MiSTed: "Away From Home, Book 2" (1/2)
Mike Barklage
MiSTed: "Away From Home, Book 2: The Away Mission"
Group MiSTing by Mike Barklage (editor)
Petrea Mitchell
Todd Gilbert
This is a continuation of the MiSTing of "Away From Home" by
Stephen Ratliff. If you have not read part 1, I strongly
suggest that you do so before reading this.
As always, comments are welcome. Please send e-mail to
bark...@ucsu.colorado.edu. I will forward your notes
to the other two writers, Todd and Petrea.
6...5...4...3...2...1...*...
[Mike and the bots enter the theater.]
CROW: Exhibit R: Stephen Ratliff wore one of those Tor Johnson
masks for Halloween in 1983!
MIKE: That's enough, Crow.
> Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative
> From: srat...@ruacad.ac.runet.edu (Stephen Ratliff)
> Subject: Away From Home Message
> Date: Fri, 31 Mar 1995 01:50:47 GMT
>
> Message from the author of Away From Home.
TOM: Your author is away from home. Please leave a message.
> Away From Home's first section (the Field Trip) having been
> completely posted, I now turn to it's second section, the Away Mission.
> For those of you trying to keep up with my story's time frame,
CROW: ...I would recommend a severe beating.
> The Field
> Trip occurs at the end of season 5. The Away Mission occurs before
> Generations, and after All Good Things and my story Who Q? Where Q?
TOM: So it's a few years later, then.
MIKE: Any bets on whether Marissa's first period is over yet?
> Note to the archivist : The Parts of The Away Mission will be
> labeled starting with 11. An interlude will be part 8 and parts 9 and
> 10 do not exist.
CROW: It's Ratliff's version of the 18 minute gap.
>
>
> ______ Stephen Ratliff
> _-' . .`-_
> |/ / .. . ' .\ \| Radford Unversity Student
> |/ / ..\ \| (Sophmore)
> \|/ |: . ._|_ .. . | \|/ email:
> \/ | _|_ .| . .: | \/ srat...@rucs2.sunlab.cs.runet.edu
> \ / |. | . . .| \ / (perfered) or
TOM: "Perfered"? Ratliff can't even spell his own .sig right!
> \||| . . . _|_ .|||/ srat...@ruacad.ac.runet.edu
> \__| \ . :. .|. ./ |__/
> __| \_ . .. _/ |__ home address:
> __| `-______-' |__ 5249 Lakeland Drive
> -,____ ____,- Roanoke, Va 24018
> ---' `---
>
>
> From: srat...@ruacad.ac.runet.edu (Stephen Ratliff)
> Date: Tue, 11 Apr 1995 17:31:59 GMT
> Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative
> Subject: Away From Home parts 9-11 The Away Mission parts 1-3
MIKE: And "Away From Home" sweeps the double-header over "Away Mission"
by scores of 9-1 and 11-3!
>
>
>
> . S T A R T R E K |part| | | | | |
> . THE NEXT GENERATION |----| () | () | () | () | |
> . Away from Home |9-11|/&&\|/&&\|/&&\|/&&\| |
> . Book Two : |----| ## | ## | ## | ## | |
> . The Away Mission |1-3 | $$ | $$ | $$ | $$ | |
> . by Stephen Ratliff ==============================
CROW: Four voodoo dolls and a blank? I think that pays 20 to 1.
> Chapter One
> ~~~~~~~~~~~
TOM: *sigh* Here we go again. <to others> Good luck, guys.
> Commander William T. Riker was on his way to Engineering when
> Marrissa caught up to him and called out, "Commander Riker."
MIKE: But he wasn't sure who she was addressing.
> "Yes, Lieutenant," Riker said as Marrissa pulled along side.
CROW: Pardon me, would you have any Grey Poupon?
> "I've been meaning to ask you why I haven't been on one of your
> away teams yet," She asked. "According to the Computer I am the only
> one who hasn't."
TOM: Maybe because you're 12 and not a real officer?
