Dragon's Zeal
The Last Queen Dragon

Chapter 6
Wormoid

The helmsman plotted a course after the quickly escaping Dragon. They could see her on the view screen, starting to glow red, then orange and finally golden. When she glowed so brightly she was difficult to look at, she started leaving a trail of what looked like glowing stardust, like the trail of a comet.

"What is that stuff?" Beverly asked.

Traveler stepped in front of Captain Picard. "Captain, it is imperative that you change course to lead the Wormoid away from Zegh's trail. We need to save every last seed that we can! We need to veer off and when the Wormoid follows us, then dive."

Picard regarded Traveler for a moment before ordering the course change. "Evasive action, delta. Then zero, zero, mark, thirty, mark, sixty. When you are sure the Wormoid is following us then change course to zero, zero, mark, one-eighty, mark, ninety." Turning back to Traveler, he asked, "Care to answer Doctor Crusher's question? And elaborate further on just what is happening?"

Traveler nodded, "The trail is made up of seeds which will soon sprout into snowflake flowers and fly through space absorbing solar energy. If they are drawn into the gravity of an asteroid, they will take root and eventually grow into a Wormoid. If they stay free, floating in space, the sprouts turn into larva which swim through space feeding on solar energy, plasma energy, microbes and spores. When they grow to about five or six hundred kilos then they pupate, eventually emerging from their cocoon as dragons."

"But what about that elephant-like-creature that came and ate the Golden Egg and then Zegh ate him?" Troi asked.

Traveler smiled. "That is the strangest thing about this species. Each Queen Dragon comes with ten or so dormant embryos inside her. Whenever she needs a mate, she births one. The life span of a male is only a few months. Their sole purpose in life is to transmute the energy in the Wormoid dropping-eggs.

Troi sputtered in outrage, "You mean that you had me splatter myself with...with POOOOO?

Riker burst out laughing. Picard struggled with his own composure. Traveler looked confused. And Wesley looked sheepish.

"Sorry, Deanna," Wesley said.

"You... you... you worm!" she cried, stamping her foot in anger.
Traveler, still confused, said, "It was supposed to be an honor."

"Well you might have thought so, but Wesley knew better!"

Deanna said, eying the culprit angrily. "And you," pointing at Riker, who was still chuckling, "stop laughing! It's not funny!"

Riker, making a gallant effort to stifle his amusement, wiped the smile from his face with his hand. His eyes nearly popped from his head, for he was holding his breath to keep from laughing any more.

Warf interrupted the scene with solemn news, "Captain, that Wormoid thing is gaining on us." Obvious disgust fairly dripped from his voice.

"Warp nine!" Picard ordered.

"On screen." Riker said.

Deta put the aft view on the view screen.

"What is that thing?" Riker exclaimed. Before anyone could answer, 'A Wormoid, of course,' he continued, "It looks like a giant shark swimming with its mouth open."

Deta pivoted in his chair a puzzled look on his face.

"Question, sir, why does it remind you of a shark instead of a worm. For truly, it is a worm. It has no fins."

"It's those teeth, Deta," Riker said with a devilish grin.

"I've never seen a worm with teeth like that. And I did see a shark at Sea World once when I was a kid."

The sand worms of Dracon-Two have teeth," Deta pointed out.

"And sharks do not generally swim with their mouth fully open as this Wormoid is doing."

"Sir," Warf interrupted, "the Wormoid is still gaining on us."
Picard shot from his chair in alarm. "How can it be?"

"It feeds on your energy output," Traveler said, "The faster you fly, the more energy you expend, the more food for fuel for it. Even if you succeeded in out flying it for a time, it would follow your energy trail and eventually find you. Then one chomp and we are history, just a big explosion of mater and anti-matter. That is what makes the Golden Eggs so powerful." Traveler finished matter-of-factly.

Picard's anger threatened to overwhelm him. "You have endangered my ship, my crew? You knew this would happen when you asked us to decoy for Zegh! You've sacrificed us for one dragon!"

Riker ordered, "Red Alert!" The claxton sounded and the lights flashed red.

"I intent to sacrifice no one, Captain. With your permission, Wesley and I will go to Engineering, link our minds to the ship through the controls there and "jump" the ship to another point in space, leaving no trail. In this way we will totally allude the Wormoid. Oh, and, it would be very helpful if you could turn off that 'Red Alert'. Captain, as you did for me before, request that everyone send us peaceful, joyful, and loving thoughts. It will help us, but, actually, it is really for them, that is, each of you."

Picard swallowed his anger. "Very well. Cancel Red Alert."

Wesley and Traveler took the turbo-lift to engineering.