From: sks1@Ra.MsState.Edu (Sujay Shaunak)
Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative
Subject: REPOST : DELPHI chapter 1
Date: 16 Oct 92 06:05:28 GMT
Organization: Mississippi State University


 
  "Beginnings" 
 
 
 
     He lay awake on his bunk. His mind drifts idly through the 
events of the last year. He had been first officer on the Federation 
Pentalia-class destroyer, New Auckland. The ship had been sent to a 
relatively remote outpost as a show of force to quell some minor 
raids and uprisings against the federation colony by a group of 
Clandestine Raiders, and their sympathizers. 
     He was in command. His captain was down on the outpost discussing the 
situation with the colony's leaders as well as a supposed leader of the 
offending group. He sat in the Captain's chair as a shuttle came through 
the system, it transmitted that it was en route to the colony, and was 
cleared by the colony for landing while he listened in on the 
standard procedural dialogue. 
     Aboard the New Auckland he gazed at the view of the planet. 
 
     "Sir, shuttle altering course, increasing speed !!" his helmsman 
had announced. 
 
     Impotent, the New Auckland could only watch as the shuttle exploded 
in the heart of the colony, near the coordinates of the administrative 
meeting. His Captain, many of the colony's chief administrators, and many 
colonists were killed in the resulting blast. Now, he was in control. 
 
     For days, he and the New Auckland traced the origins of the shuttle 
and eventually found the Clandestine Raiders' main base of operations. 
Another pair of "suicide" shuttles had been destroyed after being 
correctly identified as such by the New Auckland. The terrorists surrendered 
unconditionally as he had threatened them with the possible retaliation of 
using the New Auckland's photon torpedos at maximum yield status.... 
     He knew that he was pushing the limits of Star Fleet protocol, but 
none of the terrorists called his bluff. Within days, the situation was 
settled. For the moment at least, the Raiders would no longer trouble 
the colony, he was given field promotion to Captain. 
 
     After he had filed his report, and while the ship was en route to 
Star Base 3015, he received word from Star Fleet that there was a 
"borg" ship approaching at high warp, and that the fleet was massing 
at Wolf-359. 
     He had set a course at maximum warp but arrived over 3 days late. 
He and his crew witnessed the carnage. Almost immediately, after the 
Borg incident had been "resolved", the New Auckland was sent out again. 
The Federation needed every ship it had in case the Romulans 
decided to become expansionists or the Klingons felt that their 
treaty was with a "weak" union of planets. There were always militant 
Klingon factions looking for ways to rekindle the war with the 
Federation. 
 
     Now, 8 months later, he was here again, orbiting earth in a large 
StarDock facility. He was awaiting his next assignment, and was 
sure that the meeting he would have with Commodore Albrit this 
morning would resolve that issue. 
     Slowly, he lifted himself off of his bunk. He ran his hands along 
his face for a few moments and then prepared himself for his meeting, 
which was scheduled for 0800. He didn't really care for morning 
meetings, but such were often unavoidable. He had decided long ago that 
an ancient family curse would make him be forced to attend such for the 
rest of his life; so far, the curse remained unbroken. 
     As he walked through the corridors of the StarDock, he contemplated 
his upcoming assignment. He had looked around the bay and found that there 
were 4 ships in need of a Captain. The science vessel Lowel, the New 
Auckland, an Orazzin-class light cruiser named the Charlemagne, and a 
cargo ship, Bounty. Although he desired his next commission to be that of 
a Captaincy, he hoped he was not given command of the cargo ship. As he 
stopped in front of the Commodore's office, he ran a hand through his 
sandy hair and stepped in. 
 
     He stepped into a small reception-area, a red-shirted lieutenant, 
was on station. The lieutenant seemed to be roughly his size, with 
dark hair and eyes. More noticeable however, was the tremendous 
amount of scar tissue on the right side of the lieutenant's face. 
Evidently, even the advanced cosmetic surgery techinques available 
had been unable to alleviate the condition. The Lieutenant addressed 
him. 
 
     "Captain Percivale Malory ?" 
 
     He nodded. 
 
     "Your appointment with the Commodore has been confirmed, you may 
see him now", the lieutenant continued. 
 
     Malory made a slight frown, and then entered into the Commodore's 
inner office. 
 
 
.... 
	 
 
     Commodore Albrit eyed the young Captain who had just entered. 
He had just finished reviewing this man's record and now he had a 
true face and body to put all of the information with, not just a 
picture or hologram. The man was only about 5'8" in height, with 
blondish hair and blue eyes. His uniform, while properly groomed seemed 
to hang loose on a rather spare frame. Truthfully, the Commodore felt 
more as if he were addressing an ensign, rather than a Star Fleet Captain 
who had just finished commanding a destroyer. 
 
     "Good morning Captain." 
 
     The young Captain nodded and replied "Good morning." 
 
     The Commodore measured the Captain. The voice was a trifle 
high. His posture was a little too casual in appearance. His 
attitude did not seem overly respectful. Already, the Commodore's 
gut feeling had passed judgement on this soon-to-be Captain. His 
gut told him that this man was dubious Captain material obviously 
somewhat slack in discipline. 
 
     "Be seated Captain."  He said this with particular rather 
sarcastic emphasis on the word 'Captain'. He noted no outward 
appearance of disturbance on the part of the young Captain. 
     'A TOLERABLE INDICATION', the Commodore mused. The Commodore was 
determined to determine the nature and validity of his instincts, not that 
he had any doubt in them. 
 
     "Thank you sir." 
 
     The young man had seemingly said the word 'sir' with just a hint of 
iciness. The young man did not seem intimidated in the least, moreover, 
he was definitely not affording the Commodore the appropriate level 
of respect. The Commodore glared. 
 
 
     "Mr. Malory, I just wanted to have a chat with you before you are 
sent out again. I've reviewed your record. You have received good reports 
from all of your superior officers, especially, while operating 
as First Officer aboard the New Auckland. Still, even though  you have 
commanded the New Auckland for 8 months, you are very young to be a 
Starship captain ... 
     Too young in my opinion ..." he added, "particularly the Captain of a 
Pentalia-class vessel." 
 
     Malory remained still, he didn't like being treated as a young 
ensign. Even though the Commodore was a good 30 years older, the 
he had achieved his position through "desk jobs" and had only 
commanded a starship for 2 months. Malory wondered where the Commodore 
was leading with the conversation. He didn't need to listen to 
this from a petty button-pusher. The Commodore continued. 
 