> "I never thought I would be this close to 100% away team
> parceapation," Riker commented.
MIKE: <Riker> I've got to start excluding more crewmembers.
> "Refresh my memory, what are your qualifications, Lieutenant."
CROW: <Marrissa> For one, I can spell "participation"...
> "I'm seventh in the phaser accuracy ratings," Marrissa replied.
TOM: Out of 1400 of the "best" officers in Starfleet. Right.
> "Commander Data list me as a specialist in Trakce and Feudal culture.
MIKE: ...but not grammar.
CROW: That's nice, but we're in Vulcan space right now.
> You are the only pilot on board with higher ratings."
TOM: No wonder they keep losing shuttlecraft.
> "I will keep you in mind," Riker said.
MIKE: <Riker> ...but I won't select you.
> "Why did you come to me?
> Surely your father could have asked me to take you on a mission."
CROW: <Marrissa> He could have, but he's dead, DEAD, *DEAD*!!!
> "Two reasons, one I prefer to avoid having my father intervening
> on my behalf," Marrissa stated.
TOM: <Marrissa> ...except when I don't get my way.
> "And two it looks better on my record if
> if I ask for more and different duties."
MIKE: Bet it doesn't look so good when she gets turned down.
> "Be careful you don't take on too much," Riker said. "You can
> only do so much."
CROW: You can only save one universe at a time, sweetie.
> "I'm not stupid," Marrissa said.
TOM: <Marissa> I'm mental, not stupid.
> "I carefully check my schedule
> before asking for any duty. It keeps Counselor Troi off my tail."
ALL: <clear throats>
> "Good idea," Riker replied.
MIKE: <Riker> I wish Counselor Troi was on *my* tail...
> "By the way who are the people
> above you in the phaser ratings and how did you get up their so fast?"
CROW: By using the phaser.
TOM: <evil Marrissa voice> Now you die and we *all* move up in rank!
> "Data is number one followed by, Guinan,
ALL: Guinan?!
MIKE: So *that's* why there are never any brawls in Ten Forward.
> Worf, yourself, my father, Doctor Crusher
ALL: DR. CRUSHER?!
TOM: I'm quickly losing my faith in the competence of this crew.
CROW: You had faith?!
> and myself," Marrissa informed.
> "I didn't realize that the Doctor was so high in the rankings,"
> Riker commented.
MIKE: <Riker> For some reason, that turns me on.
> "The Doctor and I have been working on improving our phaser
> rankings," Marrissa said.
TOM: I stole some stuff from Sickbay and she's been hunting me down
ever since.
> "So that's your self-improvement project of the month," Riker
> remarked.
CROW: <bored> Uh huh... uh huh... <quiet> oh please, God, get her away
from me!
> "Last months, this months is putting up with insulting ensigns,"
> Marrissa said.
> "Why?"
MIKE: <Riker> Why not just punch their lights out?
> "They keep calling me Risa," Marrissa said with an under-tone of
> frustration. "Their are only two people alive who can call me that."
TOM: <Marrissa> And they're both dead.
> "Is their a name you liked that people use to call you?" Riker
> inquired.
CROW: Yes, I like "Your Holiness".
> "My natural father use to call me Princess," Marrissa mused.
MIKE: And he called himself King Ludwig.
> "Mom use to think it was funny for some reason."
TOM: But Mom was never the same after the accident.
> "Interesting, by the way who are the people who can get away
> with calling you Risa," Riker asked.
> "The Captain and Jay," Marrissa replied.
MIKE: Weren't they an old band from the 70s?
> "Jay? Why him?"
CROW: He has certain... pictures.
> "I am not going to answer that."
> "I could order you to."
> "You wouldn't DARE."
TOM: ...to stay off drugs.
MIKE: <Marrissa, menacingly> You know what happens to people who get
in my way!
> Then the red alert lights went on and the Computer announced,
> "RED ALERT, RED ALERT, Commander Riker, report to the Bridge, Lieutenant
> Picard, report to the Bridge, RED ALERT."
