "Goodbye appetite," he muttered sadly.
"I've already explained all that to you," complained Q.
"Well, what about this 'wish' thing?" asked Buffy.
"Careful with that," added Anya. Buffy nodded in acknowledgment to the former vengeance demon. Anya's centuries of experience with granting wishes gone bad could actually be helpful here.
"What do you want? I'll tell you if I'm allowed to do it." Q found this all so humiliating. Having to use his powers to barter for the help of these humans that most likely wouldn't be able to help him anyway. Still he had to try. And this group may actually be able to clear the way for the Starfleet team, some of who have had some experience with the Borg.
Buffy looked down at her Watcher and mentor asleep on the couch, struck down with the flu. She wished he was awake so that he could help her figure this whole thing out, but for now he was just a lump on the couch. "How about curing the Earth of all disease?"
"I can do that-"
"No!" shouted Anya, violently shaking her head.
"-but it would not be a very good thing in the long run," continued Q, rolling his eyes.
"How about ridding the Earth of all the demons and vampires?"
"That would be enforcing my will on others. Sorry. Not allowed."
Xander laughed, but then thought better of it and stopped. "Oh! I had a thought!"
"That would be a first," commented the blonde man in leather sipping something red from a coffee cup.
"Back off, grandson of Deadboy!" growled Xander, sending the vampire a scornful look.
"Oh!" Buffy frowned and slugged Xander's shoulder.
"Sorry, Buff. Slip of the tongue," Xander apologized. Then he grabbed his shoulder as the pain set in. "And Oww!"
"No, not that, but thanks for reminding me." Turning to Q she quickly made her wish known. "Can you cure vampirism in a person? Take the demon out of the man, leave the man alive, but perhaps still let him have the vampire powers of strength, healing, senses and all that. Oh! And let him go out into sunlight without being injured?"
"Eep!" sputtered Willow. "Oz, too!"
Buffy quickly put the question to Q. "Can you do werewolves, too? Like make him be able to turn werewolfy at any time, yet still having the Human side of him in control? And not be contagious if he bites or scratches someone!"
"And Amy the rat!" added Willow remembering the former girl that she was keeping in a cage because she couldn't change back after turning herself into a rat. "But just de-rat her. No demon thing in her. She just needs to be Human again."
"Well, if the individuals were willing than yes, I could do all that. But why not just make them all regular Humans again?"
Spike answered before Buffy could. "Because one of the idiot's in question's got a guilty conscience he is trying to wash away with good deeds and all that rot!" Spike snorted. "It's easier for Angel to do that if he is able to use that part of himself that he actually despises."
"Hey!" snapped Buffy. "You can leave at anytime, Spike!"
"What and miss all this fun?" the vampire smirked.
Buffy turned her back on Spike and addressed Q again. "Alright, what kind of weakness do these Borg guys have?"
"None for long. If they are defeated one way, the rest are able to adapt in moments so that they cannot be defeated that way again."
Buffy's eyes got wide. "Uh, okay. What kind of weapons can you give us? Weapons that will always work against them no matter their adaptability."
The question surprised Q as it was quite sensible, and he hadn't thought of it himself. He turned to the side and addressed the empty air. "Am I allowed to give out weapons?"
Buffy looked at Willow who shrugged. Xander just stared at Q, not sure what to make of this newcomer. Spike snorted in amusement, spraying blood out his nose and back into his cup. Anya took on a look of concern. And Giles snored peacefully.
Q returned his gaze back to Buffy with a smile on his face. "What kind of weapon do you usually use?"
"Well, a little of almost everything but mostly I just rely on Mr. Pointy," she answered as she pulled out a stake from her sleeve, giving it a twirl in reminisce of her cheerleading days. "You see, this end goes into the evil bad vampire's heart," she said while making direct eye contact with Spike, "then poof! Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. No more blood-sucking bad apples around."
Q grimaced. "I guess that will have to do." With a snap of his fingers there was a flash around the stake Buffy had labeled Mr. Pointy.
