Received: from [66.218.66.30] by n38.grp.scd.yahoo.com with NNFMP; 09 Jul 2004 15:46:53 -0000 X-Sender: asc-l@ix.netcom.com X-Apparently-To: ascl@yahoogroups.com Received: (qmail 36350 invoked from network); 9 Jul 2004 15:46:52 -0000 Received: from unknown (66.218.66.167) by m24.grp.scd.yahoo.com with QMQP; 9 Jul 2004 15:46:52 -0000 Received: from unknown (HELO swan.mail.pas.earthlink.net) (207.217.120.123) by mta6.grp.scd.yahoo.com with SMTP; 9 Jul 2004 15:46:52 -0000 Received: from h-66-167-46-192.phlapafg.dynamic.covad.net ([66.167.46.192] helo=localhost) by swan.mail.pas.earthlink.net with esmtp (Exim 3.33 #1) id 1BixaK-0006Iu-00 for ascl@yahoogroups.com; Fri, 09 Jul 2004 08:46:48 -0700 To: ascl@yahoogroups.com Organization: Trekiverse Message-ID: X-Mailer: Forte Agent 1.9/32.560 X-eGroups-Remote-IP: 207.217.120.123 From: ASC* Archive Team MIME-Version: 1.0 Mailing-List: list ASCL@yahoogroups.com; contact ASCL-owner@yahoogroups.com Delivered-To: mailing list ASCL@yahoogroups.com Precedence: bulk List-Unsubscribe: Date: Fri, 09 Jul 2004 11:46:40 -0400 Subject: [ASC] COR VOY 'Lieutenant Keegan' PG-13 1/5 Reply-To: ASCL-owner@yahoogroups.com Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-ELNK-AV: 0 Yahoo! Domains - Claim yours for only $14.70 http://us.click.yahoo.com/Z1wmxD/DREIAA/yQLSAA/5x3olB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> On Mon, 5 Jul 2004 02:15:56 -0500, in alt.startrek.creative, "Khaliban" wrote: Sorry about that. Forgot to double space. This is a minor revision of the original story correcting some logistic errors and making it more accurate with respect to the sequel. I also tried to smooth over some of the rougher areas to make it easier to read. Lieutenant Keegan - The Discovery by Khaliban A ST:Voyager story Part 1/5 PG-13 Summary: He was so quiet. He did his work and never bothered anyone. Who Chakotay leaned over the table and examined his captain's breakfast plate. "You shouldn't waste food like that," he said. Captain Janeway looked down at her scrambled eggs and cantaloupe. She smiled at her first officer and handed him her PADD. "What do you see there?" She sipped her coffee. "Some ensigns. Some lieutenants. All appear competent." "How many names do you recognize?" the captain said. "How many faces can you put to those names." "Some," Chakotay replied. "But not all. We've been here seven years. I still don't know everyone aboard this ship. Do you?" "We've been busy." The captain shook her head and waved a hand at the commander. "That's not enough," she said. "I've built relationships with holograms." Her voice dropped to a husky whisper. "I should know every member of my crew. I should know what they're like." She leaned back and sipped some more coffee. "Divide those competent ensigns and lieutenants into groups. I want them on away missions with me. Do it personally. It will give you a chance to learn their faces as well." He examined the list again. "Looking for some more wayward children?" "After seven years, some of them might have been senior officers in the Alpha Quadrant. Here, they haven't been able to prove themselves. We may not have wayward children, but we may be wasting great potential." Now Chakotay smiled. "You're not trying to replace me are you?" "No, but I like options." * * * Later that day, Chakotay was host to a gaggle of about thirty crewmen and junior officers. He had separated the list by function and seniority, and he began to call them into groups. The first group would survey a gas giant. The next, an asteroid field. The third got one of the ever present spatial anomalies. Eight groups in all. When he was done, he asked for questions. "Why?" a Bolian ensign asked. "The captain has never taken much interest in me. In any of us really." "That's why. The captain feels she need to know her crew better. I agree with her. We're still a long way from the Alpha Quadrant. Any one of you may be needed to replace a senior officer. She needs to know you and your talents if she ever has to call on you. Because I need to know you as well, I want each group to meet with me the day before your away mission." He scanned the room. "Any more questions? No? Then back to work." * * * "Marvelous." Janeway said, this time waving both hands at her first officer. "Absolutely marvelous." She was talking about the first away mission from the day before. She cut off a piece of her Belgian waffle and pushed it into her mouth. "Your report said nothing special about the gas giant," Chakotay said with a smirk. "And there wasn't," Kathryn said, stabbing another piece of waffle. "But Ensign Montez had us in stitches the whole way. Now I know why B'Elanna hates him so much." "No, she doesn't tolerate levity on her watch." "He told a story about one of my old professors. God knows I love the man, but I could see it. I could see the whole thing happening." She started to chuckle. Chakotay held up a PADD. "I've been reviewing Starfleet protocol..." "I know," She said. "'Unnecessary fraternization by senior and junior officers on starships is to be discouraged. It is the duty of the First Officer, Staff Officer and Ship's Counselor to identify such activity especially on long exploration vessels. Such activity can lead to an unhealthy bias, detrimental to the functioning of the ship.' That's for ships with a yearly turnaround schedule for the crew." She spread her hands to finish the thought. "Just performing my duty." "Duly noted. Now, who will be joining me in the asteroid field?" * * * Several days later, Chakotay walked into the Astrometrics lab for the briefing with the fifth away team. Three team members stood around the control console while Seven of Nine provided them with the basic information on the planet they were to survey. The fourth team member, a lieutenant, stood well back from the group and followed the information on his own PADD. Chakotay enjoyed these briefings. In spite of protocol, he felt these missions were valuable to crew operation and moral. He enjoyed the lost souls the most. "Lieutenant Keegan?" he said. "There's plenty of room at the console." "I'll take note of that, Commander," the lieutenant replied. "Join us, Mister Keegan." Chakotay walked to the console. He turned and saw the lieutenant had not joined them. "Mister Keegan? Is there a problem?" Seven stepped forward. "You will find Lieutenant Keegan is frightened of me." "'Fear is the mind-killer,'" Keegan said. "'It is the little death.' No, I am cautious. Not frightened. You have fallen under Borg control before. An awareness of you is not unwarranted." "That's a double negative," Chakotay said, smiling. "No, it's litotes," Keegan replied. "Are you unhappy about being on this mission?" the commander asked. "No, I look forward to a little time off the ship. I'm just not a warm person." Chakotay had to chuckle. "Well, we'll try to change that." "Yes," Keegan said, "I'm sure you will." Chakotay chuckled again. He turned to Seven. "I think I can handle this briefing without you. There's no reason to make the lieutenant nervous." He turned around. "Sorry, cautious." "Your statement is not logical," she said. "I have spent a considerable amount of time analyzing and preparing this information. I am best suited to deliver it." "Seven--" the commander began. "Your purpose here," Lieutenant Keegan said, "is nothing more than the dissemination of cataloged information readily available to anyone who can read and push three buttons on that console. Take your efficiency to Engineering and put it to good use." Seven responded to the comment with more than just a raised eyebrow. She pulled away from the lieutenant as if shocked, or even perturbed. She turned to the commander, waiting for him to respond. "Mister Keegan," Chakotay said, "Apologize to Seven." "Or what? I don't get pudding?" he said. "Do it. That's an order." "No, Commander," Seven said. "An apology is not needed. It is an inefficient use of time." "Oh, my god," Keegan groaned. "Mister Keegan, that's enough. Apologize to Seven." The lieutenant took a long breath and sighed. He moved his head around as if he had difficulty looking at her. He finally said, "I apologize if I have offended you in any way." "Thank-you, Lieutenant," she said. "Your apology is accepted. And, Commander, I believe I will go to Engineering." Chakotay nodded. "Everyone else, let's get back to the briefing." "Commander, perhaps it would be best if she stayed here, and I left," Keegan said. "No, Lieutenant, you're exactly the type of person the captain wants on this mission." "Oh," he said without inflection. "That's nice to know." * * * Captain Janeway sat in the pilot's seat of the Delta Flyer, running it through a preflight check. It had become a quick ritual for her. The Flyer was always in top shape, so she used the time to relax and go over Chakotay's comments about the crew. But, she couldn't relax after Chakotay's account of the incident in Astrometrics. Seven was rarely easy to get along with, especially for the junior officers. They resented the authority and position she held and her relationship with the captain and the rest of the senior staff. Chakotay had agreed with this assessment. She reviewed the lieutenant's record. Philip Keegan. Head of the Computer Core. His monthly evaluations were always impressive. By rights, he should be running Astrometrics. No wonder he was upset. "Captain?" someone said behind Janeway. She turned and saw a Bolian woman standing at the other end of the bridge. "Ensign Sqilookle? I hope I pronounced that right." She smiled and took the ensign's hand. "You're qualified to pilot the Flyer, aren't you?" "Only in simulations, Captain." "Well, welcome to the real thing." She guided the woman to the pilot's seat. "Do you think we'll see much action?" Sqilookle said while feeling her way around the controls. "I doubt it. Just keep her level and don't try anything fancy." "Darn. I was hoping for more." Janeway patted the ensign's shoulder and smiled. That relaxed feeling was returning. "I understand you also like Earth classical music." "Yes," the Bolian said over her shoulder. "Brahms is my favorite." "And one of mine," Janeway replied. They were deep into a discussion of the composer when two more crew members arrived. Both were human, a man with Asian features and a woman of Arabic descent. "Ensign Nureek," the captain said to the man, shaking his hand. "And Lieutenant Hununga," she said, taking the woman's hand. "Lieutenant, you're in planetology. You'll man the sensors. Ensign, you're in--" "History, diplomacy and exobiology." "Not bad." "I'm a people person." His comment produced an easy laughter. "Now, we just need Mister Keegan." The crew looked away from her. The captain sighed. "I heard about the incident." "It was nothing," Hununga said. "I don't think Phil was angry at Seven or anyone else. I just think he doesn't want to be on this mission." "I'm sure he'll be fine," the captain replied. "All of you will." "Don't jinx us, Captain," Nureek said. They all laughed again. They were trading stories about post-graduation parties, when the bay doors opened and Lieutenant Keegan walked in. Kathryn, in spite of herself, stared at the officer. He was the most impressive looking computer technician she'd ever seen. He had dark hair and sharp Irish features. At 193cm and 100kg, his body tapered naturally beyond the effect of his uniform. He walked across the shuttle bay like a Tyrolean sand tiger, or a panther, take your pick. He didn't look at the ship but read from his PADD as he walked. When Keegan passed from sight, Nureek said, "Why do I suddenly feel invisible?" Janeway and Hununga both said, "What?" while Sqilookle leaned toward the window still following the lieutenant. "Nothing," Nureek said. Keegan walked onto the bridge still reading. "Lieutenant?" the captain said in a hopeful voice. He turned off the PADD, set it down and looked up. He examined each of his fellow officers in turn, touching on face, rank and the station they stood near. He looked at the captain last, at her eyes, her phaser and her outstretched hand. He took her hand softly, smiled and said, "Shall I sit here, then?" He tilted his head toward the computer station. The captain nodded. "You're our computer expert." He smiled again and sat down. "Ladies," he said, "gentleman, are we ready for the most boring away mission imaginable?" "You never know," Hununga said, "We might get lucky." He raised an eyebrow. "Only if you brought alcohol." Kathryn found herself shocked into a laugh. She coughed her way through it and sat down. The others took their stations as well. Janeway gave the order to take off and Sqilookle opened the shuttle bay doors. The Delta Flyer rose off the deck, slid out the magnetic shield and swung around towards their destination. "I was told," Kathryn said, "that you were difficult." "You mean what happened in Astrometrics," Lieutenant Keegan replied. "I'll admit, I have some problems with your protege'. It's nothing to worry about, though." "The way Commander Chakotay told it, you were ready to come to blows," Janeway said. "Verbal only, I assure you," he replied. "That's good to know, but you'll have to tell me about your problems later. For now, Ensign Sqilookle, what is the ETA to our destination?" The ensign checked over the controls, pressed a button, the console beeped loudly and continued to beep until she hit it four more times. "Three hours, thirty-seven minutes, Captain." "Thank-you, Ensign," Janeway said. "Mister Keegan, we were trading graduation stories before you walked in. Do you have any that might fill the time?" He