     "Star Fleet however, apparently feels otherwise" the Commodore paused, 
"and has decided to give you a ship of your own. You are now the newest 
Star Fleet ship Captain. Your command, the Delphi. You have been chosen to 
be her first Captain. Congratulations." 
 
     "The Delphi sir ?" Malory was relieved but had not heard mention 
of a ship by that name before. He frowned inwardly. 
 
     The Commodore rose from his chair and paced a small circle. 
 
     "Yes, the Delphi. She is a new design and is classified 
technically as a Scout. She is the first of her type to be commissioned 
after the BORG incident, and very prototypical in nature. " 
 
     The Commodore paused and then handed a small datablock to the young 
Captain. 
 
     "This contains a ship description as well as ship specifications. 
Also, is a small record of all of your major officers. You'll 
note that the major significance of the ship is the new sensor / 
scanner array, ORACLE. Your mission will be to fully test this 
new vessel along the edge of the neutral zone. We want to know 
how much this will help in detecting Romulans and how much this will 
aid in long-distance detection for use in 'early warning' systems. Also, 
there are many star systems that are not well charted that lie near the 
neutral zone. You will chart them as well as explore new territory. 
     You record indicates that you have commanded the New Auckland ably, 
but you should realize that you won't have that magnitude of firepower, 
should a Romulan come across." 
 
     "Sir, with all due respect, Romulans don't disturb me. I have 
serious doubts that a Romulan would simply come across, attack, and then 
leave. This would be in direct violation of treaty. It is more likely 
that the Romulans would lure us into the Neutral Zone and THEN attack, 
once they had sufficient motive." 
 
     The Commodore bristled inside, who was this young whelp to 
give HIM a talk about Romulan battle strategy. This young fellow 
seemed a bit too overconfident and sure of himself. 
 
     "In any event, *I* am in command of the overall Delphi-class project, 
and will expect prompt and frequent reports as to her operating status... 
A shuttle will take you to the Delphi in three hours." 
     The Commodore's voice was like ice. 
 
     "Your command crew should all report in within 32 hours. Star Fleet 
expects you to be underway within 72 hours, as that is the estimated time 
till completion... Any questions ?" 
 
     "No sir. Thank you." 
 
     'STAR FLEET HAD BETTER KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING', thought the 
Commodore as he watched the Captain rise and leave. 'AT LEAST THEY 
HAD THE FORESIGHT TO PLACE ME IN CHARGE OF THE PROJECT'. The 
Commodore beamed inwardly. 
     The door to his inner office opened again, and his lieutenant 
brought him his standard morning coffee. 
     'NOW THIS IS HOW A COMMODORE SHOULD BE RESPECTED ...' 
 
 
..... 
 
 
 
     Garin Meede stepped out of the shuttle and onto the 
shuttle bay of the Delphi. It was a typical shuttle bay with 
standard atmospheric protocols and shields in order. Meede 
took another step. He tested the artificial gravity of the ship 
and decided that it was approximately earth normal standard. 
He glanced around and saw the yeoman who had overseen the shuttle's 
landing. 
     Meede crisply walked towards the young man and 
barked , "Yeoman, status report". His voice was loud and sharp. 
The younger man snapped to attention. 
 
     "Yes, Yes sir ?" 
 
     "Yeoman, what is the current complement of the Delphi and 
who is the highest ranking officer at this time?  " 
 
     The yeoman's fingers played on the computer console. 
     "Sir, current complement is 24 persons. Most are non-ship personel, 
engineers and workman who are completing their various assignments. The 
highest ranking officer right now is ... You. Sir." 
 
     Imperceptably, Meede tensed. Technically, he was in charge 
of the vessel. Outwardly, he folded his arms and glared. 
 
     "What is your name, yeoman ?" 
 
     "Antoine Albert sir." 
 
     "Good Mr. Albert, now, how would you know that *I* am the highest 
ranking officer aboard ?" 
 
     Albert tensed, and looked at his readouts. He had followed procedure, 
he wondered why the Lieutenant would ask such a basic question. He 
felt the weight of the shorter man's glare. 
 
     "Sir, as is standard procedure, I was given a listing of the 
passengers aboard the shuttle. Only one lieutenant, you sir, was 
aboard that shuttle, from that I deduced that you are Lieutenant 
Garin Meede. I checked the ranks of current shipboard personnel and 
found that you are the highest." 
     "Sir", he added. 
 
     Meede's gaze softened just a bit to a steady stare. 
 
     "Excellent, you know standard incoming shuttle procedure. Good. 
Now, since you are one of the yeoman's who has been assigned to me 
in security, let me commence with your security training. " 
 
     Meede moved around the console. He lifted his arms some so that 
he could more easily reach some of the pads. He altered some of the 
shuttle bay sensor settings with a corresponding change in readouts. 
 
     "Now Mr. Albert, on every incoming and outgoing shuttle, I want a 
scan done to insure that only authorized materials and personnel are 
being transferred. I shall perform a quick tour of the ship and then 
be on the bridge. This will be superior to your only-audio confirmation." 
 
      "Yes sir." 
 
      Meede went back to the shuttle and fetched his pack. 
He walked into the turbo-lift confident that he could put some 
order into this vessel. 
      As Meede toured the ship, he noted that it was very similar 
to the Pentalia-class destroyers in layout. He even examined some of 
the secondary hatchways, searching for design differences. He noted 
a few. As he completed his tour he observed that Engineering still 
was in disarray. Obviously the Chief Engineer had yet to report. 
Meede strolled into security and glanced at the overall layout, it 
met with his approval. Quickly, he prepared his area. Then he continued 
on to the bridge. 
      Meede quietly took in his bridge surroundings, the bridge was 
an interesting mix of older and newer ideas. He eased into the Captain's 
chair, his feet barely touching the floor. The young ensign who sat 
at the communications console continued her work. Meede signaled 
Midshipman Albert to inform him whenever another senior officer 
was en route. He rubbed his hands together and settled into "command". 
He glanced at the Captain's console, the chronometer indicated that the 
time was 1000 hours. 
 
 
..... 
 
 
 
     Captain Percivale Malory sat in his room and reviewed the 
information contained on the datablock .... 
 
     Comission      : Delphi NCC 2010 
     Classification : Advanced Scout 
     Armaments      : Modified Pentalia-class phaser array 
     Shields        : Pentalia-class strength 
     Engines        : Single nacelle warp reactor (Brahm's II design) 
     Max. Speed     : Warp 7 (8 in theory) 
     Optimum Cruise : Warp 6 
     Crew Complement: 120 
 
 
     Charter : The purpose of this vessel is to provide additional 
	       detection and scanning ability for the Federation. This 
	       ship utilizes a new sensor array, named ORACLE. These 
	       sensors should be able to detect ships from much 
	       longer ranges than currently are possible. Similarly 
	       this array should provide the ability to void the 
	       Romulan cloaking device as well as allow for greater 
	       exploration potential. 
 