Buffy had almost dropped the stake since she hadn't any idea something was going to happen. She quickly gave Q an accusatory glare.
Q, of course, ignored it. "From now on this stake will go through all Borg shielding and be able to inflict harm, but only when it goes through the drone's heart will it turn the drone to dust."
"Oh-kay." Buffy was not sure she liked this gift and looked at her stake with suspicion. She knew she would have to get in close to use it and she hadn't even seen how they fight yet.
"Hello? I had a question. Anyone remember that?" asked Xander, his hand half-heartedly raised in the air.
"Oh, go ahead, Xander. What is your question?" encouraged Willow.
"Well, if I go along, do I get a wish also?"
"Hang on! These wishes can go to any of us?" demanded Spike.
Q frowned. This was starting to get complicated. "As long as they are small wishes. Alright?"
"Oh, all I want is to be able to bring back some birthday presents from wherever it is we are going," said Xander. "And maybe some things for myself."
"You've got to be kidding me?" remarked Spike with more than a little disgust.
"Hey, do you know how hard it is to shop for a girlfriend that is 800 years old? Then on top of that Willow is also having a birthday soon, too." Looking Spike right in the eye he added, "Besides, it's a jungle out there when you are trying to find the right gift."
"Oh, that is so sweet!" Anya was more than a little thrilled that her boyfriend had used his wish on her. Well, and the others, too. "I've never had a boyfriend go to another reality to get me a present before."
"What about me?" demanded Spike. "I've got this repressing computer chip in my head that I want out!"
"Buffy!" Willow's voice was filled with alarm. If Spike's chip were taken out he would be able to attack humans again and none of them would be safe.
"Thanks for reminding me, luv." Turning back to Q he finished his wish. "I also want the Slayer to be kept off me until after the chip is removed."
"Why only that long?" asked Q curiously.
Spike finished his cup leaving a very red mustache on his upper lip. Giving a very feral grin, he answered the otherworldly being. "Because then all bets are off. Because the Big Bad would be back!"
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Los Angeles, CA
"Now remember, class. This test is a fifth of your grade for this semester so take your time and answer every question as thoughtfully as possible."
Ralph Hinkley began handing out the tests the students. The second student he handed a test looked like he was going to crumple it up and throw it away, but reluctantly picked up a pencil and began working on it.
Just goes to show that a lot of reaching out can help these kids. Ralph mentally patted himself on the back. He had worked hard each year to reach out to the misfits and delinquent problem children the school gave to him. Each year it took a while to earn their trust. And usually longer than that to help them improve themselves.
Suddenly the classroom door opened and a familiar man hurried in. "Ralph, we gotta talk!"
Ralph's eyes widened at the audacity of the FBI agent tromping into his classroom without any regard to him or the students. "Bill, I'm in the middle of giving an exam here."
"Not anymore." He quickly pulled a badge out of his pocket and flashed it to the class. "FBI everyone! Your exam is postponed! Everybody out!"
The class looked in surprise at the intrusion and statement. When it filtered down to them that it was to their advantage, they smiled, quickly gathered up their belongings and left.
"Bill, what do you think you are doing? This is my class! You don't just-"
"Something big has just come up!" stated the federal agent with an excited grin that made Ralph more than a little nervous.
"Bill, I told you years ago. I've hung up the suit. Pam and I are happily married. We've got two little children I have to think about. Besides you're retiring in a couple of months."
"This has nothing to do with that!" Bill answered defensively
"You just want to go out in a bang of glory, is that it?"
Maxwell shook his head. "No, but it sounds like an appealing idea."
"Then what?" demanded Ralph.
"Well, I was at my desk, bored out of my mind I might add, when I got this phone call." He stopped to look around the classroom just to make sure it was empty. "It was about the suit."
Ralph couldn't believe the audacity of the man. "And you came straight here? To the school where I work? What if they followed you?"
"I wasn't followed. And he knew about both of us." He stopped to look at his watch and pulled out a doggy treat from his pocket and bit into it. "Guess I cut that a little close."
Ralph shook his head. "What are you doing?"
