Ya, prized Shetland pony stallion!

Man, I'm board.

The brig, once again.

Captain West's mental state has reached a critically low level after receiving a special treatment for several hours. Being exposed to HampsterDance and Titanic I-V (always starring Leonardo DiCaprio and with Celine Dion singing on every soundtrack) is extremely dangerous for every single brain cell. West has already started to convulse and drool.

The Furby sits in a comfy chair (with soft cushions) and watches the spectacle, sometimes eating popcorn, singing and doing a few selected dance moves.

My dear Captain West, I believe you simulate! If you don't answer my questions then I'll have to bite you.

West gasps a bit and wipes his chin

I'd say...you overextended your authority about 6 hours ago, furball.

He points to the ceiling

Drawback of the technological society we live in. Someone's always watching. Just wait until Amnesty Intergalactic gets a hold of this. You LICCers will find yourselves mining some dirt asteroid out past Vega. Want to cover it up? Obstruction of justice, conspiracy. Being a prisoner automatically grants you a LOT of rights...

Hate to tell you this, West, but you're technically a prisoner of the Galactic Order. And just in case you didn't know, Amnesty Intergalactic has no pull with Galactic Order, as yet. Contact them all you want. Doesn't matter, because they can't do dip-jack to help you.

He pauses.

Anytime you feel like talking, we'll be ready to listen.

Looking at Furby.

Give him another 30 minutes of HampsterDance, then start the Martha Stewart Living marathon.

Sure. The majority of my crimes were against Terran property and personnel, and I am a Terran citizen. If you think the GO has the slightest jurisdiction over my case, you're badly deluded.

Kiehart slaps his hands together excitedly. "Alright, it's time for the joyride. I'll have the lanch bay set our lasers to no-damage capacity and we can test the firing system. Some war games might prove useful in the shakedown."

This should be fun.
Alex pulls a pair of sunglasses from his pocket, puts them on, and heads towards the Turbolift.
Let's go.

Jackson and Butrfli stand nearby, giving Kiehart and Alex a hearty wave
Jackson: Have fun fighting each other!

Captain West, there are indeed cameras all over the ship. But they are mine! Har har har!!! Where do you think is the material for "Funny Hewmanoids" and "Hewmanoids in the Shower" on Furby TV coming from?

Onto your legal status: You are an "enemy combatant", not an ordinary prisoner. And you may know that this reduces your rights to ... uh ... NOTHING. Yeah, those thousand years old laws are still valid. Surprised?

And btw, as a Furby and part-time Sith Lord who has been canonized by all 47 popes in 2336 I openly laugh at A.I. and secretly finance them to cause trouble in the galaxy. Do you have an idea how many disguised Furbys are working there? Har har har!!!

Oh, and now that you have confessed being a criminal would you please so kind and provide us with a detailed list of what you've done and what you're planning in the future?

Once or twice Observer opens his eyes again, but just as he begins to fall into dreamless sleep...

Two very soft knocks at the door. His eyes snap open. Very odd occurance. Anyone wishing to enter would simply push the anunciator button.)

Computer, freeze display.

(He gets up, stretches a little, and walks over to the door. It slides open, and...)

...Quito rushes past Observer into his quarters. After a frantic look around, and a brief, questing telepathic pulse, she stamps her foot in frustration and flings her doll across the room.

Observer goes to her, trying to hold her quiet, hushing her, but Quito will have none of it. She grabs his tunic, tugging on it as if trying to get his attention. As he looks into the child's huge eyes, her mind pulls his along to something so small he is amazed she picked it up, and slightly chagrined that he had not.

A gentle, relentless tugging on the dimensional fabric of the LICC universe--close to, but still outside, the Spidership. As if something is trying to push its way through. Not mechanically, though; the tugging is centered by a totally unfamiliar telepathic pattern, and a sense of desperate strength, which might not be enough to actually open such a portal.

Yet Quito seems to recognize something about this pattern. At the very least her response to it, filling those glittering eyes and quivering antennae, is clear: Help, please! Help.

(Observer focuses his eyes back on Quito. He had been examining the anomaly with what little psychic power he had left, but the demands of the little girl brought him back to normality. He continues to try to calm her.)

Now, now, we'll find it, we'll take care of it. But we'll have to hurry. We'll go right now, is that okay?

(Quito sends an emphatic 'yes'.)

Alright. Don't forget Brooke.

(The doll leaps from the floor where it was flung, flies through the air and lands in Observer's outstretched hand. He gives it to Quito.)

Okay, I know how we can find it, follow closely.

(Quito nods, and they both leave Observer's quarters. Halfway down the corridor, Observer stops by a wall panel.)

Computer, I need directions to Dimensional Cartography.

"Follow the light pattern to the turbolift."

Thank you. Let's go, Quito.

(They run off down the corridor.)

Dimensional Cartography

(Enesku is in a passionate smooching embrace with a redshirt, when Observer and Quito run in. Enesku tears her mouth away from that of the redshirt, and turns to face them)

What the - ? I thought no-one would ever come into dimensional cartography when the ship was docked! And I haven't even made that 'Hey, that shirt of yours is bad luck, maybe you should take it off' line!

(Enesku dismisses the redshirt)

What are you two doing down here anyway?

(The redshirt is so dazed after the kiss that he doesn't look where he's going, and wanders down the corridor and into a rec room where a yellowshirt is practising knife-throwing.)

