Ad Astra :: Star Trek Fanfiction Archive ^{Beam me up, Scotty.}

Chapter Text

The Star Beagle Adventures                                                
Episode 2: Astral Traveller
Scene 3: Patches

2.3
Patches

The task force, consisting of the U.S.S. Mako, under the command of Captain Yui Song, the U.S.S. Beagle, under the command of Captain Skip Howard, and the U.S.S. Escort, under the temporary command of Lt. Cmdr. Vranran zh’Kathar (whose captain, Rhonda Carter, was still recovering from a phaser wound aboard the Beagle), was headed toward the Deep Space 9 space station. 

The rescued trill miners, following extensive decontamination in the Beagle’s medical center, had been removed to the Mako under security and were confined to quarters. They were to be handed over to Star Fleet security at DS9, there to await transport to their homeworld for trial.

Project Manager Kiasias Tidun was being interviewed by Captain Yui Song of the U.S.S. Mako in her captain’s lounge. Lt. Cmdr. Senek, the U.S.S. Beagle’s science officer, was also present. Tidun could barely keep her eyes off the gorgeous vulcan. 

Senek’s mournful expression made it eloquently clear that he was well aware that at the moment he was a useful interrogation tool, his simple presence distracting the trill project director and bringing down her defenses. 

“I was given the commission by Market Director Sala Vax,” Tidun said, in answer to Captain Yui. “He negotiated it with a ferengi merchant shipmaster named Dalt.”

“Did he look anything like this?” Lt. Cmdr. Senek pressed a control on his tricorder and the image of a ferengi was projected.

“I never saw Daimon Dalt,” Tidun replied. She tore her eyes away from Senek long enough to look at the image. “But I do know this one. That is Blik. He was our guide. He had hired a klingon ship for safety. Apparently several ferengi factions had competing claims on the planet. They were hiring us with the intent that we were to get there and establish mining operations first. Blik and his klingon ship cleared the way for us.”

“And what was so valuable that you would risk your crew, Federation treaty law and Ferengi Alliance space to stake that claim?” Captain Yui asked.

“We were told that the system was rich in dilithium, bauxite, strontium, but most importantly, a trove of bio-generated information processing nodules,” Tidun responded. “Mushrooms.” She closed her eyes and shuddered. “We plugged them into the computer and they learned the computer. Then we found out they could move on their own - travel through subspace. Then they started taking over crew members... I realized what a threat they were and initiated self-destruct… I don’t remember much after that - just flashes - until waking up in the medical center on that other ship. Even since then to now… everything’s really patchy. I remember the room with the others, but I don’t remember how I got from there into this room.”

2.3