CROW: Everyone else have a capuccino. They can handle it.
>
> Captain Picard was in command, Data at Ops, Worf at Tactical and
> some Ensign at CONN
TOM: Ensign Throwaway, perhaps?
> when Marrissa and Commander Riker arrived on the
> bridge. "Marrissa get a PADD from my Ready Room," Captain Picard said.
MIKE: Make it "Imzadi." I didn't like "The Siege."
> "We have need of your Trakce expeirance."
> As Marrissa entered the Ready Room, Riker said, "Trakce? We
> haven't heard from them in years."
TOM: Yeah, but the foreshadowing was pretty thick.
> As soon as Marrissa returned to the bridge Captain Picard said,
> "We are on our way to the planet Dublin. We have received a distress
> call from them. Mr Worf, replay the message."
> "Aye, sir"
MIKE: That's a pretty inocuous message.
> The image of stars rushing by was replaced by a youthful
> colonial administrator. He began, " This is the planet Dublin, We are
> under attack by an unknown ship." (brief picture of yellow Trakce ship.)
CROW: <administrator> See?
TOM: It's a Vogon ship! Note how it hangs in the air in the same way
that bricks don't.
> "It has overwhelmed our defenses and landed on the planet. They are
> kidnapping our children.
MIKE: <administrator> And if word gets out that an undocumented alien is
watching my kids, I'll never be re-elected!
> Please re...." The message became static.
TOM: Re...turn your library books?
CROW: Re...hash old plots?
MIKE: Re...write this fanfic?
> "We will arrive in 5 minutes," Captain Picard said. "Marrissa,
> why would they be taking children."
> "Either One, obtaining slaves, Two looking for a puppet ruler,"
> Marrissa said.
TOM: *snicker* Um, yeah, that makes sense.
> "The last ins unlikely
CROW: <Marrissa> ...since I just made it up.
> but we shouldn't discount the possibility."
MIKE: Maybe they're simply taking hostages?
> "Thank you Marrissa, take Conn," Captain Picard said.
TOM: <Ensign> But sir...
CROW: <Picard> Get out of that chair, damn you! My little princess
will fly the ship!
> "Captain, since they are on the planet, multiple away teams with
> our best phaser accuracy people are in order," Commander Riker suggested.
MIKE: Yeah, forget diplomacy in a hostage situation. Just open fire.
TOM: And how *convenient* that Marrissa just raised her phaser ranking.
> "Agreed, Three teams lead by yourself, Data, and Worf," They
> quickly moved to the turbolift. Captain Picard opened his mouth to
> object to Marrissa's inclusion on the team.
MIKE: Umm... what inclusion?
CROW: This plot point left as an exercise for the reader.
> However a quick glare from Marrissa silenced him.
TOM: I wonder if she's related to Charlie X.
> It was not wise to oppose Marrissa's career ambitions.
CROW: <Marrissa> I will dominate you all! Even you, Daddy!
TOM: <hums "Shades of Shadow">
>
> Commander Riker's away team was forming up in Transporter Room
> One. "Remember our objective is to rescue the children," Riker said.
MIKE: <Riker> Oh yeah, and to shoot stuff.
> "If I am unavailable, Lieutenant Picard is in command due to her
> expeirance with this race.
TOM: And her complete lack of experience with away missions.
> Ensigns Lochard, Henderson, and Diral, you are our back up.
ALL: grumble grumble bitch grumble grumble captain's daughter grumble...
> Commander Riker, Marrissa and four yellow shirts took position
> on the transporter platform, phasers drawn.
CROW: The laundry's back, and it's ready to kick ass!
> "Entergize," Riker ordered.
MIKE: No, no, that was Ratliff's *first* story.
>
> The Away team beamed down in a low walled garden. The Yellow
> Trakce ship was just about 50 yards away on the other side. Suddenly
> purple energy bolts shot out from behind the low wall surrounding the
> Trakce ship.
