STAR TREK: FRANK GRAYSON

Something...From Beyond!

(This is the first of three new issues which will be published over the next three days…so don't miss them! BIG things are going to happen!)


Previously...with the Enterprise fuel supply running out in "our real universe", the ship's computers may have found a supplement...

USS ENTERPRISE; in parking orbit at the Oort Cloud...

The bridge crew of the Enterprise could only watch as the Galileo shuttlecraft was in parking orbit over the fissure that the ship's phasers had created earlier. With both Kubicki and Jackson gone, Mark Grayson and Hank Morton manned helm and navigation respectfully.

The three men on the away mission, Lt. Cmdr Leonard Jackson, Lt. Cmdr Kubicki and Ensign Rice were in the second hour of their task. Most of that time had been spent with prepping the shuttle with the needed scientific instruments.

Because it was the first use of the shuttle, and it was done under the watchful eye of Hank Morton in the shuttle-bay's bird's nest that over looked the expansive shuttle-bay below, everything was done by the letter.

The shuttle finally cleared the hanger deck, and was soon in the vacuum of space. First Officer Mark Grayson then ordered each of the men to take turns maneuvering the shuttle, because flight simulators, while good for training, could never replace real time use.

The flight maneuvers over, the shuttle headed over to the comet where it was now, in parking orbit.

The plan was simple; they would take the shuttle over, and then two of them, Kubicki and Jackson, would go on a space walk over to the comet, use special laser cutters, and remove a sample of the strange bright light blue substance that spread through-out the inside of the comet like spider webs. Ensign Rice, a young man Kubicki had known from his military days and had come up to the ship after being convinced to join by Kubicki, would stay aboard the shuttle to make any course alterations if needed. He would also prep the small array of science equipment they had brought over.

Frank had wanted Tashigawa to go with the shuttle crew as well. But the Japanese was fearful of flying, and had barely agreed to come aboard the Enterprise as it was. Frank understood his fear of flight, for he had it to at times in his life.

Kubicki and Jackson had put on their space suits, and had made the nearly three hundred yard space walk from the shuttle to the comet surface. The probe, which had been launched earlier, was parked near the shuttle as well.

Due to the unknown properties of the comet, communications between the Enterprise and the shuttle, and the away mission, were strained at best with low static levels.

From the bridge of the Enterprise, Frank and the others watched as Kubicki and Jackson finally made it to the fissure and then used their climbing gear, and entered the fissure.


Kubicki and Jackson took their time as they made their way into the fissure. They talked to each other via the com units inside their helmets.

Jackson marveled at the bright blue pulsating strings of the strange substance along the walls of the fissure.

"They're actually beautiful if you think about it." Jackson said finally.

Kubicki, who was leading the way agreed. "I once saw a fireworks display in Kurdistan. They had this one firework that would explode like a string of webs." He found a stable area. "This looks like as good as a place as any." Kubicki said.

Jackson had a backpack wrapped around his shoulders and took it off. Inside the pack were the laser cutters they had found in engineering. He took them out, and the levitating sample collector. He handed one of the lasers to Kubicki.

"You know, Leonard," Mike Kubicki said, "We both don't have to do this man. You have a wife up there on the Enterprise. Why don't you go back up to the surface and let me do this by myself, just incase..." he let his words trail off.

Leonard pressed on. "No, thanks Mike, but it's all cool man."

Kubicki wouldn't let it go. "Hey," Kubicki said, "you are the brains of this team. Besides, you just lost your little girl and I wouldn't forgive myself if something happened. Just go up to the surface, I'll slice this thing, then you can run the experiments on the shuttle; deal?"

Leonard thought for a moment, and then caved in. "Alright, you win." Leonard said. "Just be careful." He patted Kubicki on the back and then slowly climbed out.

Once Leonard was out of sight, Kubicki reached into his pocked at took out the small object Narrenson had given him back on Earth, just before Kubicki came up to the ship. He knew it was some kind of communication device. Twice, since the ship had left Earth, Narrenson had sent a signal upon Kubicki sending back his own taped messages; updating Narrenson on their progress.

Narrenson's last message, which Kubicki received hours ago, informed Kubicki that the device was also a scanner. He was to scan the blue substance with the device, and then transmit its finding back when safe to do so. But to do all that, Leonard Jackson had to be decoyed so as not to see the scanner. With that now accomplished, Kubicki picked up one of the lasers and prepared to take a sample. First, he looked back the way they came to make sure Leonard had made it out of the cavern. Leonard was still about five minutes from the top of the fissure.


The bridge crew was monitoring the situation on the main view screen. The shuttle could be seen in parking orbit, as well as the probe. They could also see one of the away team climbing out of the fissure.

"Who is that?" Frank asked from the command chair.

Rayana replied. "It's Leonard," she replied as she strained to hear Leonard's conversation with Ensign Rice back on the shuttle, "apparently Kubicki wanted him out of there just in case something happened."

"That isn't too professional." Mark said quickly from the helm post.

Rayana didn't respond; being that is what her husband who Mark was referring too.

"Well, to be honest," Frank said, "Mr. Jackson will be running the tests for Mr. Tashigawa while over there on the shuttle. I don't think there's any harm doing it this way."

Mark let it go at that, though he was not happy with crew members making up their own protocols. As a lead mechanic, before he went out on his own NASCAR career, Mark always wanted to know what those beneath him were doing. Too much freedom led to frantic results; or so Mark thought.