"Checking the time. He should be here any minute."
"I meant the doggy treat. I thought you gave those up." Ralph froze for a minute. "They're coming here?"
"Yeah." Reaching inside his coat he pulled out a bundle of bright red material.
Ralph was becoming more annoyed by the minute. "Bill, I don't-"
A slow steady grinding noise followed by the materializing of the large, blue phone box at the other end of the room.
Ralph was the first to say something. "Bill…, what is that?"
"Uh," he paused to get a handle on his senses. "Well, it looks like, uh, heh, like one of those British police phone booth you always see in those European movies, Ralph."
Just then the doors to the TARDIS opened and the Doctor stepped out followed by Leela.
"Hello! Bill Maxwell and Ralph Hinkley, I presume?"
"Um, yeah. That would be us," answered the FBI agent. "You the one that called about the suit and the problem with the Swedes?"
"The Borg I think you mean. Yes, that was I. I'm the Doctor and this is my companion, Leela."
Ralph was still stunned by the whole thing. "How… How…" he stammered pointing at the TARDIS.
"Oh, the TARDIS. A simple trans-dimensional device. Care for a jellybaby?" He held out a small brown paper bag with candy.
Ralph took a look at the Doctor, then a look at Leela. Finally, he turned to Bill. "Bill, can I talk to you for a minute?"
"Sure, Ralph. What's up?"
"Over here," he answered as he walked to the other end of the room.
Bill shrugged to the Doctor. "Don't worry about him. He's just a little nervous." The Doctor just smiled so Bill walked over to talk to Ralph. "Hey, kid," he whispered loudly. "What are you doing? You're wrecking the confidence they have in us."
Ralph was more than a little upset. "Bill, an antique phone booth just materialized in my classroom and you aren't even upset about it. Shouldn't you be giving them the third degree to try figure out what is going on here?"
Bill threw his arm over Ralph's shoulder. "Ralph. Look at that guy, okay? Would any normal person dress that way or have his secretary/assistant or whatever she is dress the way she is? The way I figure it is he's one of those super genius scientists. Probably spotted us years ago with some super-surveillance equipment he whipped up. Now he's having some espionage problems with some Swedes and needs some outside help."
Ralph looked doubtful. "Are you sure about this?"
"Have I ever been wrong?"
"Yes!"
"Besides those times. Trust me, kid. We're on my playground now."
The Doctor looked up from a chat he was having with Leela. "Is everything alright? We are on a tight schedule."
Bill smiled confidently. "Sure. Let's get this show on the road."
"Then everybody into the TARDIS." The Time Lord quickly shooed Leela inside and let the men follow him in.
"I don't think we will all fit," commented Ralph, puzzled by the actions of the strange man.
Bill experimentally stuck his head inside. "Wow! It's huge in here. Ralph, you gotta see this!" He quickly went inside leaving Ralph to follow.
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In the hall outside of Ralph Hickley's classroom
"It's quiet now, Steve. I don't hear anyone."
The agent reached for the doorknob. "Well, then let's take a look."
Entering the classroom Steve Austin and Jamie Sommers stood and stared at the TARDIS.
The woman shrugged then started walking toward the blue antique. "This is what I heard them say they were getting into."
"This is getting weird. Oscar's going to owe us for this."
Jamie stuck her head in the phone booth and immediately pulled it out. "Steve, you aren't going to believe this." Then she walked inside.
"Jamie?" And Steve followed.
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"There, that does it," commented the Doctor to no one in particular as he set the TARDIS moving again.
"Everybody freeze! We're OSI agents!"
The Doctor looked up from where he was at the console to see the man and woman team standing at the TARSIS doorway. "Oh dear!"
Leela leaped towards Jamie with her knife extended. But Jamie caught the knife hand, and then in a blur of motion kicked Leela across the room.
"If you're OSI, then I am Uncle Sam. Where are your guns?" Bill demanded.
Steve just smiled. "We prefer not to use guns."
"That doesn't sound like any OSI agent I've meet!" Bill cocked his head to the side to speak down a corridor. "Ralph, you changed yet! We got company! And they seem to insist on causing trouble!"
