From: kinnema@wkuvx1.bitnet (Mark Kinney, Attorney at Chaos)
Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative
Subject: TNG: Baptism By Fire [1]
Date: 11 Sep 92 15:29:23 CDT
Organization: Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY

Well, here's part one of a TNG story I'm brainstorming (based on a
story idea I came up with and am going to use somewhere, with
borrowings from a certain author from the 1920's and '30's (and if you
can guess who, you shall receive the satisfaction of knowing who :))

Here goes... (BTW, if anyone really wants to archive this, go right
ahead)

STAR TREK::Baptism By Fire [Part 1]

	"Captain's Log, Stardate 47123.1.  We have just completed a
replenishment stop at Starbase 2, and are currently on our way to
Fomalhaut, the last known location of the science vessel USS Bloch. 
Contact was lost seven standard days ago, and we have been assigned to
discover the reason why, and implement emergency measures should they
become neccessary."
	Jean-Luc Picard flipped off the recording device and swivelled his
chair to watch the stars in the window streak by.  The day had been long,
and he found himself more easily distracted than usual.  He almost didn't
notice the door signal some time later.
	"Come," he said when he finally noticed.
	The door slid open to reveal his visitor as Commander William
Riker.  Riker strode over to the Captain's desk.
	"Sir, we're entering the Fomalhaut system."

	On th bridge, Picard asked for a status report.
	"There appears to be no activity in the system," Lieutentant Worf
announced from tactical. 
	"The system is scattered with debris," added Commander Data. "In
addition, Fomalhaut itself seems to be unusually active, as sensors are
detecting pockets of plasma at varying distances from the surface of the
star."
	"Any sign of the Bloch?" Picard asked.
	"Captain, something is comeing out from behind one of the planets,"
Worf said. "It appears to be a ship of some sort."
	"I agree, Captain," Data said. "It appears to be a Miranda class
starship."
	"Visual," Picard commanded.  Worf activated the viewscreen, which
displayed the image of a Miranda class starship slowly moving from behind
one of Fomalhaut's three sattelites.
	"It appears to be adrift, sir," Data observed.
	It was now apparent that the ship was spiraling.  The saucer was
soon at such an angle to reveal the call number and name: NCC-14351 USS
BLOCH.
	"Troi?" Picard turned to his ship's counselor.
	"I don't sense anything at all, Captain.  Absolutely nothing."
	"Data?"
	"Sensors indicate that the Bloch has been subjected to extreme heat
stress.  I detect no life forms on board."
	"On one of the planets, then?"
	"Checking... No, I detect no indication of life.  However, sensors
are detecting other derelects coming out from behind the blind zone behind
the star," Data said.
	"I detect them too," Worf verified.  "Several unknown, one
identified as a Romulan Bird of Prey-"
	"Bird of Prey!?" Riker interrupted.  "Romulan!?  Didn't they stop
using those almost a century ago?"
	"Indeed, Number One," Picard answered, not sure of what to make of
these developments.  "Continue, Lieutenant."
	A more annoyed look than usual crossed Worf's face, and then he
continued.  "One ship indicative of a First Federation craft, and one Orion
design."
	"Hmm," Picard emitted. "It seems we're dealing with an interstellar
Sargasso."
	Data looked at Picard with his "what are you talking about" look,
and then made the connection.  "Indeed sir, except that there is no
overabundance of acquatic plant life in this-"
	"Data!"
	"Sorry sir."
	"What about the other ships?"
	"Sensors indicate heat stress similar to that indicated on the
Bloch."
	Picard paced accross the bridge once.  "Number One, prepare an
away team to go aboard the Bloch.  I want to find out what happened to the
crew."
	Riker signalled to Worf and Data, and then tapped his communicator.
"Commander LaForge, Doctor Crusher, report to transporter room two."

	The transporter room of the Bloch was a shambles, and a seriously
toasted shambles at that.  Exposed wiring from some of the melted polymer
walls still smouldered.  Amid all of this was a flash of blue light and the
arrival of Riker's away team.
	Data immediately checked his tricorder, and verified no life on
board the ship.
	"Okay," Riker said. "Geordi, Worf, check engineering and see if
this ship can still go.  Data, Doctor, come with me."
	The first sight outside of the transporter room was the charred
body of an Andorian.

	"There's a signal coming in from the Bloch captain," the ensign at
tactical announced.
	"On screen."
	Commander Riker appeared in the foreground, with Beverly Crusher
and Data analyzing something in the background.
	"Captain, the entire crew seems to have been burned to death,"
Riker said.
	"Was there a fire?" Picard asked.
	"Data says that the damage on board was not consistent with a
shipboard fire, just exposure to extreme heat in certain areas.  Crusher
says the crew was essentially... baked."
	"Actually, Commander, the word 'broiled' would probably-" Data
interrupted before being stopped by Doctor Crusher.
	Picard let loose a heavy breath.  "Very well, Number One.  How
about engineering?"
	"LaForge says the engines are inoperable.  Would you believe the
dilithium crystals are *melted*?"
	Picard looked vaguely surprised, then shrugged it off, adding
"Gather your team and beam back aboard, then.  Engineering, lock tractor
beam onto the Bloch."
	Counselor Troi approached the Captain.
	"Captain, I'm sensing a very strong anxiety," she said.
	"From the crew?  The away team?"
	"No... I don't really know where it's coming from."
	"Captain, there's a plasma surge from the star heading our way,"
the helmsman announced.
	"Computer, locate the away team," Picard snapped.
	"The away team is in transporter room two," the female voice of the
computer answered.
	"Good.  Helm, move us out of the way."
	Riker, Data, and Worf soon arrived back on the bridge, and resumed
their stations.  Worf almost immediatly barked, "Captain, another ship
detected emerging from the blind zone."
	"It appears to be immoble, Captain," Data added. "I would speculate
that our movement caused us to discover it.
	"Can you give me a visual?" Picard asked.
	The viewscreen shifted sights to the new contact, revealed to be a
huge, irregularly surfaced, high-tech cube.

==============================================================================
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Let me know what you think of this, please.  I'll probably
run another part of it, but whether I "waste" ( :) ) my time finishing it is 
up to you all.
-- 
Mark Kinney [KINNEMA@WKUVX1.(BITNET)(WKU.EDU)] | MEN AT WORK
PhoneNet: (502)745-4246	  (Bowling Green, KY)  | New .sig Under Construction
Quote of the week: "No, I'm sorry lads, he's still got 23 hit points to go!"
				-- "Dragonmirth," _Dragon_ #150