The Places Between the Stars'

by keiman and kei

Master is off again. This time he's dragging everyone in the 3WA and the rest of his 'guests' all over the Universes to find the 'Decalogue' the fabulous Shadow Sword powered by the dark Bring shadow stones. Did the True Knights Templar know about this deadly weaponry as well? Racing across the Cosmos Angela de Roncesvalles and the time lord the Castelain must find it!

36. Ch36'AlchemyInSpace'ExpeditionToGallif

Chapter 36 'Alchemy In Space' or 'Expedition To Gallifrey'

DISCLAIMER: OK Cisco, you're on. That's all, ma'am? Just the facts? I will gladly do so. We all want to say thanks to the fine folks whose creations we are permitted to use. We claim no rights to any of that stuff. However, we do claim rights to anything we ourselves have created. Anyone who wants to may use our creations so long as we get the credit for their creating.

A special thank you goes to Mr Haruka-San Takachiho who created our fabulous Angelic darlings Kei O'Halloran and Yuri Donovan just to name the two main heroines of our tales of derring do! How was that, ma'am? Quiet Pancho! We are in no real danger aboard this fine floating hotel. Very well, Miss. Miss Ro Laren has just ordered us to sit down and strap ourselves in for the alchemy circle forming experiment. Sit down, Pancho! Will you continue your tale now, Miss Laren?

Sure. All of our guests that had transported over from the Boss's Angel 2 transported back to continue their game of hide and seek by getting whoever was following us to lose interest and follow them to Nekkagourd IX at Ragnarok. That way we could continue our mission to Gysymeo unmolested we hoped. Of course we had both the Liberator and the Outlaw Star for escorts.

Cisco and Pancho, Mr Holmes and Doc Watson, Joe and Bill, Zorro the Fox (He's dreamy), Jonathan Angel and Mark Gordon, Buzzy and Todd, well, some of the shooters and quick draw guys and gals opted to stay with us. We still had the Flying Falcon, the Hammerhead, the Swordfish II, the Redtail, the Flying Dutchman and an assortment of flying crafts berthed in our bays.

The soul reapers, the Beta Zoid, alchemy, alkahestry, magical and demoniacal gang, our initial cadre of me and Gina, the Brig (Edie Jordan. Marlene Angel was aboard but helping the alchemy nuts along with the Casterlein, Hi MacDougal and Angie) and Diana, the Justice League and the Teen Titans and- OK. It's a damned long list!

We had just been told to strap in and hold on by Mr Hohenheim who was in charge of the Circle Club so Gina strapped me and herself into sturdy seats in the 'star room' and we braced ourselves for whatever mess we were gonna get into next! We hadn't long to wait. We were orbiting the ice world of Gysymeo so why was it so damned hot outside I wondered?

The outer thermal checks were reading a surface temperature of close to plus three thousand degrees Kelvin! In Celsius or Fahrenheit, that was still a lot hotter than a blast furnace! Van told us later at the same time as he dropped the big bombshell on our heads!

The ship bucked and rocked violently like some huge space god was shaking it! Trish unbuckled herself and decided to try flying to the bridge to find out what we had hit, if anything. Bad idea! She flew up and was hurled into the bulkhead! I was about to unbuckle myself and go to her aid when I saw the blood on the poor kid nun's forehead but Gina yanked me back down before I could release my seat belt harness.

"Trish! You OK, kid?" I yelled so that I could be heard over the roaring of the afterburners and the raging solar storm outside. She nodded and gave me the thumbs up sign just before she started to sob, moan and cry. We were upset and all but our hands were tied because we'd been ordered not to leave our seats until we got the 'all clear' from the alchemists!

"Trish! There's a first aid kit under that counter. You're bleeding. Get out some bandages and slap some Kolacydyl and Synthenol on 'em. Then wrap it around your head and do it quickly! You can bleed to death in space in a very few minutes, Sister! (She screamed when the K&S mixture hit the open wounds) I know it hurts like Hell but you have to keep it on those wounds or you will die.

"Find an autohypo and charge it with a hundredd cc's of Axileine 30 minus Z and inject it into your leg. That will ease the pain. No! Don't get undressed for Kami's sake! Inject it through your pants leg! Make sure that's a hundred cc's and no more. Oh, come over here and bring the kit. I'll do it for you. Be careful because you'll be feeling lightheaded from those Kolacydyl fumes. Just take it one step at a time, Trish." ordered Gina Phillips and Trish stumbled over to our chairs.

She was trailing wt bandages from her skull and some of the K&S was stinging her eyes. I wiped off the excess and reset the bandage around her head while Gina charged an autohypo and then slammed it into her leg. I had always thought that nuns weren't afraid of anything this side of the grave. Boy! Was I wrong. Trish screeched bloody murder to the high heavens when that autohypo slammed home!

"Sister Patricia! I never knew that nuns even knew some of those words, let alone that they would say them aloud! I know it hurts but it'll take away the pain and your leg will be a numb soon. Ro? Help me to get her strapped in again. Hurry! The Axileine's starting to work and she's falling! Got her? Hold onto her while I get the straps across her. There! You can let her go now, Ro. I wonder how much longer they're gonna play?" grumbled Gina and I glanced at the wall chromo but it was smashed to smithereenies!

My wristchromo told me it was 1900 or 7 PM at night solar time. How many hours had passed I had not the slightest inkling. Dare I light a cheroot? I took one out but Gina shook her head and I replaced it in my case. That case brought back memories. Captain Kiva (Nerese) had surprised me with it on my last birthday. It was chased silver with real gold filigrees. On one side was the 3WA/UG insignia while on the reverse was the insignia of Star Fleet Command with its nifty pointed starship emblem which matched the comm badge I used to wear when I was still an ensign on her ship, the Coriander.

For those of ya that don't know, I came over from SFC on loan to the 3WA. Later on I was asked if I'd like to stay and I was transferred to the Boss's Unit 9 permanently. Gina came over as a tradeoff for Marina Oki from Zach Zero's InterGalactic Space Command's Liberator. She and I were the Boss's yeomen or secretaries but she used us for whatever jobs needed to be done. On this mission, we were gunners mates under Brig Jordan's command.

"There will be a debriefing session to which all of you are invited at 9 o'clock tonight. Sorry, that's 2100 hours according to my son Edward. It will be held in the docking bay outside of the large sailing ship vessel because the break room is too small. Very well, Brigadier Armstrong! You may unstrap yourselves and go about your business as usual. I would appreciate it if all hands could attend my debriefing session this evening as it is of some importance to us all. Alphonse? How do I turn this contraption off? Mr Hohenheim signing off. Good night and good luck. That panel? Thanks."

The Elrics' dad finished regaling us and we were all on tenterhooks wondering what Universes shaking discoveries he had made and whether or not the experiments had worked. I must be clairvoyant or something because-

"I forgot to mention that our mission experiments were a success, sorta. In a way, we have won and in another way, we've lost. It's complicated but I will explain fully tonight. Perhaps our navigational directors would do me a favour? Please change course as soon as you can if Miss Jordan says it is OK? Our new destination will be Gallifrey, the Grand Citadel building to be precise. Thank you and have a nice evening. I say, Miss Curtis? Where's Siggy, your husband? What? I don't believe that Pinako (Granny Rockabelle) and Eleanor (Granny Moses Clampett) want another chef in their kitchens. Sorry about that. This is Mr Hohenheim again signing off. It's after seven. Do you know where your children are?" chuckled Van Hohenheim. Apparently, this guy had never used a PA system before!

"Did we eat dinner tonight yet, Gina? My tummy's rumbling again." I said and Gina grinned and lit a cigarette. She offered me one and then lit it for me. I prefer cheroots but they take longer to smoke. That taste was heavenly!

"I think we did because I remember seeing Winry Rockabelle and the Elric brothers trying to sneak out of the break room. You hungry, kiddo? (I nodded) Let's find a repper and have some goodies. Then we can take 'em down to Engineering and eat in that old storeroom. It's always quiet and I have a headache. Where's Trish?" replied Gina and I shook my head.

"Here I am, Captain (Gina was wearing silver railroad tracks and that single bar on my shoulder was silver because I was a first lieutenant. Had I still been in SFC, I would even be wearing a gold bar (second looey) for another five years), Lieutenant. My head feels a little whoosy but it stopped hurting. I got feeling in my elg again too. Thanks a lot, guys, I mean sirs er ma'ams." said an embarrassed nun. Sure, we'd told her it was Gina and Ro but nuns are taught discipline. Well, most of 'em anyway. Sister Eda Langhorne drank, swore, cussed, smoked like a fiend and even killed! Yet she too was a nun and not a novice like Trish either!

We coaxed Trish to join us for dinner and she agreed. Gina ate heartily, Trish ate a little and I made a pigasaurus of myself again!

Then we discussed the upcoming debriefing which we had been as good as ordered to attend! Trish hadn't a clue as to what was happening. Gina knew a little more than me and I sure as Hell didn't know very much at all. Some kinda circle called a Grand Arcanum was being formed and used somehow to close that darn old rift in the continuum. Our discussion was suddenly interruped.

"Who dares to try and close my Gehenna Gate? I opened that Gate and only I can close it! I choose not to close my Gate! I am Satan! Beware lest I come for ye! Ye hath been warned!" roared a voice like thunder which came from everywhere and nowhere at the same instant! I kid you not, guys! We raced for the break room because our 'bridge' was the size of an old Terran land vehicle's cockpit! We ran and flew (Trish) into a jam-packed room! Everyone was yelling and hollering at the same time until Mr Popo bellowed for silence and we all shut up fast. The Brig must have been asleep because she was in her jammies and a kimono! She hadn't even had time to put on slippers! She yawned and stood up.

"First of all, no. I have no idea where that voice hailed from or whose it was either. Second, we will all be attending Mr H's shindig tonight at nine and there will be no exceptions, guys. I sure as Hell hope that this latest announcement has got nothing to do with our mission parameters but I fear the worst. Third, I feel that Mr H was hemming and hawing around because he has really bad news for us. No sense speculating without data or information so I'll see ya at nine down in the bays. No, Rio. You don't have to wear your uniform but you still have to come. That's an order, people. Questions? Well, save 'em for Van. You are hereby dismissed. Trish? Go and find Angie for me, please." said our 'fearless leader'. The Brig was getting more and more like the Boss every day it seemed.

At 2100 hours, Mr Hohenheim dropped his bombshell on us. Bombshell? It was a humongous gigantic photon torpedo!

"I'll get right down to brass tacks, folks. Satan is using the rift in the continuum to open his Gehenna Gate. That is the gate between our Universes and his Demonworlds, Hell itself! (We all had open mouths) However, we have managed to close the gate and the rift. (We breathed a heartfelt sigh of relief).

"The continuum exists in both space and time. Satan's Gehenna Gate has two entrypoints. We sealed off his gate to space. That was why he got so upset. His alternate Gate, though, exists in time itself. His power source for space was, of course, the frigid cold of Gysymeo.

"His power source for time needed to ustilize the strongest source of time he could find. Therefore, Satan's other Gehenna Gate, his Time Gate is at-" said Van Hohenheim until I shut him up!

"The Grand Citadel on Gallifrey, birthplace of the Time Lords!" I shouted. Everyone in the bays was staring right at me.

"OK, Big Mouth! I suppose you know how to seal that Gateway too?" demanded the Fullmetal Alchemist, Ed Elric while his brother Alphonse tried to get him to sit down and be quiet.

"That would be your task, Mr Elric." said Gina quietly.

"Great! We gotta make another GA circle and slowly but surely close the damned thing down into nothingness again?" yelled Gaara, the Kazekage or Wind Shadow of the Ninjs' Village of Sand. Mr Hohenheim shook his head sadly.

"Alas, until I have seen this other Gateway I haven't a clue. In all likelihood, it is either at the Great Tower of Rathelon or he is using Warrior's Gate. Either one is going to be very difficult to close off and seal. That is, provided we can indeed do so. As we speak, the Brigadier has ordered our course changed and we are heading towards Gallifrey with the greatest possible speed. I only hope we arrive soon enough to prevent a disaster. Satan could, in all probability, unmake acreation itself!" shouted a very distraught bearer of the infamous Philosopher's Stone.

We were in shock! Even Cisco looked stunned which was a rarity in itself! I thumped Jonathan Smith's arm.

"Sorry, Miss Laren. My hands are tied. My boss doesn't like to interfere in his former Archangel's plans. I fear that we are on our own and we must place our trust and faith in Van and his alchemy team. Please don't cry, Miss Starfire. I am certain that Mr H will do the best he can for all of us." said our real resident Angel. Now I was worried!

"How long until we get to this haven of the timelords, Honey?" demanded Buzz Murdoch. Suddenly I realized that he was speaking to me! I did some quick calculations on my PDO.

"A full solar week at Warp 25, Buzz." I replied.