leaned on one elbow and looked at each of their faces; eyes, jaw line, set of the mouth. "Not of graduation, I'm afraid. But, I went to this party once at MIT. Sit back. This is going to be a long one." Three and a half hours later, the Flyer moved into orbit. Brahms played softly only to be silenced when Sqilookle pushed them towards their entry window. She brought them in a bit too steep but managed to land less than half a kilometer from an intermittent bio-signature. Hununga and Nureek thought the creature that produced it might prove interesting. "Mister Keegan," Kathryn said, "I've heard everyone else's assessment of the planet. What can you tell me?" Keegan sighed. "According to the computer, it's round with a slight distention along the equator. I'm a computer expert, Captain. I really don't have much of a purpose here." "Yeah, right," Lisa Hununga murmured. Janeway squinted at Hununga's comment. "We'll find something for you," the captain said to Keegan. "Don't worry." "I look forward to the challenge, Captain." Sqilookle remained aboard the Flyer in case of trouble while the others moved on foot towards the bio-signature, scanning and taking samples as they did. They moved slowly, to learn as much as they could. Kathryn knew it wouldn't be impressive, though. They'd found nothing interesting in any of the mineral or chemical scans they'd done in orbit. The planetary scans showed a lot of the same. "What do you think, Mister Keegan?" Janeway called out. "I think you lost the bet, Captain," he yelled to her from a ridge. She sighed. He was right. Her tricorder couldn't even find the signature that looked so promising from orbit. She tapped her communicator. "All right, everyone," she said, "Let's head back." Keegan waved to her as he started down and Hununga squeezed out from between a couple of boulders. The two lieutenants reached the captain without Nureek in sight. "Ensign Nureek," Janeway said, "We're heading back." "Just a moment, Captain," Nureek's voice crackled over the communicator. "I think I've found something." A moment later, they heard a horrified scream from behind a hill. Keegan was the first to move. The others followed behind at half his pace. He took the hill in huge steps while Janeway and Hununga struggled hand and foot. "Sqilookle!" the captain said, slapping her comm hard, "Beam Ensign Nureek to the ship now!" "I'm trying, Captain," the Bolian replied through static, "But I can't get a lock, and I'm losing your comm signal." As Janeway and Hununga topped the hill, they saw Ensign Nureek in the tentacles of something large and yellow that pulled him across the ground towards its conical mouth. Keegan was near the foot of the hill and still running. He jumped three meters down from a boulder, landing near a dead tree. He took hold of a large branch and struck the base of it with the heel of his hand. It snapped off the tree, and he started running again. Twenty meters from Nureek, he threw the branch like a javelin. It hit the creature in the center of its mouth. It let out a scream like the bleat of a saxophone and thrashed around. Three of the five tentacles on Nureek let go. Keegan was at Nureek before they could snap back into place. He pulled hard on the ensign while stomping on one of the tentacles. Both loosened, and the two officers fell away from the creature. Keegan grabbed Nureek and dragged him out of the creature's range. They collapsed at the base of the hill just as Janeway and Hununga reached them. "Ensign Nureek--" the captain started. "Conscious but dazed," Keegan said. "He's suffering from multiple lacerations, three of them deep. The discoloration and swelling indicate a toxin, most likely muscular. I doubt it's strong enough to kill on its own, but combined with the shock and blood loss, it's hard to tell. We need to get him back to Voyager." "How are you doing?" "Exhausted. The adrenaline is wearing off." He stood up and staggered against a rock. "I'll make it back to the Flyer, but I'll need help with Tadao." The three of them carried the ensign to a point where Sqilookle could get a solid lock. She took off while they were loading him onto the medical bed. Once activated, the bed administered anesthetics and antitoxins and began to run tissue regenerators across the cuts. "Lieutenant Hununga," Kathryn said, "Go up front, and contact Voyager. Apprise them of the situation and order them to intercept us." "Yes, Captain," the lieutenant replied. "Lieutenant Keegan, let me see that arm." He looked down at his sleeve and saw a long tear in his uniform and a gash in his forearm. He pulled up his sleeve and sat down while the captain got a medical kit. "It looks like a Jellyfish scar," he said. "Get a lot of those?" she asked and injected him with antitoxin. "No, I was always more of a pool swimmer." She sprayed a pre-sealer on his arm and took out a tissue regenerator. "You missed out. There's nothing like a salt water swim." "Do you know how to use that?" he asked. "It's just a regenerator. I've used them many times before." He flexed his hand. "I never thought of you as the clumsy type." She laughed. "That's insubordination." "Only if it's true." He pulled his sleeve back down. She laughed again and put up her hands. "I yield. You win the day. And, Mister Keegan, that was--" "Stupid! What the hell was I thinking?" "It looked to me like you saved a man's life," she replied. "With a stick! I have a phaser on my belt, and I'm using a goddam stick!" "Nice throw," she returned. "Lucky shot. I should have used it as a club and hit the tentacles." "What you did worked," she said. "That's what matters." "You can stop defending me, Captain. I was there." He leaned back and closed his eyes. "Tired?" she asked. "Hungry. I used a lot of energy. I won't be in pain until tomorrow." "I think I can do something about that." She walked to the replicator and ordered a stew. Seeing him against the wall, injured and half asleep, she felt an urge to rub his shoulders or push his hair back from his forehead. She shook it off and carried the stew to him. Hununga stepped in then. "Captain, we're at maximum warp. Voyager has been alerted. We'll be in transporter range in fifty-three minutes." "Very good, Lieutenant." "I transmitted the medical bed information to the Doctor," Lisa said. "What was his diagnosis?" the captain asked. "Neuro-muscular toxin designed to incapacitate not kill. The dose is very low. Tadao was probably a larger target than the creature was used to. Most of his injuries were from being dragged across the rocks." "Do you know why we couldn't get a transporter lock?" Janeway said. "Yes," Hununga replied. "I reviewed the sensor information. The creature emits a radiation pulse. It's probably designed to disorient its prey. We must not be susceptible. But it does disrupt sensors and communication." "Thank-you, Lieutenant. Good job." "Yes, Captain. Phil? How are you doing?" Lieutenant Hununga watched Keegan in a way that made Kathryn feel suddenly intrusive. He sighed and scooped some stew into his mouth. "Not bad. I'm just trying to survive the captain's cooking." "The replicator made it," Janeway countered, still watching Lisa's expression. "We should blame the computer expert." He held up his hand. "Guilty as charged." "Don't worry," Janeway said, "When this is all over, I'll have a celebration dinner for all the away teams." "What are we celebrating?" Hununga asked. The captain looked over at Lieutenant Keegan. "Oh," he said, "I never touch the easy ones." "I guess we'll be celebrating survival. I think we deserve that." When the Delta Flyer reached Voyager, Keegan and Nureek transported to Sickbay. Sqilookle piloted the Flyer into the shuttle bay, and she, the captain and Hununga walked to Sickbay. Chakotay was waiting for them. Nureek was asleep on a medical bed. The Doctor stood at a console reviewing records. Lieutenant Keegan was not there. "Doctor," Janeway said, "What is Mister Nureek's prognosis?" "Healthy," he replied. "He suffered some scrapes and bruises and a broken arm. The Flyer's medical bed treated him for the toxin and the deeper cuts, and I've given him something for the radiation. Speaking of which--" He injected something into the captain's neck. "I'll need to inoculate all of you, but I don't think there's anything to worry about. I'll keep Ensign Nureek here for observation for the next twenty-four hours and put him on one week sick leave." "Thank-you, Doctor. Any 'I told you so's, Commander?" "You know I would never do that. In public," Chakotay replied. "Will you be continuing with these missions?" "Yes," she said. "Starfleet wasn't created to hide from danger. Now, where is Mister Keegan?" Chakotay shook his head. "He wasn't here when I arrived. Doctor?" They waited for a response. "Doctor?" the captain asked. "Doctor, what happened to Lieutenant Keegan? Doctor!" "Captain? Mister Keegan suffered only a minor injury. I believe you treated him on the Flyer. I gave him the anti-radiation serum and sent him back to work." "You sent him back to work?" Chakotay said. "He asked to return to work. I saw no reason to detain him." "I see," Chakotay said. He tapped his communicator. "Lieutenant Keegan." "Keegan here." "Mister Keegan, why did you leave the Sickbay before the captain or I arrived?" "My apologies, Commander, I didn't think my injuries warranted the personal attention of the senior staff." "That's not good enough, Mister," the commander said. "I want you and the rest of the away team to join me for a debriefing in conference room two in thirty minutes." "Yes, sir," Keegan replied. "Captain, I'd like to conduct the debriefing without you." "I understand. I'll be on the bridge." -- Constable Katie, ASC* Archive team Archive: www.trekiverse.org | trekiverse.crosswinds.net | qcontinuum.trekiverse.net Submissions: submissions trekiverse.org For archive updates: ASC-Archive-annc-subscribe@yahoogroups.com ASC* FAQs: http://trekiverse.crosswinds.net/FAQs/ ASC Stories-Only list: ascl-subscribe @ yahoogroups dot com ASCEM Stories-Only list: ascem-s-subscribe @ yahoogroups dot com 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 ???@??? Fri Jul 09 22:41:21 2004 X-Persona: Status: U Return-Path: Received: from n46.grp.scd.yahoo.com ([66.218.67.23]) by mamo (EarthLink SMTP Server) with SMTP id 1bIXAy5zf3NZFk72 for ; Fri, 9 Jul 2004 08:47:02 -0700 (PDT) X-eGroups-Return: sentto-1977044-13797-1089388021-stephenbratliffasc=earthlink.net@returns.groups.yahoo.com Received: from [66.218.66.159] by n46.grp.scd.yahoo.com with NNFMP; 09 Jul 2004 15:47:01 -0000 X-Sender: asc-l@ix.netcom.com X-Apparently-To: ascl@yahoogroups.com Received: (qmail 66008 invoked from network); 9 Jul 2004 15:47:01 -0000 Received: from unknown (66.218.66.167) by m19.grp.scd.yahoo.com with QMQP; 9 Jul 2004 15:47:01 -0000 Received: from unknown (HELO swan.mail.pas.earthlink.net) (207.217.120.123) by mta6.grp.scd.yahoo.com with SMTP; 9 Jul 2004 15:47:01 -0000 Received: from h-66-167-46-192.phlapafg.dynamic.covad.net ([66.167.46.192] helo=localhost) by swan.mail.pas.earthlink.net with esmtp (Exim 3.33 #1) id 1BixaU-0006Kg-00 for ascl@yahoogroups.com; Fri, 09 Jul 2004 08:46:58 -0700 To: ascl@yahoogroups.com Organization: Trekiverse Message-ID: <3ffte0lb7vqc0k36q7lb75i36rtobpvmjt@4ax.com> X-Mailer: Forte Agent 1.9/32.560 X-eGroups-Remote-IP: 207.217.120.123 From: ASC* Archive Team MIME-Version: 1.0 Mailing-List: list ASCL@yahoogroups.com; contact ASCL-owner@yahoogroups.com Delivered-To: mailing list ASCL@yahoogroups.com Precedence: bulk List-Unsubscribe: Date: Fri, 09 Jul 2004 11:46:47 -0400 Subject: [ASC] COR VOY 'Lieutenant Keegan' PG-13 2/5 Reply-To: ASCL-owner@yahoogroups.com Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-ELNK-AV: 0 Yahoo! Domains - Claim yours for only $14.70 http://us.click.yahoo.com/Z1wmxD/DREIAA/yQLSAA/5x3olB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> On Mon, 5 Jul 2004 02:17:08 -0500, in alt.startrek.creative, "Khaliban" wrote: Lieutenant Keegan - The Discovery by Khaliban A ST:Voyager story Part 2/5 PG-13 Summary: He was so quiet. He did his work and never bothered anyone. Who Chakotay stirred his fork through his rice and mushrooms. He leaned on one elbow and stared in the general direction of his orange juice. "Wasting food?" Janeway asked. "What happened down there?" he said. "I take it the debriefing didn't go well?" "No, it's not that. Sqilookle was aboard the Flyer. You and Hununga were on top of the hill. What did you see?" Janeway lay down her fork and crossed her fingers. "Lieutenant Keegan threw a tree branch at the lifeform and hit it in the mouth. It hurt the creature enough to make it let go of Ensign Nureek. I'm thinking about giving Mister Keegan a commendation for it. Why?" "Was there any reason for him to break Ensign Nureek's arm?" Chakotay asked. "No. None that I could see. I assumed the creature did that." "The Doctor said the fracture was caused by a human hand crushing Nureek's arm." "Perhaps it was the adrenaline," she replied. "Lieutenant Keegan did things I thought only a Vulcan could do." "Doesn't that seem odd?" "Considering the situation, no," Kathryn said. "Maybe the Doctor was mistaken. He seemed to have a glitch." "I know. I'm having B'Elanna check that out." "What did Lieutenant Keegan say about the incident?" The commander leaned back in his chair. "He called it the stupidest thing he had ever done. He couldn't believe he threw a stick at the creature and hit it." "He told me the same thing. It worked though." "It had to," Chakotay responded. "Excuse me?" "B'Elanna reviewed the orbital sensor logs. A