	       This is a prototype model and is the first such 
	       implementation to be placed in a starship. 
 
 
   -- Command Crew Listing -- 
 
 
	Percivale Malory : 
	  Rank     : Captain 
	  Position : Captain 
	  Last Assignment : Interim Commander New Auckland  (Pentalia class) 
	  Notes    : Completed tour as Captain of New Auckland for 
		     over 8 months. 
 
	Akimbe Assali 
	  Rank     : Lt. Cmmdr. 
	  Position : First Officer / Tactical Weapons officer 
	  Last Assignment : Chief Weapons officer Merrimack  (Etresta class) 
	  Notes    : Has held the rank of Lt. Cmmdr for 3 years. Has yet 
		     to be considered for promotion. 
 
	X'anfrey Qhasmon 
	  Rank     : Lieutenant 
	  Position : Helmsman 
	  Last Assignment : Helmsman Argo (minesweeper) 
	  Notes    : Completing tour as Helmsman of an active Minesweeper. 
 
	Eleyasan T'irna 
	  Rank     : Lieutenant 
	  Position : Operator Oracle 1 
	  Last Assignment : Chief Science Officer Lowel (Science Vessel) 
	  Notes    : Has served with distinction. 
 
	Olgin Penthrach 
	  Rank     : Lieutenant 
	  Position : Communications officer 
	  Last Assignment : Special Communications Dante (Orazzin Class) 
	  Notes    : Has history of chronic illness. 
 
	Stephen Korn 
	  Rank     : Lieutenant 
	  Position : Chief Engineer 
	  Last Assingment : Stardock Phoenix 
	  Notes    : His first shipboard commission in over 2 years 
 
	Garin Meede 
	  Rank     : Second Lieutenant 
	  Position : Chief Security officer 
	  Last Assignment : Chief of Security Charlemagne (Orazzin Class) 
	  Notes    : From Gralve IV which has 3.4 times Earth standard 
		     gravity. 
 
	Will O'bourne 
	  Rank     : Second Lieutenant 
	  Position : Oracle 2 operator 
	  Last Assignment : Starbase 89 
	  Notes    : none. 
 
	Anne Mayak 
	  Rank     : Doctor 
	  Position : Chief Medical Officer 
	  Last Assignment : Doctor Wellington (Pentalia class) 
	  Notes    : none. 
 
 
     Malory eased back in his seat and mused over his command 
crew. He was intrigued by the wide range of ships from which his 
officers came, from the Pentalia-class destroyers, to the Orazzin- 
class light cruisers, one was even an Etresta class heavy cruiser. 
 
     'LOOKS LIKE WE WILL HAVE AN INTERESTING TOUR OF DUTY WITH THIS 
LOT... I'LL JUST HAVE TO EVALUATE EACH ONE AS THEY COME'. 
 
     He was sure that other necessary details of the assignment 
would be "conveniently" omitted. Typically such datablocks provided 
a much more detailed report on each member of the command crew and 
more ship specifications. He felt that Star Fleet was testing 
him personally by giving him such a mediocre 'report' via the 
datablock. Similarly, he felt that Star Fleet was attempting to 
test his command skills and grace under pressure by giving him 
such a tight deadline till the Delphi was scheduled to depart 
"dry-dock". Malory sighed and grabbed his travel pack. He kept very few 
personal effects, of which most had already been transported, thus he 
was only lightly encumbered as he went to his shuttle. 
 
.... 
 
 
     As the shuttle approached the crab-like structure which 
contained the Delphi, Malory admired the vessel. The basic hull 
design was apparently identical that of the Pentalia-class ships. 
He noted that the mounting where the photon torpedoes should be 
was occupied by ORACLE. The sidereal phaser banks had been replaced 
by ORACLE sensors as well. The ship had the "clean" look of a ship that 
has yet to see untamed space. His shuttle landed. 
     He stepped off of the shuttle and watched as a very short, stocky 
man approached. 
 
     "Captain", the man said. His voice was authoritative and harsh. 
 
     "Yes", Malory responded. 
 
     "Lieutenant Garin Meede, your chief of security reporting sir. 
We have reasonable security measures in progress and severely limited 
power available for the ship." 
 
     This was NOT what Malory expected for a Chief security officer. 
Malory estimated that he loomed at least a half a foot over his chief 
security officer. Still, the man was proper in his report. Malory made 
a mental note to learn more about this man as soon as time permitted. 
 
     "Alright Lieutenant. We have around 67 hours to get this ship 
out of dry-dock. What are your recommendations ?" 
 
     "Well sir, Security is in enough order to be placed low on our list. 
Right now, I think we need to work on getting some of these engineers to 
bring our power systems on-line, thereby reducing umbilical dependence. 
Once we have partial main power, I recommend that we bring our main sensors 
to fully operational status. Now that you are aboard, I can look over the 
weapons systems. Communications is currently umbilically dependent and 
navigation at this time is irrelevant." 
 
     "Very well Lieutenant. Proceed with your overview of the weapons 
systems. Let's try to get out ahead of schedule." 
 
     "Aye sir." 
 
     Malory and Meede boarded the turbolift and Meede exited in main 
engineering. Malory proceeded to the bridge. As he stepped off the lift 
and onto the main bridge, he liked what he saw. He walked down the ramp 
which circled the perimeter of the bridge, and dropped his pack in the 
Captain's chair. He made a mental correction. HIS chair. 
     The ensign who was sitting at the Communications console 
appeared nervous at his presence. 
 
     "Don't worry ensign. I haven't been known to bite yet ...." He 
grinned. "Let's see what we can get working around here ..." 
 
 
..... 
 
 
     Lieutenant Commander Akimbe Assali waited impatiently as his shuttle 
approached the Delphi. He had come into StarDock twelve hours early 
and had taken the first available shuttle that was departing for the 
Delphi. While at the StarDock, he had discovered that everyone had 
been abuzz with speculations about the new ship. The shuttle approached 
the crab-like construct which currently housed the starship. 
     As the shuttle approached from the rear, Assali looked over 
the ship. 
     'HMMM, LOOKS LIKE A SLIGHTLY MODIFIED PENTALIA-CLASS HULL. INTERESTNG, 
THOSE SIDE SECTIONS CAN'T MOUNT PHASERS LIKE THAT. WHERE ARE THE 
PHOTON LAUNCHERS? MAYBE A NEW WEAPON SYSTEM HAS BEEN INSTALLED.' 
 
