Title: The Field Trip
Author: Stephen Ratliff
Series: TNG, Marrissa Stories
Part: REP 1/1
Rating: [G]
Codes: n/a

Version: 2.0

This is a work of fiction, any relation to real people, events,
or places are a product of the author's imagination.

Disclaimer:
Star Trek and its environment, and inhabitants are property of
the great and powerful Paramount. The songs used in Chapter 3
are all from Disney Animated lowly author is merely
borrowing them between episodes and seasons. He hopes to return
them all the better for their journey. The story is his.

Author's Forward

I've decided to split up Away From Home. As I do this, the first
part of Away From Home, which is known as The Field Trip is being
revised. The other parts may also be revised at a later date,
but for now, the first part is enough. You'll notice that though
the Prologue and Chapter One are very close to the original
version, but from then on, things change.

Why am I doing this? Well I think I can do a better job. It's
been 3 years since I first posted the Away From Home trilogy. In
that time I've taken a class on creative fiction writing, written
over a dozen other works, and refined my technics. Now lets see
if all that work was worth it.

Let's journey back in time to the beginning of Marrissa's
Adventures. Back when she was just the daughter of two security
officers, and had just been nicknamed "Number One" by the
Captain. Before her first command, before all her adventures in
the center seat of the Enterprise ...

Stephen Ratliff

Prologue

Personal Log
Marrissa A. Flores
STARDATE 45924

My mom suggested that I start keeping this log as a way to
express my hopes and dreams and to record my day like I use to
tell her. Mom's been too busy since Lieutenant Worf gave her a
new assignment.
I think I should begin with who I am. I'm ten years old and
I live on the starship Enterprise. I'm an B student for the most
part. My only problem in school is Alien Language. I just can't
grasp them. I like school on the Enterprise, with one exception.
It's not the subject matter, nor the teacher (although my
classmates say that Lieutenant Allen was Dead on Arrival), but
the other students in Computing Fundamentals. Comp Fun is
generally taught on an interest basis to eight-year-olds, but
there wasn't enough interest in the past two years, so I had to
wait.
My problem with my classmates is they don't seem to want to
learn. Jay and Alexander are always getting caught playing video
games in class. Shayna plays practical jokes on everyone. At
least Clara appears to be studying in class ... although I don't
think it's always Comp Fun.
Tomorrow we're going on a Field Trip to the Daystorm
Institute for Computer Science. It's nothing we can't see on
the Holodeck, but Clara at least thinks it will be interesting.

Close Personal Log.

Chapter One

Marrissa was the last to arrive for the field trip.
Lieutenant Allen was standing by the shuttle's rear door. "Glad
you could make it, Marrissa," he said. "Please take a seat."
Marrissa took the remaining seat. As she sat down, a whoopee
cushion made it's incriminating sound. Everyone laughed, and
Marrissa glared at Shayna and handed the whoopee cushion to Lt.
Allen as he passed by.
As he reached the cockpit he turned and said, "Behave on
this trip or there won't be any more." He turned back into the
cockpit and sat down in the Co-Pilot seat ... on a whoopee
cushion. The Lieutenant looked up at the ceiling and shook his
head, while removing the offending item.
Ensign Throwaway entered the shuttle and sat down. The rear
of the shuttle closed and Lt. Allen said, "Shuttle April to
bridge, Request permission depart for Archer IV from Shuttle bay
Two."
"Bridge to Shuttle April," Commander Riker's voice
said."Permission granted, now relaying departure coordinates."
"Coordinates received," Ensign Throwaway announced. "Shuttle
bay doors opening."
"Depart when ready, Bridge out."
"Leaving shuttle bay 2 now, April out," Lt. Allen said.
The shuttle moved out of the shuttle bay, between the warp
engines. It turned right and slightly up and went in to warp.

