Kazzie-Spockers thought for moment. “ We have to leave orbit anyway, perhaps we should render assistance to this distress call.”
As she said this the doctor walked onto the bridge. “ It looks like I arrived here just in time. You can’t be serious about leaving this planet. The Captain and the others might be dying down there and you intend to abandon them.”
“ I am serious and I’m not abandoning anyone. There’s nothing we can do for the Captain at this moment and this other spaceship requires our assistance. It’s the logical thing to do.”
“ Logic be hanged. I’ve never been able to understand how heartless you Vulcans can be, that green blood that courses through your veins has no compassion for anybody.”
“ Surely you know there’s nothing I can do at this time except leave orbit. We should make ourselves useful, we also have an obligation to show the people of the Beta quadrant that starfleet members are compassionate to other life forms.”
The doctor looked indignant. “ Don’t call me Shirley! Why don’t you scan the planet again? Perhaps I can beam down. Ion particles won’t effect me.”
“ I have just noticed Sub-Commander that the ion particles come and go in five minute intervals. Why don’t we beam the doctor down during the next window,” said Ensign Lid-Lidia.
“ That seems like a logical course of action, but as soon as the doctor leaves we must attend to the distress call. What will we do if we need a doctor?”
“ I have been training Ensign Lid-Lidia, she will be able to assist if necessary,” said the doctor.
“ That’s what we will do. Make it so!” She said pointing her finger.
Lieutenant Beani-Phoos cleared her throat and looked at Kazzie-Spockers.
“ I mean,” She paused. “ make it happen.” And then she waved her hand. She felt a little embarrassed even though it was unvulcan like behavior.
The bridge members looked at each other puzzled at this, but nobody else on the bridge understood.
* * * *
As the doctor arrived on the planet he noticed how barren it looked, not at all the planet he thought he was beaming down to. There were no streets or houses or even people for that matter. All he could see was desert and rocks and nothing else as far as the eye could see. He had beamed to the right coordinates, but now he wondered how he could possibly be of any help to the captain. He looked at his triquarter and found there was an energy reading coming from a westerly direction. There was nothing left for him to do but walk there.
* * * *
“ Take us out of orbit and then go to impulse speed. In a few minutes we can go to warp factor ten. Engage!”
“ Sub-Commander can I show you something before we leave,” said ensign Lid-Lidia.
Kazzie-Spockers walked over to her console.
“ I’ve been scanning the debris field left by the ship that was blown up and I have no reading from it.”
“ Please explain?”
“ I was scanning the debris field thinking that there may be a metal we could use or something else that wasn’t destroyed and I found there was nothing there. The whole debris field is a projection, I would even guess that the whole episode of the space ship and the explosion was a fabrication. It never happened.”
Lieutenant Beani-Poohs started to nod her head. “ I concur Sub-Commander, what we are looking at is empty space. I would suggest we take another look at the distress call. I think the aliens from this planet are trying to get rid of us from this location and they’ll try anything to make us leave.”
A few minutes later Lid-Lidia said, “ It’s true, the distress call originated from this planet. Somehow they made us believe it came from a light year away.”
“ They’re very clever, but we can be clever too.” Said Kazzie-Spockers. “ We’ll leave orbit anyway and we will make as though we’re going to assist the distress call and then we’ll loop around and come back on the other side of that moon over there. Make it happen!”
Beani-Poohs gave Kazzie-Spockers a look of approval.
* * * *
As the doctor walked closer towards the energy reading he could see a large hill completely made of rock. He could tell by the reading that this was where all activity lay. Suddenly he noticed that his tricorder had stopped working and so had all his other devices. Apart from his mobile emitter that was still working perfectly. So he was on his own now.
As he walked a bit closer he discovered a large swift flowing river that was now in his path. He thought it puzzling since the rest of the planet was a barren desert. Now he had to think how he could get himself across.
* * * *
“ Ensign Follicle are you alright?” said the captain. “ Hairy can you hear me?”
In a groggy voice Ensign Follicle said. “ I’m alright sir, something knocked the wind out of me and my head feels like someone put it in a vice. Apart from that I’m okay.”
Base leaned over and had a good look at Hairy. “ I am intrigued Captain at how Ensign Follicle was shot but has no bullet wound. I can not see how this is possible.”
The captain took a second look. “ You’re right Mr. Base, he has no wound and no blood.”
At this time the little man with the gun pointed it at Hairy again. “ No wound huh, I’ll remedy that. This time I’m going to kill him.”
Suddenly Mr. Sook lunged at the man and gave him the Vulcan neck brace, rendering him unconscious.
“ Thankyou Mr. Sook. Sometimes it pays to have some Vulcan tricks handy and I hope the inhabitants of this planet were watching and saw how we handled ourselves without violence.”
Suddenly the four of them were transported aboard a large seafaring ship. It was a very dark night and people were running in all directions. There was panic in the face of all the people they saw.
“ Where are we this time? This doesn’t look like a movie, this looks to be real life.”
Mr. Base looked over the side of the ship and stared at the water.
“ What were you looking at Mr. Base?” asked the captain.