"Just a minute, Bill," came the reply down the hall.
The Doctor had gone over where Leela lay in a lump on the floor. "This is really not necessary. Mr. Maxwell, please put down your gun."
"No way! Not until we find out more about these stowaways," answered the FBI man while keeping his gun trained on the two alleged OSI agents.
"I'm afraid I'm going to have to insist. K-9!"
The little mechanical dog came rolling out to the center of the room and stopped in front of Bill. Before Bill could even laugh at the sight of K-9, the canine unit had activated a magnetic beam in its muzzle causing the FBI agent's gun to fly out of the agent's hand and attach itself to the side of K-9's mouth region.
"What gives?" demanded Bill. "I thought we were on the same side, Doc!"
"We are," assured the Doctor. "I just don't like guns. Especially those being wielded inside the TARDIS."
"So that's what this thing is called? A TARDIS?" asked Jamie as she tried to break the ice around the awkward situation.
"Yes, it is," answered the Time Lord. "Hello, I'm the Doctor," he continued as he offered his hand to shake. "Would you like a jellybaby. They are quite good."
Jamie shook her head at the offer of the jellybaby, but did shake the strangely dressed man's hand.
"And you are?" inquired the Doctor.
"Hey, that's Steve Austin! The former astronaut." Ralph walked around the corner wearing his red suit trimmed in black with a strange symbol on the chest and a short black cape.
The Doctor ignored Ralph and instead turned to Mr. Austin. "Pleased to meet you," he said as he offered his hand.
Steve reluctantly shakes the Doctor's hand. He had no reason not to. The man had disarmed the FBI agent that had a gun on them so Steve was more inclined to befriend the man. The new man in the room, however, was another matter entirely. "And who are you supposed to be? Superman's cousin?"
Ralph was a little taken aback. While the suit he wore did have some similarities to the Superman reference in the way that it was cut, his color scheme was red and black, not red and blue. "Uh, no. I just wear this suit."
Jamie smirked. "I can think of a lot of things that would be much more fashionable."
Steve held his hands up. "Whoa, let's back up a moment. How come there's so much space inside an old antique phone booth."
"Jeez, isn't it obvious," chided Bill. "This is obviously one of those pocket dimensions. That door to the booth is the entrance to it."
The Doctor nodded his head in agreement. "That is basically correct. Very good, Agent Maxwell."
"Hey, I've watched a few episodes of 'The Outer Limits' and 'The Twilight Zone'." Focusing his attention back on the two OSI agents he wasn't quite as polite. "Now what is the beef with you two? I don't think anyone here invited you."
Steve looked smugly at the FBI agent. "I'm afraid that is your fault." At the look of confusion on Bill's face he went on to explain. "A number of years ago you seemed to be the focus of many strange and colorful arrests."
"Ah, nothing like a little gratitude and recognition for all my hard work. Course I didn't get either of those so why are you two on my back?"
"But there were numerous reports of a lone maverick FBI man being aided by a man in a red superhero-like suit," he pointed at Ralph who seemed to be blushing the color of his suit. "And the reports indicated that he had remarkable abilities. So periodically, the OSI tapped your phone lines and listen for any reference to anything that could be a contributing factor in-"
"Leading to how he did it," Ralph interrupted. Ralph just lowered his head. "The suit."
Jamie just nodded.
"So when I got the phone call today from the Doctor, the OSI were listening?" Bill began pacing. "That is just great!"
Ralph sat on the floor with his hands in his head. "They know about the suit. They know about me. They must know where I live by now."
Bill just froze. "I'm sorry, Ralph. Really."
The Doctor had finished checking over Leela who was now sitting with a dazed look on her face. Brushing his hands off on his sides he was determined to get down to business. "Regardless of how anyone got here you are now here. If you are to continue this journey I should first familiarize you with our adversaries, the Borg."
Bill was still trying to figure out what he should or could say to Ralph. He really wasn't in the mood for a lecture on how to do his job. "Doc, I think the Swedes can wait a few moments."