Suddenly the light on the helm/navigation consol started to blink.

"The deflector shields have just snapped on!" Mark said quickly.

Tashigawa was peering in the science section viewer. "Sir, long range sensors are showing an unidentified object on an intercept course with us."

"Is it coming from Earth?" Frank asked.

Tashigawa shook his head. "Undetermined; but the object is coming from beyond our position on a course towards our solar system."

"Put it on the screen." Frank ordered.

The present view of the shuttle/probe/comet was replaced by another view. A large round object, nearly the size of the Enterprise, approached. But although it seemed to be round, it was actually flat, not wider than twenty feet. In looked like a giant black plate coming at the Enterprise. The surface of the unknown object was more of a dark purple color, if anything and it seemed to reflect the stars around it.


On the surface of the comet, Leonard Jackson, from where he stood, could see the large object approaching as well.

"What the hell is that thing?" He said to himself.

Suddenly he noticed the ground was starting to vibrate. He turned to the fissure and ran over to it. He looked down inside of the fissure.

"Mike!" Leonard yelled. "We got company, get out of there!"

There was no reply.

"MIKE!" Leonard repeated.

Again, there was no response. Leonard climbed back down into the fissure as the vibration continued.


The Enterprise began to vibrate as well.

"What the hell is that?" Frank asked. He stood up and joined Tashigawa at the science station.

Tashigawa was analyzing the data in the viewer. "I believe it to be some sort of subspace wave that is literally vibrating the space around us."

Rayana looked worried as she looked at the main screen. She could see Leonard climbing back inside the fissure of the comet from monitor at her post, which was still displaying the probes signals.

"Is it a weapon?" Frank asked Tashigawa.

Mark answered from his position at helm/weapons. "What the hell do you think? I'll prepare to fire Photon Torpedoes!"

"No, don't do that Mark!" Frank said as he left the science station and walked around the front of the helm/consol posts. "We don't what that thing is." Frank said.

"This is obviously some kind of attack, Captain." Hank Morton said from the Navigation post.

"Yeah," Mark said, "and while we're here, Mike and Leonard, and Ens. Rice, are out there unprotected."

Frank nodded in agreement. "Look you two; don't you think I know that? But if we fire at that thing we might start some kind of intergalactic war. I'm not ready yet; heck none of us are ready for anything like that!"

"That thing could be from Earth. Maybe China launched it!" Mark countered.

Frank chuckled. "NASA can barely put a shuttle in orbit without it blowing up. Do you seriously think China, or the US, have ships flying around this far into space?"

Suddenly Tashigawa spoke. "Whatever it is, it is reversing course, heading back the way it came!"

They all watched as the object retreated from view.

Frank looked over to Rayana. "What's going on with the away team?" Frank asked.


Leonard made it back down the fissure. He could see Mike Kubicki up ahead, but something was wrong, terribly wrong with him. Leonard inched his way down to where Kubicki was propped up against the cavern wall. Then, what Leonard saw next, chilled him to the bone.

It appeared as if Kubicki had removed his outer glove and tried to touch the blue substance with just the protection of the see-through skin tight gloves they wore over their hands. But now, from the point where his fingers touched the cave wall, and the pulsating substance that was embedded in it, tiny bright blue veins spiraled down Kubicki's own fingers, and out of sight under the material of his suit. But as Leonard looked inside of Kubicki's helmet visor, he could that the veins on Kubicki's face were illuminated a bright, light blue, pulsating at various degrees, just as the webs of substance on the cave walls were. And, his eyes were closed. The veins on his eye lids were illuminated as well. Leonard could not determine if the veins of light were Kubicki's own veins, or were the substance itself taking over his body.

"Mike," Leonard said to him, "MIKE!" Leonard repeated.

There was no reply. Leonard took the sample case that he had set up earlier. Mike had been able to remove a sample from the wall, it appeared, and had placed it in the collection container. Leonard then swept Mike up and placed him over his shoulder and started the long climb back up. It was difficult to do, but eventually Leonard made the climb. It took at least 45 minutes to make to the top of the fissure. Once they were out, Leonard laid his fallen comrade on the ground. The lack of any real gravity made carrying Mike somewhat easier, but Leonard was still gasping for breath. Through the entire mission Leonard began to realize that he was slightly claustrophobic inside the space suit.

He was taking deep breaths as he stood up. He looked down and could tell that Mike Kubicki was still breathing, though just barely. Leonard had to get him to the ship. He looked up to where the shuttle was, only to find, it wasn't there! And neither was the USS ENTERPRISE.!

"Ummm," Leonard said softy, "shit!"


News of the existence of a real USS ENTERPRISE was still reverberating back on Earth. The United States Government had little to add, but made it clear, as best as it could, that the ship was not a threat to the world. A spokes person for the State Department even pointed out how the ship had actually saved the international Space station a few months earlier. The news papers of the world were covering the story as best they could. Some of the headlines were beyond compare.

USA TODAY : Beam Me Up…FRANK!

NEW YORK TIMES: Look Ma! No Strings!

TV GUIDE: I've Been there! (an exclusive interview with William Shatner)

WEEKLY WORLD NEWS: Frank Grayson is the Anti-Christ!

NATIONAL ENQUIRER: Brittany Spears "I am pregnant with Hank Morton's child!"

Penthouse Magazine: "Not one, but two of Mark Grayson's ex-girlfriends pose..together!

JJABRAMS; "There is only one real Star Trek; MY STAR TREK!"

CONTINUED…