CROW: <sobbing> But it says up there that the wall is surrounding
the *away team*, not the ship, and, and--
MIKE: <hugs Crow> Shhh, it's all right, Crow.
> The Starfleet officers dove for cover behind the blue gray stone wall.
TOM: Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to beam directly in front of their
phasers.
>
> Chapter Two
> ~~~~~~~~~~~
> The Away Team was pinned down behind the low garden wall.
CROW: Last time, on "Away From Home."
TOM: Just their luck: they try to hide behind it and it falls on them.
> "Damn Commander Riker said after missing a shot badly.
MIKE: <Riker> How could I have missed Marrissa at this range?
> "Watch your language, Commander," Marrissa said, taking a quick
> and surprisingly accurate shot at the Trakce, stunning one. "You
> shouldn't swear in front of children, or so Doctor Crusher keeps telling
> the Captain."
CROW: <Riker> Oh, shut the f--k up.
> "I'll try to remember that," Riker said, taking an even less
> successful shot.
MIKE: <Riker> Jeez, has she got a personal force field or something?
> "May I make a suggestion?" Marrissa asked.
TOM: <Marrissa> That phaser points the other way, numbnuts.
> "Go Ahead," Riker said, looking at Marrissa.
> "We have a fifteen meter long wall and we are only using about a
> fifth of it," Marrissa began. "If we spread out a ..."
CROW: Oh, you mean like this: " . . . "?
> At that moment
> she was interrupted and enveloped in a swirling purple transporter beam.
> "Damn," Riker cursed as Marrissa disappeared.
MIKE: <Riker> Hey, no fair! I called dibs!
> "Spread out, move after each shot.
TOM: This way, we'll be more like ducks in a shooting gallery!
>
> Marrissa matterailized, phaser drawn, on transporter platform in
> a medium sized red room,
CROW: She's in the White House?
> A Trakce with red and white hair ribbons was
> standing behind the console. Two more Trakce with red and gray ribbons
> were standing guard over three human children. Marrissa quickly took
> out the Trakce behind the console followed by the gray ribbons.
MIKE: ...while the Trakce, once again, did absolutely nothing.
TOM: <Marrissa> Three more! I'll have the Jonestown Life Achievement
Award in no time!
> "Who are you?"
CROW: <raspy voice> I'm Batman.
> a young red-headed girl of about ten years of age
> asked after the two gray ribboned collapsed beside her and the other tow
> children.
TOM: Sadly, Marrissa mistook her hair for a ribbon and shot her.
> "Lieutenant Marrissa Picard or the Federation Starship
> Enterprise," Marrissa said.
MIKE: I'm not sure which. I don't think I'm a starship, though.
> "Who are you?"
CROW: <raspy voice> I'm your worst nightmare.
MIKE: Okay, that's enough.
> "Heather O'Brien," the little girl said. "You can't be a
> Lieutenant. You're too young."
TOM: Well, you can't be an O'Brien. You aren't Irish-Japanese enough.
> Moving to the console Marrissa continued," That seems to be a
> common comment, but if you work hard enough and long enough you can be
> anything.
MIKE: Oh, she's a Republican.
> Hum-um, this is surprisingly simple.
CROW: Alien consoles in an unknown language? No problem!
> Heather would you take a message to the Enterprise for me?"
> "Sure, but how am I going to get there?" Heather asked.
TOM: <Heather> 'Cause we're in a transporter room and all and I don't
see any way...
> "If you and your friends get on the transporter pad I'll arrange
> a tour of the Federation Flagship," Marrissa replied.
MIKE: <Heather> Big deal, I wanna see the biggest ball of twine in Minnesota!
> "What's the message?" Heather inquired, mounting the platform.
CROW: "Prepare to be destroyed."
> "Ross, beam down were you came from.
TOM: Huh? Who's Ross?
CROW: If that's Ross from "Catching Trouble," I *will* see him die here.
> Marrissa is taking on the enemy, which follows," Marrissa said.
MIKE: The enemy is following Marrissa?
> "Now repeat it back."
