Disclaimer: I don't own Pretty Little Liars or Star Trek Voyager.
The smart bomb
It's a nice normal Friday night aboard the Herakles class starship USS Valkyria NCC - 99170.
Ensign Hanna Marin and her best buddy Lieutenant Emily Fields are in the mess hall, drinking tea and eating sandwiches.
"So, Han...heard you're gonna sit in 'the big chair' again tonight." says Emily.
"Yeah, I'm commanding another night shift. Kinda big thing to do, but someone's gotta do it, ya know." says Hanna with a cute smile.
"C'mon, Han. More or less everyone on this ship knows you love these night shifts, your little time to play captain." says Emily with a tiny friendly laugh.
"Ain't playing. This is a way to get command experience. Don't you wanna put some in for yourself, Em?" says Hanna.
"Perhaps I could, but why compete with someone like you? Anyhow...just promise me this one thing...when you reach the top shit, don't forget all the little people you climbed over to get there. Okay?" says Emily as she giggle a bit.
"Deal." says Hanna.
2 hours later on the bridge.
Hanna sit in the captain's chair.
"Helm, what's our status?" says Hanna in a military tone.
"Same as it was 20 minutes ago." says Ensign Liza Daniels, the officer at the helm.
"Refresh my memory." says Hanna with a smile.
"Speed, warp 5.2. Headin' 409 - 6." says Liza.
"Maintain course and speed." says Hanna, once again using a military tone.
"Ensign, may I speak casual...?" says Liza.
"Granted." says Hanna.
"This is the night shift, Hanna. Relax." says Liza.
"Liza, one of these days you may get the call to take the bridge and maybe then, you'll understand the feelings of being in command." says Hanna.
"Ensign, we get an emergeny message from a planet 2.8 lightyears from here." says Liza.
"Open a channel." says Hanna.
"The message is automated." says Liza. "Should we change course and take a look?"
"I don't know." says Hanna.
"We could always go wake Commander Aria Montgomery." says Liza with a friendly teasing smirk.
"No, change course, go to warp 7." says Hanna.
"Aye, sir." says Liza.
15 minutes later, Hanna and Aria walk along a hallway on the ship.
Aria is a full comander and the ships first officer.
"Don't worry, Hanna. You did the right thing." says Aria.
"Thanks, commander." says Hanna.
"Hanna, why don't you lead the away team? I keep an eye on your progress from the bridge." says Aria with a friendly smile.
"Aye, commander." says a happy Hanna.
55 minutes later, Hanna and the ship's EMH walk to the transporter room.
"The message was automated...?" says the EMH.
"Yeah." says Hanna.
"So who's leading the mission?" says the EMH.
"Lookin' at her." says Hanna, as she gsesture towards herself.
"Oh, really? I though, giving the circumstances, a new planet, unknown dangers, that Commander Montgomery or Commander McCullers would be in charge." says the EMH.
"I am a senior officer, Doc. I've been on this ship for nearly 5 years, I think I can manage an away mission." says Hanna in a serious tone.
"I truly meant nothing rude, ensign. Also, having me on your team will more than make up for any lack of experience you might suffer from." says the EMH.
Hanna, the EMH and a security guard beam down to the planet.
When they appear on the planet, there's no one there.
"Ensign, are you sure this is the right location?" says the EMH.
"Yes, doctor. This is the place." says Hanna.
"If so, whoever sent the message was saved by someone else." says the EMH.
"Well, maybe so, but as long as we're here we should have a look around. Spread up. Let's go." says Hanna.
They walk in different directions.
"Ensign Marin, over here." says the EMH.
Hanna walk over to him. He has found some sort of machine that is stuck half in a rock.
"This is the source of the message." says Hanna as she scan the machine with her tricorder.
"What is it...?" says the EMH.
"I'm not sure, let's see...para-metal armor, high-power elipsium-based energy matrix, enhanched data-processor...bio-neural circuitry...?" says Hanna.
"Bio-neural circuitry? Are you sure?" says the EMH, using his tricorder to scan the machine.
Red lights on the machine activates.
"Guys, back away. This thing might be dangerous..." says Hanna.
"No, wait...it's speakin' to us." says the EMH.
