Fan Trek

[Wishfire 2]

Okay, here's the basic idea. I'd like everyone's help with this.

 

What I'd like to do is to have everyone only a sentence or two based off of what the last person wrote. You don't have to read the whole thing. If fact, I encourage you not to. Just write whatever you feel like, so long as it fits into what the last person wrote.

 

In one week, if enough people wrote, I'll put it all into a single document and turn it into a story, which I will then post. If it continues after that, I'll post the continuations every week. I'd like to see how far this goes.

 

And feel free to be silly! I'm hoping this will turn into a big hoot!

 

One more thing. This doesn't take place in any particular Trek era.

Edited October 13, 2004 by wishfire

[Wishfire 2]

The crew of the U.S.S. Bates was happy to finally be called in from the front lines. The war has been long and hard, and the prospect of some rest and relaxation was a good one.

[DrWho42 13]

But what was their next destination? You might ask...

Edited October 13, 2004 by drfly42

[Wishfire 2]

(Sorry, but was that a question, or your addition to the story? If it's a question, the answer is that I'm leaving it up to whomever. (I think a few thing might need to be cleared up. I will, when I figure out what they are.))

Edited October 14, 2004 by wishfire

[DrWho42 13]

Sorry, but was that a question, or your addition to the story? If it's a question, the answer is that I'm leaving it up to whomever. (I think a few thing might need to be cleared up. I will, when I figure out what they are.)

272205[/snapback]

[ Addition to story ].

[Wishfire 2]

"Captain Gehran, I'm picking up a dsitress call from a civilian transport," reported Lt. Valeur, the communications officer. "They say that they've struck a mine, and have a warp core breach in progress."

[Wishfire 2]

Okay well, no one seems interrested in this thread, so I'll just make it my own personal story. Whatever.

 

If you have something you'd like to see added, please suggest it. If I like it, I'll add it. More than likely, I'll adapt the story.

 

Also, I'm starting it over based on what I have already typed, along with an idea drfly42's single story-addition gave me.

Edited October 16, 2004 by wishfire

[Wishfire 2]

1.

 

The war had been going on for a long time. The brave soldiers of both sides had already grown weary of constant battles, but their governments would not allow them to back off, even for a second, to recuperate. Both governments were afraid that any non-aggressive movements would be seen by the other side as a sign of weakness.

 

Despite that, Starfleet still had a regular rotation schedule set up to prevent battle-fatigue that called for every ship on the front lines to be replaced every twelve weeks. At first, the Romulans saw this rotation schedule as foolish, but quickly learned that it allowed for fresh troops present that were ready for an attack. The Romulans, realizing that these rotations were to Starfleet's advantage, soon adopted a rotation schedule of their own. Because of this, neither size gained or lost much territory.

 

Finally, the crew of the U.S.S. Bates received a message which they had been awaiting for what seemed like a long time; orders to leave the front lines and report to Starbase 43 as soon as the U.S.S. Challenger arrived.

 

Captain Jonathan Gehran reviewed the orders, a slight smile appearing on his face. He then walked over to his navigations officer and whispered into her ear.

 

"Aye, sir," the navigations officer said, her own grin spreading.

 

They waited for another three hours, with only Captain Gehran, and both the communications and navigations officers knowing what was to happen next. Everyone else would spend those three hours glancing at their captain, asking with their eyes what their new orders were. The captain merely smiled at them.

 

Finally, the Challenger arrived. Captain Gehran glanced at the navigations officer and nodded. The Bates turned in the vacuum of space and headed into Federation space.

 

"Captain," the first officer said, approaching Gehran. "May I know what our orders are?" The rest of the bridge, minus the navigations and communications officers turned to hear what their captain said.

 

Captain Gehran smiled at his first officer."I'm sorry, Eric. I wasn't aware that you wanted to know." Gehran's smile broadened into a grin. "We've been taken off the front. The Challenger has replaced us."

 

Eric Wahl, the first officer, tilted his head. He found it hard to keep his own grin off his face. "Where are we going?" he asked.