"We are doing Warp 55, Ro." Dynamo informed me. He was a Triceraton dinosaur alien and our chief engineer.

"Seventy-two solar hours, tops. I hope we aren't too late but it's the best we can do, guys." replied Gina Phillips. She too looked quite green in her gills.

"Couldn't we send Van and his kids and the other alchy-holics ahead in one of the smaller airplane thingys?" Mark Gordon said, trying to be practical. I shook my head.

"Nope. Sorry Mark but the only one we could use is the Falcon and its top speed is Warp 30. The Star's too heavy and so's the Liberator. The Leo, Mikey, Raph and Donnie shuttles are aboard the Boss's flagship. One of them could make the jaunt in half the time. Yo Brig? Couldn't we comm relay the Boss and-" I began brightly.

"Good idea, Ro only her four shuttles are in the repair shop back at the Academy. She's got the Ruby and Sapphire but they're too small and only make Warp 20. Our best bet is to keep burning up the hyperdrives and hope we make it in time, no pun intended, Van." answered our own 'FL' CO. Seemed like the Mary C was our only hope.

"The warp core!" shouted Junpei the elf hunter guy. What the Hell's he thinking? I thought worriedly.

"If we yank them stabilizing rods out all the way we could make this tub do close to a hunnert Warp real easy!" he suggested.

Dynamo hit the ceiling!

"And blow up the damned rig in the process, Dumbass? Those rods are all that keeps the core from overheating, son!" said Dynamo. We have some real nutcases aboard, folks!

"Still and all, Junpei, we might be able to tweak a few things and kick her up a notch or two. Maybe we can get there in fifty or sixty hours and save half a day. C'mon sonny. You too, Blackfire, Raven and Cyborg. The three Teen Titans and Junpei wasted no time in following the big guy to the lifts.

"Can we call the acting Lord President and ask him to look for the Gate, Mr Hohenheim? It will save some time for us." asked the Casterlein but Nami Richards, our acting comm relay officer nixed that idea in the bud.

"No, Mr C. We cannot do that. Satan is bound to have listening and viewing devices set up all through the Citadel and the entire planet as well. Best we maintain comm relay silence. That's why Edie hasn't called Mr Garner for help. Nope. We are well and truly on our own this time around." replied the orange-maned second lieutenant and we had to agree with the pirate navvie.

"OK. Two and a half days is better than three. This is Monday. That means if all goes well, by ten hundred (10 AM) Thursday, we'll be touching down in the Citadel. Our damned bloody 'chameleon circuit' is on the fritz again. Sorry, no offense, Greenie. (The 'Green Baron', Fritz von Dekker grinned and said 'None taken, mein Fraulein').

"So we cannot change the outward appearance of the Mary Celeste. We can, however, 'cloak' ourselves and I hereby order that done, Miss Prince. That will provide some level of protection. We'll scare the Hell outta the High Council but that cannot be helped, I'm afraid. Diana? I meant do it now. Get a wiggle on, Wonder Girl." The Brig was really impatient tonight.

She didn't look anything like a CO. Milady's wardrobe was a long sleeved Kelly green turtleneck sweater, faded grey denim jeans, mismatched white and yellow socks, brown loafers and a KameKaze bandana around her head. She closed out the meeting and slung an ankle length silvery white cloak around her slender shoulders.

I was almost 27, Gina was 28, Miss Angel was 32, Kami alone knew the Doctors' and Casterlein's ages yet at 17 and by far one of the youngest of our crew, the Brig was our own Boss Lady! Rumour had it that she would soon make Acting Marshall. Boy oh boy! Well, Gina was up for promotion to major and it was hinted I might be wearing silver railroad tracks before my next birthday.

There was no point in staying down here so Gina, Trish and I headed for the 'star room'. I snatched up an unclaimed 'repper' and followed Gina and Trish to the lifts.

"Yo! No flying except in the bays, Sister! We don't want any more accidents, young lady!" called Dixie McCall who was carrying a case of bandages to 'sick bay'. Dr Mike Morton was behind his nurse and he was trundling an 'anti-grav cart' overloaded with medical junk, none of which I recognized.

"Stop by my office, Patricia. Those bandages need changing. I mean it, girl." growled our resident medico. He'd been in a foul mood since he'd lost a thousand credits by betting on Cisco in the shooting matches and Pancho in the quick draws. Cisco had won the quick draw while the Brig had won the shoot 'em ups. Me? I stayed outta both of 'em. I'm slow as molasses on Gysymeo and I can't hit the broad side of a moon! Gina's the non-violent type so she and I had both sat out the games.

I gazed out of the 'window' in our 'star room' and squinted hard but all I could see was a farooff blue light that winked back at me.

"Gallifrey looks so far away, Cap. Yet we'll be there on Thursday. Go figure, huh?" I mused aloud. Gina chuckled and took out a tray of pastries and an urn of mocha mint java from the repper.

"That's not Gallifrey, Ro. That's Kurestan. Gallifrey's way beyond that planet. You can't see it from here. I sure hope we get there soon. Ever been to Gallifrey?" asked Gina and I nodded.

"Yeah but I never got past the Dead Lands and the Tower. Ever been to Warrior's Gate?" I replied.

"Nope. Doc 4 said it lies somewhere outside of time and space. He only found the place by accident or so he told me." laughed the tall redhead.

"Grandfather said that if you are looking for it, you will never ever find it. Like the first door in that vidfilm we saw, Lt Ro." said our own flying nun.

"Trish! Get down from there. You know what Suba McCall told you about flying inside the rig." scolded Gina. The girl sulked but landed beside me and looked out at the stars. I lit up a cheroot and Trish frowned.

"Grandfather says those things will give you cancer, Lt. You need the 'patch' or the 'gum'." advised the nun but Gina and I both ignored her. This was the bloody 23rd Century, for criminy's sakes! Cancer had been stamped out way back in AD 2197!

"Who's Grandfather?" asked Gina, her mouth full of cake.

"You call him Casterlake." she replied.

"The Casterlein's your grandfather?" I asked incredulously. Doc 4 had once told me that this guy had grown up with Lord Rathelon! Lord Rathie had founded the Time Lords and the Casterlein had founded the Knights Templar on ancient Terra!

"No, not really. I just call him Grandfather. Same as Sue Foreman used to call Doctor One although she was his adopted ward. He found Sue on one of his trips after he stole that TARDIS from Gallifrey." explained Trish. She helped herself to a cruller and a glass of milk.

"Stole it?" cried the Brig who had just come in the portals.

"Unh huh. The Lord Prez told him he couldn't have one so he just swiped one for himself. They don't care though. They just like sounding important and stuff. Mr Lord Barusa's only the new acting Lord Prez anyhow. Doctor Four's the real Lord Prezzy only he don't like being stuck on Gally-Free so he made old sourpuss his stand-in." replied a bored Trish.

"Old Sourpuss? Young lady, you must have more respect for your elders!" cried a voice from the portals.

"Grandfather! I didn't know you were there." said a frightened nun.

"Obviously and do stop calling me by that ridiculous name. Mr C was bad enough but I'm getting used to it now. Good evening all. No, didn't think it was visible this far away. Aha! That chair looks very comfortable. Yes. That vibration feels good on these old bones. Carry on, please. Just ignore an old man. Most of the Council does, you know." said the Casterlein and he settled into one of the big recliners that faced the 'window'.

Our 'star room's 'window' is really a vidscreen for the exterior vidcams installed all over the ship's outer hull. Below the vidscreen are controls so that we can see what's in front of us, behind us or on either side of the rig. I adjusted it for a rear view which was boring because it was all black and spooky out there. Then I tried port and saw the 'Outlaw Star' trying to keep pace with us. Another click showed me the 'Liberator' on our starboard side. Port's left and starboard's right. In case there be any landlubbers out there.

I yawned and decided it was bedtime. The wall chromo read almost midnight. Gina, Trish and I said g'night to the Brig and Mr C and headed for our suite. I was sharing with Gina, Rio and a few others. We dropped off Trish at 'sick bay' despite her insistence that she was OK and didn't need a new bandage yet. When Miss McCall and Doc Mike said for you to 'stop by', you had darned well better do it or he'd tell Mr Dynamo!

I was in my jammies and sitting in bed reading a new manga on my PDO and Gina was in a kimono sitting in front of her old-fashioned 'tablet' PC doing some 'brain teasers' when Trish came in with Diana and Margo Lane. The latter was 'potted' as Zach would have said. Trish was sporting a brand new head bandage and she was wincing and rubbing her backside. Mike must have given her another autohypo of Axileine for good measure.

Mike insisted that it was better for ladies to take autohypos in our 'jacksies' as Miss Roberts called our rear ends! Of course it hurts like the Dickens but he was the doctor, not us!

"I thought you said that we didn't need to get undressed for them autohypos, Lt Ro? Dr Mike made me pull down my britches and undies! I wish that Dixie was allowed to give us our shots! She hits us in the arms or legs and it don't half as much. Gina glanced over and grinned at her.

"Let that be a lesson to you, Trish. You should have listened to us about not flying around the ship where you weren' allowed to fly. That head looks like it's healing up nicely. The first two bandages bled like the devil. You'll be right as rain by the time we get to Gallifrey. Better get some sleep. Tomorrow's our turn to do KP work in the galleys. 'Night." said Gina and she told Niki to switch off the desk lamps.

"Aw no. Not again, Ginny. That means we'll be up at 0500! Good night." I said and I asked Niki to turn off my bedside lamps. I snuggled into my bunk and tried to sleep.

Diana, bless her, tucked in our resident nun and kissed her lightly on the forehead taking care not to move the new bandages. Then Diana went to her own bunk and sleep claimed all or most of us aboard the Mary C until 0500 when Niki decided to play US Marine Corps drill sergeant with us!

"Wake up, people! Up and at 'em! Hurry! If ya want breakfast afore ya gotta serve it, get your keesters up and I mean now, ladies!" howled Niki while playing a vidrecording of Reveille over our squawkboxes. We got up! Gina and I were as mad a Zyglorian hornet but Trish was used to being an early riser. In fact, we found her drinking her third milk in the break room when we stumbled in at 0530 hours! Seemed Trish gets up at 0400 at the convent back home in the Girol Mountains so she naturally got up at 0400, came down and had her breakfast.

Afterwards, she helped us clear the table and reset it. With so many folks aboard, we had three breakfast shifts because the break room, unlike the TARDIS, existed in only one dimension! Of course, needless to say, we were the help for all three meals and all three shifts!

The first wave were the alchemy horde. They were followed by the cadre and crew. Lastly came the newbies with the soul reapers. The last straggler took his cup of java and left at 0930. We carried all the stuff to the galleys and played 'paper/rock/scissors' to decide who washed, who dried and who stacked. I lost! I ordered Niki to fill the sink with hot soapy water and began the drudgery of washing dishes for about a hundred souls. Gina dried and Trish stacked until Granny MC switched them around when Trish had broken her fifth dish.

While everyone else amused themselves, we three were kept busy filling salt shakers, pepper mills, sugar bowls, creamers and the like. Around 1100, Trish and Gina spread the tablecloth on the huge table while I folded the napkins and placed them. Then while Gina and I set out the dishes and servers, Trish set up the silverware.

Another round of 'rock/paper/scissors' decided that I was to be 'room service' today. Only the bridge crew rate breakfast delivery and Gina had handled that. Last time it had been me and before that, Trish. For lunch, however, the bridge crew, the alchemy gang and the reapers were allowed to ask for special deliveries unless they chose to rep up their own meals. Most of them didn't.

At 2 PM, we again cleared and did the washing up. Granny R gave us all a 'smoke break' from 1430 until 1445 or until a quarter of three. I read somewhere that on ancient Terra, workers got fifteen minute 'coffee breaks' every time they turned around! I asked Uncle Hiram what 'coffee' was and he told me that was what we called 'java'.

Then it was time to help prepare dinner and when Granny MC asked who wanted to 'peel them taters', guess who got tagged? Me again. It's not quite the same as in the old Terran US armed services or even in ancient Terran kitchens. Peeling 'taters' consisted of dumping a big bag of the darn things into the 'crush unit' where they were deskinned and dropped into a bin. Then that 'anti-grav' bin had to be trundled into the galley where it hovered over the pots of boiling water.

Then it got tricky. You had to release the bottom of the bin and jump back to avoid getting sloshed! We wore burn proof coveralls and masks so we were in no danger of being scalded alive but getting sloshed with starchy, sticky water was almost as bad! Yuck! Gina did the veggies while lucky duckie Trish got to trundle in the meats, fish, cheeses, poultry and game for the Grannies to do their thing! Think that Sister Trishy ever offered to give us a hand afterwards? Fat chance!