creature emitting that kind of radiation would be immune to normal phaser fire." "You think Keegan knew? How? And if he did, why wouldn't he mention it?" She leaned back. "Did you review his tricorder logs?" "They'd been purged. It looked like routine maintenance." "That bothers you," she said. "Yes." "What would he have to hide?" "Could he have taken some kind of stimulant?" Chakotay asked. "That might explain his actions. What was he like during the trip?" "Witty, educated, amiable. He told me a story about a party at MIT--" "Which one?" "Massachusetts. I never realized how insane some geniuses could be. He called it a 'Jim Jones' party." Chakotay winced. "I've heard of those. I don't think Starfleet allows them. But, he showed no unusual behavior? He doesn't sound like the same person that was in Astrometrics." "He said he has issues with Seven. Did he have family members at Wolf 359?" The captain sipped some coffee. "I don't know. We've had a few losses to the Borg ourselves. He said he was cautious around Seven because she had fallen under Borg control at various times since regaining her humanity. That explains his actions towards Seven, but... Maybe this is all coincidence. We've been attacked by so many enemies, we're beginning to look for them among the crew." "Are we becoming paranoid in our old age?" Janeway asked. Chakotay laughed. "You're only paranoid if they're not out to get you." The captain spread her hands. "I'll talk to Mister Keegan. I'm sure this is nothing, and I don't want to randomly accuse the hero of the day." The commander sighed. "Well, if nothing else, I have my appetite back." * * * Captain Janeway walked through the dark corridors in the bowels of the ship towards the Computer Core. She stopped just outside the doors, shook her head, stepped through and found the room empty. She took three steps when Lieutenant Keegan's torso, his hands behind his neck, swung down from the ceiling. "Captain?" the lieutenant said. "What are you doing, Mister Keegan?" "Inverted sit-ups. I have a lot of slow time down here. I exercise to pass the time." He dropped to the floor, landing on his feet. "What brings you down here?" "I had a few questions about the away mission." He sighed. "'No one expects the Spanish Inquisition'." "This isn't a witch hunt, Lieutenant." "No, that would depend on what kind of witch I am." He sat on the computer console. "I guess I'm your new puzzle." "Mister Keegan?" "Captain, Voyager would not have made it this far if not for your ability to solve problems. But you're locked into a constantly curious state." "Not without reason." "I never said there wasn't, but if you don't have a problem in front of you, you go looking. It's necessary, and I understand that. It's been slow lately, so here you are. I just don't want to be your new mystery." "I have to ask why," she said. "Do you want every part of your life examined?" "Oh. I understand. Tell me, why did you use a stick?" "I have no idea." He shrugged. "It just seemed the right thing to do. How is Tadao?" "Recovering. He's already on his feet. You exhibited some medical knowledge on the planet." "Oh, that. For a while, you thought about recruiting a new doctor from the general crew. At the time, I didn't like my job, so I started studying. As it turns out, I found a better job, and you found a better doctor." "Why did you purge the tricorder records?" "I always do," he said. "That's not Starfleet procedure." He shook head. "When Mister Paris took his trip through Warp Ten, he dumped a great deal of navigational information in the computer." "Yes," she replied. "This wouldn't be a problem if we had access to a Starbase. We could dump our unnecessary data. I don't have that luxury. We need that navigational data. Other information is less vital and must be purged. We had the scans from the Flyer, so the tricorders had to go. "You should alert me before you do something like this, Lieutenant." "I did. I sent you a memo four years ago." He shrugged again. "You signed it." The captain sighed. "I'm sorry for this. I have no other questions. I guess I'll see you at the dinner." "I guess you will." "And, Lieutenant, try to be nicer to Seven." "I'll try." * * * Kathryn sat back, idly poking her omelet. She read from a PADD. "Well?" Chakotay asked. "His memo and my signature at the bottom of it. I found it along with a dozen others I signed the same day." She dropped the PADD. "I vaguely remember thinking how good it was to have a department head who worried about the small details. Are we really that paranoid?" "Not without reason," Chakotay replied. "He answered every question. Perfectly. Without hesitation." She waved her hand. "I say problem solved. Let's move on to the next away mission." "I agree." * * * Eight days later, at seventeen hundred hours, all thirty-plus ensigns and lieutenants gathered for an informal dinner with Captain Janeway, Commander Chakotay and some other members of the senior staff. Mister Neelix puttered around the messhall providing food or drink whenever asked while the attendees chatted aimlessly about the away missions. At the center of a small clutch of people was Lieutenant Keegan, shaking his head and denying, again, that he did anything special. Tadao Nureek stood next to him and denied every denial. At last, the captain tapped her glass, and they all took their seats. "A toast," she said, "To surviving an afternoon with your captain." Laughter and cheers followed. "And, if anyone wants the job permanently," Chakotay said, "See me after the meal. I need the time off." More laughter followed by gratuitous food consumption. "So, Philip," B'Elanna began. "You two know each other?" the captain said. "He served in Engineering for a few months. Tell me, Philip, how's the Computer Core?" "Dark and quiet, just the way I like it." "Not like your women," she said. Tom perked up. "Something I should know about?" "Relax, Mister Paris," Philip Keegan said. "I never dated a woman who punched me, and I'm not about to start." "That's half of B'Elanna's charm." Tom put a hand on his wife's shoulder. "Does the other half involve a leather whip?" "A gentleman tells no tales," Tom said. "But, that's half of a man's charm," Keegan retorted. "Phil," B'Elanna said, "Remember that part about punching?" "Yes, ma'am." "Mister Neelix," Kathryn said, "I believe you have a special desert prepared?" "Yes, Captain. Home-baked pecan pie." "Where did you get the pecans?" she asked. "Well, they're pecan-like." She put up her hands. "That's good enough." "You have whipped cream, don't you?" Tom said. Neelix's eyes widened, and he ran off. "Seven," Chakotay said with a nudge. "Yes, Commander," she replied with some reluctance. She took a breath and leaned towards Lieutenant Keegan. "Mister Keegan. I wanted to say...you run the Computer Core in an efficient manner." The lieutenant looked first at Chakotay, then the captain, then at Seven. He shrugged. "Thank-you, Annika." She let out a hard breath. "I have asked you before not to refer to me in that manner." "Why not?" he said. "That name has no meaning for me." "Then why did you twitch when I said it?" Seven's eyes narrowed. "Please do not refer to me by that name." "Why not?" "It is not my name," she said sternly. "It's the name your parents gave you," he replied. "Your human parents. Do you remember them, Annika?" "That name has no meaning for me," she said, stressing the word. "Then why do you care if I use it?" he asked. "Mister Keegan," the captain said, "I believe it's up to Seven what name we use." "But, Captain," he countered, "You're not using a name. You're using a Borg designation. Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix Zero. That's not a name, it's a serial number. Is she a person or a convenient household appliance?" "Lieutenant," the captain said harshly, "That type of language is not necessary here. Seven is a person and due a certain amount of respect." "Goddamit!" He hit the table hard, rattling silverware in a wide radius. "I am sick of you people coddling this woman! But she's not a woman is she? She's a sixteen year old girl with the emotional development of an eight-year-old trapped in the body of a Penthouse Pet. My only crime was calling her by her name." "That name--" Seven said. "Has no damn meaning for you. I heard you the first time. Why not? Why doesn't it have meaning for you?" he said loud and fast. "I don't understand your question," Seven replied. "Are you afraid of them?" "Of who?" she said. "Your parents," he replied. "No. Why would I be afraid of my parents?" "What are their names?" he asked. "I do not see how that is relevant." "All right. What are their Borg designations?" "Mister Keegan!" Janeway said. Seven dropped her face and bounced her eyes around the table as if deciding in exactly what part of Lieutenant Keegan's jugular to place them. "Are you human or Borg?" Keegan's eyes never moved from Seven. "What?" Seven asked. "Have you looked for your family?" "My family?" "Aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents. Have you looked for anyone else in the Hansen clan?" "No." "Why not?" "I see no purpose in it." Her voice was calm against his fire. "Are you human or Borg?" "I believe I have made my choice clear." "And how the hell are we supposed to know that? Half the time you tell us you want to be human, the other half you tell us how much more efficient the Borg are. You claim you're a human with an identity, but you use a Borg designation. Any problem comes up, you find the Borg way out but tell us how human the decision was. You've been able to eat and sleep normally for three-and-a-half years but you spend your nights in a regeneration chamber. How long do we have to wait for you to pick one of these two sides?" "Lieutenant," Captain Janeway said, "Seven is trying to find her own path." "Oh, good god," he groaned. "She's a child. How emotionally stable were you at sixteen? Or eight for that matter? She needs guidance. At least more guidance than you've shown her." Kathryn dropped her jaw and sat back. The rest of the table gasped. "I had the experiences of the Collective--" Seven began. "And we're back to the perfection of the Borg! You may be indecisive, but you're consistent." "I have chosen humanity," she said firmly. "Then prove it. Do something human. Get laid, get wasted, try some inflection for god's sake. Shout at me." He was standing now, leaning on his fists and staring at her. She stared back with her jaw held tight. "Yelling is--" she began. "An inefficient use of vocal energy?" "Unwarranted. I have made my choice clear." He straightened and took a deep breath, loud in the silent room. "Perhaps I should go," he said. Neelix stepped forward with a pie plate in his hand. "You'll miss the pie," he said. Lieutenant Keegan looked at the desert and at Neelix. "Thank-you, Mister Neelix, I'm on a diet." He walked out of the room. Seven held her hand out to Neelix. "Mister Neelix, please hand me the desert." She took a bite of it while the rest of the table watched. She chewed slowly and swallowed. "You are correct, Mister Paris. The whipped cream has a beneficial influence on the taste of the desert. I suggest we eat." * * * Two days later, Lieutenant Keegan sat in a corner of the galley, far from any other crew, munching a pasta dish and reading from his PADD. B'Elanna, a mug of coffee in one hand and a Danish in the other, walked to his table and sat down. She waited and began tapping her fingernails until he looked up. "Yes, B'Elanna?" he said. "This place is almost empty." He put his PADD down. "I like it that way." "I've noticed that, Phil. What are you working on?" He slid the PADD over. She read through it. "Cochrane's Unclaimed Thesis?" she said. "When you transferred out of Engineering, you told me you weren't any good at this." "No," he said, taking the PADD back, "I said I could do a better job in the Computer Core." "Phil, what's wrong? I'm the closest thing you have to a friend. Tell me something, please?" "Is the captain upset?" B'Elanna tapped her fingers again. "No. She's disappointed. Do you blame her?" He sat back and crossed his hands. "Yes, I do." "What?" "Every member of the crew needs something to help maintain their sanity. You have work, Tom, that little Parisian on the way. Among other things, the captain has Annika Hansen. Captain Janeway wants to have children. At this time, the chances are unlikely that this will happen. Annika is the captain's surrogate child." B'Elanna shook her head to clear it of that logic. "Even if that's true, why would you yell at the captain's daughter?" He shrugged his hands. "Because I like her," he replied. "Don't look at me like that. Maybe I'm feeling my own parental needs. She has a lot of potential, but she suffers with her own lack of humanity daily. I see it, and I don't see anyone trying to help her." "The captain--" "Isn't doing enough. Annika should be out with people her own age. She shouldn't need a hologram to teach her what dating is. She should be having fun. And should deal with the Borg the way a human would. She needs to mourn the childhood they stole from her. She needs to cry, or...something." "Cry?" B'Elanna let the word sit for a moment trying to picture that. "Even so, why can't you tell the captain?" "The captain?" he said. "I can tell her something is wrong with the ship. I can tell her something is wrong with the Computer Core. I can tell her other crew members, even Annika, are acting unusual or inappropriate. But, how am I supposed to tell her she's a failure as a mother?" "I see your point. I don't agree with it, but I