 

"You'll see," Gehran replied.

Edited October 17, 2004 by wishfire

[Wishfire 2]

After several hours heading into Federation space, the crew had become anxious to know their destination. A number of members of the bridge crew took to staring at the captain when their duties permitted, hoping he'd give up and tell them the next. Captain Gehran ramined quiet.

 

Captain Gehran was about to inform his crew of the orders, which included permission for all crew member's to have two-week's shore leave while the Bates was refitted, when the communication console beeped.

 

"Captain," the communications officer said, turning in his seat, "we're receiving a distress signal."

 

Captain Gehran stood up. "Let's hear it."

 

The speakers crackled as the communications officer attempted to get a better signal. Finally, the message came through. "...been attacked by a Romulan warship. We are caught in the gravitational field of planet Alterion VI in a low orbit. Our engines are in critical condition. We do not have the power to excape the planet's gravity, and we fear that a warp-core breach is imminent. If anyone recieves this message, please respond! Repeat, this is the U.S.S. Ako, we are in need of immediate help!"

 

"Are any other ships in their vicinity?" asked Gehran.

 

"Scanning," replied the science officer. "Captain, the only other ship in the area is a frieghter, the Jamestown. Long-range sensors show that the Romulan ship is still at Alterion VI. They would be able to destroy the Jamestown without much trouble."

 

Captain Gehran sighed and resumed his seat. "Navigations, lay in a course for Alterion VI. Maximum warp. All hands to battle stations!" The ship's emergency claxon rang into life, sending the crew to their positions.

 

For the next fifteen minutes, everyone was tense, preparing for combat. "Captain, we are now approaching Alterion VI."

 

"Drop down to impulse speed. Where's the Ako?"

 

"The Ako is in orbit south of the planet's equator. Her orbit is deteriorating quickly."

 

"Bring us in as close as we can." Gehran pressed a button on his command chair. "Transporter rooms, prepare to beam in survivors from the Ako." The technicians in the ship's two transporter rooms immediately acknowledged. "Is there any sign of the Romulan ship?"

 

The science office stared into his hooded sensor display. "I can't find them. They could possibly be on the other side of the planet."

 

Captain Gehran cursed. The speaker on his command chair beeped. He pressed the button again. "This is Gehran."

 

"Captain, this is transporter room 2. We've finished beaming all survivors aboard."

 

"Navigations, get us out of here, warp speed now!"

 

The navigations officer turned. "Sir, we're too close to the planet, if-"

 

"I know the risks, Lieutenant," interrupted Gehran. "I also know that we're in no shape to fight right now. We must flee!"

 

"Yes, sir," said the navigations officer, turning back to his station.

 

"Captain," said the science officer. "The Ako's warp core is breaching! We're-"

 

The Ako exploded in the upper atmosphere, sending a shock-wave out which struck the Bates. Not expecting an impact, many of the crew were thrown to the floors. All lights went out, and most electrical systems quit working. The last thing that Captain Gehran was aware of before going unconscious was feeling like there were two of him. Then darkness enclosed the minds of everyone on the Bates.

[Wishfire 2]

2.

 

"Captain, we are approaching Alterion VI."

 

Captain Richard Frakes stood up. "Very good, Lieutenant. Standard orbit."

 

"Yes, sir."

 

Alterion VI had once been a class M planet, but it's surface had long ago been devastated by a nuclear holocaust. Only recently had Starfleet decided to clean up to toxins and attempt to terraform the planet. The U.S.S. Gambit was the first ship sent to it to survey the surface and draw up a detoxification plan.

 

"Sir, I'm picking up a weak distress signal," reported Lieutenant Kered, the Bajoran tactical officer.

 

Captain Frakes turned to her. "Where is it coming from?"

 

"Sensors say that the source of the distress signal is coming from a small ship in a low orbit. There's too much radioactivity to get any good readings, sir."

 

"On screen." The main viewscreen flickered and a small object appeared against the yellowish surface of the planet. "Magnify." The view zoomed in until the ship loomed large in the viewscreen. The captain's eyes widened. "My God," he said. "That's a Daedalus-class!"