The ship docked with the Starbase, Gene disembarked, and touched his earring.

Gene: "Where are they?"

Aurthor gave him Commander Milkshake's location, and Gene left to find him.

Quito glances at Enesku, wrinkling her nose as if smelling something bad, then starts pulling on Observer's cloak again.

The "tugging" is getting fractionally stronger, but the pattern behind it is also more desperate.

All right.

Enesku, we're hoping to find out soon enough. Here, Quito, sit here and I'll find where the noise is coming from, okay? That's a girl.

(Observer turns on the huge bank of Manta computers that provide the processing power for the calculations involved in charting foreign universes. The consoles begin to come to life, humming and flashing, and the Sub-Zenki AntiRealizer machine once again tears open a tiny rift in space/time, contained in a Plotonium sphere in a corner of the room, just big enough for the Dimensional Cartography sensors to peer through. Observer sits himself at the main console, and begins a scan of local space in multiple dimensions.)

On the station, Jackson and Butrfli have arrived at a speeder and shuttle dealership and are looking at the various options.
Jackson: ...in short, we're looking for an RV type of thing.
Salesperson: Hmm... I think I know what you might want. Follow me.
The salesperson leads the pair what looks to be a small spaceship.
This, my friends, is the Hauramdi 15-X special. Comfortable, latest in everything one could ask for, great for the growing family. Say, you look familiar.
Jackson: Well, I'm Jackson Dupree Tacoman...
Salesperson: Tacoman? As in leader of the LICC?
Jackson: Former leader, actually. Returning from the dead has a calming effect on a person...
Salesperson: Um... yeah... Anyway, I could probably get you a great deal on this. How about a test drive?
Jackson: Of course.
Jackson and Butrfli pilot the ship around the neighboring space and return, ready to buy it.
Salesperson: Very good. Will that be cash or credit?
Jackson: Credit. Here's my DOS card.
Salesperson: Let me run it through here...everything looks good and checks out... Congratulations, you've got yourself a ship.
Jackson: And thank you. Just send it over to the Spidership.

Wayne and Kent are at a parts dealer. Kent is looking through some junk, while Wayne talks to the dealer a few feet away.

Wayne: Got any Kespera 720-Cs?

Dealer: No, but I have a few 720-Bs.

Wayne: The 720-B is junk.

Dealer: Really? Why do you say that?

Kent (walking over): They're prone to stress fracture, because the Kespera corporation used a cheap metal alloy to make the internal parts. And the recoil compensators on the 720-B are 20% less effective than on the 720-C. In fact, the 720-B model was scrapped less than a month and a half into production.

Dealer (angry): Dang! Some guy from Kasnita II sold me three of the 720-Bs yesterday, and I thought I was making a bargain on the deal!

Wayne: Sorry.

Dealer (nodding his head): Not your fault, son. You two need anything else?

Wayne hands him a PADD. He looks over it for a minute.

Dealer: I have everything in stock, except the Plorman Isotope Matrix and the Colex Heat Refractor. I can get you the Plorman, but it'll take a couple days for it to come in. Can't help with the Colex, though. I don't usually stock those.

Kent: Get the Plorman, please. We'll be here for about 3 more days, so we can wait. As for the rest....we'll be back in a couple of hours. Can you have everything ready by then?

Deal (smiling): No problem.

Kent and Wayne leave the shop.

Milkshake walks out of Zelm's Sports Bar while the crowd gets ugly. The mostly-Earther crowd does not like the Terran defeat. He heads toward a quieter portion of the Shopping Deck.

If you don't know what you're looking for, how can you expect to find it?

(A song based on that line is sung for the next five minutes by an animated Glenn Yarborough. Fortunately, before it can go on any longer Enesku picks up the minstrel's lute and breaks it over his head.)

Ansh rolls over in her sleep and then finds that Quito isn't in beside her anymore.

Quito? Computer locate Quito Power

Computer: Quito Power is in Dimensional cartography.

Ansh gets up, quickly dresses and runs out of the door in the direction of Dimensional Cartography

(In her quarters looking at what Starbase Z-Alpha has to offer)

Oooo! Kawaii!!! They have a Beauty Man Garden here!

(Then a banging at her door)
Mom: Grissy! Are you ready to go yet?!

*Sigh* I wonder if there's any way to dump mom?

(in the afterlife the dead villain from the previous board is having problems with the receptionist)

Of course I'm dead! I fell down a turboshaft!

Roxy (chewing gum, speaking in a Noo Yawk accent): Look, accordin' to ya recahds, ya won't be born for anudder 50 years. Now how can ya die afors you wuz born? So obviusly ya ain't dead.

Why would I lie about being dead?

Roxy: It'z da Afterlife. We gots people dyin' ta get in heyuh. Now beat it! (Lee is sent back to his body. A minute later the regular receptionist returns.)

Receptionist: Thanks for watching the desk for a few minutes, Roxy.

Roxy: No prob.

Receptionist: Any trouble?

Roxy: Jus' sum wannabe ghoul. I took care uv him.

Receptionist: Good.

(back in the Land of the Living) Owwwww...

I don't believe this. Rejected by the afterlife. Well now that I've got a second chance I'm going to make the most of it. Starting with... (at that moment a turbolift stopping at the bottom deck crushes him)

The universe hates me.