understand it. I think you can talk to the captain about this, about anything if it affects the ship." He shook his head. "It's not my place. Annika has chosen the captain as her surrogate mother. She has to tell the captain. I don't have the right." "Do you want me to talk to her?" "God, no. Either one. Tell the captain I'm sorry about the outburst. Beyond that, it's not my problem." "Okay." She picked up her Danish and took a bite. "So, tell me, what's your take on the Unclaimed Thesis controversy?" "Well," he said, looking at his PADD, "It's obvious Cochrane didn't write it." * * * "B'Elanna?" the captain said. "B'Elanna? Are you following?" "I'm sorry, Captain." She looked around the Briefing Room. "I had a strange conversation with Phil this morning." The captain sighed. She found she did that a lot where Lieutenant Keegan was concerned. "Let's put the lieutenant out of our minds for now. Can you set the torpedo load to safely dissipate the energy in the faultline?" "I need to run a few more simulations." "Will that take long?" Chakotay asked. "No." B'Elanna tapped her fingers a few times. "Did Cochrane write his Unclaimed Thesis?" Kathryn turned to her First Officer. She and Chakotay both recognized the expression on B'Elanna's face. She wanted to call it the Keegan Syndrome. "Well," Kathryn said, "Most scientists from the Cochrane and Daystrom Institutes say yes. Most other scientists and historians say no. Is that what's bothering you?" "He said you thought of yourself as Seven's surrogate mother. He made a very compelling argument." Kathryn looked to Chakotay for support, but his eyes drifted away. "I don't think it's any of Mister Keegan's business." "He said that too." "Good." "He also said you weren't a very good mother." "What?" "He told me I shouldn't mention that." "He was right," the captain said. "Please tell Mister Keegan to keep his opinions to himself. Now, we have to help the Quagaar with their earthquakes. B'Elanna, I need you to get to work on that simulation as soon as possible. Mister Neelix, how much dilithium and supplies are the Quagaar offering us for this assistance?" "Enough supplies for eight months, Captain." Janeway smiled. "Excellent. If there are no further questions..." "Captain?" Seven said. "Yes, Seven." "Why is Lieutenant Torres running the computer simulation?" "Because, I'm the Chief Engineer," B'Elanna said. "Yes, Lieutenant, but shouldn't the head of the Computer Core oversee any simulations?" "You don't think I can handle it?" Kathryn put her hand up. "I'm sure it's not that, B'Elanna. What Seven meant was--" "I am not questioning your competence, Lieutenant," Seven replied. "I was wondering exactly what is was that Lieutenant Keegan did aboard this ship." Seven turned to the captain for her answer. After some consideration, the captain said, "I don't know. B'Elanna, what does Lieutenant Keegan do, other than make rash accusations?" "Philip created about a hundred and fifty templates that virtually every department uses, to some extent, for their simulations. He also designed the interface programs for any Delta Quadrant technology. And he maintains the Computer Core, Primary and Auxiliary." Seven said, "How would you evaluate his performance?" B'Elanna shrugged. "When he worked in Engineering, he was one of my best technicians. I've never found problems with one of his templates. I can't imagine working without them." "Is something wrong, Seven?" Chakotay asked. "I am bothered by some of his comments." "Is he getting to you?" Tom said, "Or are you feeling paranoid again?" "I am in full control of my faculties, Mister Paris. My recollection of him during that time, though, is one of extreme curiosity." "As I recall, Seven," Chakotay said, "You were curious about everything then." "What is your suggestion, Seven?" the captain asked, waving an open hand. "I'm open to anything that will help crew morale." "I could ask Phil to run the simulation himself," B'Elanna said. "If you're trying to make him part of the team." "He is a part of the team," Janeway said. "I want him to know that. Have him run the simulation. In fact, I want him to present an alternative of his own design to the Quagaar council tomorrow." "An alternative?" Torres asked. "Yes. If he reads Cochrane in his spare time, he can do this. I want to see what he's capable of." "Yes, Captain," B'Elanna said. "Did you want anything else?" "Did you find anything wrong with the Doctor?" "No, he checked out perfectly." "I see. If that's it?" She waited for a response. "Okay, everyone dismissed." -- Constable Katie, ASC* Archive team Archive: www.trekiverse.org | trekiverse.crosswinds.net | qcontinuum.trekiverse.net Submissions: submissions trekiverse.org For archive updates: ASC-Archive-annc-subscribe@yahoogroups.com ASC* FAQs: http://trekiverse.crosswinds.net/FAQs/ ASC Stories-Only list: ascl-subscribe @ yahoogroups dot com ASCEM Stories-Only list: ascem-s-subscribe @ yahoogroups dot com 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 ???@??? 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Yahoo! Companion Toolbar. Now with Pop-Up Blocker. Get it for free! http://us.click.yahoo.com/L5YrjA/eSIIAA/yQLSAA/5x3olB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> On Mon, 5 Jul 2004 02:18:53 -0500, in alt.startrek.creative, "Khaliban" wrote: Lieutenant Keegan - The Discovery by Khaliban A ST:Voyager story Part 3/5 PG-13 Summary: He was so quiet. He did his work and never bothered anyone. Who B'Elanna watched the display in Astrometrics as an image of Voyager fired a torpedo at a wireframe of the Quagaar homeworld. The torpedo struck near the red mark of a fault line and exploded. Pressure, in the form of a color gradient, dissipated from the impact point. B'Elanna reset the simulation. She heard the door behind her open. "You're early," she said. "What?" the wrong voice replied. B'Elanna turned. "Leslie? Why are you here?" "I'm Voyager's Chief Science Officer," the blond woman replied. "I thought the captain might like my input." "I'm sure if she needed your input, she would contact you." "Still, it doesn't hurt to be ready," Leslie replied. "If you say so." The door opened again and Lisa Hununga and Tadao Nureek entered. Lisa made a point of looking around the room. "Lieutenant Hununga?" B'Elanna said. "And Ensign Nureek. Why are you here?" "I'm a planetologist," Lisa said. "You are dealing with geology. You may need my help." "I have diplomatic training," Tadao said. The door slid open again. Ensign John Barrows entered. "Ensign Barrows?" B'Elanna said. "Leslie, is the entire science department coming to this presentation?" "No," she replied. "Just the four of us." "But we are recording it for the others," Tadao said. "Why?" B'Elanna asked. "Phil's presenting a paper," Barrows said. Lisa grunted and cuffed him across the shoulder. He winced and said, "Sorry." "Phil's papers are that good?" B'Elanna asked. Leslie shrugged. "We don't know. He never wrote any." "Really? That's interesting." "What's interesting?" Phil asked, walking in. "You," B'Elanna replied. Phil looked at the members of the science department. "Oh," he said. He walked to the console. "Computer, access Keegan file: Seismic Reflection Simulation and upload to this station." "File loaded." "Sounds intriguing," B'Elanna said. "It's just an alternate plan," he replied. The people from the science department laughed. Phil sighed at them. "Yes," B'Elanna said, "Very intriguing." She tapped her comm. "Commander Chakotay, we are ready in Astrometrics." "Understood," he replied. A few minutes later, the captain, the commander and the Quagaar delegates walked into Astrometrics smiling. The captain's eyes gave the science department members a moment, then she introduced the delegates to B'Elanna and Phil. "Lieutenant Torres is Voyager's Chief Engineer. We will hear her plan first. Lieutenant Keegan is the head of our Computer Core. I've asked him to provide an alternate plan. I trust Lieutenant Torres completely, but I'm interested in seeing what Lieutenant Keegan can do. I've recently become aware of his interest in science, and I want to help him develop it." "A generous action," the Fore Minister of the Quagaar High Council replied. "Thank-you," Captain Janeway said. "This is my Chief Science Officer, Lieutenant Leslie Willis. She and the members of her department will help evaluate Lieutenant Keegan's plan." She motioned B'Elanna to the main console. B'Elanna proceeded with her demonstration, explaining the effects of the torpedoes along the way. "As you can see," she finished, pointing to the main screen in Astrometrics, "Firing a photon torpedo with essentially a minimal load will dissipate much of the trapped energy in your main faultline." "Thank-you, Lieutenant," said the Fore Minister, his beak snapping softly. "How long will this repair last?" "We estimate sixty-two years," B'Elanna replied. The Quagaar beaks snapped positively. The captain called Phil forward. He looked at B'Elanna strangely as he walked to the console, as if asking for her forgiveness. He tapped the console, and the graphic changed to show hundreds of dots scattered along either side of the faultline. "It is possible to continuously dissipate the energy of the faultline by placing dilithium reflectors at these points," he began. "The reflectors redistribute the trapped energy of the fault into the surrounding soil and convert much of that energy into heat." He explained the design and placement of the reflectors and showed the effect of the reflectors on the soil. "Ambient temperature in the area would increase about five degrees." "Will this prevent quakes?" the Fore Minister asked. "No, you'll have hundreds a day, so weak you'll never feel them," Keegan replied. "Could this be done on all of the faultlines?" the Mid-Aft Minister asked with a hissing and a snap. "No. The reflectors would start to cancel each other out. This can only be done on the six major faultlines. You'll still have quakes, but nothing like you have now." The lieutenant tapped the console again, and the graphic changed to show the final effect. The Aft-Central Minister stepped forward. "Isn't that dilithium scheduled to go to you?" Keegan waved at the screen. "You need only two thirds for this line, and you have more than enough in the ground for the rest." "We will accept additional food and medical supplies as well as some technical components in place of the dilithium," the captain said. The Aft-Central Minister nodded. "It seems your insight was correct," the Fore-Minister said to Captain Janeway. The Fore Minister snapped graciously at the captain, Chakotay and the two lieutenants. "We thank-you for what you have done," he said. "Captain Janeway, I offer you this hand carved bone that I extracted from my own grandfather. He will be honored to know you have it." She smiled and took the carved leg bone. "On behalf of the Federation, I accept." Commander Chakotay stepped forward. "We have a state dinner prepared for you. If you will please follow me." The captain watched them leave, promising to join them in a moment. "Have you considered transferring to the Science Department?" she asked Keegan. "We'd love to have him back," Leslie Willis said. "Back?" Janeway said to Keegan. "I felt I was need in Engineering, Captain," he replied. "Why did you leave Engineering?" "You had no one in the Computer Core. I knew I could do the job." "B'Elanna," the captain said to her Chief Engineer. "What do you think of Lieutenant Keegan's plan?" "It's a geologist's answer," she replied. "A scientist's answer," the captain said. "Specific to the task." "Yes," B'Elanna said. The captain smiled. "As opposed to an engineer's plan which is quick and dirty." "Yes, sir," B'Elanna said. "Did he do work like this for you?" Janeway said to Lieutenant Willis. "No," she said. "He never presented a paper." "Very interesting," the captain said. "And thank-you for coming. Please, join the dinner. Mister Keegan, may I speak with you?" Kathryn examined the simulation. She watched the stress waves bounce against each other along the fault and the simple fractal they created. "Cochrane's Unclaimed Thesis?" she asked. "Just a hobby." "What do you think of it?" He shrugged. "It needs work." Janeway almost choked on that. "I know some scientists that say it's his best paper." "First of all, it's not his. Second, his paper on sub-space harmonics is much better." "But the Unclaimed Thesis gave Cochrane, and all Starfleet vessels, their power core." "It's an anti-matter reactor. Scientists thought of that in the twentieth century. Someone would have built the reactor eventually. The thesis just gave them a head start. But Cochrane didn't understand reactors. He understood sub-space and how to manipulate it. He was a theoretician, not an engineer." "That's almost blasphemy on Federation Starship." "You can flog me if you like." "I'll take that under advisement. Shall we go to the party?" She waved in the direction of the door. "Certainly, Captain." "And, Mister Keegan--" "I will keep my opinions to myself." "Thank-you." * * * While the captain and Chakotay negotiated a new deal with the Quagaar Center Minister of Economics, the other ministers spoke amiably with the officers about some of the sights Voyager had seen. The Center-Fore Minister of War spoke with Mr. Tuvok about battles the crew had survived. The Mid-Aft Minister of Science and the Center-Aft Minister of Geology spoke with Lieutenant Keegan about his plan. Lieutenant Keegan answered well and threw back five glasses of synthehol. He winced when he swallowed and asked for