At a few minutes afore 1600, we again reset the tables, etc. Then we went to the galley for our meals which we had to wolf down quickly! Why? Guess who served the darn meals eh? Right on first try! Us! At 1900, we cleared, did the washing up and after a short 'smoke break', we cleaned the break room thoroughly! How?

This was sorta easy to do. We lowered the tables and benches, chairs and other machines into the deck. Then we set the cleaner 'droids in motion and relaxed a bit. Then we polished everything we could like the table, chairs, benches and so forth with mops dipped in polish. Then we raised everything back up and into position. Finally, we did the same with the galleys while the unlucky one of us got to wash up all the kitchen utensils and pots and pans and you get the pix, right?

Nope. I lucked out and so did Gina. Trish tried to claim she felt whoozy but that cut no ice with Granny R and Granny MC. They simply gave her a big dose of something they called castor oil! At 2100, we were dismissed after the Grannies had inspected galleys and break room.

ZOOM!

I was almost knocked off my feet by a flying Tasmanian Devil! Then I heard Dynamo's deep bass voice shouting and the next minute, he almost crashed into us!

"Nosy! Bring back that part dammit! Sorry kids but that damned dog's got the stabilizing control adjuster! Nosy! Why doesn't Edie keep the blasted thing on a leash for Kami's sakes!" he yelled and Nosy doubled back. Trish and I both tried to grab him at the same time and we bumped heads with each other! OUCH!

"Gotcha! Give me that part, Nosy. Chief? You can call off the chase. I got the stabe adjuster off of him. Trish? Go find the Brigadier. Ro? Rep us up a choker and a leash. I thought Edie was keeping this mutt in her suite? Hurry up, Ro! I can't hold onto him forever!" howled Gina who was having a hard time holding onto little Greased Lightning!

Trish flew up to the bridge-literally! I dashed back to the break room for a repper and hastily repped up a choker, collar and leash and dashed back to help Gina get Nosy kitted up. Gina snapped his shirt back onto the little holy terror and then she and I both gripped the leash loop and held on for dear life!

Nosy was a purebred Glegorgian Aylshire Terrier and he was just a puppy. He was about the size of Asta the Schnauzer doggie on The Thin Man vidfilms from ancient Terra but like all of his breed, he was faster than a greyhound, a whippet, a jaguar or evn a cheetah! Nosy was only a few weeks old and he was already a speed demon. By the time he was a year and almost fully grown, Todd's Corvette won't be able to catch him!

Nosy lived up to his name and then some! He stole anything not nailed down! While I had been setting the table last week, the perishing little thief had swiped my Mark XIII right out of my holster!

Nosy! Get out of that drawer dammit! Edie! Gina, see if you can get that laser sword away from him before he turns it on! Edie! Where the Hell is she anyway I wonder?" I growled and I was getting peeved, really pissed off, man!

"Nosy! You know better than that! Give me back the shiny toy! Ow! Damn you! He bit me, Ro! Let the Brig get it off of him. He's her dog, not mine! Edna Marie Sharon Jordan! Get your ass in here now, dammit!" screamed a usually calm, cool and collected redheaded yeoman. Gina Phillips was definitely not a happy camper. Like me, she was bushed and ready for her bunk.

"What's all the commotion about, girls? Oh, it's, um, Nosy again, huh? Come to Mummy, Precious. You are just the cutest thing, yes, you are. Mummy lovey doveys you, yes, she does. What the Dickens has he swiped this time?" cooed our own Boss.

"He's got a laser sword, Edie. Watch it! He bites!" replied Gina who was sucking on her fingers.

"He can't bite. He just a little puppy. All he can do is nip a little." said Edie and Dr Watson tapped me on the bottom with his walking stick.

"I say! Cue little laddie, is he not, Holmes? Must you play with him in the middle of the corridor, ladies?" scolded the Doc.

"We are trying to get a laser sword away from him, Doctor. Did you get it yet, Boss?" I asked. I looked daggers at Doc W. He and Mr Holmes carefully sidestepped around us but he was a bit too slow.

"Ouch!" cried the great detective when Nosy dropped his new toy and fastened his teeth into Sherlock's calf or was it his shin?

"There's your laser sword, Gina. Take better care of it next time." admonished Edie and Gina got mad.

"It's not mine, Brig. The little Arsene Lupin III filched it out of that drawer. Ow! That smarts!" yelped Gina.

Doc Watson had examined Sherlock's leg and pronounced it as a dog bite. Then he looked at Gina's fingers. You'd both best have a Tetnaus shot just in case. Come along to 'sick bay' and we'll get you both patched up. You should be right as rain in the morning, old chap. Follow us, my dear." said the good doctor and he assisted his friend towards the lifts. Gina followed, the hanky I'd wrapped around her fingers turning pink.

"Aha! Playing with the little monster, were you, Cap? You should know better. That looks nasty. Dixie? Swab those fingers with some K&S and get a bandage on them. While she's doing that, I'll give you a Tetnaus shot. Drop your drawers, young lady." ordered Dr Mike Morton but Gina stared at him, her mouth wide open. Then Mike saw John and Sher standing there.

"About face, gents, if you please! This will only take minute. Then it will be your turn, Mr H." added Mike. The two gentlemen from Terran Victorian England obeyed and Gina dropped her jeans and Teddy Bear panties, the fluorescent pink ones today! Sango the demon slayer from ancient Terran Japan's Sengoku Jidai Era had given all or most of us gals sets of these TB undies for Kurisumasu, that's Christmas.

"All done. Next." said Mike while Gina quickly pulled up her undies and jeans. Her face was red as one of our three suns in embarrassment. After all, Gina was a grownup and those were kids' underpants really!

John Watson had been busy with K&S, bandages, cotton swabs, gauze and tape while Gina was being treated and now Sherlock's leg was bandaged properly.

"Hold still, Holmes! It's only a precaution. Will you stand still, dammit?" scolded the good doctor whose patient was fidgeting all over the place!

"No needles, Watson! You know I don't like them!" cried the big brave detective who was terrified of hypos. Dixie calmly charged an autohypo with Tetnaus vaccine and swabbed Kolacydyl on Mr Holmes's arm. Then a quick, deft flick of the wrist and-

"OK. You're finished, Sher. Didn't hurt a bit, did it?" she said and Holmes had to admit that he hadn't felt a thing. Gina, of course, like the rest of us, were used to the darn things which somehow parted the skin and whooshed the solutions into the bloodstream causing no pain at all. Then Dr Watson charged an autohypo with Axileine 30 and injected the painkiller above the leg wound. A couple of Hydroxylein capsules and a glass of water was all the painkiller that Gina's injured fingers needed.

"That beast should be muzzled, Watson! He's a menace to us all!" howled Mr Holmes.

"Yet he seems to prefer your leg to anyone else's, old boy. Go figure, what?" chuckled the good doctor.

Meanwhile, the Boss had taken Nosy home and dialed in a soothing summertime day on the vidscreen 'window' in her living room. Nosy was amusing himself by chasing a repped puppy around the suite. The Brig was compiling a report for Mr Garner and enjoying a steaming mug of Zyrullian cocoa with Lerdian mints and an old Terran vidfilm entitled 'Lassie Come Home' which interested Nosy not a whit. At least the 'foul beastie' which was Hi MacD's nickname for him wasn't stealing anything or destroying it. He'd shredded my new JiKoldian silk kimono yesterday and it had been in my closet which was locked! How he got to it is beyond me but I suspect it had something to do with my green jumpsuit that Rio had worn to dinner.

The three of us finally made it to our bunks and were in Dreamland as soon as our heads hit our pillows. Tonorrow's KP crew was Daisy Duke, Ellie Mae Clampett and Jethro Beaudine, Ellie's cousin. That bunch was used to early hours but we sure as Hell weren't! Tomorrow, Gina, Trish and I planned on a nice dip in the pool on the holodeck. The 'WOOHP' spygirls (Clover, Alex and Samantha or Sammy) had repped us all up some cool but kinky mizugi (swim suits) that they called bikinis. They assured us they were all the rage in ancient 20th Century Terran California especially in LA.

Next day the Boss had different plans for us. It seemed that our 'God Gun' hadn't been swabbed out since our Talaxian missions and the Boss Lady, not our Boss Brig, the Boss Lady Marshall O'Halloran asked Edie for 'volunteers' to clean it. Trish thought it would be great fun (She'd never seen the damned thing that was Deck Six on the Angel 2) so she volunteered herself, me and Gina! Bye bye swimming pool and warm summer beaches!

"I'll kill her!" I breathed in a whisper.

"Not if I get to her first!" breathed back Gina. We looked at her crossly.

"What'd I do? C'mon, it's gonna be a lotta fun, guys!" bubbled our resident nun. Gina and I were both toying with our Marks.

"Have you ever even seen that damned thing, Flygirl?" I demanded. She shook her head.

"I heard it was on the Boss's ship on Deck Six." replied Trish.

"It IS Deck Six, Dumbass! The bloody thing's almost two miles long and half a kilometre wide! Know how they tested it?" asked Gina.

"No. How?" asked a naive nun and Gina told her.

"Ever hear of 'Nirvanes VIII'?" asked Gina quietly.

"Sure. We learned about that place in school. It vanished a few years back. What's that got to do with this, Cap?" answered Trish.

"That was how they tested the 'God Gun', kid." replied Gina.

"It was on its very lowest setting, Trishy." I added and Trish got sick and dashed for the ladies' room.

"When Trish gets back, you three report to the transporters. It's eight now. You should be back here in time for third lunch at 1300 if ya don't do any goldbricking on the job. Ivy (Lord Ivanhoe), Rebecca, Oddo and that crybaby Prince John will meet you there and help you. Careful around Oddo. He steals stuff. When ya get back, you three can take off the rest of the afternoon." said Milady Jordan. Then she spun on her heels and marched off to the bridge.

We spent a filthy, dirty, greasy and grimy six hours swabbing out that thing that was Deck Six on the Boss Lady's Angel 2. Of course I mean the damned 'God Gun'! What other piece of crap do we have that takes up an entire deck? As it turned out, we missed third lunch by almost an hour but repped up lunch was just as nourishing and we were famished after that job, baby!

We were tired too, at least Gina and I were tired. Trish seemed to have boundless energy but I guess we all have those adrenalin reserves when we're young, huh? While Gina and I headed for a nap, Trish decided to go exploring and Gina warned her not to leave the Mary C. Trish promised on her holy rosary to be good and stay aboard this ship and not go back to the Angel 2. That satisfied us and we went to our bunks where we slept the sleep of the just until 1700 when second dinner was announced.

We had a real feast with T bones or Porterhouse steaks with all the trimmings, veggies, Roesti which is a Swiss style potato pancake, creamed celery which was a new recipe shared with the Grannies by Lance Edwards via PDO from the 'Outlaw Star' where he was serving as head chef, some kind of French chokkies called 'petit fours' which were filled with yummy cake, lemon meringue pie and gallons of java, tea, cocoa or if you were old enough, liquors. I had three glasses of Oregian Schnapps and my head was swimming.

Somehow I ended up on the bridge where the Justice League superheroes were on watch. Batman was piloting. His co-pilot was Bart the Green Arrow. Comm officer was Flash. Hawkgirl was scanner officer and Wonder Girl Diana Prince was navvie. On weapons were Superman whose foot was heavily bandaged. I asked the Bat why and he told me that Superman had again forgotten our energy dampeners and had kicked the bulkhead wall in the 'star room' really hard when he'd lost a 'Duel Monsters' match to Mr Holmes! Would these idiots never learn? The only powers permitted aboard were those approved of by our Brigadier. Speedy was in charge of the replicator and the other gunners were Black Canary and Marvin the Martian Manhunter.

"Hullo there, Missy Ro. How's tricks? Wanna see me pull a rabbit outta a hat?" asked Shade who had transferred his allegiance from the Legion of Doom to the JL and was now one of the good guys. His job was to watch for obstacles in our path so Batman could steer us around them. The Bat was miffed because he'd come aboard without his Batmobile and Todd wouldn't lend him his Corvette. Todd let him drive it once and the Bat almost crashed into a cliff! Mark Gordon saw it and he refused to lend him his Torino.

"That trick never works, Shade." said Star Sapphire, another new JL transferee from the L of D.

"Watch and learn, Star baby. Abracadabra and hey presto!" said the sorcerer magician and he dipped his hand into his upturned helmet and pulled out a cute grey and white bunny rabbit!

"Hey! It worked! It finally worked, guys! A real live rabbit outta a hat! Damn, I'm good!" chortled Shade.

"That ain't really a hat, Shade. It's a space helmet." said Flash with a yawn.

"So?" replied Shade.

"So it don't count, Shady. Have Speedy rep up a real Fedora and then try it." said Bart. Speedy quickly complied.

"Here ya go, sir. Do your thing." said Speedy and his mentor Bart chuckled.

"Yeah. Try that trick with a real hat, if you dare." challenged Bart who was open-mouthed in astonishment when Shade drew a brown cottontail bunny out of the repped up black Topper!