     Meanwhile, on the bridge of the Delphi, klaxons blared. 
 
     "Hell, people, that's the fourth time today that the alarms 
have sounded at the approach of a shuttlecraft. FIX THEM !!" 
 
     Captain Percivale Malory slouched in his Captain's chair. His 
typical good humor had faded rapidly as the klaxons had been going 
off almost continuously for the last 2 hours. Engineers scuttled around 
the bridge. A young confused ensign sat at the Communications console, in 
front of the Captain. The ensign turned and addressed the Captain. 
 
     "Captain, Lt. Cmdr. Akimbe Assali has just reported on board. He 
is in shuttle bay 1." 
 
     "Thank you ensign, I'll be heading off the bridge for a short 
time. Try to keep us out of red alert ...", the Captain gave a tired 
grin at the slightly abashed ensign as he stood and went to the turbolift. 
 
 
     Assali whirled around as the klaxons sounded. His small 
pack, which contained his personal effects orbited him as he raced 
to the shuttle bay control panel. He glanced over the read-outs. At a 
glance everything appeared fine. Abruptly, the klaxons stopped. 
     The turbolift doors opened and He watched as his commanding 
officer approached. He appeared to be just a touch shorter than Assali, 
with sandy hair and blue eyes. His stride was quick, but undisciplined. 
Assali straightened. 
 
     "Lieutenant Commander Akimbe Assali reporting for duty sir." 
 
     The Captain stopped 2 paces on front of Akimbe, and eyed him. 
     "Lt. Cmdr. what was your last held position ?" 
 
     "Weapons officer, aboard the Merrimack, Etresta class, sir." 
 
     "Lt. Cmdr. How many times have you served as a First Officer ?" 
 
     "Just once, for a period of several weeks, while the Merrimack's 
First Officer was transferred, sir." 
 
     Assali was conscious of the fact that the Captain, now his commanding 
officer, was "feeling him out". This did not disturb him, and he relaxed 
and shrugged off the pressure by experience. The Captain spoke . 
 
     "Lt. Cmdr. what's your favorite synthehol ...?" 
 
     The Captain grinned and stretched out his hand. 
     "Nice to have you aboard Mr. Assali. Why don't you place your 
pack in your quarters and meet me on the bridge in 10 minutes. We 
have a lot of work ahead of us if we are going to manage to get this 
ship out on time." 
 
     "Yes sir." 
 
     Assali watched as Malory turned and strode back to the turbolift, with 
an imperceptible shrug of his shoulders, he followed. He liked this 
Captain already. 
 
     Ten minutes later, Assali stepped off of the turbo-lift, and 
onto the bridge. He took in his surroundings. . . The Bridge was 
a half circle in front with a trapezoidal rear, which was elevated 
at least 5 feet higher than the front. In front, the Navigational 
console and Communications console were joined together as one unit, 
reminiscent of the old Constitution-class Helm/Navigation position. In 
the center of the bridge were chairs and small displays for the Captain 
and First Officer. Along the sides, where the circular-arc met the 
trapezoidal corners, there were 2 duty stations, one on each side. 
The tactical / weapons position was directly over the head of the Captain. 
On each side of the turbo-lift stood a door. One led to the Captain's 
ready-room. While the other led to the Tactical ready room. This 
bridge had a definite style, and Akimbe liked it. He noted that the 
Captain had turned and watched him from his chair, observing Assali's 
reaction. 
 
     "Well, FIRST OFFICER Assali, how do you like the bridge ?" Malory 
stated. 
 
     "I like it sir, definite style." 
 
     The klaxons blared. Assali assumed the tactical position. Most 
read-outs were non-operational, but what sensors were on indicated that 
a shuttle was landing. 
 
     "Lt. Cmmdr, your first job is to get those damm Klaxons fixed. 
After that, we need to look into bringing the auxilary reactor on line. 
When our Chief Engineer reports, he will bring the warp engine up as well 
as the impulse engines. Our security chief, Lieutenant Garin Meede is 
examining the weapons systems. We have a little over 2 days to get this 
ship out of dry-dock and capable of active duty." 
 
     "Yes sir." 
 
     Assali's fingers danced on the half-dead console. It would 
be a hard chore to get this ship out on time. 
 
 
.... 
 
 
     Akimbe Assali, stood at the status control board of the Delphi shuttle 
bay . With forty hours left before the ship was scheduled to leave dry-dock, 
people were scurrying in all areas of the ship, with one notable exception, 
engineering. Several ensigns had reported in, but the Chief Engineer 
had yet to report. At present, security officer Garin Meede was 
overseeing operations in Engineering. 
 
     "Sir, shuttle now on approach" an ensign advised Assali. 
 
     Assali watched as the shuttle glided in effortlessly into the 
bay. Thankfully, it was yet another smooth landing. He observed as 
the shuttle's main door opened. The first person to step out was 
a man a few inches shorter than Assali, but lean and wiry in 
appearance. He had a shock of grey hair, and brown eyes. Aside 
from the hair, he didn't look overly old. The second person to step 
of the shuttle was a large overweight man. He stood at around 5'10" 
with dark hair and green eyes. The 2 men strode towards Assali and 
he stepped out from behind the console. 
 
     The large man reported in first. 
 
     "Sir, Lieutenant Olgin Penthrach reporting in ." 
 
     Assali nodded. 
 
     "Lieutenant, have you been briefed as to your role on this 
vessel ?" 
 
     "No sir, I was the Communications specialist aboard the 
Dante and naturally assumed that my duties would be the same." 
 
     "Close. Aboard the Delphi you will serve as Chief Communications 
Officer, and of course, have the necessary bridge duty station. Report 
to the Bridge and Captain Malory as soon as you have deposited your 
belongings in your quarters. We are running slightly behind schedule." 
 
     After Assali nodded towards Penthrach, indicating that he was free 
to leave and attend to his duties, Assali turned his attention to the 
other man. 
 
     "Lieutenant Stephen Korn, Chief Engineer reporting in." 
 
     Assali made a mental shrug as the Chief Engineer introduced 
himself. As Assali prepared to speak, Korn spoke. 
 
     "If you don't have any duty changes for me, I will be reporting 
to Engineering now ...." Korn began. 
 
     Assali frowned slightly. 
     "Lieutenant, that will be most advisable. Currently we have an 
Engineering staff consisting of ensigns. In fact, we haven't even brought 
the warp engine on line yet." 
 