TOM: <Heather> "Marrissa wants to die in a blaze of glory."
> "Ross beam down where we came from. Marrissa is taking on the
> enemy, which follows" Heather repeated as the two other children mounted
> the platform.
CROW: Now say it with feeling.
> "Good, entergizing," Marrissa said. The children disappeared
> "Now I wait."
MIKE: I wonder how many *days* it'll take for the Trakce to notice that
three of their crew are dead.
>
> Meanwhile in transporter room 1 the sudden materailization of the
> children lead to them being welcomed with phasers drawn.
TOM: Fortunately, the children died quickly and painlessly.
> Ross quickly
> motioned his fellow security officers to holster their phasers. "Welcome
> to the Enterprise, children," he said.
CROW: Smoking or non-smoking?
> "I have a message from the Lieutenant," Heather announced.
> "Yes?"
> "Ross beam down where we came from. Marrissa is taking on the
> enemy, which follows," Heather recited.
MIKE: <Ross> What the hell does *that* mean?
> "Transporter Room One to the Bridge," Ross Lochard said.
> "This is Captain Picard."
TOM: <Picard> I *am* the Bridge!
> "Marrissa just beamed some children on board," Ross informed the
> Captain.
CROW: We eat well tonight!
> "They say that she wants reinforcements and that she is sending
> some Trakce up. We will need more security and some one to look after
> the children."
MIKE: I'm sure Troi isn't doing anything important.
> "Beam down, I'll make sure everything up here is taken care of.
> Picard out."
TOM: I give up. I've got no idea where anyone is or where they're going.
> "Beam us down," Ross said as he joined Henderson and Diral on
> the transporter disks.
CROW: No fair, yours is a Bernoulli.
>
> The three some matterailized on the Trakce Transporter disks in the
> room Marrissa was in. "Ross, Ensign Henderson, Ensign Diral," Marrissa
> said, motioning toward the three prone Trakce. "Put these Trakce on the
> platform. The Enterprise could use some prisoners."
MIKE: They would really spruce up the place.
> They quickly got to work placing the Trakce on the plat form and
> beamed them up. Marrissa then noticed a nozzle near the ceiling of the
> room.
TOM: Hey, this isn't a shower, it's AAAAUUGH...
> Below it on the wall was a set of buttons. The first was labeled
> with a red circle.
CROW: So they're in the red-light district?
> The second was a red line above a red button.
MIKE: It says, "Push here for 1, 2, 3, or 9".
> The third a red line with a green circle below.
TOM: Ah, the international symbol for "bad fanfic."
> The fourth button was a red box with two green circles in it.
CROW: Beware of cheesy matte effects?
> Below all for buttons was a green bar with a green light in it.
> Marrissa took out here tricorder and scanned the wall.
TOM: <Marrissa> Looks like Brady Bunch wallpaper.
MIKE: Next, she scanned a sandwich.
> Meanwhile Ensign Lochard was examining the panel by the door. he
> was trying to figure how to open the door.
CROW: Lochard's not exactly long on brains, I guess.
> "Lieutenant I thing I have figured out how to open the door," he said.
MIKE: <Lochard> There's a doorknob!
TOM: These people have been spoiled by doors you just walk at.
> "Take up positions," Marrissa ordered.
CROW: Assume the position!
> Marrissa and Ensign
> Lochard took one side and Ensigns Henderson and Diral the other. "Now."
MIKE: They broke into a spontaneous dance number.
> Ross pressed a bottom by the doors did not open.
TOM: <Marrissa> Ross, remove your hand or I tell my dad!
> Instead an
> alarm went off and the over the intercom came the message that when
> translated said, "Intruder Alert. Enemy in the transporter room."
MIKE: Wow, all that because Ross touched Marrissa's hinder.
> The panel went blank a did the transporter console. "Great,
> just great," Marrissa said.
CROW: <Marrissa> I'm being sarcastic. Can't you *tell*?