I applauded and soon the whole bridge watch crew was hooting and hollering while Shade took his bows with dignity.

My head was feeling whoozy so I said g'night to everyone and headed for my bunk. This was gonna be an early night for me. When I got to our suite, Gina was already snoring like a grampus in the bunk beside mine. I tiptoed out to the living room to ask Niki to locate Trish.

"Sister Patricia is in docking bay three. I suggest you go there and stop her from flying, Ro." replied Niki and I must have looked puzzled as Hell.

"Why? She's allowed to fly in there. Edie said so herself." I replied.

"On a skycycle?" asked Niki and I bolted for the lifts. Docking bay three was two levels up from the living quarters deck and the lift got me there in jig time. I tore through the open portals and ducked!

"Whee! These are fun to ride on, lieutenant! Yippee!" howled Trish as she swooped low enough to knock me off my feet if I were as tall as Angie or the Boss Lady!

"Trish! Land that cycle immediately! You know those things are for surface trips only! Get down here and I mean now!" I yelled and I had to hit the deck when Trish killed the engine and tried to glide down gracefully. Instead she plummetted and hit the deck with a bone-jarring crash! I raced to her side but she had already leaped up unhurt. I helped her to resecure the skycycle in the bike shed where we kept them.

"Are you OK? You could have been killed, Trish! If you want to ride skycycles, use the holodecks for Kami's sake! It's getting late so why don't ya call it a day? Cap Phillips (Gina) and I are gonna catch up on our vidreports and you'll be filing for us tomorrow. Five AM will be here sooner than ya think! Now scoot! This incident will be our little secret, OK?" I said and Trish nodded her head and dashed for the lift.

"No running in the halls, Missy! Someone could get hurt, gal!" roared Dynamo when Trish tore past the huge Triceraton. Then he caught sight of me.

"Hullo there, Ro. Slumming?" he chuckled. Engineering was on the same level as DB3. I shrugged my shoulders.

"Just taking a walk before turning in, Dy. Lose anything else?" I giggled. Dynamo's face went as black as a thundercloud over Pluto!

"That infernal pup has run off with that sonic screwdriver that Doc 4 lent me. You ain't seen the little pest, have ya?" he demanded and I had to admit that when I'd last seen him he had been in the Brig's living room.

Meanwhile back at the Brig's quarters-

"Nosy, what have you got there? That's the Doctor's! Where'd you get it? Give it to me. Bad doggie! No, don't look for sympathy this time. I'll give this to the Doctor tomorrow. Huh? Who is it?" called Edie when someone began pounding on her portal.

"Me. Dynamo. Could I talk to ya for a minute, ma'am?" replied our chief engineer and she said to "Come."

"Aha! I knew that little thief had stolen the darned thing! May I have that back, Brig? I'll return it to the Doc in the morning. I need it to make a few adjustments to our stabilizing circuitry." asked Dynamo and the Brig handed it to him.

"Sorry for the fuss, Dy. G'Night." replied Edie.

"Ya should send that mutt to obedience school, Boss. G'Night. Pleasant dreams." laughed Dynamo and he left for his own domain.

"Find it?" I asked Dy when he strolled past me on his way to the lifts. He was twirling the Doc's tool and grinning.

"Yup. That little pest should be kept under lock and key! The Boss treats him like a king! G'Night, Ro." growled Dynamo.

"He'll outgrow it, Dy. 'Night." I said and I hit the sack and slept until 0500. I awoke refreshed and showered and dressed quickly. I tried to rouse Gina but the Cap was already gone. I had to tip over Trish's bunk to get her attention. She stumbled into the shower and I lit a cheroot. Five minutes later she returned, pulling on calf high grey boots. A green tee shirt and red Capris completed her outfit. I tossed her a jacket and ski cap.

"You're helping us in the 'tombs' today, remember? It's cold in there because of the vidfiles. I tucked a pair of gloves into the jacket pocket. Hurry up or we'll miss breakfast. It's almost half past five!" I scolded and with Trish carrying jacket and cap over her arm, we double timed it to the break room.

Gallant gentlemen that they were, Cisco and Zorro gave up their seats for us. Pancho had already given up his deat at the table to Gina. Gina pointed towards the far end of the table and grimaced. I looked and did the same thing.

"The pigs are back, I see." I whispered to Gina. Trish needed further explaining.

"Who are the pigs?" she shouted and suddenly all eyes were on us. I was beside Trish and Gina was seated across from us.

"My hubby and sorta brother-in-law. Meet Vegeta Brief and Goku Son, kiddo. They're Saiyaans and they eat everything in sight that ain't nailed down." replied Bulma Brief whose hair was a stunning shade of electric blue today.

"Hi there, Bulma. I didn't see you over there behind Vegeta. You guys just get in?" asked Gina and Bulma helped herself to a few muffins before they reached her hubby. She pointed towards the lifts.

"Yeah, I docked above late last night. Keitarou (Reef) and Annie (Hathaway) are docked beside me but they're both sleeping in. We got here kinda late, around 0300 hours. Ya wouldn't think that those two only ate an hour ago, would ya?" she smirked.

Insults were wasted and lost on Saiyaans. They seemed to live for only two things- eating and fighting. I suddenly remembered why the Saiyaan troupe had been gone for the last few weeks.

"If you're back, I guess that means you found all seven Dragon Balls?" asked Gina, apparently anticipating my unspoken question. Bulma shook her blue mane ruefully and speared a doughnut from a tray headed for Doughnut Boy (Vash the Stampede from Gunsmoke).

"No such luck. We found five and they're in the Boss's safe on the Angel 2. The remaining two are in the same direction you guys are heading so the Boss told me to travel aboard the Mary Celeste and to bring her godson and his fiancee along for good measure. I belatedly remembered that KR, although older than the Boss and the Duchess, was still their adopted godson! Long story which is recounted in earlier sagas as 'Snow White Chaser' file. That was from the Boss's Flash adventures.

"Hey! Just where are we heading, Lt Ro?" yelled Trish. Apparently her religious order was not a silent one! Then I noticed the date! It was Wednesday!

"We make planetfall on Gallifrey sometime tomorrow. Hush up and drink your milk, Trish." answered Gina quietly.

"At 0800 hours to be precise. Just outside of the Citadel building. The Mary's small enough to fit in the inner courtyard. The Angel 2 will have to settle for the Dead Lands near the Great Tower of Rathelon if they show up that is." advised Nyssa. The Trakken girl was one of our many navvies so she oughta know, huh?

"Tomorrow? I deduce a briefing in the offing, eh Watson?" said Mr Holmes, rubbing his hands together. The good doctor grunted and seemed out of sorts this morning. I soon found out why.

"Look here, Holmes. Just because I did better than you did in those games the other night is no reason for you to practice target shooting in our living room! You scared the wits out of me and little Luna!" grumbled Dr Watson. I had forgotten that the good doctor had 'adopted' Mooney's (Sailor Moon) neko (cat) while Zorro the Fox had 'adopted' the other sailor's cat Artemis. Cowgirl Ed Appledore and Ein her data dog were inseparable. K-9, Doctor #4's robotic 'dog' had been staying with Dynamo in Engineering ever since the Brigadier had brought little Nosy aboard with her.

Sherman, Mr Peabody's 'boy' was the Boss's new cabin boy over on the Angel 2 while his 'master' Mr peabody, himself a dog, had tired of the fussing every female aboard was doing over him so he'd transported over to the Mary C. I had him working on our back reports to Mr Garner and he was as happy as Phrygianian clam.

We had 'adopted' Otto, Ojou's doggie when Gokusen or gangster teacher, a yakuzza princess from ancient Terran Japan had moved into our suite. He was cute. He talked and he knew a lot of bad words too. Otto invariably dressed in jogging suits like his mistress.

He had insisted on taking his turn on guard mount and bridge watch so we had fitted Otto with a gunsash and holster for his Mark III miniblaster. He wore it proudly along with his vidcard ID tags. Otto was an acting subby or sub-ensign while Yamkumi Ojou or whatever her real name was, had recently been awarded her gold second looey bars.

Bulma had insisted on helping us out in the 'office' while her hubby and Goku played 'Duel Monsters' on our holodecks. Gina and I were glad of the extra help. I put Bulma and Trish to work sorting and filing. Gina was categorizing our reports for last winter and I was doing last spring's junk. Mr Peabody had appropriated my desk for his report dictations which Niki would later transcribe and send to Edie's PDO for signature.

I had no choice. I appropriated Miss Donovan's desk and started my own sorting and stacking work. Any reports we found that were unsigned we were authorized to sign and initial for the Brigadier and/or her exec. Who that was this week was anyone's guess. Last week's exec had been Mr Smith but he and Mark Gordon were visiting the 'Flying Dutchman' crew members. Legato Bluesummers was with the alchemy squadron. Only one way to find out.

"Ginny? Who's our exec this week?" I asked and Gina looked at me like I was baka nuts!

"Duh! You are, Dumbass. Weren't you listening to Edie at our last briefing? I'm chief yeoman and too valuable to use as an exec. Why worry? The only thing you gotta do is sign reports. Will's the pilot and Diana's his co-pilot. The navvies are in their own little world and Edie and Zach make up the duty rosters. It's just window dressing being the exec but it still makes you an acting Captain. Wait! Ain't you a suba (subaltern) now? I was sure O'Halloran promoted you last month, didn't she?" replied Gina without looking up from her sorting.

"Miss Nikita? Would you please kindly tell us whom the Brigadier of this ship has made her exec for this week? What is Miss Laren's current ranking? Thank you. Then perhaps we can get some work done around here." said an annoyed white doggie.

"Ro Laren is a subaltern and temporarily, an acting Captain because she is currently the executive officer of the 'Mary Celeste'. Any other questions, Mr P?" said our own 'CC', whose name was Nikia or Niki for short.

"Thank you, my dear. No further questions at this time." replied Mr Peabody. He lit a long, foul-smelling cigar that had been given to him by Mr Holmes. Then he got back to dictating his reports.

"As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted- The skies over Pluto were overcast this morning-" he intoned in a dull monotone which made him sound as boring as Hell but after all, reports were not supposed to be interesting reading, were they?

"Trish? Please bring me another batch from April of 2254, will you?" I called and the 'flying nun' flew up to the ceiling and retrieved another box of vidtapes or vid disks marked 'April AD 2254/Box 2 of 32'. Down she swooped and deposited them on my overladen desk.

"Great! Looks like one for every day of April, Ginny." I complained and Mr P pretended not to hear me. On our Aquarian Galactic calendar, April has two extra solar days. We have 15 rather than 12 months and a standard 370 days to a year. That means that we have no 'leap' years.

"Man oh man! Does Edie have to write down every damned thing we do every bloody day? How about I just abbreviate these dry old reports. Nobody would ever know." I suggested.

"Except the Boss Lady Marshall and our Brigadier Boss Lady. Then we'd all be called onto the carpet and you wouldn't get those 'railroad tracks' for another year or two and I'm up for major next month. You could always ask Rio to help out, ya know?" giggled Gina Phillips with an evil grin.

"No thank you very much, ma'am. I'll manage somehow." I replied with a grimace, recalling the mess that we'd had the last time Rio DelCroix had 'helped us out'!

We opted to rep up lunch, even Mr Peabody which was strange since he liked arguing with our barkeeps in the rec room. He did, however, opt for a stroll through the ship after lunch to help his digestion and we were glad to get rid of him even if only for a quarter of an hour! What a bigot and male Chauvinist pig he was! Oh, he was polite and his manners were impeccable but he must have thought he was still in the 14th Century! Females should be seen but not heard indeed! Why Mr Galadriel saw fit to place females in positions of authority left serious doubts as to the poor man's sanity was another slur he liked to cast at us!

If he hadn't been such a darned good strategist and planner, I doubt if the Boss Lady Marshall would have brought him along on our missions! Stupid old dog!

"I heard that, Suba. You must clean up that mouth of yours or I'll have Granny get out the lye soap, Madam. Get back to work." said Mr P and I realized I'd said that last line aloud!

"Hey! I am a Suba and an Acting Captain as well as being the executive officer so you get back to work, Peabody!" I yelled.

"Major Peabody, if you please, Madam. I still outrank you. I still do not know why the Brigadier put a child, a female child as second in command. I would have been a much better choice even if I do say so myself." he replied without even turning around. I was furious!

"In here, I am in charge, kiddies and I am a Captain. On the bridge, you both outrank me but in ny office, I outrank both of ya. So get back to work. Both of you and stop this senseless bickering. Consider that an order." said a peeved Gina Phillips and we both knew better than to argue with her! Mr P, Trish, Bulma and I went back to sorting, filing and composing reports.