another glass. "Someone mentioned you're interested in power systems," the Mid-Aft Minister said. "It's a hobby," the lieutenant said and swallowed another glass. "I have much interest in these things," the minister said. "Is the fuel ratio always one-to-one?" "No." He drank another glass and coughed through his teeth. "If we start the engines cold, we release a large amount of normal matter into the reactor and feed in a trickle of anti-matter. This allows a slow steady build up of energy." He swallowed another glass. "But, if we need a sudden burst of energy, we can open some stored magnetic bottles. The extra normal matter gives the released anti-matter something to react with." "Is this dangerous?" "It hasn't been dangerous for decades." The minister clacked and nodded. "Most interesting." "Perhaps you should speak with our Chief Engineer, B'Elanna Torres. She knows much more about the warp core than I do. B'Elanna? Could you come here?" "Yes, Lieutenant?" B'Elanna said. "The Mid-Aft Minister is interested in the reactor core. Perhaps you could discuss it with him?" "'Her', Lieutenant," the minister said. "My apologies. I will leave you in B'Elanna's hands while I refill my drink." Lieutenant Keegan walked toward the bar, and in the general direction of the door. He passed Tuvok and the War Minister as he did. "You say this is called Tri-D chess?" "Yes, Minister," the Vulcan responded. "Lieutenant Keegan, do you play?" The lieutenant said something that sounded to Tuvok like the word "Shit." The security chief believed he was mistaken. Tuvok turned to the minister. "I taught Lieutenant Keegan myself five years ago." "Lieutenant," the War Minister said, "Would you honor us with a game?" The lieutenant looked down at his feet and took a slow breath. He looked up and said, "I would be happy to, Minister." Captain Janeway walked over to them. "Did I hear something about a game?" "Yes, Captain," Tuvok said. "The War Minister has asked to see a game, and Lieutenant Keegan has offered to play." "Interesting," the captain said. "Who will be your opponent, Lieutenant?" "I will, Captain," Seven of Nine said. "I have studied the game, but I have not yet had a chance to test my skills." "I'm sure you'll go easy on her, won't you, Lieutenant?" Janeway said. "No, Captain," he replied in a defeated voice. "I'm going to dig her a grave and throw her in." "Yes, Lieutenant," the captain said, smiling. "I'm sure you will." Lieutenant Paris leaned over to Tuvok. "I wish the Quagaar were a betting people." "You wish to take advantage of our guests?" "No reason I can't have fun too." "Betting is inappropriate at a state dinner." "Vulcan's have no sense of fun." Seven moved her first piece cautiously. Keegan stared at the board a moment and moved a piece. Seven felt her way among the pieces and moved again. Phil closed his eyes in contemplation, opened them and moved. Seven paused at the new move, waited, thought and finally moved. Phil moved again without hesitating. Seven returned, and the two began moving pieces without pausing. After thirty moves, Tom Paris said, "Who's winning?" "Seven," Tuvok replied. "I believe they are reproducing the Vimmtir-T'Mel match of twenty-two-oh-six. Seven will win on the forty-seventh move." Phil inclined his head toward Tuvok, as if he had heard the exchange. "How much of the game have you studied, Annika?" Phil asked. Seven blinked at her name. "All of the major matches." "When was this?" he said, holding a rook. "Four months ago," she said. "That's not enough," he said. He placed the rook. "I have an eidetic memory," she replied while lifting a bishop up a level. "So do I. That's not what I meant." He sacrificed a pawn. "I didn't know that," Tom whispered. "Nor did I," Tuvok replied. "Someone had to create those games, Annika. Reading them is not enough." "I am aware of that, Mister Keegan," she said. She took his bishop with her knight. "Have you read Vimmtir's description of this match, Annika?" he asked casually and moved his rook. "No, Lieutenant." She moved again. "She called it her worst mistake," he said and moved another piece. "Vimmtir won," Seven replied and moved. "That was T'Mel's mistake," Phil said. He watched Seven for a time before moving his piece. Seven watched the board as if unable to take a piece. "What happened?" Tom whispered. "Mister Keegan moved his knight when he should have moved his bishop." "What does that mean for the game?" "I am unfamiliar with the current board configuration." Seven moved cautiously again. Lieutenant Keegan followed without hesitation. After twelve moves, he called checkmate in a tired voice. "Congratulations, Lieutenant," Seven said. "Thank-you. You played well." "Mister Keegan," the captain said, "I had no idea." "Yes, I know. The party seems to be breaking up. You'll excuse me please." "Yes, of course. Are you all right?" "I've been better." He walked away before she could respond. "Phil," Tom said, "Very nice. I wanted to bet against you." "I know. Do you know where I can get some real alcohol?" "Neelix has some, I think. I didn't know you drank." "Neelix you say? Thanks." He walked towards the galley. He spoke with the Talxian briefly, took a bottle and left. "Is Mister Keegan all right?" the Fore-Minister asked. "Yes," Captain Janeway said, "I'm sure he's fine." "A very interesting game," the Fore-Minister said. "Captain?" "I'm sorry, Fore-Minister. Yes, an interesting game. He plays very well." She watched the door. "Much better than I expected." * * * Philip Keegan pounded his fists into a holographic practice dummy two days later. His T-shirt and ge pants were dark with sweat. His fists, elbows and feet struck hard enough to bend the padded figure in two. He turned briefly when the doors of the holodeck opened, then continued his attack. "Lieutenant Keegan," Seven said, walking to him. He blew sweat from his nose. "What is it, Annika?" "Your assistance is required in Astrometrics." "Fucking hell!" He punched his hand through the dummy. He put his other hand on the dummy's neck and pulled his arm out. "I'm not on duty for another hour." "I will expect you in an hour, Mister Keegan." "Is there any reason B'Elanna couldn't do this?" He took a towel and wiped the perspiration from his face. "Yes. Lieutenant Torres is overseeing the transport of the new supplies." "Fine. I'll see you in an hour." He walked into Astrometrics an hour later fresh from a shower. He carried a standard repair kit. "What's the problem, Annika?" Seven stood at one of the side consoles. "These consoles had new components installed three weeks ago. They are malfunctioning. Their repair requires two technicians." "I know. I'm familiar with the components." He walked to a console, dropped down and pulled off the access panel. "Why am I here?" "Two are required--" "I know, Annika, but any technician could do this job. Why do you want me here?" "I wanted to ask you some questions about your comments." "Such as?" He pulled a panel out and ran a welder across it. "'Get laid, get wasted'?" "It's a colloquialism. It means have sex and get drunk. Although, it's usually easier doing that the other way around." "I do not enjoy intoxication," she told him. "Or that inflection I suggested. As for sex, you have a few options." "I have not found anyone compatible among the crew." "You could always try the holodeck." He put the panel back. "I am reluctant to do so." "There's the old fashioned way." He pulled out another panel. "What?" "I'll let you figure that out on your own. Most people do anyway." "What is a 'pent house pet'?" she said. He leaned out and looked at her cautiously. "You don't want to know. Check the relay." "Seventeen percent improvement. I am not sixteen." "What?" He leaned out again. "Chronologically, I am eighteen." "Oh. Sorry." He returned to the panel. "How did you know which match I chose?" He examined another panel. "Because you didn't choose it. I did. I guided you to a match I knew I could win." "But the number of matches from my initial move is--" "A little over two thousand. I know." He replaced the panel and took out another. "You never went through puberty, did you?" "I emerged from the Borg growth chamber fully adult." "No wonder you have so many problems dating. Check the second relay." "Twenty-one percent improvement. What do you mean?" He looked up again. "Puberty is more than just physical changes. There are emotional changes as well. I'm surprised the Doctor didn't mention that." "What emotional changes?" she said. "An obsession with horses and a sudden urge to pass little notes to someone sitting behind you." "Excuse me?" He shook his head. "Romantic interaction is about understanding your likes and dislikes and trying to match them with your partner's likes and dislikes. You don't know what you like. How could your partner know? It's like trying to play an instrument when you've never heard music before." "What is your suggestion?" "Go to the Doctor, get some artificial hormones and try out some social encounters on the holodeck." "How long will this take?" she said. He shrugged. "About six years." "And what do I do in the meantime?" "Home relaxation equipment." "What?" "You'll figure it out." "Forty-four percent improvement. How did you come up with the solution to the Quagaar problem so quickly?" "I've studied geology, and I followed B'Elanna's work." "Fifty-three percent improvement. Why have you lied to everyone?" "Because I'm hiding a past so horrible, being a hermit is better than the alternative," he murmured into the console. "What is this past?" He sighed. "That was a joke, Annika. I'm a private person. I like to stay that way. Check the relay." "Sixty-eight percent. Your privacy is interfering with the efficiency of Voyager's operation." "So is your inability to deal with your past." "I have dealt with my past on several occasions." "Bullshit, Annika." "What does--" "Another colloquialism. I'll make you a deal. I'll become a less private person, if you watch home movies of your life before you were a Borg." "Eighty-one percent. I will take your suggestion under consideration." She tapped the console a few times. "What are the common likes and dislikes of a partner." "Don't worry. You've already got most of the 'likes'." He scratched his head. "It helps if you have similar tastes in music or literature for example." "I have an interest in certain technical journals. I understand you do as well." "That's not enough. Find some fiction you like." "Reading fiction is an inefficient use of time, and it is rarely accurate." "If it were accurate, it would be history. It exists for the emotional stability and intellectual development of the reader. Read some fiction. It will help you become more human." "Very well. I will read fiction. The relays are now functioning normally." "I'm glad something is. Good-day, Miss Hansen." He walked out before she could respond. -- Constable Katie, ASC* Archive team Archive: www.trekiverse.org | trekiverse.crosswinds.net | qcontinuum.trekiverse.net Submissions: submissions trekiverse.org For archive updates: ASC-Archive-annc-subscribe@yahoogroups.com ASC* FAQs: http://trekiverse.crosswinds.net/FAQs/ ASC Stories-Only list: ascl-subscribe @ yahoogroups dot com ASCEM Stories-Only list: ascem-s-subscribe @ yahoogroups dot com 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 ???@??? 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Yahoo! Companion Toolbar. Now with Pop-Up Blocker. Get it for free! http://us.click.yahoo.com/L5YrjA/eSIIAA/yQLSAA/5x3olB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> On Mon, 5 Jul 2004 02:20:08 -0500, in alt.startrek.creative, "Khaliban" wrote: Lieutenant Keegan - The Discovery by Khaliban A ST:Voyager story Part 4/5 PG-13 Summary: He was so quiet. He did his work and never bothered anyone. Who "Seven?" the captain said. "Are you Okay?" "I just came from a conversation with Mister Keegan." Tom shook his head. "He's like a disease." "What did he say, Seven?" "He explained some of his comments from the dinner." "Is that bothering you?" Chakotay asked. "No. He also suggested I read fiction to better understand human nature." "I've made that recommendation to you before," Janeway said. "I know. He made other suggestions pertaining to my emotional development." "Something offensive?" Tom asked. "Perhaps, Mister Paris. Do you know what 'home relaxation equipment' is?" Tom coughed hard for several seconds and said, "No." "I'll explain it later," B'Elanna said. "But, is Phil bothering you?" "His comments have no significant emotional effect on me. I am bothered by the way he walks and moves. I am bothered by the chess match." "Are you upset he beat you?" Harry said. "Defeat is not an entirely new experience for me, Ensign, but nothing about Lieutenant Keegan indicated this level of skill." "You said you were bothered by how he moves?" Chakotay said. "He does not move as a human. His actions are too precise. He reminds me more of a Vulcan." She nodded to Tuvok. "Or a Borg. His eye movements are also tactical. I have noticed that only among humans that are being duplicitous." Janeway shook her head. "I am becoming more and more bothered by this. Commander," the captain said, "Did Mister Keegan do anything like this when he was with the Maquis?" "He wasn't part of the Maquis," Chakotay said. "That's not possible," she replied. "I memorized the crew roster before taking command." "He indicated to me he was Maquis," Tuvok said. "You didn't know him?" Janeway asked. "I didn't let Tuvok know all of my team," Chakotay said. "In case he was a spy." "When did he tell you this?" the