"Excuse me," inquired Jamie, "but what are the Borg?"
"Glad you asked," replied the Doctor who took a moment to give Bill a cheerful grin. "The Borg are a cybernetic life form that travel the universe planet by planet forcibly assimilating alien races and technology into their collective being, including taking every individual mind and adding it to their interlinking consciousness."
Jamie did a double take and quickly looked to Steve for support. "Cybernetic?"
"Oh yes," answered the cheerful Doctor. "But much more advanced than your cybernetic parts. Yours are rather primitive in comparison. Possible one of the first models to come out, right?"
Steve tried to play ignorant. "What do you-"
Jamie jumped the gun though. "We call it bionics, but how did you know?"
"Oh, I knew when I shook your hands. Didn't have that fleshy feel to it. No pulse either. Besides, I've met many other cyborgs in my lifetimes."
Jamie gave him a puzzled look. "Lifetimes?"
"Wait a minute! You mean they're robots?" demanded a perplexed Bill.
"Hey!" Jamie had taken offence.
"No," amended the Doctor. "Parts of their bodies had been replaced by cybernetic prosthetics."
Ralph got excited and pointed at Steve. "That accident you had while you were an astronaut!"
Steve nodded. "They rebuilt me. Made me faster, stronger than I was before. In return I became an OSI agent for them."
"Well, well, well," said a smug Bill. "Now the shoe is on the other artificial foot. You had something on us and now we have something on you."
Leela looked up from where she was still regaining her senses. Noticing the main cylinder slowing she called out. "Doctor, we are arriving."
"Ah good!" Turning back to his four passengers he quickly addressed them. "Now that you all know each other to some extent, I hope you are all willing to work together."
Everyone took a moment to look at each other before nodding in consent.
"Good, because we have arrived. Everyone ready?"
Bill answered for everyone. "Ready and able, Doc! But I want more answers later."
"Alright, everyone put on one of these comm badges. They are for communication purposes. This other device will lead you to your allies already here. And also to the Borg."
Jamie interrupted him as he handed her the tricorder. "You aren't coming with us?"
"I'd love to. Unfortunately I can't at this time."
Leela slowly walked across the room with a limp. Casting a leery eye at the strangers, she stepped outside to check the surrounding area. The Doctor shook his head. Pride was a terrible thing. Especially when it fell.
"Hey!" Ralph exclaimed. "Just how did you know to call Bill about the suit?"
"Good point, Ralph," said Bill approvingly. "Fess up, Doc."
"Oh that. Well, in my travels I had some dealing with the beings that gave you the suit. I brought up the subject of Earth and they happened to mention you to me."
"Now what a minute!" demanded Jamie. "We're supposed to believe that aliens made that outrageous suit!"
Ralph looked insulted but Bill met her head on. "That's right, darlin'."
"It does look like a rip-off of a Superman costume," commented Steve.
"Actually the aliens probably saw some cartoons or comic books so they probably thought this costume would be the best way for their help to be accepted on this world," said Ralph thoughtfully. Looking up at the others staring at him he added, "Well, I've had a lot of time to think about it and it's the best answer I've come up with."
"People, we do have a mission here," reminded the Doctor. "The Borg must be stopped!"
"What's our incentive in all this," asked Bill.
A flash of white light left a man dressed in a red and black Starfleet uniform. "I was afraid you were going to ask that."
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"Man! This place looks like a futuristic ghetto. Only this place is so bad no one would live here."
The Vulcan took a moment to study the young man. The Sunnydale resident, though resilient, was overwhelmed by the sights around him. Tuvok believed that it would be a good thing to constructively distract them. "Young man, you should put your energies to a more practical use."
Xander was puzzled. "Like what?"
"Such as learning how to use this." Tuvok handed him an energy rifle.
Xander was overjoyed. "Cool! My own space gun. How does it work?"
As Xander was learning the basics about his new weapon Buffy had decided to do some checking on Data. With her Slayer senses and experiences, she could tell that he wasn't really alive. And in her book that generally was not a good thing. "Hey, golden boy, how is that tracker thing coming?"