"Speaking?" says Hanna.
"In megatronic code. Hold on a sec, my UT can translate." says the EMH. "It's asking why it can't see or feel its arms and legs."
"What you think, Doc? Some sort of artificial intelligence?" says Hanna.
"Yes, one that clearly doesn't know that it is artificial." says the EMH.
"Let's explain to it then." says Hanna.
"No, I don't wanna cause it to have some mental trauma." says the EMH.
"Trauma? This thing is a machine." says Hanna.
"One that is hurt and asking for our help." says the EMH.
At the same time on the bridge of the USS Valkyria.
"So, how's Hanna-Boo doing?" says Captain Spencer Hastings as she enter the bridge.
"Well, we haven't heard from her since they beamed down so she should be checkin' in, right about..." says Aria.
"Hanna-Boo to Aria, come in." says Hanna's voice over the com-system.
"...now." say Aria.
"That's our Hanna Marin. Commander, if I were you I'd hold on to my job." says Spencer. "Hanna, this is the captain. Status?"
"We've found a machine, it's some kind of artificial intelligence. The doctor thinks we should beam it back to the ship." says Hanna.
"You're in command of the away mission, ensign. What do you think?" says Spencer.
"Uh...well, we should help it if we can, but I'd say we should put a level 10 forcefield around an engineering-bay and beam it straight there." says Hanna.
"Agreed. Give us a few minutes. Hastings out." says Spencer.
"Okay. Marin out." says Hanna.
4 minutes later.
"Spencer to Hanna, we're ready." says Spencer.
"We are too." says Hanna.
"Bridge to transporter room 2, beam the device to engineering-bay 6." says Aria as she tap her combadge.
"Aye, commander."
"Hanna Marin to Valkyria. 3 to beam up." says Hanna as she tap her combadge.
"Transporter room 1 here, standing by."
"Okay...beam 3. Marin out." says Hanna.
The machine is beamed to Engineering and Hanna, the EMH and the guard are beamed to transpoter room 1.
20 minutes later in Engineering.
"The device use bio-neural circuitry to mimic humanoid brain functions." says Lt Commander Caleb Rivers, the chief engineer.
"What's it designed to do?" says Spencer in her typical mature tone.
"I'm not sure. Could be a probe of some sort or a com-array or something else." says Caleb.
"This thing didn't come alone. It claims that it did travel with a partner." says the EMH.
"If there's another one of these down on the planet, it might be able to provide some answers." says Spencer. "Aria, you're with me."
5 minutes later in Astrometrics.
"Our sensors detect no further devices on the planet." says Aria.
"Maybe the second device was destroyed when it crashed..." says Spencer. "Scan for remains of metal that match the alien device."
"Captain, look at this." says Aria.
A huge impact crater appear on the screen.
"Hmm, the crater walls are saturated with large amounts of nuclear radiation. The levels of the radiation as well as the spread pattern are consistent with a highly focused energy explosion." says Spencer.
"Seems we've found out what the device is." says Aria.
"An advanced weapon of mass destruction." says Spencer.
"Yeah..." says Aria.
2 hours later in the meeting room.
"We should destroy the device before it does any damage to our ship or crew." says Spencer in a serious tone.
"Captain, I understand why you want to do that, but the device hasn't shown itself to be hostile." says the EMH.
"Not yet, but it's only a matter of time before it starts to remember." says Emily.
"We can return the device to the surface of the planet and deploy a warning beacon so other ships know to stay away." says Caleb.
"I refuse to think that the only options are to destroy the device or leave it behind." says the EMH.
"Is there a way to separate the bio-neural circuitry from the nuclear core?" says Aria.
"Take the weapon offline, but save the intelligence." says Spencer.
"It might work, but the intelligence program is fully integrated, where would we store it...?" says Emily.
"Isn't that obvious? Download the neural data into a holograhic program like mine." says the EMH.
"Okay, it's worth a try. Emily, Caleb, you guys will work with the doctor. At the first sign of problem we're beaming the device off the ship." says Spencer.
"Aye, captain." says the EMH.
Later in the holo lab.
"Okay...let's get started." says Caleb as he grab a hyper-key with one hand and open a small hatch on the side of the device with the other.