Personal Log
Marrissa Flores
In route to Archer IV
I really wish Shayna would stop those practical jokes. I
really hate them. That will probably only happen in my dreams,
of course.
I think my hopes and dreams were the next things I was
planing to write about. When I was little, I use to want to be a
Princess. It is my Dad's nickname for me. Of course you have to
be born a Princess, and even though my Mom calls Dad her "Prince
Charming," I don't think Dad's a Prince. He's too much of a
rough and ready man for that. Princes are supposed to be
handsome, always dashing to the fair maiden's defense. They're
supposed to dress well, talk well, and be above petty squabbles.
Dad isn't.
My teachers think I'd be a good Scientist. I probably could
be, if I gave up my other activities and devoted a lifetime of
study to it. I'm not ready to do that yet. I have too much fun
going camping, riding horses, and playing the piano.
Not that science isn't fun, and I've done some fun things as
a result of my interest in it. Like the tour with the Captain.
I know a tour given by Captain Picard is not exactly known as a
fun event. He is known for being uncomfortable around children.
And the first try at the tour wasn't exactly a success. He was
obviously unsure about how to deal with us, but after my science
project hit, he got the idea to make us officers. This gave him
a role that he knew how to deal with us though.
I'd say that he learnt quite a bit by the time the second
time the tour was attempted. We visited the Battle Bridge, the
Torpedo Bay, and he even had Commander La Forge show us the
dilithium crystals. But for me the highlight was the visit to
Stellar Cartography. While working on my science project,
"Distribution and Movement of Quantum Filaments," I had used many
3-D projections of the location of the known Filaments. However
none of them where like Stellar Cartography. That display made
mine look like preschool scribble.

The shuttlecraft shook, jolting Marrissa out of her writing.
Over the speaker came the announcement, "Heave to and prepare to
be boarded." The transmission was filled with static and sounded
old, almost as if the broadcaster had recorded it from an old
Earth pirate movie.
Lieutenant Allen took the shuttle out of warp, diving into a
nearby planetary system. There was no time to send a distress
signal, as the red stylized batwing vessel pursued. His co-pilot
struggled to keep the necessary systems working as the enemy
pounded on the small craft. It dodged left and right the purple
phaser bolts of the enemy vessel. As it neared the planet the
enemy scored an glancing shot on the impulse engine.
"Lieutenant, I've lost helm control," Ensign Throwaway
announced. "We are going to crash land."
Back in the cabin panic reigned. Then into the chaos the
shy Marrissa's voice rang out. "Take your seats. If you sit
down, turn around and shut up then we will get though this."
Meanwhile in the cockpit things were improving. "I'm
regaining helm control," Ensign Throwaway announced. Then all
the sudden things got much worse. A purple bolt hit the shuttle
sending a pulse of electricity shot thought the hull hitting the
Star Fleet officers. They slumped over the console, dead.

Chapter Two

In the Cabin of the Shuttle April, Shayna noticed the crew's
death and swore. Clara fainted. The boys were silent, their eyes
staring blankly at the two officers slumped over the console.
"We are going to die," Jay moaned.
"No, you are not," Marrissa said, calmly yet loudly.
"Jay what was the name of the game that the teacher took from you
last week?"
"Shuttle Disasters, Why?" Jay replied.
"Take the helm," Marrissa said. "I saw your high score,
and I know you can land us safely. Alexander from what I have
over heard you discussing with Jay, I think you would make a good
copilot for him. Now snap to it." Jay and Alex took off for the
cockpit. "Shayna stop swearing, it's unladylike. Try to revive
Clara."

In the cockpit, Jay and Alexander pushed the dead bodies
aside and took the controls. "We've entered the atmosphere. Alex
try to level us off," Jay ordered. "I'll try to steer us down
safely."
"Angle of decent, cut to 60 degrees," Alexander said. "6
thousand meters."
"Try to cut it to 30 by 3 thousand," Jay said as Marrissa
and Shayna entered the cockpit and removed Lt. Allen.
"3 thousand meters, angle of decent 28 degrees," Alexander
said.
"Level us off at 15 hundred and begin looking for a landing
site," Jay said. Marrissa and Shayna returned to the cockpit to
remove Ensign Throwaway.
"Any suggestions for a landing site, Captain?"
"Some place with a water source and burn-able vegetation
nearby, Trp[" Marrissa said. "Shayna you take the feet this
time." As they began moving the Ensign back into the cabin she
continued. "By the way Jay, when did I become Captain to you?"
"When you took command a few moments ago." Jay replied.
"That makes me captain?" Marrissa asked.
"The commander of any vessel has the right to be called
Captain," Jay replied. "Alex height and angle of decent?"
"1613, 10 degrees," Alexander replied.
"I will have to take command more often. That's one title I
like," Marrissa said. "Please land us as so as you find a spot.
It's easier to spot an moving shuttle than a hunk of metal on a
planet."
"Now changing coarse, bearing 256," Jay said. "I'm bringing
us down."