Data was troubled. "I do not understand the reference to the name 'golden boy'. If it is a derogatory term, then I must ask if I have offended you in some way."
Now it was Buffy turn to feel awkward. "Whoa! You haven't offended me. I was just checking something."
Data continued. "In addition, I am not a boy. I am an android."
Buffy smiled. "That would explain the stiffness of personality." Buffy could tell that Data was about to ask another awkward question so she changed the subject. "So have you found anyone on that tracker?"
"It is called a tricorder and yes. I have found Rom and Quark. They appear to be 162.4 meters down this corridor." He took a few more moments of adjusting before he was satisfied. "The material of this substructure is making it difficult to take accurate readings but I have also found the Borg. They are 1.32 kilometers down the same corridor."
Buffy took a moment to familiarize herself with the instrument that Data held. "You mean that cluster of green dots?"
Data nodded. "Yes. Each dot represents a fully active Borg."
Buffy's eyes widen. "That's more than thirty!"
"Fifty-eight to be exact. The Borg are assimilating rapidly."
"What are those dots over there? The orange ones."
"Ah, that would be the additional help brought by the Doctor."
"Reinforcements are good," commented Buffy. "Though I would have liked more than just four people. They are people, right?"
"If you mean humans, I have no knowledge of that. As it is, we are unsure of the correct number of Borg present. The superstructure of these massive buildings are creating blind spots on our sensors." Data took a moment to summon Tuvok in order to coordinate their efforts. "Tuvok, I recommend you and Xander greet our new arrivals. Meanwhile, Buffy and I will retrieve Quark and Rom."
"Agreed." The Vulcan looked over his young companion. "Though I think you have the better of the two."
Xander was miffed. "I heard that!"
Tuvok turned back to Data. "Yes, you definitely have the better of the partners."
Buffy interceded before Xander could comment. "Xander, this is serious time. Now go."
"Hey, I can do serious," muttered Xander. "See. This is me being serious." Xander paused. "Somehow saying that out loud doesn't sound very serious." Feeling awkward, Xander turned and silently followed Tuvok.
Buffy looked at a perplexed Data. She just shrugged. "Boys."
Data marked these events in his memory for further study later. "We must inform Dr. Pulaski that she will be in charge while we are away." Data paused before consulting the young woman. "Do you think there will be any trouble?"
Buffy bit her lip as she looked over at the other three members of their group. Ensign Vorik was studying some of the unique circuitry in an open panel. Not far from him was Spike. The vampire was practically drooling. Somehow the coppery scent of a Vulcan's blood was drawing Spike like a bee to a flower. Or a fly to manure. Behind Spike was Dr. Pulaski with a phaser in one hand and a medical tricorder in the other. Ever since she had learned that Spike was technically 'dead', she had been analyzing him. Normally Spike would not allow such a thing but he was just too engrossed in the scent of Vorik's blood.
"I've never seen him like this." Buffy shook her head. "I don't think we can get him to leave with us; not easily that is."
"He has already attacked Ensign Vorik once," Data pointed out.
When the three individuals from Sunnydale had first meet the team from Starfleet, they could tell right away that some of them were not human. Spike was immediately drawn to the two Vulcans, most likely from their scent. Vorik and Tuvok, not being human, were not under the protection provided by the behavior chip that the Initiative had put in Spike's brain. After the altercation that had occurred, which ended by everybody beating Spike senseless, followed by apologies and explanations made by the two Humans from Sunnydale, it had been agreed to never leave Spike alone with either of the Vulcans.
Buffy's stomach churned as she looked at the specks of green blood on Vorik's uniform. "I think we are going to have to take our chances."
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AUTHOR's NoTeS:
I have a few made up characters for filler so don't be surprised if you don't recognize them, but they are very minor. Q2 and Captain Tsai were made up by me.
Oddly enough, I only started watching Buffy The Vampire Slayer after reading a few crossover stories that had the characters in it. Loved the humor. Had to check it out.