As Jackson and Butrfli wander the station, they find themselves on the main Shopping Deck, where they run into Milkshake.
Jackson: Well, we bought ourselves a ship. It's a
Hauramdi 15-X special, and it's a beauty.
Milkshake: Where are the kids?
Butrfli: We have them in the station's day care center. We wanted to spend some time together.
Just then, a kid rushes by and smacks right into Jackson. Jackson looks down.
Comet Lad? What brings you here?

(Into the Spidermobile's brig marches Lawyer Man and another lawyer)

Lawyer Man here!

(Lawyer Man flashes his Department of Superheroics' ID to Furby & Rocket Ranger. He motions to the lawyer accompanying him.)

This is Captain West's defense counsel. (The defense counsel shows a Department of Superheroics' authorization.)

Allow the counsel access to West, turn off any listening devices and accompany me to the Captain's Ready Room.

(In the Ready Room, Lawyer Man talks to Milkshake, who had to be called back from the Starbase, Rocket Ranger & Furby)

I don't tell you people how to do your job, because most of the time I'm clever enough to deal with LICC's more 'creative' methods. However, this time you've really screwed up.

Quincy, how long has Earth been a member of the Galactic Order? (Quincy starts to answer, but is cut off) Never. You can't even claim that West attacked a member of the Galactic Order because you weren't even on the Spidermobile when the attack happened!

(to Furby) And the same goes for any member of the Furby Empire.

(to Furby & Quincy) All interrogation methods for someone accused of violating Terran law must conform to Terran standards! Using Galactic Order & Furby Empire techniques has seriously jeopardized this already difficult case!

(to all) The other members of GROSS are claiming that they detected unauthorized individuals aboard the Spidermobile and were investigating a possible piracy. They claim the recordings of their alledged activities on the Spidermobile were faked by the 'pirates'.

Given the intruders' familiarity with classified weapons & technology a jury would most likely agree. Especially since the intruders are unable to testify as to what they experienced.

Also the fact that an extinct virus was spread from the Spidermobile to the members of GROSS also supports their claim that the intruders were some kind of threat.

There is talk from my superiors about cutting a deal with GROSS. A more high-profile patrol route, away from LICC's, of course, a bigger budget, equal time with LICC for PSA's & advertising, etc., etc., etc.

There are also those in power who think LICC has too much power and would like to use your treatment of Captain West as an excuse to put restrictions on you. With the loss of Vice-President Absurd, those people's voices have gotten louder.

This may be a case where the bad guys win, in more ways than one.

The Comet Lad-looking kid watches as Milkshake is beamed away to meet with Lawyer Man.

Wow, cool. Anyway, I ain't Comet Lad, I'm Meteor Boy, I'm a clone of Comet Lad cuz' ya see, we all went after Dr. Gene Tics out in the Typhon Expanse where he had this big Ultra-Cloner-Robot machine and was cloning people into a big army, like Vice-Vice-President Maroon and Larry Csonka and The Announcer Lady, and Comet got cloned except they broke the machine so whoever came out isn't a mindless robot so I'm like Comet except I have a different name and I ain't hanging out with those guys any more but I think they're patrolling near Vega but I just hitched a ride with a freighter now I'm out here looking to snag a ride back to Earth.

Milkshake leans forward, eyes flashing with anger.

Lawyer Man, we can trust our own sensor records. Unbeknownst to either intruder nor League member, our computer stamps a 1652-bit shifting encrypted code on every sensor record we have on file. We have examined those records and found that they have not been tampered with. So, we have unaltered sensor evidence of several GROSS members revealing their plan to supplant the LICC by attacking us secretly, and being foiled by the otherdimensional counterparts that had appeared on our ship.

Now, I'll concede the point as regarding the interregation protocols. I suppose two members of the League were more than a little zealous in fulfilling their duties -quick glare at Quincy and Furby- and I can assure you that from this point on we will conform completely to Terran civil and military laws.

Another thing, Lawyer Man. If the court refuses to recognize the sensor logs we do in fact have an eyewitness, in the person of Observer, who was captured by GROSS when returning from a private retreat, was interrogated with undue force and sedated, and after being revived did return to the Spidermobile before the majority of the League returned. He did meet and interact with these 'intruders' and can relay information as to their intentions.

And regarding the political pressure, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

All interrogation methods for someone accused of violating Terran law must conform to Terran standards!

Well, I have consulted an expert on this point before starting to play with West and he would disagree in this case. (And please don't forget that large parts of Earth were once under Furby control.)

Opens the belly flap and pulls out a glass jar containing the head of John Ashcroft.

Are those my actions compatible with the law?

"Yes, because West has to be considered an enemy combatant."

You see? And West even attacked Furby property! He should consider himself very lucky for not being immediately teleported to the plotonium mines on Knarf XXIII after a short meeting with the judgebot's lawhammer.

As Milkshake already pointed out the GROSS defense is rather dubious. From what we know their ship was already near the Spider, cloaked and ready to attack us when the change happened.

I would really like to know who's behind this. Certainly West is not the head of this operation. And I don't know how much the other GROSSies are involved in the conspiracy.

There is talk from my superiors about cutting a deal with GROSS. A more high-profile patrol route, away from LICC's, of course, a bigger
budget, equal time with LICC for PSA's & advertising, etc., etc., etc.

Now that would be dangerous. Either there are soon some new names to be engraved in the Superhero Memorial (GROSS did a poor showing against our transdimensional counterparts, remember?) or some shady group is happy because they got the latest Earth superequipment directly from the manufacturer. I don't trust them.

