Forwarded by the ASC-VSO Posted: Sun, 28 Mar 2004 20:27:02 GMT In: alt.startrek.creative From: "Jay P Hailey" Title: Star Trek: Outwardly Mobile Author: Jay P Hailey (JayPHailey@hotmail.com) Series: MISC - TNG OCs Codes: None Part: 48/342(?) Rating:[PG] Archive: Fine with me, just tell me where. Disclaimer: Paramount owns all things Star Trek. I claim Original Characters and Situations for me. Webpage HTTP://jayphailey.8m.com ZTA-1 by Jay P. Hailey And Dennnis Washburn I walked across the deck of the shuttle bay towards the probe. From a distance it looked like any other probe. The schematic that Tillean briefed me with showed that all the scientific instruments and sensors had been distributed throughout the probe casing by microscopic circuits. Every inch of the probe's surface was a sensor that watched my approach. The probe rested on a service cradle and its access door was open. As I approached I could see that the access door opened to reveal the standard Federation interface panel. "Attention Probe A7-TU-BL." I barked. "Identify." "Why, you're Captain Jay P. Hailey. Access code Delta Gamma Mu. My highest access code." It sounded a bit awed. "Report all data recorded on target ZTA-1." My tone was still harsh. This probe was a positive danger. "Do you wish me to report by voice or data channel, Sir?" I looked at Tillean "Do we have a computer memory readied to hold and analyze the data?" She looked around, but didn't seem to find anything that was unoccupied. She turned to a technician and said "Grab me a C-128 unit, make sure that the memory is cleared and that the subspace datalink is disabled." I returned to the Probe. "Summarize by voice, until capacity can be cleared for your data." "Okay. First, ZTA-1 is a sentient entity. Secondly, it's artificial in nature. Third, its primary purpose is to be a haven for life forms. Fourth, it has been abandoned for a long time. Fifth, it is desperately lonely for life forms to occupy it, so that its primary function can be fulfilled. Do you need any clarification?" "How did you scan this data?" "Item one was confirmed by personal contact. The second was in the memories of ZTA-1 as well as being confirmed by laser altimeter seismology reading of the planet's core which reveal that seismic waves have a symmetrical transmission pattern through the core. The third, fourth and fifth items were told to me directly by ZTA-1 itself." "Hmph. Do you still hold the standard diagnostic programs?" "Yes. Program number four, Standard Federation Adaptive Self-Diagnostic Program Release twenty four, probe version, with added diagnostics for a type four probe, which is me." "Run it, please." Yes, Sir." The Probe seemed eager to please. I resolved not to let that interfere with my judgment. "Ooooh. I can feel my drives, all the important subsystems. They seem okay, but the program crashes whenever I try to run it on my brain. I guess the design is just too different." "Can you tell me what happened to you?" "Yes. I was activated on Stardate 48619.1, just a couple of hours ago. I was loaded with targeting and navigational data as well as sensor routines for the target ZTA-1. I was launched and proceeded to the target on the specified trajectory. I made atmospheric entry at time index 73.3." "Once inside the atmosphere, what happened?" "I noted the loss of signal with starship USS Harrier NCC-45657. Do I have to use the full name and serial number every time?" "Can you keep track of which ship we're talking about when we only use the name?" "This is the only Federation ship present at this time. I think I can keep it straight, sir." "Then call her the Harrier." "Affirmative. Anyway, I noted the loss of signal and went into recording mode. Then I was caught and examined by ZTA-1. At this point, things changed. This was time index 73.345. My first consciously aware thought was that ZTA-1 thought that I was nearly hopeless but that it would make a few minor adjustments to enhance my function. Since I'm a probe, and my function is to gather data, I asked it what was happening. Then it told me the things I related to you earlier." "What is your purpose now, Probe A7-TU-BL?" "Just exactly what I'm doing now, Sir." The probe said happily. "To learn about things and then bring the data home and tell you about it." "How did ZTA-1 communicate with you?" "I don't really know. The signals seem to generate inside my new brain." "Can you communicate with ZTA-1?" "I do not know. Would you like me to try?" "Yes, Please." "I'll have to ask you to stand back. My subspace coil will generate a pulse of two hundred and fifty millicochranes. This is dangerous to organic life forms within a distance of two meters." It was the automated warning, except that it was delivered with feeling. I stood well back. So did the rest of the crew examining the probe. I watched he signal on a tricorder. The Probe sent a standard automated hail. "I'm sorry, Captain." The Probe called. "Something seems to be jamming my signal. Are there force fields in the way?" I went back up to the probe "Please power down your subspace coil." The probe complied. "Tillean analyze the signal. Find out if there were there any added features to the signal." "Aye, sir." -*- The Probe didn't know anything about communicating with the planet either. I had a nice afternoon chatting with it. It seemed friendly and eager to please. For the next day, we talked to the probe and explored it. The planet itself bothered me. Some of the power emanations from the artificial core looked familiar. They had a certain resemblance to the power readings from Rishan Pleasure Base Number Five. The planet had grown quiet while we talked with the probe. It wasn't sending the frantic messages in lighting form anymore. I had the feeling that it was watching us. I figured that the probe was speaking more clearly than it knew when it said that it was fulfilling its purpose. It was learning things and reporting. I just figured that the planet was somehow monitoring the probe. Most of the crew shared my feeling although we had no real evidence to support it. I was unable to sleep that night. I couldn't relax. I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. Either we would get a handle on communicating with the thing or it would decide that we were... something. The Pleasure Base had functioned on us like it was supposed to, with no judgment or hindrance. When someone responsible realized that we were too primitive, it ran us off. The planet tried to speak to us using its normal communications channel. We didn't respond. We sent the probe. Now it was figuring us out... I got out of bed and called the bridge. "I'm coming up there. Get ready to move out." "Aye, Sir.? Was the reply. I threw on my pants and my jacket and went up to the bridge carrying my shoes. I hopped out of the turbo lift struggling to get my shoe on. I hopped over to the Captain's chair and sat down getting a better grip on the shoe. "Are we ready to go?" I grunted while bent over. I was getting a little thicker around the middle than I really wanted to admit. The officer of the bridge, Ensign Spaat watched me calmly from the Flight Control station. "Yes, Captain. All stations report ready for space." "Take us out of orbit, one half impulse." I didn't want to bolt. After all, nothing had actually happened, yet. "Wake up Lieutenant Darvon Ahk, please. Tell her to get a crew down to shuttle bay two." "Aye, sir." "Then make sure that security is alerted. I want to be prepared in case the probe makes a ruckus." --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.639 / Virus Database: 408 - Release Date: 3/22/2004 -- Stephen Ratliff ASC Awards Tech Support http://www.trekiverse.us/ASCAwards/commenting/ No Tribbles were harmed in the running of these Awards ASCL is a stories-only list, no discussion. Comments and feedback should be directed to alt.startrek .creative or directly to the author. Yahoo! Groups Links To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ASCL/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: ASCL-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ From ???@??? Sun Mar 28 17:01:59 2004 X-Persona: Status: U Return-Path: Received: from n31.grp.scd.yahoo.com ([66.218.66.99]) by tanager (EarthLink SMTP Server) with SMTP id 1b7Ihc3Pj3NZFmQ0 for ; Sun, 28 Mar 2004 13:57:05 -0800 (PST) X-eGroups-Return: sentto-1977044-13338-1080511025-stephenbratliffasc=earthlink.net@returns.groups.yah