This story was originally published for the USS Maximillian.

For more information please visit maxwriters . pbwiki . com

The events in this story take place about two years after "Beyond the Final Frontier"

"I just don't understand why he's suddenly acting this way, it's so unlike him." Lieutenant Commander Jaydin was running her tricorder over a few branches of the jungle planet. They had traced the radio signal to its original source, and unexpectedly found an uncharted world, every square inch covered with swampland and vegetation. The temperature was humid, easily upper 90's, and the air was toxic. There was some disturbance that was making it unsafe to use the transporters, so the three crewmembers came down on the shuttle pod (), Jaydin, Commander Tamak, and Ensign Williams, were wearing breathing apparatuses, nothing that restricted their movement however.

Williams remained silent, lost in his own world of scanning. Tamak answered quickly though. "Although his look is as of a human, he is not, and we cannot forget that he does not have as much experience with emotions as most of us. Commander Starblade is capable, however, and will eventually come out of this state."

She nodded. "I feel like there's something I should be doing, some way I could help him. It's frustrating."

He nodded, running his own tricorder over a large section of tree. "It is perfectly understandable, Commander, I myself wish to see his troubles solved as quickly as possible. But I fear that further interference will just put him deeper into the shell he has built around himself. Patience is the best recourse now."

Williams broke in. "Are we sure that these are the correct coordinates?"

Tamak answered. "Patience works for many other things as well, Ensign. This is indeed where the signal originated from." He gestured to Jaydin, who tapped her commbadge.

The voice of the Maximillian's communications officer, Mr. Nato, a Katarrian with what was widely considered the best set of ears in Starfleet, resonated through the system. "Bridge."

"Max, we're not reading anything down here, or seeing anything for that matter. Can you check the sensors?"

"Hold." Nato tapped his controls, working in conjunction with the science station. Kelvok walked over to him, looking over his shoulder at the controls, and raised an eyebrow.

"Away team, are you certain you are alone down there?"

Williams shivered, as they glanced around at the wilderness. Tamak answered. "Tricoder readings show no other life forms, Captain."

Nato listened closely, hearing something among the background.

Williams was the first to notice the tree move. Not so much move, as slither. A branch seemed to crawl along the ground. He jumped, and then cursed himself for behaving like a baby. "Commander, I think I found the life form." He said almost at a whisper, as Tamak and Jaydin turned around to look at him, and see what he was looking at.

The branches of the tree had all began to move, all moving towards the right of the away team, and then as they watched they noticed that on the opposite side the branches were slithering to the left. The branches began to bend, moving upward, and then the tree in the center began to lift upward, and Williams' eyes widened as the tree seemed to curve inward, until it was no longer a tree, but a green jaw. Small teeth, brown and sharp, began to emerge from the bark. It seemed to breathe in time with the small wind that was blowing, a short wheeze that chilled Jaydin. Tamak slowly moved his hand to his phaser. The tree creature let out a loud shriek, expelling large amounts of wind from its elongated throat, and the branches whipped around, as though preparing for battle.

The scream had come as a surprise to the crew on the Bridge, who had turned up the volume on the comm system to attempt to hear the movement on the planet. It took precious seconds for Kelvok to regain his hearing, and bark his question to the away team. "What was that?"

Williams was muttering to himself, and Jaydin was unable to speak as she was backing away slowly. Tamak had aimed his phaser at the plant-creature, and spoke softly. "The life form appears to be vegetation, Captain. Very much alive."

"A plant, Commander?"

"Affirmative, I am attempting to calm it." Tamak was eager to prove that his team was no threat, and certainly not edible. He turned his voice towards the creature, repeating that they meant it no harm that they did not mean to intrude.

If the creature understood what Tamak was trying to convey it did not show it. Instead, it seemingly began to drool, liquid began to drip out of its mouth, and when it hit the ground, it seemed to eat right through the mud and grime, leaving a sizzling smoke trail. The creature slowly began to move, using its branches to slither towards the away team. Tamak felt he had no choice, and fired his phaser into the side of the creature's mouth. It growled, but otherwise the shot had no effect. Jaydin looked at it in disbelief, and Tamak lowered his weapon. "Retreat, Commander." The three of them turned and began to move quickly through the forest, they found that the forest was coming alive around them. The trees and branches were all crawling along the floor. Jaydin was cursing their decision to land their shuttlecraft so far away, even though it was the closest clearing to where the signal had been. She put her head down. They would make it.

The creature rose up on its branches and had begun to move quickly. Williams made his first mistake when he slowed down to avoid a branch on the ground. Too late he realized what would happen. The branch sprung up and wrapped itself around his leg, and pulled him upward into the air, passing him from one vine to another. Jaydin glanced back and saw what was happening, and purely on instinct drew and fired her phaser at the vines. The beam had no effect, as they tossed their victim back towards the creature. Tamak grabbed Jaydin's arm. "If we do not move now, Commander, we will be joining him." She understood, and continued her original path to the shuttle pod, however not without futile looks back, searching for a last thread of hope.

She soon wished she hadn't. The creature opened its massive jaws and dropped the young ensign inside them. She heard the agonizing scream, even as she realized that his death had slowed the creature enough so that she and Tamak would make it to the shuttle.

As they reached the shuttle, with the vines of the creature on their heels, they climbed inside and raised their shields immediately. The plants did not take the hint, and attempted to wrap themselves around the landing legs of the craft. Tamak watched their shields drop from the repeated contact, and marveled silently at the capabilities of this beast. The shuttlecraft listed, then successfully made it into the air, it had to accelerate far faster than usual to break the vine, leaving half of the branch dangling, attached with a death grip to the leg of the shuttlecraft.