     "Glad to hear it. These kids probably don't know HOW to bring warp 
engine on line for the first time. I'm glad no one has tried to 
work on my engine yet, the last ship I was on, about 2 years ago, 
they had a stupid security guard trying to fix warp engines ! Can you 
believe that ? I'll send a report to the Captain within the hour." 
 
     "Very good. We will hold a brief non-formal meeting in three 
hours in the Captain's quarters." 
 
     Assali walked with Korn to the turbo-lift. While Korn stepped 
of at main engineering, Assali wondered where Lt. Meede might be. 
 
.... 
 
     *WHISH* 
 
     The turbo lift door opened and Malory turned and eyed a large 
pudgy man ambling down the ramp. 
 
     "Captain Malory, Lt. Olgin Penthrach reporting for bridge duty sir." 
 
     An ensign happily rose from the communications console as Penthrach 
approached. 
 
     "Excellent timing. We were just about to perform a test of intra-ship 
communications. Take your position and broadcast on my mark." 
 
     Penthrach squeezed into the chair and his chubby fingers nimbly 
danced among the buttons and touch-sensitive displays. 
 
     "Mark. Crew of the Delphi, this is Captain Malory. All sections 
who can hear this message report in to central communications." With 
blatant sarcasm he added "similarly, those unable to hear this, 
report also." Malory grinned as Penthrach turned to look at him and then 
looked back at his console. 
     A few seconds passed. Penthrach turned and addressed the Captain. 
 
     "Sir, all stations except primary engineering have acknowledged 
your message. Shall I try to send a direct message to Engineering ?" 
 
     "Hmmm, No. Try to patch through to Engineering and let's 
see if we can hear if there is anyone down there. They may all be 
crawling through the bowels of the ship. Lord knows they need to be 
if we are going to leave dry dock on schedule." 
 
     "Patch to Main Engineering confirmed" Penthrach stated. 
 
     ".....WHAT IN JUPITER'S EYE HAVE YOU DONE !!" a rather high-pitched 
and stretched voice said. 
 
     "Sir, Lt. Cmmdr. Assali and I  merely routed some power from the 
auxilary reactors to the shuttle bay sensors. This has kept us from having 
faulty red-alerts for the last 10 hours." 
 
     "BUT THIS IS ALL WRONG ! WHAT DO YOU *A SECURITY OFFICER* KNOW ABOUT 
REACTORS ! LOOK, IF YOU TAPPED INTO THE CONDUITS AT THESE LOCATIONS 
YOU WOULD HAVE THE SAME RESULT WITH LESS WORK AND 10% MORE EFFICIENCY ..." 
 
     "Lt. I'll be down in Engineering." Malory was almost into the 
turbo-lift before completing his statement. 
 
 
.... 
 
     *VHOOSH* 
 
     Captain Percivale Malory stepped out of the turbo-lift and into 
main engineering. He observed a lean, grey-haired man arguing with 
Lt. Garin Meede. Even though the man stood about 4" taller than Meede, 
and was taking an obviously argumentative approach, Meede stood his 
ground, arms crossed, face an emotionless mask. 
 
     "Gentlemen ..." Malory spoke. 
 
     Immediately the two men turned and faced their Captain. 
 
     "Captain" Meede responded quickly. 
 
     "Ahh, Captain. I am Lt. Stephen Korn Chief Engineer. I am trying 
to get this oaf out of engineering so that I can get some work done." 
 
     "Lt. Korn, I suggest that you think about your remarks before 
insulting fellow crew members. We will be together for a rather long 
time. First, you can explain to me why you were late in reporting to 
the Delphi, then you can explain to me what problem you have with, 
Chief of Security, Lt. Garin Meede." 
 
     Malory had kept his voice remarkably cool and level, while 
inside he seethed. There were enough problems in the universe without 
him having to watch over two of his highest ranking officers. He noticed 
that Korn paled as he realized that he had been arguing with someone 
other than 'just' a security officer. 
 
     "Oh, umm, Sorry Captain. First, I was delayed because a problem 
arose with the climate controls at Stardock Phoenix. The humidity 
level was .12% above normal deviation and ....." 
 
     "Lieutenant. Do you realize that you are supposed to be the 
Chief Engineer on THIS ship. Couldn't someone else have handled 
such a minor problem ?" 
 
     "Well sir, I guess they could, but I just don't leave jobs 
have finished. Once I start something, I see it through.." 
 
     Malory groaned inwardly. 
 
     "Mr. Korn, don't you think that getting this ship operational 
is a little more important than a minor deviation in StarDock humidity ?" 
 
     "Well sir, I .. Well, really it wasn't a question that. I had 
already comitted myself to the humidity problem. Also, I was informed 
that I had some leeway time upon my arrival here. I did not expect 
Engineering to be in the shambles in which it currently resides sir." 
 
     "I appreciate your ...determination... to see a project through, 
and that in itself is an admirable quality. HOWEVER, in the future, I 
recommend that you temper such determination with the importance of 
various tasks. Now, what was your argument about with Lt. Meede ?" 
 
     "Sir, I simply detest other people, especially ones with little 
qualification, to try to operate as competent engineers. IF Lt. Meede 
had a problem, he should have given it to someone who could do the job 
efficiently, rather than kludge through to his own solution." 
 
     "Mr. Korn, maybe you would be preferring to listen to klaxons 
for several hours on end ... What Lt. Meede and First Officer Assali did 
was under my orders. SINCE there was no Chief Engineer available, I see 
no problem with what they did. NOW, that you are here, you may fix 
the 'fix' if you desire. However, I want that warp reactor operational 
as soon as possible. That, is your top priority. 
     Now Lt. Meede, your services are required in orienting some of the 
new crew that will soon be reporting aboard. A larger transport shuttle 
is en route now. " 
 
     Malory watched as Meede and Korn both leveled gazes at one another, 
then, Meede moved with Malory to the turbo-lift. 
 
     "Oh, and Lieutenant Korn ... It's good to have you aboard ." 
 
.... 
 
 
     It was early "evening" aboard the Delphi. Percivale Malory 
reclined on his suite's couch. He glanced around the room. On the 
wall above him, rested his rapier. He had taken lessons as a youth 
and trained actively in its use while at the academy. On the other 
side of the room, a large 'window' looked out into space, or rather 
the out to the rusty-colored wall of the crab-like dry-dock facility. 
     Malory rose. He had changed from uniform into a white shirt, 
with loose baggy arms, and  dark pants. He gave a cursory glance at 
his exhibition stand. While most officers would hold their medals 
there, Malory held his Chess collection. A series of beeps 
interrupted his reverie, and he answered the door. His guests were 
arriving. 
     Akimbe Assali had dressed in an open-front shirt and loose 
red pants. He stepped into the Captain's cabin. 
 
