STAR TREK

"Death to Tyrants"

Zip was an operations officer. She was whistling the Starfleet theme. She was an old Saurian. Zip could sense that the doctor was hard of hearing. She was a simple chief. It was at Spacedock.

He looked up to see where the noise was coming from, "Nurse, where is that noise—"

"Right here, doctor," the Saurian said standing behind him. "My name is Zip. Do you know why I'm here?"

The only patient there walked into the room, "But why am I here?"

It was a Borg disconnected from the Collective. He was being studied. Zip showed compassion, "You are receiving medical attention."

"You are not allowed to know of this patient," the doctor said. "You were never here."

"Like hell I don't!" she screamed. "He has been assigned to the USS Lincoln by order of its captain."

The doctor was furious, "Under protest!"

Zip noted his bald head and said, "Yeah, I'm sure they pay you a king's ransom, don't they."

As if he was a wounded soldier, she helped him to a nearby transporter room down the corridor. He was assigned to the Saber-class USS Lincoln to test Borg technology in the stars.

It was expected that the captain would materialize onto the platform. It was Zip and the Liberated Borg who came instead. Nathan Parks was an overworked 'red shirt' waiting for the captain.

He cried out stomping his foot, "No, man! I am here to beam up the captain!"

Zip asked the ensign upon materializing, "Is there a problem?"

Nathan Parks responded, "I've been waiting all day for the captain Herald Brigs."

"I've come with the new Borg officer," stated the chief of operations.

"What name did you decide on?" she asked him.

The Liberated Borg was only there to maintain a runabout assigned to the Lincoln. It had Borg technology on its hull. Friends arranged it for the first officer, "My name will be 'One.'"

Feeling unsafe, Nathan spoke, "He still looks as a machine."

Treating 'One' like a child just learning to walk, Zip ordered, "Blame the captain. One was his choice for science officer. He simply told me to make it happen."

Ensign Nathan Parks was then hailed by the bridge, "Transporter room here."

The tactical officer was a Tellarite named Luk Luk. He was a lieutenant junior grade, "This ship was built far too quickly. There are too many problems with the tactical station."

The ensign responded, "I'll be right there. I'm sure it's not as bad as it seems."

Luk Luk was a special officer. He committed a crime, and his punishment was to be in Starfleet. He was in uniform indefinitely. He counted each and every day. He had to be on his best behavior.

Nathan Parks made his way to the bridge, "Zip, take over here. And be careful. This ship has only one transporter room."

Zip whistled once more. It alarmed the ensign as he walked out of the room headed for the bridge. She had a nice voice and knew this. But they were literally from two different worlds.

Ensign Nathan Parks arrived on the bridge. Luk Luk accidentally bumped his head on the tactical station as he stood up to face him. On the bridge, the ranking officer was a lieutenant named Pete Simon.

The Tellarite said rubbing his head, "This ship has weapons trouble."

"Tell that to the captain," Nathan replied. "He is the one responsible for this ship's construction. He said he could build a Saber-class ship in only months."

Pete Simon hesitated to say, "You don't have to blame the captain. I am responsible."

There was a pause. He continued, "I was testing the theoretical abilities of the weapons. Then the console locked me out. I didn't mean any harm."

Luk Luk inquired, "If that's the truth, why didn't you tell us?"

Pete responded in shame, "I thought I was the only one locked out of the tactical station. I am not even supposed to be on the bridge."

Quickly, Nathan Parks asked, "Then where are you supposed to be?"

Pete Simon explained, "I am the pilot for the USS Charm. It's a runabout. I am charged with its safety. It could be the only shuttle we ever have."

Lieutenant Junior Grade Luk Luk spoke, "Then what were you doing at my station?"

"I was studying it for future reference," Pete declared. "I may have a shift there in the future."

There was another pause.

Ensign Parks sucker punched him in the nose. He then stressed, "Get off my bridge."

To treat his wounds, he headed for sickbay. He warned himself to never step onto the bridge unless it was ordered by the captain. That is, until the USS Lincoln replaced Nathan Parks.