The lights on the device flash bazing red at high speeds.
"Relax, we need to shut down your main program so we can transfer you to the hologram." says the EMH.
The lights on the device keep flashing.
"He says that he can't let you shut him down." says the EMH.
"Why?" says Caleb.
"He wanna know exactly what you do as you're doin' it." says the EMH.
"Damn! This is not an easy thing. I can't focus if I have to explain every tiny detail." says Caleb.
"You gotta forgive Commander Rivers. The guy's an amazing engineer, but he doesn't share my bedside manner." says the EMH.
"Emily...could you?" says Caleb.
"Sure. We need to deactivate your primary power matrix while we resequence your bio-neural circuitry." says Emily.
The lights on the device flash even faster.
Caleb scan the device with a tricorder.
"Hold on, the weapon's armed." says Caleb.
"I'm sending a corzenia-pulse through the weapon's power matrix. That might shut it down." says Emily. "Sending pulse in 3, 2, 1...now!"
The lights on the device turn off.
"Good idea, Em. It worked." says Caleb.
"You shouldn't have done that." says the EMH, looking at Emily.
"I know you seem to care for this machine, but..." says Emily. "Wait a sec, you are the machine. The alien AI."
"It used the pulse to transfer its own neaural pattern into the doctor's holo-matrix." says Caleb.
"Emily to bridge." says Emily as she tap her combadge.
"He's taken control of the com-system in this room and he's locked us in too." says Caleb as he read from a coputer panel on the wall.
"I must complete my mission." says the AI as he walk over to the device.
"You remember it now?" says Caleb.
"Yes." says the AI. "I'm a weapon, why didn't you tell me?"
"It was out of security reasons, we were afraid you might be dangerous and now it appears we were right." says Caleb.
"I'm a long-range tactical attack unit, sent out by my people...they're facin' a serious threat, an evil hostile species." says the AI.
"What do you want...?" says Emily.
"My target is a military base on a planet 7.4 lightyears from here. Your ship will take me there, do as I say or I'll detonate." says the AI.
The AI tap his ( the EMH's ) combadge.
"Holo lab to bridge." says the AI and then he walk over to the holo lab's visual com-panel.
On the bridge, the AI appear on the main screen.
"Bridge, your two officers are my prisoners. I'm sending a new course to helm. This vessel will take me to my target." says the AI.
"No." says Spencer.
"Yes, you will. Do as I say or will detonate!" says the AI.
"If you do so, you'll never reach your target and you'll destroy yourself and us. Is that what you want?" says Spencer.
"I was designed to take any action to complete my mission. Do what I want or I shall detonate." says the AI.
"Fine!" says Spencer in slight anger.
"A wise idea, captain. There will be subspace weapons along our new course. Don't change course. I program a shield-enhancement that will protect the ship. Holo lab out." says the AI as he end the com-link.
"Aria, gather the senior officers. We need to find a way to out-smart a damn smart bomb." says Spencer.
4 hours later.
Mona, the ship's chef, enter the bridge.
"Aria, look at this." says Mona as she hands some device to Aria.
"What's this?" says Aria.
"It's some form of power-coil that I use to boost the replicator system. It has a para-metal casing and a bio-neural control circuitry. Reminds you of anything?" says Mona.
"The device Hanna found." says Aria.
"I didn't see the similarity at first, but when I heard some of the engineers talk about the weapon, I went back and checked the specs on this thing. It is the same technology." says Mona.
"Where did you get this?" says Aria.
"I got it a few days ago in a trade with an Ectarian named Ozaalae." says Mona.
"Contact him and tell him about or situation." says Aria.
"Aye, commander." says Mona.
2 hours later.
"Commander, sensors read a cloaked vessel pulling up next to us." says Lt Commander Paige McCullers.
"That might be Ozaalae, he travel in a cloaked ship." says Mona.
"Whoever it is, he just opened a channel, audio only." says Paige.
"On speakers." says Aria.
"Hi, guys! Awesome to meet ya all again. Are you havin' a thinking weapon in your possesion?" says Ozaalae over the com-system.
"Actually we're it's possesion. It is holding us hostage on our own ship." says Mona.
