TEASER

STARBASE 248

As the Marias star's light cracked over the forth planet, breaking a rare eclipse visable from the starbase, and as the sunlight began to fill the meeting room, Lieutenant Tao Xan Nu Wing rubbed the wetness from his eyes, and yawned on this early Tuesday morning. If it has been any other time, it might have been OK for Wing to come. But, damn Captain McGawan for calling a meeting for 0730 hours, after a LONG duty shift.

The main door slid open, revealing a perplexed Crewman Michael Dallas. Dallas nodded to Wing, who didn't pay any mind to him. That kind of annoyed Dallas a little. With his hands behind his back, he slowly crossed the briefing room, careful not to disturb Wing.

He failed.

"What do you want, Crewman?"

Dallas slowed down only a little as he approached what he was sure was the Captain's seat. "I just have to deliver this to the Captain before my shift ends. Commander Kim's orders."

"Very well," Wing said, focusing on the ending eclipse.

Dallas set a padd on the table, and dropped a rag-like object onto the Captain's seat. He then quickly left, after making the delivery.

A few moments later, Commander Kaori Nakajima entered into the meeting room, her hair adorned nicely with a golden barette, and a shade deeper of green lipstick, to match her already green-ish lips. "How was it?" Nakajima greeted, noting the eclipse.

"It's over now," Wing said. "I programmed the tactical scanners to take some really beautiful shots of the eclipse as it happened. It's really amazing, the power of perspective. Computer, return viewport UV protection to normal parameters."

Within an instant, the enhanced tinted windows, that allowed Wing to stare at an eclipse in SPACE, with the naked eye, changed to a lighter intensity. It allowed for more protection against the direct UV attacks of starlight – standard on all Federation starships and starbases.

"It is indeed," Nakajima said, as she whipped out a padd from behind her. "I've been going over the latest scout report from near the McGaiver System, where the Gertland picked up that anomaly reading. It seems to be yet another mysterious quantom singluarity."

"You mean that there is no more McGaiver System?"

"I said it was NEAR the McGaiver System," Nakajima said. "I didn't say anything about it not being there anymore... at least, not for another two hundred years, anyway."

"What happens then?"

"Best guess," Nakajima concluded, "is that the McGaiver System will be in the event horizon of the QS. Once there, the Raiken Colony will be gone."

"Isn't Raiken on the trade route?" Wing wondered.

Nakajima shook her head. "They get a few supply ships now and then, but mainly Raiken is a mining colony. They only export goods. But they also have their own frieght companies, so they're not reliant on the route for alien traffic."

A moment later, Captain Bruce McGawan and Lieutenant Commander Harry Kim entered into the briefing room. "Okay, after the meeting Harry, I'll go over that report. Make sure you have a copy on the Commander's desk before 1400 hours today."

"Aye, Captain," Kim ended, as Kim took his seat.

When McGawan sat down, a VERY LOUD grumbling sound became audible. The vulgar sound of a man passing gas was NOT how McGawan wanted to begin the meeting, today. As his senior officers stared at him in utter disgust, McGawan shrugged. "I didn't do it!" he insisted.

When he got up, he found the culprate – a deflated coushin. Angry and embarassed, McGawan slammed the coushin onto the table. "This is TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!" he demanded. "I wanna know WHO did it! NOW!" He was explosive.

Wing coughed, leaning over to Nakajima. "The poor kid... I feel bad for him now—"

"You know something I don't, Lieutenant?" McGawan demanded to know. "If you do, educate me right now."

"Well," Wing said, clearing his throat, "Sir," he continued. "The maitenance report IS right in front of you."

Getting the hint, McGawan eyeballed the signature on the report. "I'm going to have someone's head for this."

For the first time, Nakajima actually felt sorry for young Michael Dallas...

END OF TEASER

On the Edge of the Final Frontier...

In the Heart of the Federation's most valuable

Resources...

One station must protect that which is most dear...

And, of course...

To Boldly Go Where No One Has Gone, Before.

STAR TREK

STARBASE 248

Starring

Bruce McGawan

Kaori Nakajima

Tao Xan Nu Wing

Harry Kim

Michael Dallas

Doc

Based upon STAR TREK created

By Gene Roddenberry

Created by

Man of Trek Lore

©2004 Paramount Pictures

©2004 Man of Trek Lore