The shuttle did not have a good landing. It was controlled,
somewhat, but that was all that could be said about it. Jay
bounced the shuttle, once, twice, before making a long slide on
the beach. The Shuttle came to rest with it's front end slightly
tipped into a shallow stream. A splash of water came up, as they
stopped.

The cabin was quiet after the landing. The children looked
unharmed, if a little shaken. "Clara, hand me my tricorder,"
Marrissa said. Clara handed Marrissa the instrument and Marrissa
scanned though the wall of the shuttle.
"The atmosphere is breathable in fact it's almost perfect
outside. Open the door."
Shayna hit the code and the rear of the shuttle opened up.
Outside the sky was a clear blue. The beach was of yellow sand.
Off the beach there a lot of purple leafed trees. In fact it was
a regular forest of purple. The ground cover was as thin bladed
grass greenish blue in color. Beyond the clear blue lake were
purple tree covered mountains. Clara and Shayna stood admiring
the view.
"I hate to interrupt you, but we better get ready to move
away from here," Marrissa said. "Unless you want to be captured.
Jay, find the communicators and distribute them. Alexander the
phasers. Clara, I want 3 days meals for each of us in backpacks.
Shayna ready all the booby trapping material you can find. I
want the shuttle trapped to annoy the guys who fired on us but
with stuff we can remove without harming ourselves."
"What will you be doing Captain?" Jay asked.
"Getting out the survival gear, " Marrissa replied. "You'll
want something to sleep on tonight."
"What about Lt. Allen and the co-pilot?" Jay asked.
"Put them in body bags and hide them in the woods," Marrissa
said. "That is yours and Alex's next job. Thank you for
volunteering, Jay."

An hour later, the children gathered in front of the
shuttle. They all were loaded up with backpacks filled with the
shuttle's survival gear. Jay and Alex each had a phaser rifle.
The girls all had a regular phaser. Each of them had a
tricorder, and a hand light attached to their waists. A set of
four regular lantern style lights were tied to the outside of
Marrissa's bundle. Despite the majority of the group's
inexperience, the bundles were well balanced, the result of much
fixing on Marrissa's part.
"In order to avoid capture we will be finding a new
shelter," Marrissa began. The detailed survey of this planet
tells me that this stream's source is a cave about three miles
from here. We will shelter there."
The five children then picked up their bags and headed
upstream into the forest.

Chapter Three

In the stream, the five children walked toward it's source.
Marrissa led the way, consulting her tricorder to make sure they
didn't get off track. Jay Gordon was next. He attempted to
watch both sides, swinging his phaser rifle to each side, as he
peered into the dense undergrowth of the forest. Clara was next,
absorbed in her PADD. She was not paying much attention to her
surroundings. Instead Clara was designing devices to allow the
group to get early warning of their enemies. Shayna moved up the
stream next, a tad bored and definitely tiring. Alexander
brought up the rear, putting the little training he had to use as
the rear guard.
"How much further," Shayna said with a yawn.
"Not much further, Shayna," Marrissa replied.
"It better not be," Clara said.
"Something wrong, Clara?" Marrissa asked.
"I just don't like hiking though the jungle, in a stream,
with heavy loads on my back," Clara replied bitingly.
"In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight,"
Jay sang.
"There aren't any lions here, are there," Clara asked, with
a note of fear.
"No, this planet lacks large predators," Marrissa said.
"You are enjoying this, Marrissa, aren't you," Jay observed.
"My parents like to take camping trips when on leave,"
Marrissa said. "I recommend Yellowstone and Yosemite on Earth
for camping. Excellent views, hiking trails and camping sites.
What we need is a hiking song."
"Don't you dare suggest 'The Laughing Vulcan and his Dog,'"
Jay said.
"What about that song Jay began earlier," Shayna said.
"Please no Disney," Clara said.
"What do have against Disney songs," Marrissa asked.
"Perhaps she dislikes their cheerful nature like," Jay
began. "Supercalifragilisticexpeladous, You may think the sound
of it is something quite atrocious."
"I was talking about the cartoons," Clara stated.
"Oh, then ones like," Alexander began, "Heigh-ho."
"Heigh-ho," Jay responded, then together they continued.

