A/N: Hello readers! I am writing as much as I can in the midst of preparing to move, but I already have some stuff done and so I should be able to keep up a steady pace for you all.
I hope you follow along and most of all, I hope you are excited! I know I sure am! I have missed publishing on here. This story is going to be a series of "episodes" with one main overarching theme, like the show. But it will remain centered around my original character. Each "episode" will be under its own story on my account, except for this one, which is more like two episodes. I kept them together because it's more like a "to be continued" sort of thing. Part 1 only goes to Chapter 20. Part 2 is Chapter 21 on.
Anyways, I started watching Next Gen during my super difficult pregnancy, and so the show is very close to my heart. Hopefully I will do its characters justice.
See you on the Final Frontier!
William Riker gazed out at the purple horizon. A brilliant, shimmering sun etched streaks of color across the alien sky. It had been sunset for thirteen hours, and the Starfleet commander had been on that god-forsaken planet for three of them. A bead of sweat dripped down his temple. He wiped it away and squared his broad shoulders. "How much longer, Geordi?" he called.
Lieutenant Geordi Laforge appeared between a pair of boulders with a handheld device. "Soon, commander. I think the captain will be pretty happy about our findings. I've never seen such high concentrations of deuterium, and so close to the surface. Mining would be minimal."
"Good. I'm getting hungry." He leapt down to Laforge's level. "Is it just me, or does that cloud look like a nice, juicy steak?"
Laforge laughed. "I believe you've been in this heat too long. A few more minutes, I promise. Just gotta finish measuring this-"
They were interrupted by a thunderous crack that seemed to split the sky in two. Riker ducked instinctively, shielding his eyes with one hand as he scanned their surroundings for danger. Echoes of the crack were swallowed by a rumbling that shook the pebbles at his feet.
"Geordi! Are you alright?" he shouted.
"Yes sir! What's going on?"
"There!" Riker pointed to a fiery cloud that hurtled towards the horizon. He watched, transfixed, as the cloud burned off to reveal a spacecraft of some sort. It spun out of control, its wings singed and a long, ugly scar on one side.
"Riker to bridge!" He tapped his combadge hurriedly. "Something just entered the planet's atmosphere!"
Data's voice came through. "Our sensors just picked it up," the android said. "Strange...we should have seen it sooner."
"Are there any lifeforms aboard? It's about to crash!" Riker's eyes widened as the vessel tore over the treeline, snapping off limbs and sending up flurries of foliage. But the forest fought back, clawing at its belly so that pieces of twisted metal lay scattered behind, smoldering bright as the sunset.
"Commander-" It was Data again. "There is one life form. Vitals are fading. Are you close by?"
"We're on our way." Riker's feet flew across the rock-strewn ground with a renewed sense of urgency. The wreckage glowed up ahead like a beacon, guiding both officers deeper into the forest. At last they came upon a great plume of flames. A ravenous fire devoured the craft, filling the sky with smoke and raining ashes upon Riker's shoulders as he searched for signs of life. Then, with a thump of hope, he spotted the shape of a person slumped over the controls in what was left of the cockpit. He rushed fearlessly forward, the flames licking at his face, and hoisted the body over his shoulder.
"This way!" Laforge appeared at his side. He guided the commander away from the crash and together, they made their way through the tangle of trees until the forest thinned out once more. Safe at last, Riker let the body sink gently to the ground.
"She's in bad shape," Laforge remarked. Riker rubbed his eyes and then squinted at the small figure that lay before him. She looked young, barely out of her teens. Raven dark hair, matted with blood, fanned out around her pale face. Patches of burned flesh showed through her tattered uniform, still crackling and hissing with embers.
"Do you have a lock on us?" Riker panted into his combadge. "The survivor is in need of immediate medical attention." The young woman stirred. A faint groan passed through her bloodied lips. "Lie still. Everything's going to be alright," he promised. Her eyes cracked open, and Riker felt a swell of pity for the way she shuddered with the effort.
"Beaming you aboard now," Data advised. The forest around them faded away.