 

"I am detecting life-signs," said Lieutenant Kered. "One hundred forty-two."

 

"Lieutenant Warner, bring us in close. Kered, try to get a tractor lock on it."

 

"Aye, sir."

 

The Gambit moved in on the crippled ship. Within moments, the tractor beam had locked on to the ship and pulled it away from the atmosphere.

 

"Open a channel," ordered Frakes. He waited a moment until he heard the familiar tone that indicated that the channel was open. "This is Captain Richard Frakes of the starship Gambit. Please identify yourself."

 

For several seconds he waited for a reply. He was about to repeat his request when a raspy voice came over the speakers. "This is Captain Gehran of the starship Bates. We are in need of immediate medical attention. Many of us are suffering from extreme radiation poisoning."

 

"Help is on the way," assured Frakes. He tapped his comm-badge. "Transporter room, beam survivors directly to sickbay."

 

----

 

Frakes walked into sickbay. The moans of dozens of men in pain filled his ears. He glanced around, and spotting Doctor Sorik, strode over tho him. "Status report," he demanded.

 

The Vulcan doctor looked up at the captain, then turned back to his patient. "Many of these men have severe radiation poisoning. The rest have a lesser degree. We have the means to treat them all, I expect everyone to make a complete recovery."

 

Frakes nodded. "Very good. Where is Captain Gehran?"

 

The man that Doctor Sorik was treating looked up. "That would be me," he said. "Captain Frakes, I presume?"

 

"That's right. How are you feeling?"

 

"Considerably better than I was several minutes ago." Gehran looks around. "Where am I? I have never seen medical facilities anywhere near as advanced as this? And you uniforms are unfamiliar to me."

 

Captain Frakes sighed. "Captain, you command U.S.S. Bates, Daedalus-class?"

 

"That's right. Why?"

 

Frakes sighed, glancing about uncomfortably. "Captain, I regret to inform you of this, but the Bates disappeared over two hundred years ago."

Edited October 17, 2004 by wishfire

[Wishfire 2]

Captain Gehran's eyes narrowed. "Two hundred years ago? That's impossible."

 

"What was the last thing you remember?" asked Frakes.

 

Gehran frowned, trying to recall. "Well, we received a distress signal. It was from a freighter, the U.S.S. Ako. They had been attacked by Romulans. We came in to bean survivors away. Their warp core was critical, and a breach was imminent. They were trapped in a low orbit, so we had to go to a low altitude ourselves. We managed to beam them away, but their warp core breached. The shock-wave hit us, and I was struck unconscious. When I came to, most of our systems were off-line, and several of my bridge crew were already showing signs of radiation poisoning. That confused me."

 

"Why were you confused?" inquired Doctor Sorik.

 

"Well, only our engineering section and the warp nacelles contain radioactive material, and they weren't reporting any radiation leaks. One would think that they'd be the first affected."

 

Frakes lifted an eyebrow. "Didn't it occur to you that the planet's atmosphere had something to do with it?" he asked.

 

Gehran stared at Frakes for a moment. "Why would the atmosphere effect us? There's nothing wrong with it."

 

"The atmosphere of Alterion VI is highly radioactive," stated Captain Frakes. "By natural processes, the atmosphere would remain so for an estimated thirty-five thousand years."

 

Gehran started. "How can that be?I recall clearly that while rescuing the crew of the Ako, we were intercepting radio transmissions from the planet. They had an industrialized civilization, similar to that of Earth's twentieth century. Could they have destroyed themselves?"

 

"No," said Captain Frakes. "We have detected signs of a past civilization, but as far as we've known, it's always been contaminated."

 

Captain Gehran looked down. "Romulans," he muttered.

 

"Excuse me?"

 

Gehran looked up. "I said, 'Romulans.' They must've done it. I know that we discovered the system while at war with the Romulans, and that we never had a good look at the planet. The Romulans must've destroyed it. Maybe they thought that we'd colonized it, or maybe they though that the people on the planet were ours."