“ I wanted to make sure we weren’t on ‘The Love Boat’.”
“ What did you say?”
“ We are aboard the Titanic and according to history it sunk after coming into contact with an iceberg. Looking at the water level it struck the iceberg sometime ago as the ship is noticeably sinking.”
“ How are we supposed to prove ourselves to these aliens in this predicament?”
“ Of that I’m not sure, but according to my data banks, the Titanic struck an iceberg on the 14th of April 1912 and sunk sometime after. There has been many films made about this event so I would think that the aliens have used a historical document to put us in the action as it were.”
Suddenly an officer spoke to the captain.
“ We have an empty life boat here sir, would you and your friends care to get aboard?”
The captain started to move towards the lifeboat.
Mr. Sook put his hand on the captain’s shoulder. “ Be careful how you play this one Captain. Fifteen hundred people lost their lives when the Titanic sunk, there was not enough lifeboats for the amount of people on board. The Aliens are testing us to see if we will try and save our lives or do the noble thing and let innocent people live.”
“ You’re right Mr. Sook. This is a real dilemma.”
* * * *
‘Acting Captains log: Star date 27.0312.
We are now stationed on the dark side of the moon, so the aliens from the planet will not detect us. This way we can make sure the ship is working to one hundred percent so we can rescue the landing party that has been gone for more that eight and a half-hours now. Since the doctor beamed down to the planet we have not heard from him at all. I am beginning to think it was a mistake sending him down there.’
“ Excuse me Sub-Commander,” said Ensign Lid-Lidia. “ All repairs have been completed and the shields will give us one hundred percent protection.”
&n
bsp; “ That’s good to hear. Scan the planet again and let me know if the ion particles are still surrounding planet like they were when we were in orbit.”
“ Would you care for a spider Sub-Commander?”
“ What did you say?” said Kazzie-Spockers leaping onto a chair. “ Is there a spider in here?”
“ I was asking if you wanted a drink. A spider is a drink with ice cream and lemonade. Would you like one?”
She climbed down from the chair. “ Err, no thankyou. A Vulcan would never drink something like that. Lemonade and ice cream? No thankyou.”
“ Just thought I would ask.” As Lid-Lidia closed the door she couldn’t help smiling.
* * * *
The doctor had been looking around for something to help him cross the river but the planet was so barren there was nothing to be seen. He now had to make a decision, would he walk into the river and try to swim against the current or would he just walk and try not to loose his footing. Either way he risked the mobile emitter being effected by the water.
He walked up the edge and took a step into the water. To his amazement his feet were not wet. He continued walking and found that the water was nothing more than a holographic image. He wondered why he never noticed it before. On the other side of the river he continued walking towards the rocks. Then he came across an enormous chasm. It was too far across to jump and with no ropes he wondered how he could climb down. He had to do some thinking again.
* * * *
As the captain and the others stood against the side of the ship they watched the lifeboat being filled with women and children and a couple of seamen to row the boat. After that it was lowered down into the water was rowed away from the ship.
Mr. Base looked down at the water level and noticed how much higher it was now.
“ Captain it won’t be long before this ship accelerates in the sinking process, what do you think we should do?”
The captain thought for a moment. “ I think we should help fill the other lifeboats and then we’ll talk some more. I’m not sure how to proceed after all the lifeboats leave.”
The four of them walked around the ship and made their way through the crowd. They helped where they could with the filling of the lifeboats. By now the chimney stacks were exploding and people were starting to run in panic.
“ Captain!” said Ensign Follicle. “ Perhaps we should dive over the side and swim towards those lifeboats that are not full.”
“ Ensign the water temperature would be below freezing.” said Mr. Sook. “ We would be dead before we ever made it to the boats. It would only take a matter of minutes. I myself might make it but you humans could never survive very long.”
The captain spoke. “ We have to do something. Going down with the ship does not seem a logical alternative.” He thought for a few seconds. “ Yes we must all jump overboard. I’m guessing none of this is real away. We must take our chances in the water.”
“ Captain!” Said Mr. Base. “ Is this a bad time to tell you that I was never programmed on how to swim.”
“ Don’t worry about it Mr. Base. Just stick close to me.”
With that the four of them jumped into the icy water. Seconds later the scenery had changed again. They were now in a western town and they stood on the porch of a sheriff’s office. Men with burning torches in their hands surrounded them.
“ Bring him out and bring him out now.” Said one of the men.
“ Bring who out?” said the captain, not understanding what was going on.
The man turned to the other men and made a mock laugh. Then he cocked his gun. “ I’m not going to tell you twice. Either you bring that murderer out here or we’re going to start shooting. What’s it to be, you or him?”
The captain turned to look at the others and shrugged his shoulders. “ Am I wrong but do these aliens love watching westerns?”
* * * *
“ Sub-Commander I have been scanning the planet and analyzing the data we have received since we arrived at this planet and I have come to the conclusion that nothing is real,” said Lieutenant Beani-Poohs.
“ Surely you don’t mean that the whole planet isn’t real?”
“ No, the planet is real enough but nothing else appears to be.”
“ Please explain.”