To make your troubles go,
Just keep singing all day long
Heigh-ho, heigh-ho,
Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, heigh-ho,
For if you're feeling low,
You positively can't go wrong
With a heigh, heigh-ho,
Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, heigh-ho,
It's home from work we go,
[whistle]
Heigh-ho, heigh-ho,
Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, heigh-ho,
All five in a row,
[whistle]
With a heigh, heigh-ho.

"That's not my problem," Clara stated.
"Then perhaps it's the sappy romantic songs," Jay suggested.
"Oh you mean like," Marrissa began,

Tale as old as time.
Tune as old as song.
Bittersweet and strange
Finding you can change
Learning you were wrong.

Certain as the sun
Rising in the east
Both a little scared,
neither one prepared.,
Beauty and the Beast.

"Actually, I kinda like that one," Clara said.
"Then it's the big production numbers," Jay said. "Like,
I'm gonna be a mighty king, so enemies beware!"
"Well I've never seen a king of beasts with quite so little
hair!" Alexander replied, and the two continued the song back and
forth.
"I'm gonna be the mane event, like no king was before. I'm
brushing up on looking down, I'm working on my roar!"
"Thus far a rather uninspiring thing..."
"Oh I just can't wait to be king!"
"Well you've quite a long way to go, young master, if you
think..."
"No one saying 'Do this!'"
"Now when I said that..."
"No one saying 'Be there!'" Shayna broke in.
"What I meant was..." Alexander said.
"No one saying 'Stop that!'" Jay sang.
"But you don't realize..." Alexander said.
"No one saying 'See here!'" Shayna said.
"Now SEE HERE!" Alexander said.
"Free to run around all day... free to do it all my way!"
Jay said
"I think it's time that you and I arranged a heart to
heart." Alexander said.
"Kings don't need advice from little hornbills for a start!"
Jay sang
"If this is where the monarchy is headed, count me out! Out
of service, out of Africa, I wouldn't hang about. This child is
getting wildly out of wing..." Alexander sang.
"Oh I just can't wait to be king!" Jay sang. "Everybody look
left! Everybody look right! Everywhere you look I'm standing in
the spotlight!"
"Not YET!" Alexander said.
Even Clara joined in for the chorus. "Let every creature go
for band sing. Let's hear it in the herd and on the wing! It's
gonna be King Simba's finest fling..."
"Oh I just can't wait to be king! Oh I just can't wait to
be king! Oh
I just can't wait to be king!" Jay said.
"Now wasn't that a nice tune?" Jay asked.
"Yes, but that's not the problem. It's just that I can't get
the tunes out of my head once I hear them," Clara said. "Those
tunes are going to be running around in my head for days! Thanks
guys."