Tamak and Jaydin silently watched the landscape below, saw the great jungle move as one, heard the mournful cries of the creatures. Then they sat back, and marveled at their survival, and grieved for their loss.

Critch blinked to life, coming out of his unconscious state of recharge. It took a moment for all of his sensors and functions to come back online, and to gain his footing. He walked slowly across the room, running a standard diagnostic, and just as he expected, all was well. He could make out a figure in the room, sitting on the couches. He adjusted his vision, and then spoke.

"Captain." The greeting was terse. Kelvok expected this; LCDR Starblade had no reason to be happy with him. The captain hoped that he would drop his anger however, the situation was too important to have a fight right now.

"I hope you rested well, Commander."

"Well enough. I see the ship's still here."

"For the moment, perhaps."

"I assume I missed the away mission."

"Affirmative, Commanders Tamak and Jaydin returned 27 minutes ago. They are currently recovering."

"Recovering? Was there a virus?"

"A creature, Commander. It attacked them, and killed Ensign Williams. They were barely able to escape."

Critch put his head down for a moment, and then walked to the window, as though he could see what had happened by just gazing at the stars. "What kind of creature?"

"Botanical."

"A plant?"

"At least the appearance of one."

Critch thought a moment. "They made it back, well, most of them, safely. The creature, I assume, is still on the planet. Why are you here?"

Kelvok looked Critch in the eyes. "Because I have an assignment for you."

"First you don't want me doing anything, now you want me to get right back to work. I really wish you command types would make up your minds."

Kelvok ignored the challenge. "Apparently we have been shadowed. A ship has been following us ever since we entered the expanse."

Startled, Critch immediately said the first thought that entered his mind. "Marconian?"

"Federation. An old class of freighter, to be exact."

"And we didn't notice it until now?"

"The expanse runs across four distinct shipping lanes. It was assumed that it was heading for its destination. As it turns out, we were its destination."

"Do we know what it wants?"

Kelvok got up and walked to the window with Critch. "The ship carries our new crew member."

Incredulous, Critch turned and looked at Kelvok. "Crew member? Here? Now?"

Kelvok continued. "It has been planned for some time, but it was assumed that it would be years until she was ready, 'matured' enough to join a starship, and enter the Federation with enough training and respect to fit in well on any ship. However, recent events have pushed Starfleet to press her into service earlier than originally intended."

Critch shook his head. "It sounds like you're talking about a new model of ship, or communicator model."

Kelvok just stared. "You are not far off, Commander."

Critch suddenly realized his meaning, and backed up. "You can't be serious."

"I'm afraid I am. The ship is docking within the hour."

"Captain, the last thing we need around here is another android!"

"One would appear to be enough, however, Starfleet is eager to 'fill a void', as it seems. Lieutenant Commander Data's death was not only a tragedy, but also an opportunity. The "B-4" Model may never be far enough along to be a suitable Soong model. Most feel, however, that Overload will be well suited to 'follow in his footsteps', as it were."

"Overload?" Critch scanned his memory banks.

"She specifically requested the Maximillian. Originally, of course, it was the Enterprise, but after what happened…"

"We've met her before, haven't we?"

"The Maximillian has. The previous incarnation to be exact."

"And she caused no small amount of damage."

"That was a long time ago. Starfleet feels…"

"Starfleet feels? What about how we feel? Run down the list of Soong models! Data blew himself up, Lore was a nut, and B-4's elevator doesn't exactly go all the way to the top! We're running 0 for 3 here, and the odds aren't looking up for little miss "Overload" either."

Kelvok nodded. "She was not directly built by Soong, thus her appearance is far different. You requested to get back to work, so here is your mission. You will introduce Overload to the Maximillian."

"But Captain!"

"You will give her a guided tour of the ship, provide entertainment, and assist her in obtaining whatever she requires, until she feels comfortable with her surroundings."

"Captain!"

"And she is arriving now, Commander. Please accompany me to the landing bay." Kelvok began to walk out of the room, and Starblade followed, complaining every step of the way. Kelvok ignored every comment.

When they reached the landing bay, they stood outside. Kelvok listened to Critch's grumbling, and then said, "Commander, Overload specifically requested the Maximillian because of you. She had a close kinship with Commander Data, and is grieving for his loss even more than you are. As you are the last fully functional android operating in Starfleet today, she felt drawn to you. I realize this may come as no small consolation to you."

Starblade nodded, and turned his head, distracted by a small green sprout, seemingly growing out of the floor. Intrigued, he reached down and plucked it easily out of the ground. As he turned to inform the Captain, the landing bay doors opened.

"Hi, Kitty." A young girl, looking about 16, walked out of the bay. Kelvok raised an eyebrow.

"Captain." He extended his hand, and the girl grabbed it, jumping up and down as she shook it.

"Captain Kitty, then." She grinned, and saluted. She turned her bright expression-filled face over to Critch, who was struggling to maintain his composure. "DROID!" She ran and hugged him tightly, saying "Glomp." As she did so. Then she began to walk down the hallway quickly, glancing all around at the ship. Then, halfway down the hall, she stopped, and whistled. "Databit!"

Kelvok and Critch looked at each other, and then back at the bay doors, which reopened. A small figure walked out of the hallway, turned, went up to Kelvok's leg, hugged him, turned to Critch, hugged him, and then began to run to catch up to the girl.

The small figure was the spitting image of Data. Pocket-sized.

The girl was an android. Overload Soong-Maddox. Kelvok remembered she preferred to be called "Babs" for some reason. Critch could only stare as they disappeared around the corner.

"Captain?"

"Commander?"

"I'm…um…I'll be in sickbay…"

"I saw it too, Commander."