First of all, GROSS didn't attack any Galactic Order citizens, BUT they did attack Galactic Order property. They launched an assault on the spidership, correct? Well, a good portion of the contents of my lab and Kent and Wayne's storage facility down on the repair bay, plus the SnowCrane, which is in one of the flight hangars, are SnowCrane property!

He smiles underneath his helmet.

Second, don't call me Quincy when I'm wearing my armor. In fact, since I don't like lawyers, you should probaby refer to me as Captain Rocket!

He pauses and looks at Furby.

Third, the evidence Commander Milkshake mentioned speaks for itself.

Looks at West's defense counsel.

Fourth, I'm also a Space Marshall, and we DO have jurisdiction over this case. I was acting in capacity as both a Galactic Order agent AND a Space Marshall. And technically, under Space Marshall rules, West is lucky to still be conscious after his little escape attempt. I could have ordered him sedated or placed in stasis, but I didn't.

Gets right in the defense counsel's face.

Now, choke on that, pal!

D'oh! That should be `Galactic Order' property. Not `SnowCrane' property!

Darn it! Error man beat me to it!

Rocket, I have to side with Lawyer Man as regards the interrogation. The majority of West's and GROSS's crimes were against Terran life and property. When the GO is involved in anything it does not automatically become their problem. Same for the Space Marshals. I didn't put you in charge of West's detainment nor his interrogation, you've been free-lancing on this one.

Man, what a suc-kup! Tacoman or Frangelica wouldn't have kissed up to the lawyers like that!

The door to Dimensional Cartography opens and Adon enters. He looks around at the group examing the data.

You felt that to? Try looking around -42 on the Z-axis. The source of the ripple is near there.

They enter the data into the computer and wait while it starts crunching the numbers.

That is one heck of a distortion out there. I don't know what's causing it though, do you have any ideas?

Jackson looks down at Meteor Boy
Well, I don't know whether the LICC is heading back to Earth after this shore leave, but I can ask Commander Milkshake.
If nothing else, Butrfli and I might be able to take you there when we get going...
Butrfli: I think we can fit another person on our ship.

Rocket Ranger looks at Commander Milkshake. He is NOT happy.

FINE! I was planning on offering Captain West a way out of his current situation....and I DO have some authority to make this offer, regarding the non-Terran charges against him....but now you can forget it!

He looks at Lawyer Man.

Make whatever deal or travesty of justice you want with West over what happened regarding the Terran situation. But once that's done, he still has to answer for his crimes against G.O. property. And the G.O. doesn't have as much red tape to deal with when it metes out justice.

He takes off his helmet, and looks at West.

On second thought....Captain West, you're looking at about 5 to 10 years on Gakora IX. Firm, since the G.O. doesn't believe in parole. Unless you want to spill the beans about who you're working for. Talk, and once anything you reveal has been confirmed, I'm willing to see if I can get the charges reduced so you'll just get probation. (He pauses) Dropping the charges completely isn't an option, because I'm not in the mood to do that.

He gives Lawyer Man and Commander Milkshake both a mean look.

I'll be in my lab, if anyone needs me.

He puts his helmet back on and leaves.

Observer shakes his head, frowning. "Whatever's causing this, it isn't registering as a known object on the dimensional sensors. Let me see if I can get a better resolution." He reaches for the controls.

Quito turns her earnest little face to Adon, and after a moment squeezes her eyes shut, concentrating. Her sending resolves from a blur of red into the outline of something ovoid and tapered at one end, which she insists is a "ship." After a long moment a humanoid figure is outlined within the shape. Quito opens her eyes and smiles at the rest of the group in satisfaction.

At that moment Observer and Adon both let out a low exclamation. Observer checks the sensors again. "It's location is fluctuating, relative to our space. It had better not decide to open within the starbase."

Quito has straighted, listening, and now stiffens in a powerful sending, focused tightly between herself and the distortion, as if drawing a line between the two. HERE! HERE!

And a sending comes back, vivid relief and renewed effort. The location of the distortion stabilizes and it strengthens. Quito slumps back in the chair Observer had placed her in, trembling....

Milkshake looks a bit puzzled.

West isn't in here, is he? Anyway, Rocket does get a bit righteous when someone's tried to kick the LICC, and West has in more ways than one. Lawyer Man, we will cooperate with the Terran authorities as completely as possible, as long as West gets off my ship quickly and into armed custody. We will of course provide our sensor logs and I believe Observer will testify if it is needed.

Yes, West and his lawyer are still in the brig. A stress-induced hallucination perhaps?

Aurthor: "I have bad news, Gene. It seems that Commander Milkshake has been beamed off of the starbase. I believe that he materialized on the Spidership."

Gene: "Great."

Gene closed the channel left the area of the Sports Bar. He boarded a Linear Transport, that quickly sent him, along with several other passangers, towards the other side of the Starbase.

Suddenly, a recorder appears on the table next to Milkshake and Lawyer Man, containing the message meant for Captain West.

=/\=Sorry about that. I forgot to leave this behind. Play it for West, and tell him he has 30 minutes to make up his mind after he's through listening, or there is no deal.=/\=

Well, we have the location where the distortion is coming from. Do you want to pay them a visit and see what is going on over there? Whatever it is, Quito seems to be in touch with it in some way.

Adon kneels down in front of Quito and looks into her eyes.