captain said to Tuvok. "When he transferred to Security," the Vulcan replied. "That's four departments this man has been in," Janeway said. "Five," Tuvok corrected. "He began in Maintenance." "Why did he leave Security?" Chakotay asked. "He did not consider it a challenge," Tuvok said. "He also was required to kill in the course of his duties. He told me he did not like that." "Did he perform well in Security?" Chakotay continued. "He did. In and effort to keep him in Security, I recommended him for Field Promotion." "How did he do on the Psych Evaluation?" Janeway said. "He showed signs of remorse, and feelings of persecution and paranoia." "That didn't bother you?" Chakotay said. "No. I have seen similar emotions in other members of the Maquis. Humans call it penance. It often helps your work. In any case, Mister Keegan controlled his emotions more effectively than most humans. They never affected his work." "Did you review his past?" Janeway said. "You ordered me not to, Captain. You told me we could not integrate the crews if we reviewed the crimes of the Maquis." "You found nothing else unusual about him?" the captain said. "I did," Tuvok replied. "Mister Keegan uses a telepathic shield." "Those are only experimental," Janeway said. "And, I didn't think a human had the mental discipline required to make it work," Chakotay said. "Mister Keegan has the necessary discipline, and I am personally aware of the effectiveness of the device. I can normally sense humans in close proximity. I cannot sense Mister Keegan." "Did he explain why he has it?" Chakotay said. "He told me he did not want to be reminded of his past. Many Maquis feel that way, though no others have gone to this extreme. Still, it is Mister Keegan's mind and his past, and telepathic shields are not specifically disallowed by Starfleet." "How did he do in Maintenance?" Janeway said. "Chief Retut made no complaints," Tuvok replied. "Should we call Mister Keegan here?" Chakotay said. "Not yet," the captain replied. "B'Elanna, how would you rate the Lieutenant's work?" "He was one of my best engineers. I was sorry to lose him." The captain shook her head. "Praise from the two of you for the same man on the same day. I feel like my head will explode." She tapped her comm. "Lieutenant Willis, report to the main Briefing Room." "Yes, sir," Leslie said. The captain hit her comm again. "Chief Retut, report to the main Briefing Room." "Yes, Captain," a man's voice said. Kathryn leaned back and waited. "Captain?" Seven said, "What is the controversy with Cochrane's Unclaimed Thesis?" "You surprise me, Seven. I thought you would know that," she replied. "I am familiar with the thesis, but I have not read it's history." "Well," the captain said, "Zephram Cochrane was looking for a power system for the Phoenix. He tried fusion reactors, but none of them were powerful enough. Out of no where, he comes up with a paper on anti-matter reactors that reads like nothing he'd ever written. Instead of using the information himself, he gives it over to a team of engineers. They build the world's first anti-matter reactor. Doctor Cochrane builds the Phoenix. Years later, in an interview, his last before he disappeared, someone asked him about the paper. His response was, 'How many times do I have to tell you people? I never wrote the damn thing.' Scientists and historians have been debating it ever since." Retut and Willis arrived together. The captain turned to her Chief of Maintenance first. "Mister Retut," the captain began, "Do you remember Philip Keegan?" "Yes, Captain. A more green cadet I've never seen. He couldn't tell you a wrench from a spanner." "Is that why you transferred him to Security?" Chakotay asked. "No, sir. By the time he transferred, he was one of my best workers. I fought to keep him with me." "Then, why did he leave?" "He thought Security would be more challenging." "Lieutenant Willis," the captain asked, "What can you tell me about Mister Keegan?" "I wouldn't be here if it weren't for him." "He saved you at some point?" Chakotay asked. "No, he transferred. If he hadn't gone to Engineering, he would have been Chief Science Officer." "He's a lot younger than you," Chakotay said. "Yes, he is," Leslie replied. "Did he give a reason for this transfer?" Janeway said. "He didn't like the pristine nature of the science lab. He wanted to get his hands dirty with engineering." "Thank-you, for the information, both of you." The captain took a deep breath. "Computer, what record do you have of Lieutenant Keegan before Voyager?" "There is no record of Lieutenant Keegan prior to his appearance on Voyager." "When was that?" "Stardate four-eight-three-one-six-point-nine." "Could he be something the Caretaker planted?" Chakotay asked. "Or the Caretaker himself?" B'Elanna said. "Why expose himself?" Chakotay asked. Kathryn shook her head. "I saw him risk his life to save Ensign Nureek." "He risked his life many times in Security," Tuvok added. "And in Engineering," B'Elanna said. "Did you see any unusual behavior?" "He was quiet and did his job well." "You punched him," Janeway said. "How did that happen?" "It was a bar fight. He walked in on it. I threw a fist at him." "What did he do?" "Well..." B'Elanna began. "He caught her fist," Harry said. "Stopped it cold." "Did he now?" Janeway said. "I have heard more than enough." She tapped her comm. "Lieutenant Keegan, report the main Briefing Room." "On my way," he replied. When he arrived, he looked around the room cautiously. "Captain," he asked. "Why does Voyager have no record of you?" she said. "Oh, that." "Mister Keegan?" Janeway asked. "I'm from Fyushal four," he said. "Enlighten me," the captain replied. "Fyushal four is a regressive colony. They have abandoned all technology," Keegan continued. "I thought Fyushal was a vacation spot," Tom said. "It is," Keegan replied. "Burnt out scientists, politicians, Starfleet officers, what have you, will go to Fyushal to relax. Some of them will stay for a few months. Some for a whole year. My parents never left. I was born and raised there, and, when I became an adult, I couldn't wait to leave." "What did your parents say?" Tom asked. "My desire to leave was about as surprising as your marriage to B'Elanna. They could tell I wanted to leave when I was six." "And how did you get on Voyager?" Chakotay asked. "Fyushal is near the Contested Systems. And the Badlands. The freighter that was taking me to Deep Space Nine passed through there on its route." "And the Caretaker grabbed you," Janeway finished. "Exactly. When I found myself on Voyager, confused, alone, and isolated between the two factions in the crew, I decided I would not be a burden. I refused to let either side treat me as an incompetent. I didn't want them to--" "Coddle you?" the captain said. "Yes." "You've had seven years to prove yourself, Mister Keegan. Why continue to hide it?" Janeway asked. "I haven't. No one has asked about it for six years. I considered telling people, but I couldn't get past the idea I would embarrass someone. At some point, I decided to wait to be asked." He shrugged. "This is a little more dramatic than I imagined. I hope I didn't bother you." The captain shook her head. "Just a little." "Why do you move in a manner unlike a human?" Seven asked. He sighed and rubbed his forehead. "I've been training under high gravity." "That's not allowed," Janeway said. "The health risks--" "I know, Captain. I was nearly beaten to death during a Kazon attack. It made me feel like I couldn't pull my weight. I knew the regulations, but I wanted to be ready for anything." "You will stop immediately," the captain said. "But that doesn't explain how you were able to learn all of this so quickly," Chakotay said. "Or why you tried to hide what you could do." "I learn fast, because I have an eidetic memory. I didn't want you to know how skilled I was, because you would take more notice of me. Then Annika would take notice of me, and she would see the effects of the high-gee training. I also reprogrammed the Doctor so he wouldn't notice it when he examined me." "That's quite a series of crimes," Chakotay said. "Yes, sir." "You interfered with the development of a sentient lifeform, Mister Keegan," the captain said. "I don't take kindly to that. I'm not happy with the rest of your crimes, but I understand them. For the high-gee training and the deception, you will be reduced in rank to Lieutenant, Junior Grade. You will be removed from the Computer Core, and we will find something else for you to do. And, you will tell B'Elanna what you did to the Doctor." "Yes, Captain." "I will decide your punishment for the reprogramming after B'Elanna evaluates it's effect on the Doctor's development." To the rest of the room, she said, "I would like to talk to Mister Keegan privately." After they left, she motioned for him to sit down. "I still think you can be a benefit to the senior staff. I want you back in the science department. I'm going to give you a probationary period. When it's up, I want to move you to the bridge. I want you at the science station during gamma shift." "Captain?" "You went from a farm boy education to understanding, and criticizing, Cochrane in only a few years. You have a lot of potential. Voyager needs you." "You're promoting me," he said slowly. "At the end of your probationary period, yes. Your work with the Quagaar was excellent. Worthy of the position. And, you saved Ensign Nureek at risk to your own life. You may have been forced into this job, but you're one of the best young officers I've seen. What do you say?" "Do you know the real reason I transferred out of the science department? Leslie Willis wanted to be Chief Science Officer more than I've ever seen anyone want anything. Every department I went to, I found people who wanted to be there. They loved what they were doing. The Computer Core was the only empty part of the ship. I don't want someone angry because they think I stole their place." "That's not good enough, Mister Keegan. If you had made it to Earth, would you have joined Starfleet?" He hit the table, pushed his chair back and stood up. He turned away as if he wanted to leave, but he didn't go anywhere. "Yes," he said in a whisper. "Mister Keegan?" "Starfleet is everything I could have wanted." "I think that's the most honest thing you've ever said to me." He laughed, weakly. "If you learn all my tricks, how will I ever surprise you?" "You'll find something." "Only if you don't find it first." He turned back. "How long is my probation?" "Three months." "I'm certain I'll surprise you before then. Am I free to go?" "Yes, Mister Keegan. Dismissed." * * * Philip walked to the turbolift, and found Tom and B'Elanna standing there. "How did it go?" she asked as they stepped on. "Three months probation. Then I get a promotion. Deck Seven." "Deck Six. Not bad." The lift began to move. "I'll have that information on the Doctor to you in a few hours." "He'll be happy to know." Tom looked at his wife. She shrugged. "Would you like to join us in the messhall for dinner?" he asked. "Yes. I'd love to. Do I scare you?" "No," Tom said. "Why would you?" "What would it take for you to be afraid of me?" "You're starting to scare me now." "Not much, then. B'Elanna, do you ever miss being in the Maquis?" "I miss my friends," she said. "That's too easy an answer. Do you ever miss being a part of the Maquis itself? The group and what they fought for?" "Sometimes, I guess. Why?" "Are you happy about where you are?" "I love my husband and our daughter." She leaned into Tom, and he put his arm around her. "Easy answers again. You ran away from the Academy. Now, you're the Chief Engineer of a Federation Starship. Are you happy about that?" "I don't know." "Yes you do. Starfleet fought the Maquis, now you work for them. How does that make you feel?" "We're just trying to survive here," she said. "When we get back to the Alpha Quadrant, do you still want to be the Chief Engineer aboard a Federation Starship?" She shook her head. "I haven't decided yet." "I have." They stood silently for a time. The turbolift stopped but neither Tom nor B'Elanna got off. The doors closed and they started moving again. "B'Elanna said you were reading the Unclaimed Thesis." "No," Keegan said. "I have been rewriting it." B'Elanna perked up. "I'd love to read what you've done." "I know. I'll include it with the material on the Doctor." The lift stopped again and the lieutenant stepped off. When the doors closed, and he saw he was alone, he hit the wall hard enough to crack it. * * * "What are you reading?" Chakotay said. Janeway looked up smiling. "B'Elanna gave this to me. It's Lieutenant Keegan's treatment of Cochrane's Unclaimed Thesis. It's brilliant. I've never seen this level of understanding of the material. It's poetic." She handed the PADD over. Chakotay read a little. "I can see why he doesn't think Cochrane wrote it." "I know. I'm going to ask him to give a discussion on it. I haven't been to a scientific debate in seven years. I think a lot of people on board will really enjoy it." "So why do you look uncomfortable?" he asked. "His story about MIT." "Perhaps one of his parents went there." "That's what he'll say," she replied. "Do you think he's an infiltrator?" She shook her head. "An infiltrator would have a background, but there are holes in his story I can't fill up. Why did he study medicine to become the ship's doctor if he doesn't want anyone to notice him? Why did he hide his past for so long? It's not that important. He earned that field commission from Tuvok. He's a member of Starfleet whether he