> "Lieutenant Picard to Enterprise." A nasty
> static came over the communicator. "Great trapped in the transporter
> room in a minute some one will probablely break down the door."
TOM: If you're in that much trouble, might I suggest, oh, BEAMING OUT?!
> Then
> Marrissa noticed that her panel was still lit. Proceeding across the
> room she said, "Could they be so stupid?"
MIKE: Well, aliens are only as smart as their creators.
> "Stupid?" Ross inquired.
CROW: <Marrissa> What did you call me?
> "I think this panel is intruder control," Marrissa said. "It's
> still working. If it is designed well it should lock the door before it
> releases it's gas.
TOM: But since they're stupid, who knows.
> However I don't think Sulfur oxide in this quality
> is going to make more than a stink. Especially since their is only 20
> milliliters of it in here."
> "Then lets do it." Ross said.
MIKE: As soon as we figure out what the hell you're talking about.
> "Not so fast Ensign," Marrissa said. "I think the first one is
> this room only. The second is this room and the corridor and the third
> just the corridor. The fourth appears to be all the ship exception of two
> rooms probablely here and the bridge. The green bar is most likely a
> clean up device."
CROW: <Marrissa> Or it could be the ship's self-destruct sequencer. I'm
not sure.
> "May I suggest the fourth?" Ensign Lochard said.
> "Agreed, we need to disable as many as we can," Marrissa said,
> pressing the fourth button. An red outline appeared around the button,
> and the green light inside the green bar turned red. An heavy object
> hit the door.
TOM: So the ship's intruder controls are all in the transporter room? The
place most likely to have intruders??
CROW: <giggling> Aren't plot conveniences great?
MIKE: Judging by those last two sentences I'm willing to bet Ratliff has an
entire editing cycle completely devoted to adding adjectives.
> "Apparently it worked," Ross observed as the red outline
> disappeared.
TOM: Since the battering ram just hit the door and everything.
> "Now to see if I can clear it up," Marrissa said. She pressed
> the green bar. The light turned yellow. After a minute the light
> turned green and the door opened.
> Marrissa turned around and saw the Trakce in the doorway. His
> yellow hair was drawn back with a red and a gray ribbon. The alien's
> eyelid's were open but his eyes were rolled back revealing a violet
> ball.
CROW: Hey, when I said they had croquet balls for brains, I didn't know!
> Marrissa scanned him with her tricorder and said, "Oh, No, no
> life signs, He's dead." Falling to her knees she continued, "What have I
> done?"
TOM: <Elmer Fudd> I killed the wabbit...
>
> Chapter Three
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> "What have I done?" Marrissa repeated, on her knees next to the
> dead Trakce.
MIKE: After kill #374, Marrissa finally begins to show remorse.
> "Lieutenant, I am detecting three Alien life signs in a room ant
> the end of the corridor," Ensign Ross Lochard said. Marrissa was
> silent. "Lieutenant? ... Marrissa snap out of it."
CROW: Stop feeling guilty, it's just a dumb old alien.
> Marrissa shook her head to clear her mind and got up.
TOM: <Marrissa> Well, let's get rid of all that nasty guilt. There! I'm
all better!
> "What was that Ross?"
CROW: <Ross Hagen> Chili peppers burn my gut!
> "I have detected three Trakce life signs at the end of the
> corridor," he replied. "In addition I read a hundred human life signs
> on the deck below us."
MIKE: Sounds like they're ripe for a peasant revolt.
> "Any additional Trakce life signs?" Lieutenant Marrissa Picard
> asked.
> "No, sir," Ensign Ross Lochard replied.
TOM: So this Trakce invasion consists of, like, 6 aliens?
> "Then lets get to those remaining Trakce," Marrissa replied.
CROW: <Marrissa> I find I like killing.
> "Ensign Lochard lead the way, Henderson guard the rear.
MIKE: <Marrissa> Keep Ross away from me, Henderson.
> Oh and Ross..."
> "Yes Lieutenant," Ross responded.
> "Don't call me sir," Marrissa said. "I'm half your age.