We all worked steadily and quietly (Trish, Bulma and I chatted a bit but we were careful not to disturb Mr P or Gina) until the chromo bonged nine times- 2100 hours! I stretched and Mr Peabody laid aside his vidmike. Trish retrieved her jacket and cap while Bulma stood up and dusted herself off. Gina paid us not the slightest attention. Probably because her 'out' stack was so high she couldn't see us!

"It's nine, Cap and we're going to the rec room for some drinks. Wanna come?" shouted Bulma.

"Do hurry along, children and don't dawdle. Mr Blue has found me a sherry Amontillado of an excellent vintage. If I don't get there soon, it'll be all gone!" howled Mr Peabody, his overcoat draped across one of his paws.

"Yeah but I'm not quite finished with this last entry. I'll meet you there. Save me a seat at the bar. Thanks." replied Gina's voice from behind the immense tower of vid disks and vidfiles.

"Fair enough. Let's go! Please do not keep us waiting, Captain Phillips. I say, wait for me, children!" answered our white Chauvinist doggie and off we went. The lift whooshed us down to the rec room/bar and Mr Peabody ordered drinks from Legato Bluesummers, our barkeep of the evening.

"Brandy Alexander for Miss Brief here. The good sister will have a chocolate shake. The exec will have whiskey and soda. The same for Captain Phillips but you'd better make hers a double. She's coming soon, I hope. I want a glass of the excellent Amontillado you have been boasting about to everyone, my dear sir. Sit up straight, Sister. No elbows on the bar, Suba Laren. Must you use makeup at the bar, Miss Brief? I should think that the ladies' lavatory would be more suited to that practice, don't you? I say, Mr Blue? Could you please loan me your pocket communications device? I wish to call my boy, Sherman. He's aboard the flagship. Thanks. Excellent aroma. Hmmn. Very smooth with just the right touch of sweetness. Drink up, Sister. It is way past the time when little girls should be in bed. Another if you please, sir." said Mr P and he sounded more boring and insulting than usual tonight.

"Gallifrey tomorrow huh? (I nodded and sipped my drink) No word yet from the High Council. I guess nobody in their scanning rooms have spotted the other end of Satan's 'Gehenna Gate' yet. Probably somewhere in the Dead Lands, I'd say. You agree, Ro?" asked Blue and I nodded.

"Bound to be. More than likely near the Tower. Edie hadn't heard anything last time I checked with her. Any messages come in for me?" I replied. My question was directed to Rio who was filling in as comm relay girl while Diana was helping the alchemists with logistics. Nami and Nyssa were good navvies but neither one knew Gallifrey. We were lost without Zoe Morton and she was on leave far away on her home world of Pluto. When her month's furlough was up, she was going to bum a ride back to the Academy with Jim Bowie. No, not the ancient Terran American trailblazer!

This Jim was one of his descendants and he piloted space rigs for an intergalactic hauling company owned by Mr Galadriel and the big guy had a crush on Zoe. Her family liked him too. Whenever he had a layover on or near Pluto, Jim always stayed at the Morton homestead nestled at the foot of Mt Ziggauraut, Pluto's highest peak. That area got the stormiest weather on the whole darn planetit seemed.

"I said do you want another one, Ro? Shimougou to Ro. You reading me, Honey?" asked Legato and I realized that my mind was a few zillion lightys (light years, 'member?) away.

"Yeah, just one more for the road, Blue. I have to check on the bridge watch crew. Then I'll turn in. We make planetfall at 0800 so I gotta be up at 0600 but Niki'll probably call me at 0530. Bottoms up." I said and drained my glass. I felt whoozy so this must be the real stuff and not 'Synthenol'! Blue must have read my mind.

"Yeah, Honey. That's the real McCoy, genuine 120 proof. You OK, Ro? Want me to call Doc Mike?" asked a concerned Blue but I shook my head and waved goodbye. Then I tottered myself off the stool and towards the lifts. Behind me, Gina accepted her 'double' from Legato before she ran over and caught me by the arm before I fell down.

"How many'd you have, girl? (I held up two fingers) Let's get you to bed. (I protested but Gina brooked no arguments) Never mind. I'll check in on bridge watch and the navvies. You are going to your bunk. Niki? Do not call Suba Ro until 0730 tomorrow and that's a direct order. Got it?" said Gina and she helped me to our bedroom which we were sharing with Trish and Bulma.

"Comply." replied Nikita who was our very own 'CC' computer programming unit and a good friend to boot.

"And stop watching those ancient 'Battlestar Galactica' vidtapes. You are picking up some baka jargon from them." ordered Gina while she was getting me undressedand between the sheets. Trish was playing vidgames on her PDO when our wall chromo told us it was almost 2300, eleven PM.

"Enough vidgames for tonight, Trish. Get ready for bed and I'll be back to tuck you in. Be as quiet as a little mouse. Auntie Ro's not feeling very well. Hurry up and get into your jammies." said Gina and Trish grinned.

"Ya mean she's potted?" she giggled and Gina spun around like Zorro's snapped whip!

"Where did you hear that vulgar word, young lady?" she demanded angrily.

"That's what Auntie Eveie said about Auntie Blackie tonight. I'm sorry. I won't use it again, Auntie Ginny. I gotta brush my teeth." replied the Girolian nun and I managed a wan smile.

"The kid's right though, Gin. I am potted. Ooh! My head!" I whined.

"Hydroxylein, capsules, strength 140, two; water, glass, one." intoned Gina. She picked up the repped items and handed them to me.

"Take these. They'll help you sleep and take away the pain. Tomorrow we'll rep up a 'prairie oyster' for your hangover. Good night, kiddo. Sleep tight and-" chuckled Gina.

"I know! Don't say it. Please. 'Night." I yawned and then I fell asleep. I guess the bridge watch crew was OK because Gina returned and tucked in Trish before crawling into bed herself. By this time, Bulma had tiptoed in, undressed and went to her bunk where she was snoring away like a grampus when Niki roused me at seven.

"I know that the Cap said 0730 but the pigs are here and if you wait, you won't get any breakfast, Ro." said Niki. I admitted she was right and drank down the 'prairie oyster' which Gina had repped for me before she went to the bridge. With me as exec, Gina was yeoman. That meant she had to keep the vidlogs for our mission. I felt a lot better after that medicinal mess (YUCK!) went down my gullet and I showered and dressed in my new suba uniform with the Acting Captain silver bars with a grey stripe.

Bulma awakened and got ready for the day while I was pulling on my deck boots and sliding my Mark XIII into its side holster. The saucer cap looked stupid but it did make me look a mite taller although still much shorter than Gina and Bulma. Even Rio and Trish were almost as tall as me! Oh well, Doctor #4 had told me that all the great rulers of Terra had been small guys and that made me feel a little better about being so short but not by much.

Bulma and I took the lift together to the break room where Trish and Gina had already finished their vittles and gone to the bridge. Bulma's 'pigs' were on their fifth tray of food and calling for a sixth when Bulma left for her time ship, the 'Lady Foucault' and I headed for my bridge duties.

"Ten hut! Exec's on the bridge!" shouted the Bat and he snapped to attention and saluted as did the rest of the overnight bridge watch crew.

"At ease! Report!" I snapped trying to sound as military as Gina and the Boss and the Brig and failing miserably. Where was Edie today I wondered?

"Since your relief is not on duty until ten hundred, this bridge watch will be landing the ship. Is that clear?" I said and there were nods of approval from everyone.

"Want I should take 'er down, ma'am?" asked an eager Flash.

"That will not be necessary, Ensign. Captain Laren will be taking us down." said our commander from behind my shoulder.

"Edie! Brig! Ma'am! I ain't qualified to-" I stammered and Blue dropped a hand on my shoulder and sat me down in the pilot's seat just vacated by Batman. He seated himself in the co-pilot seat beside me where Superman had been sitting.

"Your promotion and flying license came through late last night, Ro. You are now a full captain and permanent executive officer of the 'Mary Celeste'. This (He handed me a brand new just repped vidcard. It was grey and green and proclaimed the bearer as a 'Pilot First Class' in the 3WA/UG/IGSC/KASP/ISSP/Starfleet Commands. I was as proud as a Hydrangean peacock, that I was!) allows you to pilot any ship anyplace in the 12 galaxies we protect and serve. Congratulations, PFC Laren." he said and he released 'George'.

"The ship's yours, Ro. Take us in, Love." he added and I yawed and shimmied a bit before I made a smooth as glass landing in the centre of the Gallifreyan capitol's courtyard not thirty metres from the Citadel, amazing the Hell out of several high ranking time lords! Before I could rise, Gina had pinned my new silver bar 'railroad tracks' to my epauletted shoulders. The bridge exploded with applause and everyone was thumping me on the back shaking my hand until it ached when Van Hohenheim tapped on the open portalway.

"I say, are we there yet? Have we indeed landed?" asked the myopic father of the Elrics.

"The Boss comm relayed me that she had touched down near the Tower of Rathelon earlier this morning. Captain Laren has just landed us outside of the Citadel. Ro? With me. Blue and the other alchemists, mages and what not? Follow us over in five minutes. The rest will stay here in reserve. Gina, you have the comm. Move out." said a very business-like Brigadier Edna Jordan and off we went to the transporter room.

The Brig and I strolled up the steps and into the massive High Council chambers. Acting Lord President Barusa came bustling over to greet us.

"Brigadier! Captain! My, how you two have grown! New promotions as well, I see. Good for you. Not to worry, my dear Miss Laren. Many of the other delegates are not quite as tall as Marshall O'Halloran either. Please sit down. The Casterlein not with you? I was sure he was coming." said Barusa, the disappointment evident in his voice.

"He came but he's with the alchemy squadron, Milord. Ah. Here they come now. I believe you know everyone except for Mr Hohenheim. The Elric boys are his sons. The plan is his own. I hate to be pushy, sir, but, has the Gate been sighted yet?" asked Edie urgently and Barusa looked sad.

"It has but finding it and sealing it will not be an easy task, my dear." he replied.

"It's at 'Warrior's Gate' and that place exists outside of time and space. Only the Doctor knows its true location and how to find it, I fear." answered a voice from the far side of the room. Lord Kolodius was seated in a wing chair and had his back to us.

"Which Doctor? We got a slew of 'em, ya know, man?" yelled the Flash and Hawkgirl punched his arm and frowned.

"I refer to our Doctor. There is only one Doctor you see?" replied Lord Kolodius and he puffed on his pipe sending clouds of acrid red smoke all over the place.

"There's Doc #2, #4, #6, #-" I began but he waved me back and I shut up. "Never sass yer elders, Miss Ro." was the advice given to me by Mr Clampett.

"Those are merely regenerations of the original. We time lords are a long-lived race. When one life span ends, another begins for us. We are regenerated. We keep the same soul and memories. It is our outward appearance which changes." explained another elder time lord named Lord Yaran. Like the Doctor, he was of the Prydonian clan.

"Quite right, Yaran, old boy! Never fear, the Doctor is here! I have been to 'Warrior's Gate' and I know how to find it. However, your space craft will never be able to reach it. (We looked shocked! The 'Mary C' had been upgraded to the same speed as the Angel starships) Only a machine that travels in time and space can reach the edge of the Universes. The Type 40 will be ideal for the trip." said Doctor #4 and I asked what a Type 40 was and would he have to steal one for us to use for the trip?

"Heavens no, my dear! The Type 40 is known to you as a TARDIS. The Doctor will simply materialize your space craft aboard it and off you go. How long the journey will take is, of course, an unknown quantity of quantum physics. Unless the Doctor-" said Lord Yaran.

"Quite right, Yaran. Space, time and distance are relative dimensions. It may take a week, a year, a decade or all of eternity. There is just no way to tell. I say, Barusa! We are all tired and famished after our long journey. I propose we start tomorrow morning." said Doctor #4.

"So long as there's room on that toy of yours for my Angel 2, Doc. Hey! Waiter! My glass is empty again! Chop chop!" growled a voice from the shadows we all knew only too well- the Boss herself was here and she was going with us too!

"Ya don't think for a nanosecond I was fooled by that crap Charlie was spouting about mystic runes and hidden clues and the Ultimate Secret, did ya? There ain't no Ultimate Secret!" she chortled and drank off half her glass in one pull.

"But there is you know. 'Warrior's Gate' is the Ultimate Secret of the Universes. One must only know the questions." said Lord Kolodius who was sharing his foul smelling tobacco? with Mr Holmes! Dr Watson was puffing away on an Egytian cigarette that Lady Veronica had just handed to him. The Brig exploded in fury.

"I told everyone else to remain aboard the 'Mary C', dammit! That was supposed to be an order, Sherlock!" she shouted.

"Nonsense. We didn't ask to be here and we certainly are under no obligation to follow anyone's orders, young lady." chuckled Holmes and the good doctor was looking for the exit.

"Except mine?" demanded the Boss Lady Marshall.

"Except yours, ma'am." agreed Watson and Holmes nodded slowly.