"Let me come over, guys. I can help." says Ozaalae.
25 minutes later in Engineering.
"Do you know anything about the device?" says Spencer.
"It was designed and built by a species known as the Druadoh. It's called a long-range tactical attack unit. This particular series of these weapons has a class 8 intelligence factor. It's warp-capable, self-guided, fully armored. It can fly through an entire fleet of vessels or an ion-storm and still find its target." says Ozaalae.
"How can we get it off my ship?" says Spencer.
"You can not, but I can. My transporter system has an energy field that disables the weapon until my engineers can disarm it." says Ozaalae.
"That's nice. What do you ask for in return?" says Spencer.
"Just the weapon itself, nothing more." says Ozaalae.
"I'm nor ready to hand over a weapon of mass destruction to a man I barely know." says Spencer.
"My job is to build, repair and sell machines. I don't intend to use the weapon." says Ozaalae.
"No, but you might sell it someone who will. I understand you'd make a pretty hefty profit." says Hanna.
"I can make more profit by seeling the different parts. The energy matrix alone can power a fleet of starships and the intelligence core, with proper modifcations, can do a bunch of things from speeding up data processing to planetary weather control." says Ozaalae.
"Okay, you can have all the other parts as long as we keep the energy matrix. That way we can be sure the weapon won't ever be used." says Spencer.
"Sorry, but I can not accept that. The energy matrix is the part worth the most." says Ozaalae.
"We can give you a few dilithium crystals instead." says Mona.
"That energy matrix is worth a thousand dilithium crystals." says Ozaalae.
"How about we give you a polaron-modulator too?" says Hanna.
"No. You guys have to fix this on your own." says Ozaalae as he beam back to his own ship.
"Damn!" says Spencer.
"Captain! Ozzalae just activated a transporter, he's trying to lock on to the weapon." says Hanna.
"The weapon is sendin' an anti-matter pulse back through the transporter beam." says Aria.
Ozaalae's ship is destroyed.
"Captain Hastings to the holo lab. That was not necessary." says Spencer as she tap her combadge.
"He was an enemy." says AI.
"No, he wasn't. Listen to me." says Spencer.
"I don't take orders from you, captain." says the AI.
"Fine! Spencer out." says Spencer.
"Captain, sorry for bringing the weapon aboard..." says Hanna.
"Han, it's not your fault." says Spencer.
"Okay." says Hanna.
Later on the bridge.
"If I can get access to the weapon's main control port, I might be able to disarm it completely." says Paige.
"Good luck! The thing's got its own internal sensor-array. If you try so much as to loosen a screw...bang!" says Hanna with slight sarcasm.
"Hanna's right. As soon as we try to disarm the weapon it's goin' to detonate." says Aria.
"I think that perhaps I have an idea. If we just for a few seconds were to disable the holo-emitters above the lab, one person could get enough time to turn off the weapon." says Spencer.
"It could work." says Aria. "Paige, if I disable the holo-emitters above the lab for 5.5 seconds, do you think you can shut down the weapon's main power matrix?" says Aria.
"Yes, but I need direct access to its primary control port to do it." says Paige.
"That means that we need to get you into the lab." says Spencer.
"I think I can help." says Liza. "The artificial intelligence told us that we'd run into weapons along this course, right? This far we have not, though we can pretend to. I could simulate the hits with a properly timed distruption to the graviton-generators, but asking me to give you guys a bumpy ride is like asking a vocalist to sing out of tune."
"I'm sure you can do it, Liza." says Aria.
"After the fake hits, Paige can pretend to suffer from plasma-burns that only the EMH can fix so that will mot likely make the alien intelligence let her into the lab, once she's there, Commander Montgomery can disable the holo-emitters so that Paige get enough time to take the weapon offline." says Liza.
"Okay...let's do this, guys. It's worth a try." says Spencer.
"Aye, captain." says Paige.
"Let's get to work." says Aria.
20 minutes later.
"Bridge to Aria. Ready?" says Spencer.
"Ready over here, captain. I'm in Jefferies tube's above the lab." says Aria.
"Good. Ensign Daniels, time to begin." says Spencer.
"Aye, sir." says Liza.
Liza distrupts the graviton-generators for a few seconds, making it seem like the ship was hit by a weapon blast.