went to the Academy or not. He can write something like this and still say he doesn't like science." "Kathryn, you're going to have to decide if this man's secret is more important than the officer you might lose." "I have to do what's best for the ship." She turned her coffee mug around a few times, trying to find inspiration in the squeak. "Computer, how many students named Philip Keegan have attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology?" "That information is not available." Chakotay shook his head. "Access the Auxiliary Core," the captain said. "The requested information is not available." "Access the protected memory archives." "The requested file was damaged in a Kazon attack on Stardate four-nine-nine-one-five-point-three." The captain sighed. "We can use the next data transfer," Chakotay said. "I know. That's ten days away. Some of the senior staff will have to lose letters from home." "My relatives never have anything interesting to say anyway." "We are sure about this?" He raised his coffee mug. "Here's hoping it's all coincidence." * * * "Lieutenant Keegan?" the captain said, walking into the messhall. "Mister Neelix told me someone was using the galley after hours." "Hello, Captain." He raised a drinking glass to her. "Have you been drinking?" "Yes, and I hate alcohol." He emptied his glass and poured another drink. "Are you okay?" "Hell yes! It takes more than this to get me drunk. I have the constitution of a bull elephant. How about you?" "I read your treatment of the Unclaimed Thesis." "I thought you would." "Your work is brilliant," she said walking over to him. "It should be." "Excuse me?" "No, Captain, excuse me." He drank the last of the alcohol and threw his glass at the wall. But, being transparent aluminum, it dented the wall and bounced off. "Oh, hell," he said. "I think this is glass," she said, tapping the bottle. He picked it up, cocked his arm back and set it back down on the table. "No, I lost the urge." "Can I get someone to help you? Should I call security?" "No. Not yet." "Mister Keegan, you continue to puzzle me." "And you continue to play with the pieces." "What does that mean?" "Persistence is a virtue." "That's patience." "Persistent patients are virtuous." He picked up the bottle again and aimed for the door. It opened and B'Elanna Torres walked in. He stopped mid throw and said, "Godammit." "Phil?" B'Elanna said. "Captain?" "Are you here about unauthorized galley use too?" the lieutenant asked. "No," B'Elanna replied, "I had a craving." Phil stood up and walked over to her. He took her by the shoulders. "You know," he said, "I could have really gone for you." "Phil?" "I mean it. The first time I saw you, I thought, 'That is a lovely lady.' And I mean 'lady'. I really do. Tom's a lucky guy." He put a hand on her stomach. "Are you drunk, Phil?" "No, I'm not. I like you, B'Elanna." He turned around. "I like you too, Captain." "Thank-you, Mister Keegan." "I'm a good officer," he said. "Yes, Phil, you are," B'Elanna said. "I have to agree with B'Elanna, Mister Keegan." He sighed. "I'm a DAMN good officer." "Yes, you are, Lieutenant," the captain said. "I should be," he replied. "What?" B'Elanna said. "What did Tom do anyway?" Phil asked her. "What do you mean?" she said. "To get him thrown into prison." "He doesn't like to talk about it," B'Elanna replied. "Is it important?" "No, it's not," Keegan said. "No one cares. No one cares at all anymore. You don't care, do you, Captain?" "No, Mister Keegan, I don't." He let go of B'Elanna and walked to the window. "I like space," he said, staring out. "I always wanted to go to space. I just really liked the idea of it." "I know exactly how you feel," Kathryn said. "Are you going to be okay?" "Yes, Captain, I'll be fine." He walked to his table, picked up the bottle and threw it at a wall. It shattered. Small bots emerged to clean up the glass. "Feel better?" B'Elanna asked. "No, I just needed closure." He let loose a hard breath and shook his head clear. "So, what were you hungry for?" B'Elanna shrugged. "Something salty or maybe something spicy." Keegan was behind the galley in a few steps. "I know just the thing." "You can cook?" B'Elanna asked. "It's a great way to impress women," he replied. "You should tell Tom that." "Why? He's already got you. Captain, did you want in on this?" "Without question, Mister Keegan." "Great. I hope the two of you like Mexican omelets." He put a pan on the stove and threw some oil into it. "Remember, Mexican means spicy. Don't either one of you expect to sleep after this." The captain smiled. "I'm looking forward to it, Lieutenant." -- Constable Katie, ASC* Archive team Archive: www.trekiverse.org | trekiverse.crosswinds.net | qcontinuum.trekiverse.net Submissions: submissions trekiverse.org For archive updates: ASC-Archive-annc-subscribe@yahoogroups.com ASC* FAQs: http://trekiverse.crosswinds.net/FAQs/ ASC Stories-Only list: ascl-subscribe @ yahoogroups dot com ASCEM Stories-Only list: ascem-s-subscribe @ yahoogroups dot com 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 ???@??? Fri Jul 09 22:41:21 2004 X-Persona: Status: U Return-Path: Received: from n9.grp.scd.yahoo.com ([66.218.66.93]) by penguin (EarthLink SMTP Server) with SMTP id 1bIXB66wf3NZFl43 for ; Fri, 9 Jul 2004 08:47:36 -0700 (PDT) X-eGroups-Return: sentto-1977044-13800-1089388049-stephenbratliffasc=earthlink.net@returns.groups.yahoo.com eceived: from [66.218.67.195] by n9.grp.scd.yahoo.com with NNFMP; 09 Jul 2004 15:47:29 -0000 X-Sender: asc-l@ix.netcom.com X-Apparently-To: ascl@yahoogroups.com Received: (qmail 13975 invoked from network); 9 Jul 2004 15:47:23 -0000 Received: from unknown (66.218.66.172) by m2.grp.scd.yahoo.com with QMQP; 9 Jul 2004 15:47:23 -0000 Received: from unknown (HELO swan.mail.pas.earthlink.net) (207.217.120.123) by mta4.grp.scd.yahoo.com with SMTP; 9 Jul 2004 15:47:23 -0000 Received: from h-66-167-46-192.phlapafg.dynamic.covad.net ([66.167.46.192] helo=localhost) by swan.mail.pas.earthlink.net with esmtp (Exim 3.33 #1) id 1Bixaq-0006NE-00 for ascl@yahoogroups.com; Fri, 09 Jul 2004 08:47:20 -0700 To: ascl@yahoogroups.com Organization: Trekiverse Message-ID: X-Mailer: Forte Agent 1.9/32.560 X-eGroups-Remote-IP: 207.217.120.123 From: ASC* Archive Team MIME-Version: 1.0 Mailing-List: list ASCL@yahoogroups.com; contact ASCL-owner@yahoogroups.com Delivered-To: mailing list ASCL@yahoogroups.com Precedence: bulk List-Unsubscribe: Date: Fri, 09 Jul 2004 11:47:02 -0400 Subject: [ASC] COR VOY 'Lieutenant Keegan' PG-13 5/5 Reply-To: ASCL-owner@yahoogroups.com Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-ELNK-AV: 0 Make a clean sweep of pop-up ads. Yahoo! Companion Toolbar. Now with Pop-Up Blocker. Get it for free! http://us.click.yahoo.com/L5YrjA/eSIIAA/yQLSAA/5x3olB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> On Mon, 5 Jul 2004 02:21:16 -0500, in alt.startrek.creative, "Khaliban" wrote: Lieutenant Keegan - The Discovery by Khaliban A ST:Voyager story Part 5/5 PG-13 Summary: He was so quiet. He did his work and never bothered anyone. Who "Hazelnut," the captain said, holding her mug. "Hazelnut?" her first officer repeated. "I have asked the replicator for hazelnut coffee for seven years. It finally got it right." "That would be Lieutenant Keegan's work," Chakotay said. "B'Elanna told me he went through the Computer Core and Engineering and rebuilt every system he could. Warp efficiency has improved eight percent. Power systems, replicators, the holodeck, almost everything has improved. After Engineering, he went to the Science Department. He finished about three months worth of work." "Quite a turnaround," Janeway said. "How did the debate go?" "He lost me several times. I think only B'Elanna and Seven understood all of it." "Do you still want that information from Starfleet?" She nodded. "More than ever. I can't believe he would want to hide this much potential." "Has he been drinking?" "Not since that night." Chakotay examined his coffee. "The same day you tried to access his files." "I noticed that too." "I asked Tuvok to review some of Mister Keegan's stories. He found no report of Kazon severely injuring the Lieutenant. He always showed exceptional skill in combat." Kathryn nodded again. She looked out her window, imagining she could see Earth and Reg Barclay preparing his wormhole. "We'll know by this afternoon." * * * The door to Philip Keegan's quarters buzzed. "Come in," he said. "Lieutenant?" He looked up from a console. A model of a Starship was sitting next to him. "What can I do for you, Captain." "I was walking past, and I realized I'd never seen your quarters." "Where were you headed?" She shook her head. "Sometimes I hate that mind of yours." "I get a lot of that. How can I help you?" She walked to an easel and lifted a cloth off the canvas. "Yours?" "I've been trying to paint. I find it technically accurate, but it lacks emotion." "It's very good. I see you play the violin." "I play nine instruments. I'm just now learning the Vulcan harp." "How do you find it?" "It's designed mostly for meditation. Good for certain types of music, but not very versatile." She picked up two books. "Plato. The Rubaiyat. In their original texts? That must be difficult." "I never read translations. It's something my grandfather taught me. They're always tainted by interpretation, even if you use the Universal Translator." "Do you read many languages?" she asked. "Seventeen. I'm learning Vulcan now, so I can read Surak." "Not many people intentionally learn Vulcan." "I like a challenge," he replied. "I've noticed that." She looked around the room, at the artwork, the Starship on his desk. Two other ships rested on a shelf on his wall. "You design Starships?" "A hobby." "Interesting designs. What are they?" He pointed to each in turn. "The Roderiquez, a battleship. The Lin, a medical frigate. The MacPherson, exploration. I named them for some cousins of mine." "That's a diverse family." "Yes, it is." "The warp configuration doesn't prevent damage to sub-space," she commented. "There's no reason to. I read the account of that. I think the researcher was paranoid, too obsessed with her own work. By conservative estimate, this galaxy has had warp capable civilizations for a billion years. If the deterioration were as extreme as Serova claimed, it would be one solid anomaly core to rim. The simple answer is sub-space repairs itself. In case I'm wrong, the Lin has a system in it to facilitate repair of sub-space rather than eliminate damage." "Does it work?" "Yes, but it reduces maximum speed to Warp two point five. But, I just started on it. I'll need time to work out the bugs." She examined the ship. Four engines, asymmetric in design and placement. It had a beauty to it. "We could send your work to Starfleet." "I don't think they'll want it. They should concentrate on transwarp. I suspect that bypasses the problem entirely." "Why wouldn't they want it?" "Just a hunch, Captain. Why did you want to see me?" "We're about to make the data transfer. I was wondering if I could send your analysis of the Unclaimed Thesis." "Certainly, Captain." "Thank-you." She walked to the door. "Mister Keegan?" "Yes, Captain?" "Should I look for anything from home?" "My family is very hard to reach," he said. "Of course. Good-day, Lieutenant." "Captain. It was nice speaking with you." She nodded and walked out. * * * "Phil!" Lieutenant Hununga said. "Where are you headed in such a hurry?" "Lisa. I just have some work to do." "Today's the big day. Data transfer. Expecting anything important?" "One or two things. Lisa, there's something I've wanted to do." He took her by the waist, pulled her close, and kissed her. He took his time with it, cupping the back of her head and memorizing the scent of her hair. "Wow. Phil." She put her hand on his chest. "Dinner later?" "If I'm able. You never know what the day will bring." "Here's hoping it brings more of that." He sighed and raised his hands. "I've got to go." He left at a good pace. * * * "Captain?" Reginald Barclay said, his voice a hollow buzz in the wormhole. "Are you certain you want that information?" "Yes, Mister Barclay." "Instead of the letters from your family?" "Yes, Reg." "And Mister Tuvok and Mister Chakotay have agreed?" "Yes, Reg, and you're eating up the time." "The information will be transferred directly to your desk. Are you sure? It would save space going to the Computer Core." "I'm sure." "Okay, Captain. Beginning transfer." Her screen changed to a list of names, all Keegan, all students at MIT. She read down the list. The first was in his forties. Not a Philip, but just old enough to be the Lieutenant's father. She wanted to stop there. The first Philip Keegan was in his eighties and retired. His whereabouts easily verified. She read farther down the list, stopping after two centuries of names passed and sighing to herself. Philip Keegan was not two centuries old. Enough, she thought. Too much. She wanted to keep her good officer. She skimmed the rest files while wondering how best to tell her First Officer he was right. She stopped when she found an early twenty-first century file marked "Restricted". "Computer, who closed this file?" "Access to that information was restricted by the United Nations in year two-thousand and six." "Who is authorized to open the file?" "A Starfleet officer of captain's rank or higher in time of emergency." Do what is right for your ship. The voices of her father and every captain she served under repeated in her mind. "Authorization: Janeway, Kathryn, alpha-seven-nine-four-one-two." "Access granted." She read