"We may come in useful, too. I've got my trusty Snith & Wesson service pistol right here, ladies and gents." said Watson and Sherlock Holmes frowned.

"I doubt whether any of our weapons can prevail against Satan himself, old fellow." he said gravely.

"I don't know about that, Mr Holmes. There be iron in those pistols. Iron was always proof against evil so why can't they be used against Satan himself?" mused Sir Hiram MacDougal.

"The good Lord will protect us all from Satan and the forces of evil, my children." boomed out a very familiar voice. Sitting at the far end of the huge council chamber were our own Ice Road Truckers' Brigade.

"Fancy meetin' you here, Alex. How'd you guys end up on Gallifrey?" I asked.

"How long you been here, my friends?" asked the Cisco Kid.

Christ! Didn't anyone obey orders anymore? I was getting steamed and I was about to give our truants a piece of my mind when-

"They're all here because I comm relayed them, your cowboys, cops, detectives and truckers to come here. I brought the icy crew with me. Look here, Edna. You are a full-fledged Brigadier now but as a full Marshall, I still outrank you, kid. You ever been to this Warrior's Gate, Edie? (I shook my head and Doctor #4 grinned and winked) Well, I have and it's a place like no other.

"If Satan has the back door to his own Gehenna's Gate there, we're gonna need a lotta firepower to protect our alchies from his evil forces. I-" said the Boss Lady.

"You can count on my father to help us as well, ma'am." announced Teen Titan Raven whose Daddy was King of the Demons and now our sworn ally after forsaking Satan five years ago.

"And the Titans." agreed Robin.

"The Justice League is with you, Madam." said Superman.

"Eef there gonna be action, count us in too, right Seesco?" said Pancho.

"Of course, Pancho. We always stand on the side of justice."

"Never let it be said that the Los Angeles Police Force shirked their duties. Bill and I are here for you, ma'am." said Joe Friday.

"Durn tootin', ladies and gents." agreed Bill Gannon.

"Holmes and I were the first to offer our meagre services, Marshall." said Dr Watson.

"Not really, old fellow. We were the first to disobey the Brigadier's orders. Remember that we were not summoned to this meeting by Madam Marshall O'Halloran. We jumped ship as it were." chuckled Sherlock Holmes.

"You'll be invaluable to us, both of ya. Welcome aboard, boys." replied the Marshall.

In short, everyone who had either participated in or watched our shooting games was here and that included our resident Angel and his partner, the two college dropouts who are touring a famous highway on ancient Terra and our own Ojou and her doggie, Otto, just to name a few.

Lady Allison of the clan Prydonian and a distant cousin of the Doctor or is it Doctors? No matter. She was saddled by Lord Barusa with finding bedspace for everyone! She immediately shanghaied me, Trish and Gina to assist her!

"Come with me, girls. You must be hungry and thirsty after your long voyage." said Lady Alley as she had asked us to call her.

"Long? Three days? Get real, old lady." said a flippant Trish and Gina boxed her ears.

"Well, she's a time lady, right? Ain't all time people old?" asked Trish innocently.

"She is right, you know. We are a long-lived race. I am considered a mere child because I won't be 130 until Sepjul. The Doctor is almost 800. Lord Barusa will be 1200 next Octdek. Enough about that. No harm done, my child. Let's have some food and beverages. We'll use one of the replicating devices that Miss O'Halloran gave to us when she arrived yesterday. Please sit down." she invited after we had arrived in a large dining room capable of seating several hundred at least!

We all gave our orders. Then we fell to and ate with gusto. I soon realized that I was hungrier than I had thought I was!

The mead in my flagon was a deep ruby red which confused me since mead is a golden hue owing to its honey content.

"The honey we use for our mead here are from Aryglorian bees which are bred in Frutaria. That province is the other side of the Dead Lands. Do you like it, Ro? (I nodded and drank greedily; this stuff was heavenly!) I am glad. It is my duty to take care of our guests and visitors. Now I think we had best get to work." replied Lady Alley.

She had soon 'called up' a floating holographic map of the Citadel. Trish's eyes popped and Gina swallowed hard. I was not as subtle, of course.

"Goll-lee! Just like Han's family's maps! Wish we had something like this on our ships!" I almost shouted.

"We do have them, Dumbass! We call them vid star charts, remember? Now, behave yourself, Captain." whispered Gina Phillips fiercely and I apologized for being such a doofus.

"No harm done. We'll put the law enforcement visitors and the Mexicans into the West Wing in these rooms. The Terran gentlemen with the lovely motorized chariots will be quite comfortable in the old Keep here. The Northern Wing, of course, is on permanent reserve for our 3WA allies whenever you visit us. The others we'll place in the South and East Wings here and here. If you three will place this information into your PDO units and upload it to everyone else's it would be a great boon to me. Goodness! It is almost ten of the clock! (I found out later that the Citadel consisted of several different time zones and dimensions. What Alley said next floored me!) I must not miss our favourite program!" she said after glancing at the small watch which was hanging from her neck like a pendant.

"It's a marvelous series and it's about one of us as well! It is called 'Doctor Who' and my cousin whom you refer to as Doctor #4 is featured this month! I am very jealous of Miss Jo and Miss Sarah. They get to ride in his Type 40 machine. I am forbidden to even enter one of them. I apologize. You would know our Type 40 as a TARDIS. I have always wanted to ride in one of them. Do tell me. Have any of you ever-" asked an embarrassed Alley. Gina came to her rescue.

"All of us have ridden in the Doctor's time and space craft many times. Why won't they let you ride in one of them, Alley?" asked Gina. Suddenly Alley became very angry.

"Lord Barusa says I am yet too young and Lord Kolodius agrees with him! I will be a hundred and thirty in another three months, darn it! Lord Casterlein said if it was up to him, he'd take me in his own machine but he is forbidden. I'd love to ride in one someday. Tell me. Is it truly much larger within doors than it is outside?" asked the young time lady.

"I'll say it is! The control room's almost as big as this dining room, Alley! When I ride in it, I gotta be careful on accounta the Doctor told me I could get lost on board and nobody's ever find me neither!" replied Trish while Gina and I grinned.

"Ya can sure as Hell say that again, girl! Hi there, Alley. If ye're through with my yeoman, cabin girl and Edie's new exec, I have need of them. Oh and don't despair, Honey. You may get that ride sooner than ya think. Ro, Edie's lookin' for ya. She's aboard the Angel 2 on the bridge. Gina, you're with me. Bring your PDO. Trish, no flying inside the Citadel and I mean it, girl. Uncle Casty's been lookin' for ya. He's in the scanning room with Lord Yaran. Sorry to take away your helpers, Alley but duty comes first. You're missing your fave vid TV show, ya know." growled the Boss Lady.

Gina dutifully followed the tall redhead. I headed for the big ship which was berthed in the new spaceport behind the Citadel. Trish looked confused until Alley gently led the child out of the dining hall to the study of the Casterlein. I learned much later that Trish was his ward, hence, his steadfast devotion to the kid.

When I reached the spaceport (Ensign Rogers, a new Citadel guard, had given me a lift on his security skycycle) I didn't see hid nor hair of the Angel 2! This was bloody unusual especially given the monstrous ships's enormous size! While I was debating calling Edie on my vidcell, the door of the Doctor's TARDIS popped open and Edie stuck out her head.

"It's about time you showed up. C'mon and get in here. You're my exec, ain't ya? Hurry up, Ro." ordered the Brig and I followed her into the smallish police box. We walked into the familiar double bridge/nav room of the Angel 2!

"The Doctor materialized around our ships while you were with Lady Alley. I want you to go belowdecks to the Mary C and do a thorough diagnostics on all of her systems. Niki will help ya. Where's Gina? With the Boss? (I nodded) Better shanghai Kome and Neko then. Don't be afraid to use that authority some, Ro. You're a captain now. Until we leave tomorrow, we'll be using the Citadel for our HQ. See you at lunch? (I nodded again) OK. By the way, you don't need to be in uniform while we're on this mission. Dismissed." she said and then went back to chatting with Gene Starwind. Guess he was piloting the Angel 2 these days.

"You guys know if Alley's coming with us?" I asked boldly. Gene chuckled and lit up a cigar. Gad! Did Mr Holmes bring along a case of those foul smelling things? He lit up and I started coughing and wheezing. Han thumped me on the back until at least three vertebrae were dislocated or so it felt to me!

"She's been assigned as Edie's yeoman to replace Gina so the answer is yes." replied Gene and I almost jumped for joy.

"Yay! Lady Alley's getting her TARDIS trip at last!" I shouted and I got confused looks in return.

"Lady Alley? I meant that Suba Kurtz had been assigned as your new yeoman, that Alley." said the Master of the Outlaw Star.

"The Boss aid he has a big surprise for a certain Prydonian princess this afternoon at the briefing. That's at 1500, three o'clock, kiddo. Dunno but we may be taking the little lady with us only don't quote me on that, Ro." added Han Solo.

"I'd best get to my Mary. Se ya at lunch, guys." I called and waved to them.

"Welcome aboard my TARDIS, Captain Laren." said a very oelderly appearing gentleman in an old-fashioned frock coat, a flowing bow tie, checked vest and trousers way too long for him which had seen better days! I almost asked why the Doctor allowed panhandlers on his TARDIS but I bit my tongue.

"Your TARDIS? This TARDIS belongs to the Doctor, my dear sir." I said, a mite frothily and he smiled at me.

"Yes, I know. It's been mine ever since I stole it from the Citadel. My dear Miss Laren, I am the Doctor, the genuine article. Oh, I do beg your pardon! I am a doddering old fool! You have seen one of my other selves, it seems. I assure you that I am the Doctor, the first regeneration as it were. Tell me, what does your Doctor resemble, hmmn?" he asked, his thumbs and forefingers tucked in his armpits.

"Tall, very tall, always smiling, wears a long purple coat that looks like he bought in a junk shop, a long red, blue and yellow scarf that trails the ground, has a talking robotic dog he calles-" I began.

"K-9? Am I correct, my dear? (I nodded dumbly. I seemed to be doing a lot of that ever since we got here) That is my fourth regeneration. We time lords have the ability to regenerate, changing our outward appearance each time we do. However, although we live a very very long time as do our companion race, the soul reapers, we time lords can only regenerate a total of twelve times. After that, we finally pass on as it were to the Soul Society. Most of us end up as soul reapers in the Seretai or so I have been led to understand. All quite clear now, hmmn?" said the Doctor whom I will refer to as Doctor #1. He had a very kindly face and I felt quite ashamed for thinking of him as a common beggar! At least I hadn't said it aloud!

"No, but I heard you nonetheless, my dear girl. Let's say no more about it now, hmmn? Oh, I say! I am getting along in years, am I not? Of course I am! I was seven twenty my last birthday or was it seven thirty? Getting harder to recall these days. Perhaps my next regen is at hand, hmmn?" he replied to my amazement.

"You'll pardon my saying so, sir, but you look much older than a mere 27 or 37?" I said and he burst into laughter.

"I needed that, my dear. No, no. I meant seven hundred and twenty or thirty, dear child." he chuckled merrily and i found myself liking this grandfatherly guy a lot. Still-

"What do you mean by saying you heard me anyway even though I did not say anything to you, sir?" I asked perplexedly.

"Time lords and ladies have the ability to read minds, well, most of them. We cannot read the mind of a BetaZoid, for example. Your mind is as clear as crystal. Young and innocent. A very good little girl indeed. Even if you had said it aloud, I would have deserved it. I do look like a panhandler from the meaner streets of Aragorm, hmmn?" he said and I almost fainted!

Aragorm was my hometown and I had indeed grown up in the slums of that magnificent city on Bajourn Two but only a very few people knew this fact. Grand Admiral Kirk of Starfleet Command; the Dragon Lady K of course; Captain Kiva Nerse of the USS Coriander, my old CO and the Boss. I assume the 3WA and UG and maybe even the ISSP and the IGSC and the KASP higher-ups knew as well but nobody else! I was not proud of my childhood and neither was I truly ashamed of it. It was just that it was my business and to have a complete stranger know was astouning to me!

"You'd best get on with your duties, my dear. I must check over my TARDIS if #4 is going to use it tomorrow. Warrior's Gate is quite a journey, indedd it is, my dear. Off you go now. Shoo." he said, not unkindly and I headed for the lifts.

At high noon, the squawkiboxes all blared out 'Come 'n Git It!' in Goat Smith's loud voice. The Grannies were upset because they were not permitted anywhere near the Citadel's kitchens. Nor were they permitted to serve anything that ahd not been prepared inside the Citadel. We had our choice as usual betwixt repping up our own stuff or eating the sumptuous fare that had been lovongly and skillfully prepared by the Gallifreyan cooks and chefs under the watchful eye of Lady Vanessa and Lord Wyboken. Most of us chose the latter, the exceptions being our folks who were on duty. The Gallifreyans frowned on room service!