I was also happy to pair The Bionic Man and The Six-Million Dollar Man with The Greatest American Hero, having grown up watching them as often as I could
Spike's appeal for the green blood of Vulcans was just a thing I thought up. It's not based off anything in the show. Just seemed like a bit of fun to add to the mix as I learn about using plot elements.
In order of appearance or mentioned:
Q (John de Lancie) – from the TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994), Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager
Rom (Max Grodenchik) – from the TV series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999)
Quark (Armin Shimerman) – from the TV series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999)
Leeta (Chase Masterson) – from the TV series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1995-1999)
Sisko, Capt. Benjamin (Avery Brooks) – from the TV series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999)
Data, Lt. Cdr. (Brent Spiner) – from the TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)
Pulaski, Dr. Kate (Diana Muldaur) – from the TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation (1988-1989)
Tuvok (Tim Russ) – from the TV series Star Trek: Voyager (1995-2001)
Vorik, Ensign (Alexander Enberg) – from the TV series Star Trek: Voyager (1997-2001)
Palpatine, Emperor (Clive Revill) – from the movies Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1977), Star Wars VI – The Return Of The Jedi (1983) (mentioned only)
Xizor, Prince – from the book Shadows Of The Empire, 1996, of the Star Wars book series (mentioned only)
Doctor, The 4th (Tom Baker) – from the TV series Doctor Who (1974-1981)
Leela (Louise Jameson) – from the TV series Doctor Who (1977-1978)
Wildman, Naomi (Scarlett Pomers) – from the TV series Star Trek: Voyager (1998-2001) (mentioned only)
Summers, Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) – from the TV series Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1997-2003)
Rosenberg, Willow (Alyson Hannigan) – from the TV series Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1997-2003)
Harris, Xander (Nicholas Brendon) – from the TV series Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1997-2003)
Jenkins, Anyanka 'Anya' (Emma Caulfield) – from the TV series Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1998-2003)
Giles, Rupert (Anthony Head) – from the TV series Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1997-2003)
Spike (James Marsters) – from the TV series Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1997-2003), Angel (1999-2004)
Osbourne, Daniel 'Oz' (Seth Green) – from the TV series Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1997-2000) (mentioned only)
Angel (David Boreanaz) – from the TV series Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1997-2003), Angel (1999-2004) (mentioned only)
Madison, Amy (Elizabeth Anne Allen) – from the TV series Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1997-2003) (mentioned only)
Hinkley, Ralph (William Katt) – from the TV series The Greatest American Hero (1981-1983)
Maxwell, Bill (Robert Culp) – from the TV series The Greatest American Hero (1981-1983)
Hinkley, Pam (Connie Sellecca) – from the TV series The Greatest American Hero (1981-1983) (mentioned only)
Austin, Col. Steve (Lee Majors) – from the TV series The Six-Million Dollar Man (1974-1978), The Bionic Woman (1976)
Sommers, Jamie (Lindsay Wagner) – from the TV series The Six Million Dollar Man (1975-1976), The Bionic Woman (1976-1978)
Goldman, Oscar (Richard Anderson) – from the TV series The Six-Million Dollar Man (1974-1978), The Bionic Woman (1976-1978) (mentioned only)
K-9 (voiced by John Leeson) – from the TV series Doctor Who (1977-?)
Superman of Earth-1 / Kent, Clark / Kal-El (voiced by Bud Collyer) – from the cartoon shows The New Adventures Of Superman (1966-1970), The Superman/Aquaman Hour Of Adventure (1967-1968), Aquaman (1968), The Batman/Superman Hour (1968-1969), (voiced by Danny Dark) – Super Friends (1973-1977), The All-New Super Friends Hour (1977-1978), Challenge Of The SuperFriends (1978), The World's Greatest SuperFriends (1979), Super Friends (1980-1983), SuperFriends: The Legendary Super Powers Show (1984), The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians (1985), from DC Comics More Fun Comics #101 (1945) (mentioned only
The Outer Limits (1963-1965) (mentioned only)
The Twilight Zone (1959-1964) (mentioned only)