over the file. "Keegan, Philip, applied in nineteen eighty six at age thirteen, graduated age sixteen, applied Master's Program, age sixteen, graduated age eighteen, entered doctoral program age eighteen, never finished. Disappeared age nineteen. Notes to follow." She read on. Accomplishments, papers, family history were all missing, deleted with large blank gaps filling the file. She reached the final notes and paused at the source. "United Nations War Crimes Tribunal?" she read. "'Access to this file is restricted pending determination of--' Oh, my god. Computer! Intruder alert!" She ran to the bridge. "Captain?" Tuvok said, "I am detecting no intruder." "Computer, locate Lieutenant Keegan." "Unable to comply." "Captain," Tom said, "I'm showing a launch of the Delta Flyer." "Pursuit course, Mister Paris," she growled. "Maximum warp." "What did that file say?" Chakotay asked. "Mister Paris, why aren't we moving." "I'm getting no response from the engines," he replied. "Impulse engines and warp core are off-line." "Weapons, shields and sensors are also off-line," Tuvok said. "Communications and turbolifts are off-line," Harry said. "All systems are powering down. We still have life support." The lights went out. They stood in silence in the red of the alarm until the auxiliary lights came on. "Harry, Seven," the captain said. "I want you in Engineering. Fill B'Elanna in. Help out where you can. Chakotay, Tom, go through the rest of the ship. Form parties, no less than four people each. Make sure everyone has phasers set to heavy stun. Find out if Mister Keegan is still on board. Orders are to shoot on sight. If he is rendered unconscious, get help. Do not approach him under any circumstances. Tuvok, you're with me. We're going to the Shuttle Bay to see if any are still working. Let's move." "Captain," Chakotay said. "it would help if we knew what Mister Keegan has done." "It's not what he's done." The words ground in her throat. "It's what he is. Everyone, you have your orders." She walked to the access ladder before they could respond. They were three levels down before Tuvok spoke. "Captain," he said, "What exactly is Mister Keegan?" "You'd never believe me." "You know that is not true, Captain." "Consider Mister Keegan one of the most dangerous enemies to come aboard this ship." "You are hindering my abilities. I must ask why." "Have you ever wanted something to not be true?" "I am a Vulcan," he replied. "I'm not." Tuvok nodded slowly. They took a direct route to the Shuttle Bay, stopping only to give orders to any crew members they met. They found the Bay doors locked. "Can you get them open?" Janeway said. "I believe so, Captain." The security officer pulled of the main access panel and worked through the circuits trying to find the still active life support line. He reconnected three wires and the doors opened enough for one person to slide through sideways. "Captain, I believe I should go first." He pulled out his phaser and started through. He looked around and yelled, "Captain!" A hand grabbed Tuvok's tunic and pulled. He flew some fifteen meters and hit the floor rolling. When he swung around with his weapon, he was struck by a phaser blast. Two more shots and the Vulcan stopped moving. Janeway turned and ran, and hit security force field. "Captain?" Keegan said. She turned around, her weapon drawn, and felt the shot. Her arm went numb, and she dropped her phaser. "I'll stun you if I have to. I'd rather not." "Tuvok?" "Is alive but unconscious. I have no intention of killing anyone." "You understand, that's difficult to believe." "I understand it better than you. Into the Shuttle Bay, please." "I won't order the ship or its crew to help you in any way. Chakotay will assume control. Any orders I issue will be ignored." "Captain, I just want you to come into the Shuttle Bay and sit down." "Why?" "Don't you want answers to your questions?" The doors to the Shuttle Bay were now wide open. She walked past him slowly, watching his phaser. She stepped through the doors and saw the Flyer in it's usual spot. Tuvok had landed near it. His phaser was next to him. "I see it too," Keegan said. "My eyesight is excellent. Step around it, walk over to one of the chairs and have a seat." She walked to the chairs and saw they had arm and leg locks. "Sit down. You know what this is for." She sat down. He was right behind her. He locked her in place as soon as she was in the chair. She was able to turn to see him pick up Tuvok, carry him to a chair and lock him in. She could hear Tuvok breathing quietly. Keegan walked in front of both of them. He wore an eyepiece for a virtual screen. He looked at it often. "What are you going to do to us?" Janeway asked. "Let you go, as soon as I've told my side of the story." "Why don't you let us go now?" "People in a position of power don't need to listen," he explained. "Right now, you're hanging on every word." "And then what?" "I go to the brig and hope the crew doesn't lynch me." She leaned forward. "Is that what this last week was? Helping everyone so they wouldn't be afraid of you?" "No, it was my last meal. That was the last time I would be welcomed by your crew." "We gave you a home," she said. "As soon as you found out what I was, you wanted to take it away." "You lied. You falsified records. You manipulated the computer system." "You knew all of that eleven days ago, and you were ready to promote me. I can do this as long as you can, Captain, but you won't get your answers." "Then what are you waiting for?" He held up a hypospray. "Mister Tuvok. I'm sure he'd want to be a part of this. Don't worry, it's just a stimulant." He put the hypo to Tuvok's neck and fired. The Vulcan winced and opened his eyes. "Captain, are you all right?" Tuvok said. "So far. He's awake, Mister Keegan. Would you like to explain yourself?" "It would help if I knew what Mister Keegan was," the Vulcan said. "Keeping all the best secrets for yourself, Captain?" "I thought people might have trouble with it. How did you get here, Mister Keegan?" Kathryn said. "The same way you did, Captain. The Caretaker." "That doesn't explain it," she replied. "Captain?" Tuvok asked. "Records indicate Philip Keegan, a nineteen year old graduate student at MIT, disappeared in nineteen ninety-two. Whereabouts unknown," she said. "The Caretaker sent out probes and collected samples," Keegan explained. "And you were the sample from Earth?" Tuvok said. "Me, and a hump-backed whale. I was curious about that one for a while." "Why you?" Janeway said harshly. "As a guess, I'd say samples were selected based on their ability to survive the trip back." Tuvok spoke with out a reaction. "The healthiest human the probe could find in that time frame was a eugenic." Phil nodded. "From the very last group. We were different." "How so?" Tuvok said. "The scientists recognized the need for emotional development. They looked at it as a portion of the equation they had not previously considered. My generation had morality. We even wanted to help humanity. We sometimes succeeded." He glanced at the captain. "What happened to them?" Tuvok asked. "The other eugenics killed them before taking power, at least, the records seem to indicate that." "Is that why you didn't return to them when we visited your era?" the Vulcan said. "No, I couldn't find them. Believe me, I looked, but Earth was nothing like I remembered it. You're right, though. Khan would have killed me. I also felt a sense of responsibility. After all, I'm the reason you're here. I guess I made humanity look promising." "You're an abomination," the captain said. "Me, and half your crew, Captain. And every Vulcan, Mister Tuvok." "Vulcans have never engaged in selective breeding." "No, they were a eugenic race deposited on Vulcan hundreds of thousands of years ago. I've read the records." "And where is the race that deposited us?" "I don't know, but they were last seen in white globes about so big." "That story is refuted," Tuvok said. "Because of the ramifications, not the accuracy," Keegan countered. "I've examined the environment on Vulcan. It's extreme, but not enough to produce a race like yours. Even if it were, it wouldn't explain why Romulans have identical traits." "I am not certain of the accuracy of your statements." "As you wish, Mister Tuvok." "Half my crew?" Janeway said. He looked up. "They're outside the door. Chakotay is a good First Officer." "What will you do when they open the door?" Tuvok asked. "Nothing. They have to shoot through you to get to me. If they try, the Delta Flyer will fire at them. Phasers are set to stun. I wonder why Starships stopped doing that?" "We'll warn them," Janeway said. "I want you to. I don't want to hurt them." "You didn't answer my question," the captain said. "Sorry, I was distracted." He rubbed his eyes. "Seven years, I only regret one thing. I didn't tell you who I was at the beginning. You would have feared me, put me in the brig, realized there was little I could do and let me out. By now, I'd be as much a part of the crew as anyone." "Why didn't you?" Kathryn asked. "I read the history reports first. At the time, I didn't know how tolerant the Federation could be. When I learned my mistake, I didn't want to go through that period where the crew hated and feared me. I like it here." He checked his display again. Tuvok watched him closely. "'Help humanity.' The Unclaimed Thesis is yours," Tuvok said. Keegan laughed. "Your scientists had a lot of our papers. Most were claimed by others who never had the talent to write them. The more honorable scribbled 'Anonymous' where the name should be. I guess Cochrane never got around to that." "It's yours?" Janeway said. "Why hide the source?" Tuvok asked. "Eugenics wrote them," Keegan replied. "They were tainted. Instead of the truth, you called us 'the Anonymous Einsteins'." "What?" the captain said. "Which ones?" "All of them. I could tell you the author of each paper, and the real author of each stolen paper. Mine are sixteen, eighty-seven and a hundred and fourteen." "My god," she said. "I wrote a paper on eighty-seven." "I know. I liked it. You found a lot of mistakes I never noticed." "How much does the Federation owe the eugenics?" Tuvok asked. The bay doors opened. Chakotay and five security officers rushed in. "Stop!" Janeway said. "The Flyer is programmed to fire on you." "That would put a hole in the ship," Chakotay said. "Relax," Keegan said. "It's set to stun." "Point your weapons at the ground," Janeway ordered. She heard the movement behind her. "You have two questions to you, Mister Keegan." "Yes. About a third of the discoveries in the twenty-first century, Mister Tuvok. Captain, Starfleet Academy." "What?" "Captain, what is he?" Chakotay asked. "Starfleet Academy, Captain," Keegan continued. "One of the finest eugenic breeding programs I've ever seen. Take the most intelligent, the most physically fit, the most emotionally stable and put them into dangerous situations which necessarily weed out the unfit. Those that are left, the officers that have proven themselves, develop relationships with other officers. The children they produce almost always return to Starfleet. The possibility of new blood prevents stagnation. A perfect cycle with none of the resulting arrogance." "Captain--" Chakotay said. "Yes, Commander, that is what I am." "What do we do, Captain?" Chakotay asked. The captain growled, "Mister Keegan, you made me a promise." "Yes, Captain. Computer, protocol whitewash, authorization, Keegan, alpha zero one." The locks on the chairs opened. The lights turned on, the ship's systems came back on line. Keegan dropped his phaser and put his hands up. "Put your hands down," the captain said. He complied. "Tuvok, you will take Mister Keegan to the brig. I don't think he'll struggle." "Yes, Captain." "Phil?" Kathryn said. "Yes?" "Your people did a lot of things," she told him. "I grew up with them. I know what they were like. That's why I was afraid of your reaction. I can't say you disappointed me." "Heat of the moment," she said. "Shoot on sight?" She tilted her head, and he nodded to her comm badge. "Have you written anything since coming to Voyager?" she asked. "Yes." "Can I read it?" "Every bit of it." She nodded to Tuvok. As promised, Keegan didn't struggle. * * * "What are you going to tell Starfleet?" Chakotay asked. He had asked her several times the previous day. The captain continued to read while occasionally picking up a piece of egg or sausage. "Kathryn?" "Have you read any of them?" she said. "Some. I haven't gotten all the way through one yet." "He compiled statistics about the eugenic development of the average Starfleet officer." "Starfleet didn't plan it that way. We're not like them." "I know." She handed him the statistics. "But, that's not the question, is it?" THE END -- Constable Katie, ASC* Archive team Archive: www.trekiverse.org | trekiverse.crosswinds.net | qcontinuum.trekiverse.net Submissions: submissions trekiverse.org For archive updates: ASC-Archive-annc-subscribe@yahoogroups.com ASC* FAQs: http://trekiverse.crosswinds.net/FAQs/ ASC Stories-Only list: ascl-subscribe @ yahoogroups dot com ASCEM Stories-Only list: ascem-s-subscribe @ yahoogroups dot com 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 ???@??? Fri Jul 09 22:42:08 2004 X-Persona: Status: U Return-Path: Received: from n12.grp.scd.yahoo.com ([66.218.66.67]) by bunting (EarthLink SMTP Server) with SMTP id 1bIXDA2Zz3NZFmR0 for ; Fri, 9 Jul 2004 08:50:10 -0700 (PDT) X-eGroups-Return: sentto-1977044-13801-1089388049-stephenbratliffasc=earthlink.net@returns.groups.yahoo.com