     "Good evening sir." 
 
     "Good evening Mr. Assali. Make yourself at home, I'll get us a 
pair of drinks. " 
 
     Assali glanced around the outer room. It was spacious, with a 
lovely view of the orangish-brown dry-dock wall. He noticed the 
weapon above the couch, but his attention was fixed on the Captain's 
exhibition stand. It was roughly 6' in height and held 4 different 
Chess boards and pieces. Assali recognized the classic Chess which 
had been invented long ago in India. Then he looked at the oriental 
chess set. With Cannons and Palace guards, it required subtle changes 
in strategy. Next was Bogon Chess, and early 21st century three dimensional 
chess which was overwhelming in its scope and number of pieces, with 64 per 
side. Finally was the renowned Vulcan three-dimensional chess. 
 
     "Captain, do you play all of these different types of Chess ?" 
 
     "Of course not, I just keep them there to impress people ...." 
 
     Assali turned to face Malory and caught a wide grin on his 
Captain's face. He took one of the drinks from Malory. 
 
     "Seriously though Akimbe, it is alright to call you Akimbe isn't it? 
I do play all of those chess variants. I find dual player strategy 
fascinating and refreshing." 
 
     "Marvelous, we will have to play sometime then Captain. I too am 
an avid fan of chess, although I don't claim any proficiency in the 
Bogon chess of the early 21st century." 
 
     "HAH, I too find that unnecessarily cumbersome. It would be a 
pleasure to play against you when time permits." 
 
     Another series of beeps signaled the arrival of 2 more guests, 
Security Chief Garin Meede, and Communications officer Olgin Penthrach. 
Standing in the doorway, the two officers made a rather interesting 
sight, one was short and stocky, while the other was tall and 'filled' 
his outfit. Meede wore a sleeveless shirt, which displayed some 
well muscled arms, and form-fitting pants. Penthrach wore a 
large loose shirt and pants. Also, he was holding a dish. 
     As Olgin Penthrach placed the dish on the table and uncovered it, 
luxurious aromas wafted out. Everyone crowded around the table. 
 
     "Calm down, we need to let it cool a bit and let it 'breathe'" 
Penthrach stated. 
 
     After yet another series of beeps, Lt. Stephen Korn entered. He 
was still in uniform. 
 
     "Sorry for the delay, I had to wait to time the warp field 
adjustments. We should have main power within three hours." 
 
     "Relax Lieutenant, consider yourself off duty while at this 
'get-together'", Malory replied, "here have a drink, and some of 
... whatever this is ..." 
 
     Penthrach perked. 
 
     "Do you mean to say that none of you has ever seen a Pleiades 
Pie ? I had to use the replicator, so it will probably lack some of the 
finer tastes, but it is a most enjoyable dish." 
 
     "Indeed it is Mr. Penthrach", Assali said as he ate. 
 
     "Please, just call me Ollie." 
 
     After an hour, the 'get together' began to wind down, and 
people returned to their quarters or to their duty stations as the 
case demanded. Captain Malory reclined again on his couch. 
 
 
.... 
 
 
 
     Quiet. 
 
 
     Silence. 
 
 
     On a normal starship, there was always a slight hum, or pulse which 
ran continuously. This was the cartoid of the ship, the surge of its 
warp drive. At present, his ship was still dead, a lifeless hulk in space. 
With only the auxilary reactor on-line, the ship was still receiving over 
90% of its power from the dry-dock's generators. Malory closed his 
eyes and listened. 
     Darkness overcame and engulfed him. His ears strained to hear 
a sound. 
     Nothing. 
 
     Malory drifted into sleep. 
 
 
.... 
 
 
     Lt. Garin Meede stood, feet apart and arms crossed, beside 
the shuttle-bay control panel. The ship was still relatively quiet, 
although many 'extra' engineers and workers were still scurrying about 
the ship. Captain Malory had notified Meede that the warp engine would 
be started within the hour, at least, according to Engineer Korn's 
estimates. 
     Effortlessly, the shuttle virtually glided into the bay. Meede 
was still at full attention. 'WHENEVER SOMETHING BECOMES ROUTINE, 
THEN, IT BECOMES DANGEROUS.' He thought back to words that one of his 
former commanders had spoken. 
     A veritable swarm of ensigns and unenlisted personnel departed 
the shuttle. Then, Meede noticed the last one to depart. Actually, 
one needn't have had Meede's powers of perception to notice the last 
shuttle departee. 
     He looked on as the blue-skinned figure approached. Meede 
noticed immediately the two small antennae and the pure white 'hair'. 
'AN ANDORIAN', Meede thought. Being himself from Gralve IV, Meede 
was definitely not xenophobic. Still, he sensed that momentary 
discomfort and suspicion that accompanies observing races that are 
distinctly non-human. Meede pushed such thoughts from his mind, random 
thoughts of that nature should have no place in a Security Chief's mind. 
Meede extended a hand. 
 
     "Welcome to the Delphi. I am Lt. Garin Meede." 
 
     The Andorian accepted the handshake somewhat hesitantly, Meede 
was careful not to apply too much force. 
 
     X'anfrey Qhasmon was somewhat surprised. This was the 
warmest shipboard welcome he had received. He had found that 
most humans were still somewhat afraid of the "non-human" races. 
Then though, he remembered that it was Garin Meede who had greeted 
him. Meede was not totally human himself, as he had found out 
several years ago. He did not think that Meede recognized him, 
he wasn't really surprised by this though. 
 
     "Thank you. I am Lt. X'anfrey Qhasmon. I was informed that I 
am to be helmsman for this vessel." 
 
     "As far as I know, that is still true. I'll show you to your 
quarters, and then I believe that you should report to the bridge. 
We are running somewhat behind schedule." 
 
     Meede and Qhasmon stepped into the turbo-lift. 
 
     "So, what was your last position ?" 
 
     "I was helmsman for the Argo, minesweeper class. We toured 
through some of the old Klingon-Federation minefields and eliminated 
them." 
     Meede was impressed. They stepped off of the lift and Meede 
showed Qhasmon to his quarters. 
 
     "Good day Lt." said Meede as he re-entered the turbo-lift. 
 
     X'anfrey Qhasmon dimmed the lights in his cabin. He preferred 
the darkness. He placed his travel-pack in his bedroom. His other, 
larger possessions had already been delivered and set up. He went to 
his computer and found that it was inactive. He would call up some 
schematics and specifications later then. He straightened his 
uniform and exited his quarters for the bridge. 
 
..... 
 