"Captain, are you sure the alien intelligence doesn't know that we're faking this?" says Liza.
"Paige has reconfigured the computer to send him false sensor data. He'll think we are flying through a bunch of weapons." says Spencer.
"I understand." says Liza.
"Spencer to Paige, are you in place?" says Spencer.
"Yes, captain." says Paige.
"Spencer to Aria, disable the holo-emitters...now." says Spencer.
"Aye, captain." says Aria, using a tricorder to send a zerculium-pulse through the holo-emitters above the lab, making the EMH unstable for a short time, giving Paige the time she need.
"Bridge to holo lab. Our operations officer is hurt, she needs medical treatment from the EMH." says Spencer as she tap her combadge.
"Fine!" says the AI as he unlock the door to the lab.
Paige and another crewmember enter.
Paige run over to the weapon and use a tool to try to disarm the weapon.
"What's she doing?" whisper Emily to the crewmember who entered with Paige.
"She's trying to disarm the device..."
Suddenly the lights on the weapon flash red again and it sends out an energy jolt that knocks out Paige.
The EMH turn stable again.
"Holo lab to bridge. Captain Hastings, your little trick didn't work. I'm designed to fight back any assault on my system." says the AI.
"Damn!" says Spencer. "Bridge to Aria, it didn't work..."
"Crap!" says Aria.
"Yeah. Return back up here. We need to come up with a new idea." says Spencer.
"Aye, captain." says Aria.
25 minutes later.
"Can't we beam the weapon off the ship?" says Paige.
"No, it's got a transport-blocker. We can't get a lock on it." says Aria.
"If we reconfigure the target-scanners then?" says Paige.
"That makes no difference, the weapon seem to use a josium field to block with. Our transporters weren't designed to deal with that." says Aria.
"We have to find another way." says Spencer.
"What if we were to use a modified tricorder set to the weapon's command code to shut it down?" says Paige.
"Pretty good idea, but we don't know the weapon's command codes. Its data core is encrypted with a centurio-based main code that we can't break without having it detonate." says Spencer.
"There's gotta be something we can do." says Aria.
In the holo lab.
"Assist me!" says the AI in a hard commanding tone.
Caleb and Emily says or does nothing.
"I said, assist me!" says the AI in anger.
"Em, let's do what he ask." says Caleb.
"Why?" says Emily.
"It's at least something to do." says Caleb and then he turn to the AI and says "What do you need help with?"
"I've just gone over my memory files and there's several parts that are incomplete, including a 2.7 minutes gap just before I crashed." says the AI.
"Hmm, a fetus recurvia program might be able to restore the missing files. Let me see...okay. Here we go. I activate the program. Yes, here it is. All the missing files are back. What do we have here?" says Caleb.
Emily read through some of the restored files.
She turn to the AI and says "Does 'central command matrix' mean anything to you?"
"That's my home-base, where I was launched from." says the AI.
"Look at this. Here's an order to change course and dive towards the planet." says Emily.
"What...? Why would my own people order me to not head for my target?" says the AI.
"Perhaps they changed their mind..." says Emily.
"The enemy is a dangerous hostile species. My target's a threat. I see no reason to call off the attack." says the AI. "It was probably you. You pervs sent me fake orders."
"No, we did not. These orders were sent to you in the exact same special megatronic code that you use for communication. It would be almost impossible to duplicate." says Caleb.
"You could have created an infiltration code." says the AI.
"We did not. Look at this. It says 'all long-range tactical attack units, call off attack now' and you were given that order as soon as you arrived in this star system." says Emily.
"Hmm, seems like you're right, I have to...wait...! There's no ID code in here. If my own people sent the orders, there should be one." says the AI.
"The code might be in another restored file, let's look and..." begins Emily.
"NO! Your help's no longer required. Step away!" says the AI.
"It was worth a try..." mumbles Caleb.
"Yes." whisper Emily.
20 minutes later.
"Em, it was Han's first time leadin' an away mission and she beamed a smart bomb aboard." says Paige.
"Paige, this whole thing's not Hanna's fault. The first time I commanded a mission I lead my team into what I thought was a Cardassian underground army base. It turned out I mistook unstable dilithium deposits for weapon signatures. There was a rockslide and we were stuck for 5 days." says Emily.