Well, what do you think about Observer and I going over there? If you don't want to tell me, than try thinking it my way.

Adon...

(Observer looks around, surprised)

Where did you come from?

No matter.

(Observer shuts down the Sub-Zenki AntiRealizer, then unclamps it from the Plotonium sphere.)

Adon, I have the coordinates. If we use this to tear a rift where the distortion is, it will help whatever is trying to come through. Quito, is that all right?

he ill woman sees something promising. "Jason kiehart, a.k.a. Logan Newcatle. Blood type s good. Ad the timing?" She taps a few keys. "Excelletn!" Her shout of joy is followed by violent coughing that wakes her son. "He was on Mars at the right time, and according to this file his memory of his pre-Wanderer days are still a bit fuzzy. It's a bit risky," she coughs again, "but it's my last option. I'll have to charter a shuttle."

For a moment Quito seems uncertain; she drops her gaze, letting it rest on Brooke's carved features. Then she swallows hard, looks at Adon and then Observer, and nods once.

This time her sending is almost cautious, but no less urgent for that: Yes. Help. Open it.

On the Spidership, The Masked Enigma stood, leaning against a wall. Should he go over to the space station? No, perhaps better not to. Anyway, he was new to the LICC and perhaps a look around the ship might be in order. He started to move, then noticed someone coming. It was La Femme Superbe.

Oh, hello. Ah you going ovah to Z-Alpha (he pronounced it Zed Alpha) or shall we look around the Spidahship?

I am not sure. Most of my missions have been confined to Earth, and so I have only visited Spacedock, but my presence here will require that I know the layout of the Spidermobile. Which do you prefer?

All right. Looks like...

(Observer glances back at the sensor board.)

It's in the starbase, all right, but near an empty berth in the docking section.

(Closing his eyes, Observer begins to chant, once more in that alien language. When it is finished, there is surprisingly no noticible difference anywhere.)

Adon, tell me you can still walk around in vacuum. We'll need to go for a little EVA to get this to work. Computer, the nearest airlock please.

"Follow the light pattern to the airlock."

Ready?

(Observer and Adon leave.)

As Jackson and Butrfli continue to explore the station, they find themselves in the Docking section. As they walk, they pass by an unused berth. Suddenly, Butrfli stops.
Hold on, can you feel that?
Jackson: What?
Butrfli: It's like a ripple in the fabric of space and time...
Jackson: Can't feel a thing...
Butrfi: Oh well... Hey look, a lounge overlooking the berths.

(Both locks fully closed, the air rushes out of the small room that Adon and Observer occupy. It has no discernible effect on the pair other than causing their hair to ruffle. Observer looks around when the air stops, then speaks to Adon [convieniently bypassing the fact that sound does not travel in a vacuum].)

I never get over how cold it is.

(He shivers a bit, then hefts the AntiRealizer over one shoulder and pulls a tricorder from one of his many pockets.)

Shall we?

(They open the exterior lock and stroll out onto the outer hull of the ship. Observer checks his tricorder, then points to an empty space near the ship, close to the next berth.)

It's over there. We'll need to be fairly close up to open that rift.

In the spot Observer is pointing to, the distortion has gained a touch more strength, and it visible to those with eyes to see. A brief, pulsing spark, of a red almost black, as the boundaries of the LICC universe are pushed and pulled, but not strongly enough to break through....

No mother, I'm not trying to ditch you, I'm just... What the... (The hallway in front of Shadow Senshi & her mother had become inky black)

Mom: What? What is it?

The... the blackness.

Mom: What blackness? It's just a hallway. (She walked onward) See?

Okayyyyy. (To herself she thought) Guess I'm just seeing things again. (But as she approached the blackness her body lost cohesion and became a smoky blackness.) What the...?! (And she disappeared from the ship.)

(She found herself inside the darkness and a voice sounded all around her.)

Voice: I am the Abyss.

The... the abyss. Lord Smoke called himself a Dark Knight of the Abyss, but I just thought he was being dramatic.

Voice: He was and he wasn't, Eve. However he passed on his powers and responsibilities to you. He thought you had what it takes to be one of my knights, and I need you.

Wha... what? How?

Voice: A dangerous prisoner is about to escape imprisonment and you must stop it.

Of... of course.

(Still in her smoky form she could see stars in the blackness, and station Z-Alpha, a red pulsing disturbance in the fabric of space & Adon & the Observer attempting to open it.)

Oh, boy.

Rikard catches up with Kiehart and Alex Tacoman.

You two mind if I join you?

I don't mind. The more pilots the merrier, right Kiehart?

"Of course! I've already picked out four of the replacement fighters," he holds up a padd to emphasize his point. "and the other two are going to be manually inspected by the flight crew, with a little help from Wayne and Kent. Grant is already suited up, so let's make like a library and book." He runs towards the turbolift, laughing the whole time.

(The AntiRealizer is sending a thin white 'lightning bolt' of anti-dimensional energy towards the distortion point. The ambient space around it is pulsing but displays no effect otherwise. Observer rubs his chin, one hand holding down the ignition button on the machine, which Adon is holding.)

Hmm. Perhaps more power will do.

(Observer releases the button, and adjusts a control on the top of the machine. Once activated again, however, the machine produces the same results.)

Something's just not right. Oh, I see, it's meant to have the Dimensional Cartography computers manually adjusting the frequencies. Let's set it to do it automatically.