I'd no idea what we were eating but, then again, that was usually the case unless we had repped it up ourselves. Anyway, it was good, tasted swell and there was plenty of everything to go around. The Gallifreyans did not skimp on anything! After lunch, we were invited to tour the Citadel before the briefing at three. We all had the floor plans of the immense building uploaded to our PDO units so we shouldn't be getting lost.

Lord Kalfrax politely informed us that the areas marked in red, purple or grey were off limits to us. Red meant danger and was reserved for the huge systems that ran the city as well as this Citadel. Purple or deep violet meant royalty amd was reserved for the rulers of Gallifrey. Grey meant top secret and was reserved for the mysterious Matrix and the laboratories where Gallifreyans experimented on whatever struck their fancy.

As a rule, Gallifreyans were open and generous with everything, however, grey meant top secret and anyone curious or baka stupid enough to wander into a forbidden grey area could be shot! Rio was upset until Lord Karson reminded her that no person of Gallifreyan blood was ever permitted to take life, no matter the circumstances. The guards were the only persons within the Citadel grounds permitted to openly carry weapons- ours we had left behind on our ships if we'd been here before and they had been sent back to them if we were newcomers to this world.

As I say, the guards were permitted to openly carry weapons and those were 'stasis' weapons and were capable of delivering a mild shock or stun much like an ancient Terran TASER or a Starfleet phaser only not nearly as powerful. I know this for a fact because Rio 'borrowed' one from Captain Tarrant and tried it on me! I came to an hour later none the worse for wear. My first order was to confine Rio to quarters until the briefing and demote her to a second class sub-ensign!

Captain Tarrant's wife, Susan Foreman Tarrant brought me some Gyllic tea which really perked me up. We chatted a bit until it was time for us to attend the briefing. I found out that Susan was my newfound Doctor #1's adopted 'grand-daughter' and was the very first person he had met on his travels after he had purloined a TARDIS much to the High Council's disfavour but that wa snow all water under the aqueduct as Doctor #4 told me.

Susan and Charlie Tarrant were ecstatic when I told them that Doctor #1 was here and I comm relayed the Brig to ask if Susan and Charlie could attend the briefing since Susan's benefactor was not a frequent visitor to Gallifrey these days. She told me she'd ask the Boss and less than a minute later, she trilled me that it was OK.

Then Doctor #4 trilled me that the 'old boy' was visiting with the 'little fellow' (#2 Doctor); the white-haired fop (#3); the 'celery freak' (#5); the 'crazy leprechaun' (#7) and the 'Mad Hatter' (#6 Doctor) so why didn't the kids come aboard his TARDIS for a quick visit before the big pow-wow. It must have been a tearful reunion and much as I wanted to, I had other matters that demanded my attention.

At three, the huge council chamber was packed to the rafters! Every place at the table had been taken when I got there with Rio, Diana, Will and Margo. The others had preceded us and had better seats. The table put me in mind of King Arthur's round table of knights. The seven Doctors were standing at the very back of the colossal amphitheatre and we were right beside the 'old boy' or Doctor the First. He beamed at me. I was introduced to the 'little fellow'; #3 who drove Lizzy his 1920s Terran automobile; #4 we already knew; #5 affected a cheery air and dressed like an ancient Terran cricketer which was like a baseball player; #6 reminded me of Alice Liddell's 'Mad Hatter' of Wonderland and #7 looked and acted like an overgrown leprechaun from the Boss and the Duchess's ancient Twerran land of Erin.

"Not to worry, my dear. My dear cousin Allison will be coming along with us. This must be very important indeed. All of the High Councillors are here. I say! Yaran's asleep! I see Kolodius is still smoking that horrible tobacco he got from Sir Walter Raleigh! My dear child! There is absolutely no smoking in the council chamber unless one has attained the age of two hundred at least! (I put my cheroot back in my shirt pocket) Well! Are we going to start or not? The big blowhard Barusa is Acting Lord President and he must call the meeting to order. I am the real Lord President as they all know very well only I chose not to serve after I ahd accepted the position. (I'll never get used to this trick of answering questions I have before I ask the darn things!) Hush now, some nice kind gentleman of the darker persuasion has called for quiet." said Doctor #1 and I saw that Mr Popo was yelling his head off as per usual.

"This special meeting of the minds amongst our varied allies will now come to order. Owing to the urgency of the situation, we will abandon protocol and dispense with the reading of the minutes and other nonsense we usually begin these sessions doing. Instead, I hereby hand the floor over to Imperial Grand Marshall of the Words Welfare Works Association and the United Galactica Federation of Galaxies Keirran Maureen Deirdre O'Shaughnessy O'Halloran. The floor, my dear Madam, is yours." said Lord Barusa and he sat down when the Boss stood up. There was a thunder of applause.

Everyone was shocked when she leaped atop the conference table and strode to its centre very deliberately. Lady Victoria fainted and Dr Watson quickly applied his smelling salts while Lady Allison poured her a small brandy. The Boss then proceeded to light up a cheroot further amazing these Gallifreyan fuddy duddies!

"I'll come straight to the point since old know-it-all there has given me the floor. (Lord Barusa said ahem a few times and went quite red in the face) Tomorrow Doctor #4 wants us to make a start for this mystical Warrior's Gate. He tells us he has no idea of exactly where it is or how far. He claims to know how to find it though. I sure as Hell hope so! (Someone covered Alley's ears) I agree with his suggestion except that we ain't going tomorrow. We will leave as soon as this bull session is over.

"By the time Goatie Smith yells 'Come 'n Git It!' for first dinner at 1600, we will be a few thousand lightys from Gallifrey. I purposely told my people not to bring anything ashore except the basic necessities. That way we need not waste precious time in reloading the ships and the TARDIS.

"With the exception of most of these councillors at the table, everyone in this room will be going with us. The Gallifreyans who come along will be busy enough with things so we will need a liaison officer, a go between who knows Gallifreyan folderol, excuse me, I meant protocol. For that reason, Lady Alley's coming along with us. (I never saw such a look of surprise on anyone's face as I did on Alley's when the Boss dropped that bombshell!)

"Grab what ya need and if ya can't find it in the next ten minutes, forget it and we'll rep it for ya. We leave at 1530, half past three and that's an order! Dismissed!" growled our fearless leader. She hopped down off the table and sat down to pour out another drink for herself. Alley began scrubbing her boot marks off the highly polished table's surface until I told Rio and Trish to help the poor kid.

Kid? She's older than Rukia Kutschski, that soul reaper gal that hangs around with Ichigo Kurosaki for cat's sake! I began packing up my PDO, canteen, travel mug, vidfiles and the rest of the junk I'd brought to the meeting and hefted my rucksack. Jamie MacCrimmon who was a big gangling Scottish Highlander lad from the Jacobite Rebellion Era and who traveled with Doctor #2- the 'litttle fellow', insisted on carrying my gear, Rio's, Gina's, Trish's and the Brigadier's! He told Lady Allison he'd be up to help her pack as soon as he'd tossed our luggage onto the Mary Celeste.

"Yo! Jamie me old boyo! Toss my junk aboard the Angel 2 while you're at it. Thanks!" yelled 'She Who WILL Be Obeyed' and she tossed him three rucksacks to tote. Although already overloaded with bags, the big guy easily caught and hefted her three pieces onto his massive shoulders and continued to the lifts without breaking stride!

A few minutes later, he returned and began scrubbing the tabletop with the girls. This guy's a glutton for punishment! He asked Ginny about Zoe Morton and he seemed disappointed when we told him she was vacationing on Pluto, her home world.

"Not to worry, Scotty. Bulma and her two pigs (Vegeta and Goku) took off to pick her up and bring her back here. (She glanced at the wall clock. For some reason, Gallifreyans shunned the use of chromos) Her 'Lady Foucault' timeship should be on its way back now. Hope she gets here afore we lift off for WG. I told that big blowhard Barusa to send her after us if we miss her. Van (Hohenheim) needs her alchemy expertise on that damned circle thing to close the rift at the WG end and destroy Satan's Gehenna's Gate. Annie (Hathaway) and KR (Keitarou Reef) wanted to go as well but I want them with us. Is your Doctor piloting the TARDIS to WG for us, Scotty?" growled the Boss Lady and the Scot shook his head.

"Nae, Reds. The big fella with the scarf and coat be a-doin' the honours fer ye. Lady Allison! I already got yrer junk fer ye. Lady Vanny (Vanessa) helped me to pack it. She tossed in lots o' yer unmentionables with them Teddy bears on 'em. What e'er else ye may be a-needin' we kin rep up fer ye on the way. C'mon and I'll git ye squared away. She sharin' wit' ye guys on that smaller ship, Miss Ro?" replied Jamie and I told him yes. Off he gallopped when he saw the Boss pointing at her wristchromo.

I realized that I'd better get my people aboard the Mary C so I told the girls to be sure they had everything they had arrived here with and to get their keesters aboard tout sweet! The Boss stood up and ran for the lifts. Edie looked a question at me and I nodded. Then I too double-timed it to the lifts. I was the last to leave the chamber. Kami alone knew where the Doctors were but I assumed they were aboard somewhere. Just then-

"Come along, dear girl! I well my other selves don't like to be kept waiting and Reds said half past three of the clock. We'll only just make it in time!" said Doctor the First, hustling me aboard the lift car and then into the tiny blue police box. I ran for the gantryway starwell on the Angel 2 and took the steps downstairs three at a time to the bays where I had myself and the older guy with me beamed aboard the Mary C.

I quickly strapped in my girls and the Doctor. Then I sat down and strapped myself into the pilot's seat on the bridge. Will was already strapped into the co-pilot's seat. I checked and saw that Han, Gene, Jonathan Smith, Mark Gordon and both the Teen Titans and the Justice League members were all secured for lift off. I knew from past experience just how rocky a TARDIS take off could be! I gripped my chair arms and swallowed hard.

The familiar whine of the police box and suddenly the entire ship began to shiver and shake. I heard some kind of explosion and then K-9's voice was in my ears.

"That booming noise was coming from your rig, Mistress Laren. Best check with Mr Dynamo in Engineering. Master (Doctor #4) says we are enroute to Warrior's Gate. We will arrive in five minutes, five months, five years, never, now, later. We will advise you when we arrive there. K-9 out." I was already racing for the lifts.

"Damned warp core blew, Ro! I got a spare and we should be back online in tiem for tonight's game." growled the big Triceratops dinosaur alien who was our chief engineer. I wondered where my CO had gotten herself to and then I recalled that Edie had not been aboard the Mary when we lifted off. K-9 must be psychic because-

"Miss Jordan is with Mr Hohenheim in the Angel 2 bays, Mistress Laren. They are meeting the Lady Foucault. Mistress Brief (Bulma) will be tractored aboard by Master. She is bringing Mistress Morton with her. Is everything OK with your engines?"

"Yes, K-9. All is under control but we won't be back online until game time tonight." I trilled and then I thumped Dynamo on his broad scaly back. He slid out from under the warp drive gantry chute.

"What game tonight?" I demanded.

"Huh? The Kaguran Kittyhawks versus the Tholian Thundercats, of course! It's a potential playoff game scenario and big credits are riding on the outcome. The Hawks are favoured by 20 to 1 and I got 10K ridin' on it! Dr Mike's takin' bets in the Angel's bar! Got a little swag to invest, Honey? Game starts at 1800 (6 PM) so ya better hurry. C'mon now, Laren. Yer a captain, ain't ya? That means more credits in the vidpay voucher, don't it? Live a little! Trust me on this. It's a lock! The Hawks got a pointspread o' 12, baby! I think Rio wants ya." he replied and Dy slid back under the warp drive.

"Can I have an advance on next month's vidpay, Roesie?" wheedled Rio DelCroix. I was thinking about how my 5K raise could become a hundred K tonight so I was in a good mood and Rio knew it too! Hadn't I confined her to quarters for something? The Hell with it. I felt great!

"How much?" I asked and she held up three fingers.

"Three thousand credits? Are you outta yer ever lovin' gourd, girl?" I replied.

"Three hundred, Roesie. That way I can make six grand and have enough to cover my charges from Ragnarok (Rah-more-ah) and still have some left over. How's about it, huh? I'll wash all the Mary's windows for a month! How's that?" she pleaded.

"We don't have any windows, Rio. OK. Gimme your vidcred cash unit." I said and she handed me the small metallic case.

A vidcred cash unit, unlike the ancient Terran wallets, had a 'swiping' bar built into them. One simply took a 'swipe' vidcard and slid it quickly down the bar. This activated a balance bar where one merely keyed in the amount before swiping the vidcard down the bar to set the new balance amount. After I had added the three hundred credits, Rio had a grand total of seven hudred and fifty-five credits, eight thousand Woolongs and some change. I handed the unit back to her and dismissed the kid. She beat a beeline to the Angel's bar I was certain sure. I was right behind her.