"What did you guys do?" says Paige.
"We dug ourselves out with our bare hands." says Emily.
"Wow..." says Paige.
"Emily...?" says Caleb.
"Yeah...?" says Emily.
"We need to do something." says Caleb.
"Like what...?" says Emily.
"Try to take the doctor's program offline." says Caleb. "Please give me a hand over here."
"Okay." says Emily.
"If we can access the EMH main activation codes we might be able to turn the off the program." says Caleb.
"It's worth a try." says Emily. "Here are the codes. Okay...turning off EMH."
"Nice try! Do that again and I'll detonate." says the AI.
"Crap!" says Emily.
"Oh wow, Emily using a bad word...? That's like the first time in months." says Paige with a tiny smile.
"Well, what can I say? I prefer to be a lady." says Emily.
"A lady in uniform." says Paige.
"Just 'cause I'm a Starfleet tactical officer it doesn't mean that I can't be a lady." says Emily.
"Okay. Nice that being a tactical office for over 8 years haven't made you forget how to be cute and sweet." says Paige.
"Paige, you know more than well how sweet I am." says Emily as she wink sexy towards Paige.
"Are you guys...?" says Caleb.
Emily and Paige pretend to not hear him.
"I guess you don't feel like talkin' about that." says Caleb.
"True." says Paige.
Caleb walk over to the AI and says "So what is your target?"
"A military base on Getticus Prime." says the AI.
"What does it look like exactly?" says Caleb.
"My database doesn't have such information." says the AI.
"Lucky for you, here on our ship you have access to our sensors. Shall we take a peek at your target?" says Caleb as he walk over to the lab's main computer panel and tap in some commands.
A basic scan of the AI's target show up on the screen.
"A military base, as I told you." says the AI.
"Yes, but it's manned." says Caleb.
"By soldiers." says the AI.
"That doesn't make it right to kill them. Ever since you took the doctor's form you've learned some about what it's like to be one of us. Now imagine what it would be like to be one of your victims, your first victim. Paige over there. You did hurt her. You could see her being in pain. Now multiply that by hundreds of thousands, maybe even more. That's how much damage you will do if you go through with your mission." says Caleb.
"I have a duty to destroy my target." says the AI.
"Remember when you were in pain? Down on the planet, damaged and helpless..." says Caleb. "Do you really want others to feel like that?"
"My mission is to destroy my target, it's what I was made for." says the AI.
"Look at yourself, you're already more than that. You have a body and eyes to see with. Why so quick to give all that up?" says Caleb.
"It's the nature of what I am." says the AI.
"We can give you a holo-matrix of your own. You can exist for as long as you want." says Caleb. "Take the doctor as an example. Once he was only a standard EMH, limited to emergeny medical use. Now he dance, paint, write novels, build tools. He has friends, makes jokes and he's even sat at the helm of starships. His tactical database contains thousands of gigabites of military data and command information. In an emergency situation he's just as capable as any senior officer."
"Despite all this, did he ever stop being a doctor?" says the AI.
"No, not really." says Caleb.
"Then I can't stop being a weapon." says the AI.
"Yes, you can." says Caleb. "Don't be so afraid to find out that you might not be supposed to destroy that military base. Let's check the rest of your memory files and find out for sure and once know you can decide what to do next."
"Fine!" says the AI in slight anger.
"Okay...let's see." says Caleb as he put up the AI's memory files on the screen.
"Hmm, here's something...'orders to call off attack'..." says the AI.
"Keep readin'..." says Caleb.
"Okay...'head for the planet surface'...What? I was ordered to self-crash on the planet..." says the AI. "...'ID code 774129 - Alpha. Orders to call off attack on Getticus Prime...confirmed. ID code 784248 - Delta. Orders to dive for nameless M-class planetoid...confirmed." says the AI. "You were right...it says 'the war is over'...my launch was a mistake."
"What else does it says in there?" says Caleb.
"That the war is over, it ended nearly 4 years ago. Something caused a problem in one of the primary computer cores. Command managed to shut most of the primary systems down, but 45 units were launched, including me." says the AI.