(A touch, touch, and a poke on the top of the machine, ignition pressed down again, and...)

FLASH! SZZZZACKLE!

The tiny spark of distortion suddenly expands, splitting the fabric of this universe wide open. A tiny reddish, translucent ship bursts out, looping around to face the opening. The ship is about the size of a two-person fighter, but ovoid and smooth, tapering into a short multi-fin tail at the back end.

And the telepathic noise it sends out is remarkably loud, two thought patterns intertwined almost beyond seperation: "You idiot, I thought you said you could get through on your own...YOU SAID YOU COULD FIND IT....can you close it....I DONT SEE THE SHIP....keep looking....UH_OH...Did you feel that....BACK OFF... Light...!"

The rift suddenly widens yet further, and a long-limbed firey creature "steps" through, extending itself in a triumphant shout of energy that echos through everything nearby.

"OH ••••--too late!" The tiny ship wheels out of the creature's reach, and then the louder voice focuses in the direction of the Starbase: TO ALL ENERGY FIGHTERS, ESCAPED PRISONER IN THIS AREA! PLEASE ASSIST!

Adon speaks over the commlink, since he can't speak in the vaccuum.

Observer, you play with the creature, and I'll catch the ship. Lets try and keep this from getting any worse.

Adon jumped into the void after the ship. He caught it, and clung to the viewing port like a giant spider. Adon knocked on the port, and ordered them to stop.

(Shadow Senshi looked at the fiery creature)

I'm supposed to stop that???

Well, remember what they say, 'The bigger they are... the easier they can squish you.'

Limburger Cheese Bombs!!!

(Nothing happened)

D'oh! I've lost that power! Baka! I should have spent more time working out on the holodeck!

Let's see he had to have been stopped by a Dark Knight, or the Abyss wouldn't have sent for me. My new powers are darkness-based, I can absorb energy... That must be it!

(She sent her shadow form towards the fiery creature and attempted to engulf it for a few minutes, then was scattered by a burst of energy. She reformed and thought)

Okay, I can absorb limited amounts of energy.

Oh, man, what if this creature wasn't what I was supposed to stop? Maybe the real prisoner in inside that ship?

(She located the ship and saw Adon clinging to it.)

Doesn't appear to be anything he can't handle. Yet.

Okay, what can I do to restrain this guy? Energy, bright, hot. Darkness, cool, shadows... are caused by matter blocking light. The majority of the universe is made up of dark matter...

(She concentrates and soon swirling particles of dark matter form into a giant bola which she unleashed at the fiery creature wrapping him up.)

Whoa!!! Now will that hold him?

(meanwhile on the hull, scraping off space barnacles, Rob sees the energy being)

Is that a solar plasmoid or just something that looks like one? *


* see LICC 2 XXVI

In a spacesuit with thruster pack outside Station Z Alpha

Can you hear me now?

Good!

Moves farther away from the station

Can you hear me now?

Good!

Moves even farther away from the station

Can you hear me... Aaaaaaaaaaaaaa...!

Is vaporized when he bumps in the firey creature

Sir, I just got a communication from the Spidermobile.

What's that?

It's an arachnid-shaped spaceship used by the League of Intergalactic Cosmic Champions, but that's not important right now, sir. Apparently there is some kind of energy creature dangerously close to the station.

As Alex, Kiehart and Rikard head toward the fighter bay, Alex happens to look out a window.
Kiehart, look at that! Looks like we may be testing the ships in battle after all!
Meanwhile, in the lounge, everybody is alternating between looking out the windows at the creature and fleeing for their lives. Jackson and Butrfli are at the windows, watching.
Jackson: We ought to get back to the ship.
Butrfli: Good idea. I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like that...

(Lee sees the 2 Tacomen & Butrfli and is about to fire on them when he is knocked down and crushed underfoot by a crowd of people fleeing to their ships.)
Ow! Oof! Eeek! Mmmmmmf... Ugh! Oooo...

An alarm started going off, and a voice started speaking over the Public Address system.

Voice: "Attention, this station is now on Red Alert. All station personell are to report to their battle stations. All station guests are to report to their local shelters immediatly. I repeat, this station is..."

Gene: "Great. The Spidership should be just up ahead. I hope that they will buy my 'heading to shelter' excuse."

Hey, how did Dead Lee get out of the afterlife a SECOND time? Last we saw, he got out of the afterlife cuz a temp was stoopid. But then he got crushed by a turbolift (Sunday, June 23, 2002 - 06:48 am). So how did he get to a place where he could shoot Tacomen&Butrfli?

Also, does a temp filling in for the receptionist like that really have the power to send someone back to the living?

Ansh runs into Dimensional cartography and finds Quito sitting on a chair holding her doll and Enesku moping around.

What happened? Why are you out of bed, Quito?

she notices Enesku

Oh, you're here. Would you mind telling me what's going on? Have you kidnapped Quito because of some dare my sister dared you to do?

Kidnapped????? Kidnapped!! Observer and Adon leave and so I decide to look after Quito, and you say kidnapped??! Kidnapped??!!

(she goes into a sulk)

Well, I heard a deal I didn't rightly understand about a ship and somekinda rip in the fabric of whatchamacallit.

'Yeah, you're definately right. Kiehart to fighter bay, Banshee's get outside. Pronto. I'll join you in a sec. Yellow Squad, stand by. Comander Rikard will be there in a min too!"

