'Strange Happenings'

By Lt. Cara Hatcher

CTO, USS-Grail

Ensign Stefani Vladinski, on the bridge, was only starting to relax around the calm and steady readings she was receiving from the 'big console', when a non-identified figure materialized on the bridge, right between the Ops and Con console.

She stared at the humanoid shape in disbelief for a few seconds before her officer's hard training guided her hand toward her commbadge…

**Chief Tactical Officer's office**

[Ensign Vladinski to Lieutenant Hatcher!]

The startled call of her youngest tactical officer had echoed through her small star-shaped communication device (commonly designated as 'commbadge'), at the exact same second as her behind landed on the chair she had just thrown herself onto, expecting to wait calmly for her assistant's arrival. Cara sighed and murmured a curse to the newly graduated officers' zeal.

=/\= Hatcher here, what can I do for you Ensign? =/\= , she answered in an as measured and controlled tone as possible.

[Sir, I think you'd better come down to the bridge, sir!]

Cara lifted her eyes toward the shielded stars shining behind the countless decks of the vessel, and rose to go back to the bridge.

=/\= Lieutenant Hatcher to Lt. Jg. Stone. No need getting down to my office. There seems to be a slight change of plans. Please join me on the bridge instead. =/\=

She thought it was very nice of her to save the pointless voyage to her assistant. [Acknowledge, Stone out.], came the reply over the golden badge pinned to her uniform.

**Bridge**

As the doors opened to let her in, and Ens. Vladinski gave her most distressed look, Cara caught a glimpse of the humanoid standing in the middle of the bridge consoles. From the confused look that could be read on most faces, Cara wondered if the stranger had

appeared out of thin air.

She did not appear to be in her best shape, for she was desperately clinging to the nearest console, seemingly on the verge to collapse. Commander Terrakian had already jumped to help her out. Cara looked around for security officers, but didn't see any. She assumed they had been called already; it was probably a matter of seconds now before they showed up. In the mean time, she felt it was her responsibility to act. She drew out her phaser and pointed it at the intruder, as a tall man in gold entered the bridge. It was him. Her assistant. She recognized him from the holo-picture she had received along with his Starfleet files.

"Stone!", she called out. He approached and she set her phaser right into his hand. "You keep an eye on her until security gets here. I have a few things to take care of up there." Hatcher left no time for Deric Stone to say something. In a heartbeat she had gripped his own phaser hanging at his belt, and sled behind the tactical console. The Grail's CTO was not a person to remain unarmed after handing a fellow officer her weapon. Stone straightened imperceptibly at the unexpected 'violation', but nonetheless immediately started his watch in a very professional way.

Cara stepped beside Stefani Vladinski and held her evasive gaze for a short moment.

"Ensign, report!" She forced the girl to focus and to give her a concise outline of the situation.

"I… I don't know sir. She just… appeared and… and…" Ens. Vladinski was frantically pointing in the intruder's direction. Cara sighed and closed her eyes, only to reopen them a second later with a renewed patience.

"Ensign Vladinski, she murmured in the ensign's ear, you're relieved for now. I strongly suggest that you go get a glass of cold water and a tranquilizer before you die of a heart attack at your first duty shift."

Stefani looked crestfallen, but Cara knew such words would benefit her in the long run. Fear was a weak emotion, and weak emotions were the first one had to learn to master in order to become an efficient officer. She would make a point in teaching that to her subalterns, even if she knew she couldn't always follow the rule herself. But nevermind, she was the boss.

As Ensign Vladinski turned to leave the bridge, Cara began scanning around for a nearby vessel. The stranger had obviously been transported to the ship, so there HAD to be one. Logically. But the fact was, there was none. Cara extended her scans using the long range sensors, but all the ships within transporter range answered negatively as to the fact that they had allowed someone to beam over to their ship. Mysterious.

Just then, new readings began to dance on her screen. Something was forming in the nearby space…

"What the…" she said in disbelief.

"Commandant, a man she had never seen before, standing near the Ops console, reported, a wormhole is forming in the system... and an object is coming out of it!"

"Receiving a distress signal from it, sir.", Cara confirmed.

"Sensors indicate a lifeform aboard, sir, added the same man. Lifesigns are stable. It looks like some kind of escape pod."

Cara was beginning to feel some of the panic that had stricken Ens. Vladinski, except that she wouldn't let it show. Two emergencies in less than two minutes ! Well, if the whole trip to the Delta quadrant went like this, no one would ever have to complain about not

getting any action !

So, what happens next ?, she thought…

<<Go security! : ) >>