TOM: <Ross, bitter> Don't remind me, SIR...
> Call me by my rank or my first name please."
CROW: Or don't call me at all.
>
> Moments later the four officers were outside the closed bridge
> doors. "Do you think you can open this one, Ross," Marrissa asked.
> "With out the alarm please."
MIKE: Jeez, you don't have to be so snotty about it.
> "Yes Lieutenant, this door only has one button," Ross Lochard
> replied.
TOM: Then he should be able to figure it out much quicker.
CROW: <Ross> It's marked "3000 VOLTS - DO NOT TOUCH." Should I touch it?
> "Then Diral, Henderson, you go in first," Lieutenant Picard
> ordered.
MIKE: You're in no danger, you have real names.
> "Ross and I will follow. Don't allow anyone to press a button.
> Ross open the door.
>
CROW: <Ross> But, uh, I have to press a button.
TOM: Speaking of which, let's get out of here.
[They leave the theater.]
1...2...3...4...5...6...*...
[SoL. Gypsy is alone on the bridge. An alarm starts beeping.]
GYPSY: Huh? Unidentified object at close range... Cambot, give me
Rocket #9!
[Switch to Rocket #9. A teddy bear is floating all alone in the night.
It's wearing a read and blue baseball cap and some sort of baseball
shirt. As it tumbles towards the camera, one can make out "J. S." on
the front of the shirt and "BABEARLON 5" on the back.]
[SoL]
GYPSY: Aww... poor little guy! Hang on, I'm coming out!
[Rocket #9. The bear hits the camera with an audible <whump>, then gets
pulled away to the side.]
[SoL. Gypsy isn't there; Mike and Tom wander in.]
TOM: ...it was just a fluke, I tell you. The Flyers are going all the
way this year, no ifs, ands, or buts!
[Gypsy comes in and drops the bear on the counter.]
MIKE: Gypsy, what's this?
GYPSY: It was floating by and hit Rocket #9.
TOM: <as Mike picks up the bear> Geez, Gypsy, do you have bring in every
piece of space junk that floats by us?
MIKE: Yeah!... He's kind of a cute li'l guy, though. <He and Tom start
playing with the bear>
[Crow comes in, carrying a pile of papers.]
CROW: Okay, Tom, I will *prove* to you that the Rangers can [sees bear]
OH MY GOD!!
MIKE: What is it, Crow?
CROW: <panicked> Mike, where did that thing come from???
MIKE: Gypsy brought him in. <to Tom and Gypsy> What do you think we should
call him?
GYPSY: Um...
TOM: How about Alvin?
CROW: We've got to get rid of it!
TOM: Why, Crow?
CROW: There must be a crossover field nearby! If we don't get that bear
off the ship, anything could happen!
[Mike and Tom look reluctant. Gypsy seems to be lost in a world of her
own.]
CROW: Besides, it could be carrying some mutant space virus or something.
MIKE: Yaaah!
[Mike runs off-screen; sounds of machinery are heard]
MIKE: <returning> Phew! That was a close one.
[The teddy bear floats past the SoL's window]
TOM: Aww... there he goes. <slight sniffle>
MIKE: It's okay, Tom, he's going back to join his own. <sees something
startling in the window> Hey, what's that??
[Mike, Tom, and Crow move to the window. Gypsy still looks occupied. Mys-
terious lights flash from outside, but the viewer can't see the source.]
CROW: Well, what do you know!
TOW: What the-- but that means they--
MIKE: Then she would--
CROW: But he can't--
MIKE: Then what about--
[The lights die down. Mike, Tom and Crow turn away from the window.]
CROW: Wow. This changes everything!
TOM: Yeah, we probably weren't supposed to know that until season 4 at
least!
MIKE: After seeing that, I'm just glad we got rid of that bear.
GYPSY: Jeffrey.
[pause]
OTHERS: Huh?
[Another pause, then alarms and sirens go off.]
MIKE: Never mind, we've got Ratliff sign!!!
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CONTINUED IN PART 2
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