It didn't take Pete long to find sickbay. It wasn't because the ship was small either. Sickbays were always in the safest part of the ship. His blood trail alerted the doctor. His name was Lorne.

In sickbay, the doctor asked, "What happened to you?"

"An ensign punched me in the nose," Pete said. "I think it's broken."

Doctor Lorne stressed, "You speak truth. Your nose is broken. Please sit down."

While operating, curiosity overcame the Vulcan, "What compelled an ensign to break your nose?"

"I don't remember," he told him.

Lorne finished his work, "There. Now stay away from bullies. I'm trying to put myself out of business."

"I know. I know," said the lieutenant. "I've had ethical doctors before."

"Oh," the doctor started, "I've read your medical records. You have a serious case of 'bad luck.' But you are still a certified pilot. How can this be?"

He answered, "It's illogical."

The first officer entered sickbay to punish the lieutenant for playing at the tactical station. She was a lieutenant commander named Nex Dunx, "Stop right there."

"What," he replied. "I'm going to my station."

"You are confined to your quarters until the USS Charm docks with the USS Lincoln. Don't make me order security to put you in the brig," she commanded. Blue blood flowed inside her.

Pete Simon was also a little uptight, "And you are?"

Her rank was superior, "I am the first officer of this ship. Doctor, I'm going to the shuttlebay. Nurse, confine this man to his quarters. Here is a phaser. It is set to stun. The bridge is not a holodeck!"

She walked like an Andorian. She talked like an Andorian. She was an Andorian. Pete Simon did not know the runabout was on approach. He was not made aware of it until hours later.

In the shuttlebay, the Andorian crept up behind the chief engineer. With the rank of full commander, he was a Bolian. With Pete Simon confined to quarters, someone had to be there.

Startled, Zuhan turned to say, "Hello."

"What are you doing here?" the first officer asked with a smile.

Zuhan spoke, "I just finished letters to my family, so I decided to witness this."

Nex Dunx noted the size of the runabout, "I didn't expect the thing to be so big. It will barely fit inside the shuttlebay. I don't think this is going to work."

Zuhan smiled at her, "Don't worry. I have done this many times in simulations. All they have to do is stay on automatic pilot. The rest is up to our tractor beam."

Nex Dunx then paused to note, "I hope you're right."

The shuttlebay doors closed. The Charm landed safely. Zuhan approached the captain, "Hello, sir. I am the ranking officer on the USS Lincoln. How are you?"

"Okay," Herald Brigs responded. "So you're my first officer?"

Zuhan told him, "No, Captain Brigs. I'm not. I'm the chief engineer."

"Let's make our way to the bridge," he stressed. "This ship is ready as she'll ever be."

"I am fascinated with Borg technology," Nex Dunx smiled. "I've been told this runabout has some."

Herald noticed, "You want to get better acquainted with the shuttle."

The captain nodded in approval. She boarded the shuttle to study it. It turned out to be a good day for the second in command after all. Soon, the Lincoln would launch for the stars.

People quickly took to their stations. Ready to give orders, the captain crept towards his chair. His entrance to the bridge came as a surprise. Luk Luk immediately recognized him.

Herald Brigs told everyone on the bridge, "Hello, crew. How do you feel?"

Luk Luk cried out with surprise, "You're the captain?"

The captain spoke, "Is that a problem?"

"No," the tactical officer started. "This guy ended his first captain's career because of an affair. His parents raised him with a violent holodeck. It made him harder."

"It was not easy," the captain said hand on chair.

Sitting at the helm, an overworked Nathan Parks inquired, "Tell us more."

"He faced justice," said the captain. "But someone still loyal to him tracked me down. I lost an eye."

Nathan Parks asked, "What did you do to him?"

Herald Brigs responded, "Let's just say...I let him live."

"What is his name?" Zip asked the captain.

Herald Brigs smiled as he sat down, "I can't tell you that. But I can tell you the mission. Set a course for uncharted space. It must be mapped to improve the speed of allied warp engines."

It was a command thirty years in the making. The Saber-class USS Lincoln was conceived by one man for the reason men explore. His crew would be awed by his holodeck born skills.

The End