“ Just like the debris from that space ship that was blown up the ion particles are not real either. When we arrived here, on my initial scans I saw no evidence of any ion particles. The Captain spoke to someone on the planet surface that invited him down there. Since that time nothing has read the same. I might as well be looking at an entirely different planet, from one scan to the next it’s different every time. It’s like the people on the planet are able to change the instruments so we see what they want us to see.”
Ensign Whirly was standing nearby listening to this. “ What a load of rubbish. I don’t mean to disagree with you but I find the instruments to be working at their peak. Don’t forget this is a practically new space ship.”
Beani-Poohs couldn’t believe Whirly had said this. “ You can’t be serious? I stand by what I just said one hundred percent. You should know by all the other missions we have been on, that we cannot always trust the instrument panel.”
All of a sudden Whirly got very angry. “ You’re always putting me down, are you jealous of me for some reason? My theories are just as viable as yours. Sometimes I think you’re just a workaholic old maid.”
Sub-Commander Kazzie-Spockers was shocked to hear this. “ Ensign Whirly I don’t like hear this type of talk. You are relieved of duty, go to your quarters and think about your attitude.”
Whirly gave a smirk. “ At least I have a dog. I’m going to my quarters and play with Towser my faithful hound.” She left the bridge.
“ I can’t believe her outburst,” said Kazzie-Spockers. “ It was like she wanted me to throw her off the bridge “
Beani-Poohs turned to look at her with a blank look. “ Who are we talking about?”
“ Why Ensign Whirly of course. She just left the bridge a few moments ago.”
Beani-Poohs looked puzzled. “ I don’t know what you’re talking about. Nobody left the bridge and as for Ensign Whirly, I have no idea who you’re talking about. We have never had anybody by that name on this ship.”
Kazzie-Spockers went quiet for a moment thinking. “ Does any of you remember Ensign Whirly, she just said she had a dog named Towser?”
Everybody sat without speaking and looking blank. Kazzie-Spockers turned back to Beani-Poohs. “ So what were you telling me about the scans you’ve been doing?”
“ I never told you about scans, I’m still wondering what to do about the ion particles.”
Kazzie-Spockers walked over to the captains chair thinking. “ I want to see everybody in the freezer next to the kitchen in the mess hall in ten minutes.”
At hearing this they looked even more puzzled.
* * * *
The doctor realized that he would not be hurt if he tried to jump over the chasm. He took a big run up and jumped for all he was worth. He managed to clear the chasm and he landed on the other side. He was amazed how far he jumped. He looked back to see just how far it was but on looking back the chasm was gone, it was just flat desert now. He shrugged his shoulders and started walking again. Now a giant tree stood in his way. He thought he should walk around it but it was so large walking around it was going to take hours. At this rate he would never reach the captain.
* * * *
Everybody walked into the freezer and Kazzie-Spockers closed the door.
“ I suppose you’re all wondering why I asked you all to come in here.” She said. “ Don’t worry about the cold, we won’t be in here long enough.”
Nobody said a word so Kazzie-Spockers continued. “ The aliens on this planet have been fooling us. They even had an image of an ensign to fool us or to find out what we are up to. I asked you all to come in here because this is probably the safest place on the ship to talk and
not be monitored.”
“ Sub-Commander we are on the other side of the moon now, surely they can’t monitor us here?” said Lid-Lidia.
“ Ensign Whirly was planted here quite a while back and we never knew she was never part of the crew. Somehow the aliens put her into our minds and we all thought we had known her for years but the moment she was gone she was erased from our memories. Somehow my Vulcan makeup was immune to their tricks, although they did trick me at first. Now Lieutenant what were you saying earlier about the scans.”
Beani-Poohs thought for a few moments. “ Oh yes, I was saying that nothing we see is real. That the aliens are fooling us to believe whatever they want.”
“ I have been thinking about it and I think we should give these aliens some of their own medicine. I think we should fool them into thinking they are being attacked by some other alien beings and when they have their guard down we will be able to rescue our people.”
They all agreed it was a good idea. “ I can emulate the same trick they used on us,” said Mr. La Trene.
“ One question Sub-Commander said Lid-Lidia. Why do you think you were immune to the aliens trick to deceive us?”
“ That’s simple, she named her dog Towser. All Star-Fleet officers name their dogs after the three musketeers. It was a dead give away.”
They all nodded their heads and started to walk out of the freezer. “ That’s funny!” Lid-Lidia whispered to Beani-Poohs. “ I named my dog Cheezal.”
“ You should have named him D’Artagnan.” Beani-Poohs smirked.
Kazzie-Spockers had overheard what they said. “ D’Artagnan was not one of the three musketeers you might remember.”
As they walked out of the kitchen they both started laughing.
* * * *
“ Well what’s it to be?” said the big man with the gun. “ Do you bring out the murderer or do I drill you full of holes.”
At hearing this, the captain was almost angry. He looked away from the people in front of him and talked to the sky. “ Stop this!” He yelled. “ We are not here for your amusement, I told you we came here to make friends with you and to ask you if you wanted to be part of the Federation of Planets. If you just intend to send us to one predicament after another let us return to our ship and we’ll be on our way.”