"The Boss gave us permission to take book on tonight's game, Cap. We're legal." said Mike Morton. I wondered idly if Zoe was one of his decendants. Anything's possible eh? Rio pushed me aside and placed her wager for which she got a small betting vidchit from Dixie McCall. I placed my own 5K wager, collected my vidchit from Dixie and saw that the game was a solar hour away from kickoff time. I opted to have dinner next door.

At 1800 hours, everyone and their brother was watching a vidscreen. KR was explaining to everyone who would listen how the game of football was played. Why is it that guys always seem to think that we females are baka stupid dumbasses? Most of us had even played the darned old game before on Kagura and/or the holodecks including yours truly!

Ron McHaddon and Kroyd Freightman were calling the action from the Rykol Stadium on Tholia IX, a sister world to Kagura which, as we all know, is a few hundred lightys from Mars.

"Good evening, Ladies, Gents, Aliens and our special guest tonight, Premier Thutmose Thorndyke of Tholia IX. How are you, Your Honesty? Great. The visiting Kittyhawks of Kagura are heavily favoured in this game against your own Thundercats, Your Honesty. What do you think of their chances, sir? Hope springs eternal, eh? Yes, it does, deosn't it, Kroyd?

"We are only moments away from kickoff but first have you ever awakened at night guys and felt the urge to go? If you have, may I recommend Stop the Flow capsules? Endorsed by the InterGalactic Football League and guaranteed to stop the flow or back comes your dough! Available at fine vidstores everywhere or use your PDO at their website. Go to .thol/specialofferforyou today! Kroyd, looks like the kickoff is starting." announced Ron, the big-mouthed know-it-all bigot!

"Right ya are, Ronnie. There goes Tet Lee the booter for the Hawks who won the toss but opted to defend. A high spiral, going about a hundred and fifty metres! What a boot! There's O'Slobovsky signalling he's got it at the his own forty! Whoopsie! He dropped it! Now he's got it and he's going to get tackled by Myglorg the huge Triceratops from Lygol One-A. No! Myglorg tripped over the poor sap! Ball's at Cats' forty-one! Myglorg is being helped up but the Irish Pole from Senna Four ain't movin' at all!" said Kroyd.

"No wonder! Here comes the team's med 'droids on their skycycles. This looks serious. I see the medical hovercraft is above the field about a metre or so. Aha! Here's Dr Zhorbach, the Cats' chief meds officer! Oh my! Hush, Your Honesty! He's gonna say something." announced Ron.

"He fall down on top uf poor O'Slobovsky and go boom. Mr Myglorg is fine and is being helped offa der field by some guy who was, I t'ink, picking people's pockets. Mr O has multiple fractures uf whatever der big leg bone is called on both legs and a busted arm. Concussion? Vas ist das? Oh! I sees! Yah, he took a conk on der noggin pretty hard. It must have scrambled something in there! However, no cause for alarm. Them Poles and Micks can take some heavy hits! Sure wish I had bet on der other guys! Vas? Der game? Why you wanna gif Mr M a penalty? He fell over Mr O. Uf course he had his mitts wrapped around him on der vay down! He vas pertecktin' him! Hokay, boys! Git him on der bed thingy and toss him on der flyin' meatwagon! You can haf back yer field, Mr Reffee." The good doctor finished speaking and rocketed off the field in his jet powered wheelchair.

"Ron, looks like a 30 metre penalty against the Hawks. Too rough on a player, holding, aiding and abetting, sassing the umpire! Another penalty would have given the Cats their first and perhaps only touchdown of this game! Ball on 25 of Hawks! That ref can't do his math! Whoa! Now the coach for the Hawks has a slide rule and a vidcalculator too! OK. Now it's neen placed on the 29 metre line deep in Hawks' territory and the Cats are taking no chances." said Kroyd and Ron yanked the vidmike from him.

"Got that right, pal! Eight wideouts, the snapper guy, one linebacker and the ball passing dude! Looks like either a 'jailbreak' pass or a 'Please be to Kami! Somebody catch this ball!' play. Whoops! The centre can't find the ball and signals for a time out. They took one when O'Slobby got hurt so that leaves 'em one for the rest of the first half which has 13:30 to go in the first quarter, Kroyd. Oh gad! Hizzonesty just threw up on me! I told you to take the booze away from him, Kroyd!

"Substitution! Here comes 'Wrong Way' Kulligan to replace 'Seen my specs' Franklin as centre. There's the snap and the handoff to Lynchpin the sole linebacker! He's at the 19, the ten, the four and finally brought down by Schmidt! What? Wrong Schmidt. This guy was one of the Cats' wideouts and he dropped his own teammate! Enough for a first down anyhow so it's first and goal from the four and Mickey Charleston, the quarterback's on the vidphone to his agent!

"There's the snap and a short lob across the middle to O'Brien, nope, O'Casy, O'Malley, yup! It's a touchdown by O'Malley! Now 'Father' O'Malley is leading a prayer session and he will be penalized for excessive praying! That means they will go for two instead of the single point after kick. Nathaniel Hawthorne's longest this season was 19 metres and with the penalty, this would be 21 metres.

"It's a QB keeper, Kroyd! From the two, Mickey's leaped over the Hawks defense into the end zone for a two! In an astounding change of events, the Cats draw first blood and it is eight to nil. Now for a word from our sponsors. Then if Coach Thundarr Zahn can talk any of his players into defending, the Cats may not have to forfeit this game like they usually do. Of course, as a rule, they never score anyway! This time, they're on top with only nine minutes in the first quarter! Back in a nanosecond, folks." announced Ron while Kroyd was looking for a full can of their sponsor's product for the vidTv ad- Spoor's Light Beer!

"Ever get so pissed off at the way yer team's playin' and losin' your bet fer ya that you could just scream? Don't scream. Just reach for a nice cold beer. Go to the fridge and if your wife has been properly trained, there'll be a few cases of- Harry, git yer hand away from the words on that idiot card, dammit- of Spoor's Light, Breakfast of Champions! Sorry, I mean Spoor's Light, lightys ahead of that other crap you folks drink! That was a glitch. I read ya the tagline for Speedy's Steroidal Pick-Me Up's. Endorsed by the InterGalactic Sports Council and even used by their own board of directors! Psst! Ronnie! Have they found another ball yet? They have? OK, on with the show! I mean, back to this exciting gridiron game. Heeeer's Ronnie!" said Kroyd.

"While we were in commercial break, SpaceDark Savings Time was initiated so instead of having nine minutes left in the first quarter, the game is being led by the Cats 8 to zilch with only six minutes left in the game and both teams have their three timeouts plus the two that the Hawks traded for in last week's clinker against the Plutonian Puppies and the single timeout the Cats traded for in the last game they actually won way back in AD 2200 against these same Kittyhawks before they moved from Monolith Fifteen.

"That means five timeouts for the Hawks and four for the Cats. The Hawks have six minutes, the ball on their own twenty and they need two full scores to cover their pointspread and win this game. They are lining up and the backfield of the offense is jackrabbitting all over the field. There's the snap to 'Longer than Forever' Cartwright and he throws a bomb of a hundred metres which drops neatly into a deserted Cats' end zone!

"Oh! That's the trouble. McCormack and Harper's hearing aids both went out at the same time so they didn't catch the play. Second and twenty. There's the snap to Cartwright and he's leaped over the defense! He's on the Cats' forty-five and he's all the way to the ten when- his vidcell's chirping so he naturally had to answer it. Therefore he's used a timeout. Relax! He's got four more to play with, gang! Wrong number. Some gal named Rio tryin' to order a pepperoni and zucchini pizza! Carty gave her the correct viddigits. What a guy! Unh unh! Take this next play, Kroyd. That Stop the Flow doesn't work! I gotta tinkle! Right back." announced Ronnie and Kroyd caught the vidmike after it bounced off the Premier's head.

"OK. Exciting, huh? First and goal and it's the option! Handoff to Brylkreem and he lobs a beauty to an undefended Rutabaga for a quickie sixee! Now that's the Cats I remember! The entire defensive line tripped over their own flat feet! A two maybe? Same lineup and snap to Cartwright, no! He's handed it back to Flasher the centre who simply falls, allowing the ball to break the plane of the Cats' end zone! Ladies and germs, we are tied at eight all! Wish I'd told Ron to bring me a java back when he came.

"With only three to play and with all four timeouts plus the ten second warning, will we see an onsider's boot? Remember that if you're confused by our rules and you're a Terran NFL fan, an onsider's boot must travel at least twenty metres and roll at least twice before either team can field it. Touch it before that happens and you'll get blasted by an official! Huh? Oh, yeah. Old rules. In AD 2225, they threw out the weapons rule and the officials are unarmed at all times now.

"The new penalty calls for a tip off scrunge match. That's a lot like ancient Terra's sport of rugby. The refs draw straws to see who gets to stand in the middle of both teams and throw the ball up as high as he can when the whistle blows and then hit the deck and crawl underneath the circle of players. Then it's a battle royal to see who gets the ball. Once you get the old pigasaurus hide, run like blazes for your own end zone! Remembering, of course, that as ballhog, you can choose either end zone.

"Simmons lost the straw pulling and he has the ball and up it goes! There goes Simmons, diving under the legs of the Hawks' Killer McMurdo. Yeah, he's done time for interplanetary fly and run but he paid for it with a stiff year and a half sentence to the dreaded Seto Kaibo! Simmons has crawled under some Talaxian lady's skirt and she doesn't seem to mind it a bit! Oh, it's Mrs Simmons, I see.

"That ball had a hang time of almost five minutes! No! Antigravitational clickers are forbidden. That's the Tholian atmosphere for ya. McMurdo's got the ball and he's belted three Cats' players and kicked another where the five suns don't shine, perfectly legal in a tip off match. Yes, Yer Honesty, it does seem that 'the rules are, there ain't no rules', doesn't it?

"Mac's made it to the far end zone and scored! Eight for sure! Sixteen to eight? Penalty kanai! Terrans beware! Officials use daggers, not flags up here! For defending themselves, of course! Your Honesty, did you ever read the rules book at all? No? No wonder you're such a dumnass doofus! Back to the game.

"Horrors! Mac had 'lifters' on his boots! The ball will be placed on the one metre line and it is first and goal. Killer is being escorted off the field at kanai or stone daggers point! He must sit out down but will the Hawks need him anymore today? I seriously doubt it! If they score an eight here and a nother two, it'll be 18 to 8, a ten point spread. That means if you have the team at 20 to 1 odds, they are halved and are now at ten to one. Don't sweat it. You still win, just not as much. Mustn't be piggy now, you know?

"A half a minute left, 4 timeouts and the ten second warning. What a break for the Hawks! An old teammate, Wes Shipp, a running back, is here and he's being put in as a replacement for one of the wideouts. 'Flash' was a well known and very beloved Kittyhawk when he played all those decades ago. Does he still have it? Coach says yeah, man!

"Now they snap to Carty, handoff to Lynch, he tosses to O'Shaughnessy, it's a round robin to kill time. Ten second warning! Cats are disgusted and waive off the delay. Snap to Carty, hand off to Shipp and he's gone! He did break the plane, making it a TD so at 16 to 8, this game is over! Hi Ron. Decide to join us? Yeah, there's the Premier, guys. Take him back to the Hexagon Room. What a game! Guess 'Flash' Shipp's still running with that ball! Wonder where he went? G'Night everyone and good fortune to all, even if ya didn't bet on the Hawks! This is Kroyd Freightman signing off. Say g'night Ronnie." announced Kroyd.

"G'night Ronnie." chortled Ron McHaddon and the interviews began with the inevitable 'Hi Mamas' and 'I'm goin' to 'Arc of Orion' comments all over the place. While I was waiting politely for my 50K's while everyone was running, pushing and shoving, the 'Flash' from the JL handed me a football!

"It's the game ball, Ro. I like ya, Honey." he chuckled.

"What game ball?" I asked perplexedly. He cocked a thumb at the vidscreen behind us.

"That one. It just ended. I won the game for my ol' Kittyhawks! Want a mocha java latte?" he replied and handed me a steaming travel mug of some heady brew. I suddenly realized that I had just seen this guy on TV winning the game for us! Wes Shipp was our own JLer the Flash!

While I was getting my 50K credits added to my PDO vidcredit unit (New Balance: 77K credits, ten million Woolongs and 10K dollars Universal) the Doctor's K-9 announced that we had arrived at our destination! I raced for the 'star room' and peered through the 'window' and I saw nothing!

END OF Chapter 36. Chapter 37 'Gate vs Gate' or 'Satan Meets Demon & Rose' coming really soon we hope. R/R/S and sayonara for now from all of us!- Ro Laren, Cpt, Exec, Mary Celeste, 3WA.