On the bridge.
"Captain, 41 objects did just drop out of warp. They're self-guided weapons, all of them just like the one Hanna found." says Aria.
"They are sending a message to the doctor." says Hanna.
In the holo lab.
"My fellow units are here, they are asking why I am aboard your ship. They say that my target has top priority and that they came to make sure I reach it." says the AI.
"Tell them what's goin' on." says Caleb.
The AI tap in some commands into the computer panel.
"I'm sending them the orders to call of their attack." says the AI.
"What do they respond...?" says Caleb.
"They don't believe me." says the AI.
"Tell them that the war is over." says Caleb.
"I did, but they don't believe me. They only believe what they think is right." says the AI.
"Bridge to holo lab. What do they want?" says Spencer.
"Holo lab here, they want the weapon to beam off our ship. They will help him to his target." says Emily.
"Stand by. We'll try to lock tansporters on the weapon and..." says Spencer.
"No, captain. Wait...these weapons were launched by mistake. We can't let them reach their targets." says Caleb.
"I have an idea, transfer my neaural data back to my unit and return me to the others." says the AI.
"I won't let you destroy that military base." says Caleb.
"No, calm down. I don't intend to let the others take me to my target. I will stop them." says the AI.
"Really? How?" says Caleb.
"I am a weapon of mass destruction, remember? You wanted me to see past my program, now you gotta see past your doubts." says the AI.
"Okay. Let's do this. I'm sorry..." says Caleb.
"I'm not sorry. I simply complete my mission, only the target has changed." says the AI.
"Emily...help me return the artificial intelligence to the weapon." says Caleb.
"Aye, sir." says Emily.
"Holo lab to bridge, stand by to lock on to the weapon and beam it into space." says Caleb.
"What...?" says Spencer.
"Sorry, captain. No time to explain, you just have to trust me and Emily on this." says Caleb.
"Okay." says Spencer.
"Em?" says Caleb.
"I have reconfigured the weapon's bio-neural circuitry." says Emily.
"Data-transfer link established." says Caleb.
"Returning the program to the weapon's data-banks...in 3, 2, 1, now." says Emily.
The lights on the weapon flash green.
"Transfer complete." says Caleb.
"Emily to bridge, we're ready. Beam the weapon off the ship." says Emily.
"This is Aria, stand by. Locking on...transporting..." says Aria.
The weapon is beamed into space.
One of the other weapons lock on to it with a tractor beam and pull it with it as all the weapons go to warp.
"Aria, keep a sensor lock on the weapons." says Spencer.
20 seconds later.
"Captain, all the weapons just detonated..." says Aria.
"Near what?" says Spencer.
"Not near any planets, ships, space stations...not near anything." says Aria.
"Spencer to Emily and Caleb. Whatever you guys did worked. All the self-guided weapons are destroyed." says Spencer.
"Thank goodness." says a happy Emily.
"Yeah, captain out." say Spencer.
The EMH returns to normal.
"Please state the nature of the medical emergency...wait, how long was I offline? What happened...?" says the EMH.
"I'll tell you later, doctor. Paige needs your help now." says Emily.
The next night, Hanna is once again in command of the night shift.
"Helm, status?" says Hanna as she walk onto the bridge.
"Speed, warp 6.1. Headin' 224 - 8." says Liza, who's at the helm.
"Maintain course and speed." says Hanna.
"Aye, sir." says Liza. "Uh, ensgin...may I speak casual...?"
"Sure, why would tonight be any different huh?" says Hanna with a cute sweet smile.
"I heard that Emily was one of those who outsmarted that smart bomb." says Liza.
"That's true." says Hanna as she giggle a bit.
"Okay." says Liza with a friendly smile.
"Liza, can you do something for me?" says Hanna.
"Sure, Han. What?" says Liza.
"No more emergeny messages. At least not tonight." says Hanna with a tiny laugh.
"Yes, Miss Marin." says Liza as she laugh a bit too.
Hanna smile her timeless charming sweet smile and then slowly walk over to the captain's chair and sit down and says "Liza, maintain speed. Keep the ship on course. Steady as we go."
The End.
Author's note: Please leave a review and let me know if you like this.