 
     "Captain, we will be prepared to initiate the Warp reactor in 
approximately five minutes." 
 
     Malory listened to the transmitted voice of Chief Engineer Korn. 
 
     "You said that 45 minutes ago Chief, what has been the delay ?" 
 
     "Sir, a warp engine is not something that you rush into activity. 
You rush it and you won't have a ship to Captain anymore .... Not that 
you'll care much then ... if you catch my meaning. Sir." 
 
     "Very well, just get it on-line ASAP." 
 
     A puzzled voice responded "Asap sir ?" 
 
     "Never mind, just hurry. Malory out." 
 
     Malory leaned back in his chair. He enjoyed the feeling of the 
malleable leather. From behind all he could see of the Communications 
Board was obscured by Olgin Penthrach. Penthrach and Assali had managed 
to get full ship communications working. Now Penthrach was merely 
gaining familiarity with the system. 
 
     *WHISH* 
 
     Malory gazed at the viewscreen ahead. The ship was still 
encircled by the dry-dock, but its forward gaze went out into space. 
A figure moved in the corner of his field of vision. 
 
     "Lt. X'anfrey Qhasmon reporting for duty sir." 
 
     Malory's reverie was interrupted. He turned his head and faced the 
figure who had addressed him. 'AN ANDORIAN' Malory thought, 'WHAT A 
MELTING POT WE ARE'. 
 
     "Welcome Lieutenant, I had been informed that you would probably 
be the last of the senior staff to report in." 
 
     "Well sir, we pushed the Argo a little so that we could get here 
sooner sir. After mine-sweeping for months, almost everyone was anxious to 
get back into 'charted' space." 
 
     "Very good, I can understand the sentiment. At present time we are 
without main power, so I recommend that you do whatever to make 
yourself familiar with the helm position. It is a newer design but has, 
as far as I can tell, most of the standard elements." 
 
     "Yes sir." 
 
     Malory looked on as Lt. Qhasmon took his position to the front and 
left of the Captain, directly beside Olgin Penthrach, who had listened 
to the conversation. Malory noted that he could still see the antennae 
from behind. He wondered what use they had. 
 
     Olgin Penthrach turned to face the Captain. 
 
     "Captain, Mr. Korn says that he is ready to bring the 
warp reactor on line." 
 
     "Very well, inform dry-dock that we will be initiating our 
warp reactor and have them prepare to cut umbilical support." 
 
     A second passed, and then two more, then it was half a minute. 
 
     Qhasmon turned. 
 
     "Captain, helm reads that we have warp power. Power systems 
coming on line." 
 
     Malory eased back once again into his chair. He gazed at his 
own small, ship readouts. 
     Yes, he could feel it now, his ship had a pulse now. Now, 
it finally seemed alive. 
 
     "Mr. Penthrach, set up a channel with Mr. Korn in main Engineering." 
 
     "Channel established sir." 
 
     "Mr. Korn report ." 
 
     "Well sir, she is up and running. I'll be making minor adjustments 
on her so that we don't loose any efficiency. I have to re-orient the 
dilithium crystals some and modify the configuration slightly. Then, 
once we exit dry-dock, I will need to make modifications at each level 
of warp speed so that we can maximize performance." 
 
     "Very good Mr. Korn. How long before you have the impulse engines 
up and ready." 
 
     "Well sir, those should be relatively easy since they are not as 
tempramental. I'll have impulse power for you in less than 2 hours. I 
daresay, before lunch." 
 
     "Proceed. " 
 
     "Mr. Penthrach, inform dry-dock that we no longer need 
umbilical support." 
 
     *WHISH* 
 
     Malory rose and turned. 
 
     "Well sir, it seems we finally have our warp engine on line." Akimbe 
Assali was in good humor now. 
 
     "Yes, Mr. Assali. In fact, you were just the man I wanted to see." 
 
     "Oh sir ? and why is that ?" 
 
     Malory grinned. 
 
     "You have the bridge until Korn gets those impulse engines 
on line. I think we should have relatively smooth sailing from here." 
 
     "Very good sir." 
 
     Malory departed the bridge. 
     Assali looked around. The side positions which were for the ORACLE 
operators were empty, but the Helmsman was there now. Assali noted that 
he was an Andorian. Assali went and looked over his shoulder. 
 
     "Hello. I'm Lt. Cmmdr Akimbe Assali." 
 
     X'anfrey Qhasmon turned from his work. He had been adjusting to 
the minor changes in the helm while monitoring ship power levels. 
 
     "I'm Lt. X'anfrey Qhasmon." 
 
     "Nice to meet you Lt., Carry on." 
 
     Assali walked back and slowly sat in the Captain's chair. He enjoyed 
the feel of the leather. 
 
 
.... 
 
 
     Lt. Garin Meede stood in transporter room 1. He had been observing 
the preliminary tests on the transporter now that the ship had main power. 
So far, everything was working well. He proceeded to transporter room 
2 where everything was also proceeding nominally. 
 
     "Lt. Garin Meede to cargo bay 1." 
 
     Meede's communicator spoke with the voice of Olgin Penthrach. 
 
     "Acknowledged." 
 
     Meede strode through the corridors and arrived at cargo bay 1. 
Here ,larger goods were being transported in from a nearby cargo ship. 
Meede oversaw the operation. 
     All was going well now. 
 
     Captain Malory stood in the Delphi's main shuttle bay. He had 
taken the later half of the "morning" off and left the bridgework to 
his First Officer, while he himself oversaw some of the other work 
that was in progress around the ship. With less than 20 hours till 
scheduled departure from dry-dock most of the ship was in working 
order, now all Malory needed was his final few officers. 
     Shuttle 1 eased into the bay. Now most of the use of the shuttles 
was over since almost all the crew was already in place, and the 
transporters were taking care of the larger cargo. Still, 2 
people disembarked. Malory unconsciously raised an eyebrow as two 
dark haired women approached him. 
     One woman stood an inch shorter than Malory. She had jet-black 
hair, light skin, and deep blue eyes. Malory stood just a little bit 
straighter. The other woman was more exotic in appearance with 
similarly dark hair, and light green eyes. Her skin was darker and 
she looked slightly ..different.. Then Malory noticed just a hint 
of point in her ears. She stood a couple of inches shorter than Malory 
as well. 
 
     "Good afternoon Ladies" Malory opened with a smile, " I am 
Captain Percivale Malory. Welcome to the Delphi." 
 
     "Captain. Lt. Eleyasan T'irna reporting for duty sir." The second 
lady responded. 
 
     "Captain. Dr. Anne Mayak reporting sir." The first lady stated. 
 