Rikard activates his comm.
Rikard to Yello-, um, I mean Hornet Squadron. Lt. Pierce, have the new pilots arrived yet?
Pierce: No sir, they won't be hear until the end of shore leave.
Rikard sighs Terrific, they're only at half strength. Okay, you boys heard Lt. Kiehart. Stand by but be ready to launch at a moment's notice. We may need you. I don't want to need the redshirts today. Rikard out.
The turbolift doors open and Rikard, Kiehart, and Alex step out and quickly enter the fighter bay.

AAARRRGGGHHHH!!! That's one of my pet peeves! "Definitely", not "Definately"!!!!!

C'mon Insane let's get back to the ship. It looks like there is some action going on. Mystery to Spidership, Two to beam up.

A jolt of alarmed energy surges through Adon from the hull of the ship he is clinging to. What he had thought was a standard viewport fades into the rest of the hull, featureless except where crystalline threads sparkle just beneath its translucent surface. The ship jinks and spins, trying wildly to throw the Wanderer off. A frantic alien-sounding telepathic sending strikes out as well, sounding much like the sending that warned the Starbase moments before: STOP! LET GO LET GO LET GO...!

Adon only clings tighter and repeats his command for the ship to stop. Underneath the first sending, another works its way through; sheilded and muffled by the first, it nevertheless has a more human feel, and is much less panicked. My...friend...worries that you prevent us from fighting. Please, Wanderer Adon.... let us go... can aid the Starbase... our fault! Please!

At that moment, the energy being sucessfully breaks one strand of the Shadow Senshi's bola and tries to reach out towards the starbase. A feathery plume of flame from one limb brushes against and annialates a docking port (fortunately empty)....

Alex: Kiehart, where do you want me? My regular squad, or should I try out a Banshee?
Jackson: Jackson to the Spidership, two to beam back.

Suddenly, a barrage of missiles slam into the creature's back. Several Phoenix fighters and a pair of Scorpion fighters fly by the thing and head off in several different directions. A familiar voice comes over Adon's comm.

Wing Bravo, draw the creature's attention while I take Wing Alpha and see if we can creep up on it and do some serious damage!

Pause.

Greetings, Commander Adon. You look like you could use some help!

(Observer, meanwhile, FINALLY gets the gravity boots off his feet and pushes off towards the fire-creature. One quick tricorder scan as he approaches it...)

Can't recognize the energy type...hmm. Shadow, attempt to entangle it again, but don't hurt it. We need to sort this out.

(Observer narrowly misses losing his head to another plume. He attempts to 'swim' out of range, biting off words that sound like curses but are actually more of the mystic alien language he commands. In a minute, he is able to control his motion in space.)

All right, dampen, entangle, decrease temperature? No...then what else can I do to it?

(Observer glances back at the red ship and Adon, before 'flying' closer to the creature and the Senshi.)

The exploding docking port knocked Gene off his feet. He hit the ground, rolled, drew his gun, spun around, and stopped on one knee with the gun aimed towards what was now a gaping hole in the hull with a fluid speed that would have impressed anyone that would have been able to see it. Only an emergency force field prevented the entire area from decompressing.

What the...
The sound of collapsing equipment covered up his next word.
...is that thing?

He stood still, aiming towards the creature through the hull breach. The sound of tearing metal broke him out of his trance. He stood up, holstered his gun, and touched his earring.

This is a general distress call. I am trapped in the damaged docking port. It is tearing away from the Starbase, and I need an emergency beam out!

He felt the rush of wind, as the emergency force field started to fail and the rest of the docking port pulled away from the main body of the Starbase. Just before everything failed completely, a transporter beam caught him and he vanished.

Gene now stands on a transporter pad in a standard Terran Starfleet transporter room. A yellowshirted crewmember stands behind the transporter controls. Two other people stand in the door to the room waiting as he materialized on the pad, a man and a woman. The yellowshirt speaks up.
I'm Ensign Artmeta, welcome aboard the Spidership.

"Take one of the Banshees Alex. Same one you were going to take before since we still haven't properly trained Music Man's [NOTE: Music Man was the pilot's call sign. I forgot his real name, even though I'd posted it before.] replacement yet. You'll head up Flight 3."

(Insane and Mystery rematerialise in the Spidership's transporter room. They get off the platforms)

Inspector, you go up to the bridge. I'll get into my ship!

(Observer feels a presence behind him as he flies towards the creature and the Senshi. But he doesn't have to look around, because the PD Insane-mobile, in ship mode, overtakes him. Insane looks out the bubble-window and gives Observer an exaggerated salute.)

You want a piece of me, energy being?

Don't hurt it? I'm not sure we can hurt it.

(She sends another bola to reentangle the creature, then creates a dark matter shield between it and the station.)

Now what?

(She creates a dark matter hood over what appears to be the creature's head.)

Maybe if it can't see, it'll settle down?

Hellooooooo,

Aunti Nit here again to answer some more viewer mail.

First question: Hey, how did Dead Lee get out of the afterlife a SECOND time?

Simple. He was never in the afterlife a second time. He's still dead. Hence the name Dead Lee. His spirit was sent back by Roxy, who didn't understand that Lee was a time traveller, and he can't return for at least 50 years. He only seems to be alive because his spirit is reanimating his lifeless corpse. So he can be crushed, stomped, folded, spindled & mutilated, but since he's already dead he can't be killed.

Second question: Also, does a temp filling in for the receptionist like that really have the power to send someone back to the living?