     "Well, Lt. after you have visited your quarters, report to the 
bridge. I would like to have a test of the new sensor system before 
the evening is finished. Sorry to put you to work so soon." 
 
     "Quite alright Captain. In fact, I was planning on spending the 
evening working on the sensor array." 
 
     "I hope THAT won't be necessary Lt. " Malory grinned loosely 
again. 
 
     "Now Dr., I hope that you find Medical in order .... So far we 
have had no broken bones and no casualties." 
 
     "Good Captain. I hope you can keep it that way." 
 
     The Doctor's voice bordered on ice. 
     Malory watched as both ladies entered the turbo-lift. They were 
chatting amongst themselves and made Malory much more nervous than 
anything he had faced while commanding the New Auckland. 
 
 
..... 
 
 
     *WHISH* 
 
     Assali had finished making final checks of some of the 
tactical sensors at the tactical bridge station, and he turned as 
the turbo-lift doors opened. His eyes were not ready for the input 
they received. 
 
     "Lt. Eleyasan T'irna reporting for duty." 
 
     "Lt., I am Lt. Cmmdr. Akimbe Assali." Akimbe noted the 
darker complexion and slightly upturned ears. He couldn't help 
but notice the dark hair and green eyes. 
 
     "Lt. Cmmdr. Assali, I am reporting for service as ORACLE 1 operator." 
 
     "Very good. I haven't looked at that system yet. So you may 
have some minor difficulties." 
 
     Assali watched from tactical as the Lt. took a seat at one of the 
side duty stations, Directly across from the helm. He noted that 
Lt. Qhasmon had turned and looked for a moment at the newest bridge 
officer. Similarly Lt. Olgin Penthrach had raised an eyebrow, yet 
simply turned and continued with his work. 
     Assali glanced back at his sensor readouts. He decided that this 
must rank as one of the most unique bridge crews ever. 
 
     Eleyasan T'irna sat at her position and acclimated herself to 
the various readouts and touch-sensitive pads. This was exactly like the 
'mock-up' on which she had been trained. 
 
     "Lt. Cmmdr. now beginning ORACLE initiation sequence." 
 
     She glanced over her displays as they 'came up'. So far everything 
was in acceptable norms as far as she could tell. Actually, she wasn't 
quite sure what to expect, she just knew that the information that was 
coming in 'looked' normal. 
 
     "I'm bringing the system on-line slowly sir, so that we can 
detect any problems." 
 
     She continued looking over her displays. Several times she had 
to re-adjust the power flow to certain sensors, but aside from such 
minor inconveniences, the system responded normally. 
 
     "Alright Lt. Let's see what we can look at." 
 
     Assali looked at his tactical display. 
     "Patch tactical through your ORACLE sensors." 
 
     Instantly the display changed. He had to zoom in several times 
so that he could look at a small enough area. He could easily read 
an incredible amount of information about the ships within range. 
 
     "Excellent work Lt. ". Assali looked at the transponder codes for 
some of the ships within range, then he noticed one that was familiar. 
He zoomed in. It was the Merrimack. He looked at its power status, 
and laughed. The sensors gave a very accurate picture of what he 
remembered. 
 
     "Mr. Penthrach contact the Captain and let him know that we have 
ORACLE on line." 
 
.... 
 
     'TIME, IT'S ALMOST TIME' Captain Malory thought as he sat in 
his Captain's chair. His first officer stood over him at the tactical 
duty station, while to his front and far left sat Eleyasan T'irna. 
To his front and near left, at the helm, sat X'anfrey Qhasmon. To 
his front and right hulked Olgin Penthrach. 
     All systems had been brought on line and were, so far at least, 
in operational order. All excess personnel had disembarked. Now the 
ship simply waited in space. It was four hours before the Delphi 
was scheduled to leave. 
 
     "Mr. Penthrach, contact Star Fleet Command. Inform them that we 
are ready to depart dry dock." 
     "Yes sir." 
 
     "Sir, StarFleet command is sending a Captain's Priority message." 
 
     Malory perked. 
     "I'll take it in my ready-room. Mr. Assali, you have the bridge." 
 
     Malory sat down in front of his view screen. 
     "Captain Malory. You will proceed from dry-dock to section 1 of 
the Romulan Neutral Zone. En route you will stop at Starbase 89 
for your last command crew member. I stress to you now, that you will 
be one of the closest Federation ships to the Romulans. We do have ships 
nearby, but Time is life in space. Star Fleet wants to ascertain the 
ability of ORACLE to detect Romulan ships as well as long range ship 
detection. Due to the proximity of your location however, we 
will wait for you to return to a StarBase before evaluating ORACLE's 
performance. 
     Good Luck Captain. 
     Permission to leave dry-dock granted. 
     Godspeed." 
 
     Malory eased back. It wasn't every day that one takes a new 
ship out of dry-dock. Nor is it every day that one is addressed by 
a top StarFleet Admiral. 
     Malory rose and exited his ready-room. 
     On the bridge, Malory strode down the ramp, and rather than 
settling into his seat, took position in the very front of the bridge, 
so that he could address his command crew. He noticed that Lt. Garin 
Meede had entered the bridge and was standing beside the turbo-lift 
door. 
     Malory addressed his bridge crew. 
 
     "Senior crewmen,  and women, we have permission to leave dry-dock. 
Before we leave however, I shall tell you of our mission. We are to 
test ORACLE along the edge of the Neutral Zone. Along the way, we will 
also explore some of the uncharted systems that skirt the Neutral Zone as 
well as charting new systems. The way will be long and potentially 
dangerous. But working together we will succeed." 
 
     Malory smiled. 
 
     "And if that isn't a hokey-enough send-off message, I don't know 
what is... Let's begin." 
 
     Malory strode back and sat in his chair. 
     "Mr. Korn prepare your engines for warp speed. Lt. T'irna, 
bring ORACLE to standard operating status. Mr. Assali clear 
umbilical supports." 
 
     "ORACLE engaged Captain." 
 
     "Umbilical supports and moorings clear. We are free to navigate." 
 
     "Mr. Qhasmon, ahead one-quarter impulse." 
 
     The Delphi surged forward under her own power. Within moments 
the crab-like dry-dock was left behind. 
 
     "Mr. Qhasmon, set course for Starbase 89. Warp factor 1, 
then incremental, as Mr. Korn adjusts the warp engine." 
 
     "Course ready Captain, speed Warp Factor 1." 
 
     "Engage." 
 
     The Delphi, rocketed away, hurtling into a sea of stars. 
 
..... 
 
--

'Sooge'
sks1@ra.msstate.edu