Yes. And if you're wondering why, it's because the LICC Universe was created by a bunch of drunkards. (aside to the audience) And I don't just mean the writers.

Off-screen Voice: Hey! *hic* I reshent that! *hic* (a thrown, half-empty, bottle of Tequila spins into view and misses Auntie Nit)

Another Off-screen Voice: You fool! *burp* That wasssn't empty! (sounds of a scuffle)

Anyway, as we see from this clip from episode 23 of the original LICC program.

By The Queue on Tuesday, July 4, 2000 - 10:03 pm:

Didn't we create this universe less than a year ago?

Yes, but then we went back and created a history, buried fossils, and spontaneously created ancestors for everyone.

Were we drunk at the time?

Seems like it.

So you see there is a reason for why things don't seem to make sense in the LICC Universe. (aside) Unlike the real world.

Until next time, Byyyyyyyyyye!

(the station doctor moves his tricorder over Lee)
Doctor: I'm afraid this man is dead.

Don't remind me. (gets up)

Doctor: Wha? Wha? Wha?

Long story, basically rejected by the Afterlife.

Doctor: Bu, bu, but how are you able to talk and move?

The Nanonanobytes in my body respond to my spirit's will and activate the necesary muscles to allow me to talk & move. They also repair any physical damage.

Doctor: But my tricoder didn't register any such machines?

They won't be invented for another 47 years. (looks around) Where did the members of LICC go?

Doctor: I think they went back to their ship.

Figures.

Right!
Alex boards the Banshee and takes his group out to fight the creature. As heads toward the creature, he sees Gremlin's fighters.
Hey Gremlin, long time no see!
To his group
Ok people, split up, and half of you take the critter high, and the rest of us will take it low!
Kiehart, I hate to discuss ship design at at time like this, but it has to be said. This thing has beautiful designs and can move like a bat out of hades!
Meanwhile, Jackson and Butrfli have transported to the Spidership and are on the bridge. They are soon joined by Inspector Mystery.
Jackson: Inspector, we may have to use the ship's weapons on this thing. Could we fire them from here so that they won't damage the station?
Butrfli: I'm going to suit up. They may need some extra magical backup.

Rikard looks around the fighter bay to see that all the Banshees have launched.

Oh well, I guess I'll have to use my ship.

Rikard walks over to a nearby door. He quickly does a palm scan, punches in a code, and says another code before the large door opens. He runs into the room and quickly jumps in his fighter. Seconds later, the fighter shoots out of the Spidership's bay and out into the Starbase's interior.
Hornet Leader to Hornet one. Go ahead and launch.
In a few seconds, six yellowshirt-piloted fighters fly out of the Spidership.

(Observer watches Insane's ship go by.)

Good, we have company. Maybe we'll find a way--

(The brown-cloaked watcher struggles to maintain his velocity as the ion-wake of the Insanemobile hits him. Just then, Gremlins make another pass. Unfortunately Observer has drifted directly in their flight path and the formation splits as the fighters swerve to miss him.)

Whoa. There we go. More company. This should be--

(Several more wakes surrounding him leave the hero bouncing like a ball in a pinball machine. The Banshees, followed by the Hornets, also streak past and move to engage the creature. Observer is left spinning helplessly in free-fall.)

Oh...my stomach. I forgot. Misery loves company. They'll be fine on their own, I suppose.

(A wobbly Observer makes his way away from the fire-creature toward the red ship. It takes a few minutes.)

Adon, what's going on? I don't think I'm needed back there. Urp.

I think we could. if we were to do this just right, there would minimal damage to the station. If I were to modulate the frequency to 47.2, it would get the brunt of it.

The red ship has calmed down somewhat, though the louder mind is still vehemently broadcasting a protest at Adon. Observer can sense the other, quieter mind trying to calm its colleage down, but as he draws closer the quiet one suddenly turns its focus to him.

A flash of recognition. Observer! Tell the Wanderer to release us, please. This being should not have escaped! A soft murmur of emotion, frustration mixed with a hint of indecision... and then We can help if he lets us go. We know this being already, you need us.

I meant "it" refering to the "creature."

"OK sqaud split into Flights. Flight 3, meet your new elader Alex Tacoman and break off to hit the smaller targets. Flight Two, Grant, cover us, Flight 1, we're taking point."

(Observer is taken aback at the mental transmission, but spends only about two seconds in contemplating the situation.)

Adon, let it go. We'll still have control of things.

(He sets his feet down on the floating wreckage of the docking port, and looks 'up' to watch the red ship.)

Adon releases the ship and lands next to the Observer with his sword in his hand.

I hope that you know what you're doing.

(Observer nods, eyes fixed on the small red spaceship.)

I hope so too.

(This does not reassure Adon. Observer smiles.)

Sorry, that's pretty cliche'd. I think I do.

`Gremlin' and the two fighter wings under his command break off their attack after hearing the various communications.

He sends a message to Kiehart, Alex and Lopez.

You'd better conserve your missiles, just in case. We're only at half-capacity. The Wytch Queen was heading to a starbase in the next sector to restock on weapons and supplies and conduct repairswhen we found out what was going on.

He pauses, and sounds solemn.

We were attacked by a group of strange ships three weeks ago. They managed to inflict serious damage before we destroyed their fighters and forced the command ship to retreat. (pauses) Unfortunately, Commander Hendrix was killed in the battle.