Up ahead, the steam disappeared into a cliff. Up beside the
grey stone cliff, a path lead upward. It was a fairly well
traveled path, that apparently hadn't been used in a while..
Marrissa lead her bunch up the path, to the mouth of a cave. It
was a mid-size entry, roughly trapezoidal in shape, about two
meters in height.
"Break out the lanterns, we're home," Marrissa said.
"We're going to live in a cave?" Clara said. "Why in the
world would we want to live in a cave in this tropical paradise?"
"Because, it's going to get really hot today, and the cave
will be a constant comfortable temperature," Marrissa said.
"That and we've got enemy aliens scanning for us from orbit,
and the rocks will help hide us," Jay said.
"Really?" Clara said, as they entered the passage.
"Not much," Marrissa replied as the walked down the curving
passage. "Every bit counts though." Suddenly the passage opened
up.
The main chamber was about 3 meters high in the center, an
irregular oval, 15 meters in diameter with three other passages
leading off it. One of them lead downward. The other two were
up a step. Marrissa motioned Jay and Alex to check out one of
the upper passage, and Shayna and Clara to check the other one.
She stayed in the main chamber and began unpacking. A lantern
style light was quickly attached to the ceiling. The model was
one that Marrissa's parents had used on many camping trips, and
Marrissa was very familiar with it. After a couple minutes, the
others returned.
"What did you find?" Marrissa asked.
"It's a small chamber, about 3 meters by 4 meters," Jay
responded. "No additional branches."
"Same on our side, but ours was 3 and a half by 4 meters,"
Clara remarked.
"Good, those will be our sleeping chambers," Marrissa said.
"We just have to make sure nothing has change on our bathing
chamber, and we'll be okay."
"Pardon me, Marrissa, but how did you know about this cave
and the planet's terrain?" Shayna asked.
"Detailed planetary survey," Marrissa said. "Star Fleet
requires any shuttle going a extended distance have a copy of all
the surveys of planets that it passes, just in case. This
planet's one is quite well done. The Vulcan Science Vessel T'put
completed it late last year. Like any Vulcan survey, it's very
detailed. Plus, this cave was used as a staging point for that
survey. We've got one more chamber, follow me."
The five children walked down the last passage. It curved
gently to the right and sloped downward for about 6 meters before
opening up into the last chamber. It was 3 meters in height,
like the main chamber, but only 5 meters wide and 6 meters long.
A waterfall on the far side, let a stream of water in, gently
flowing from an opening two meters up, over a small ledge. There
was room enough under it for one to take a shower. The stream
flowed across the far side of the room, before disappearing into
another opening. A small pool was in the middle of the room,
about two and a half meters in diameter, and at least a meter in
depth.
"Time to set up the bathing room," Marrissa said. "Clara
hand me that lantern."

Chapter Four

Jay was standing on top of the cliff. It had been a climb
up to the top, but as Marrissa had said, they needed to find out
if their Enemy was coming down to get them. So Jay was scanning
the sky with his binoculars. Clara was working on a wood and vine
ladder to make the climb easier. Alexander and Shayna were
trapping the path up against the cliff from the stream. Marrissa
was setting up the cave while working on lunch.
Jay paused to wipe the sweat off his forehead. It was rather
warm on the top of the cliff. He had taken off the top of his
jumpsuit. A brief glance down at Alexander, revealed that he had
done the same. The girls had all switched to white tank top
tops, probably their underwear, at Marrissa's suggestion. It was
hot outside.
Jay returned to scanning the skies. A white streak appeared
on the horizon. Jay zoomed in as much as he could, hitting
record on the binoculars. It was an alien shuttlecraft, all
black with a round cylinder for a main body, and bat-like wings.
Near the outer edge of the wings were yellow spikes which pulsed
as it descended.
Jay yelled down to Clara, "enemy shuttlecraft spotted."
"Where's it heading?" Clara yelled back up.
"The beach I think," Jay said.
Marrissa exited the cave, apparently hearing Jay's yelling.
"Jay, watch it until it lands, then come down for lunch," she
ordered.

Alexander, Shayna, Clara, and Marrissa were sitting together
in the main chamber. They had just finished their lunch. Clara
had four tricorders that she had just finished reprogramming.
All were shifting uncomfortably on the hard surface of the cave.
"I reprogrammed them, just like you asked," Clara said.
"I'm not sure what good it will do though."
"It's our early warning system," Marrissa said, pulling out
a PADD with a map on it. We'll try to place them at these
places. Alex, you take these two, I'll take the others."
"What about the aliens?" Shayna asked.
"We'll try to avoid them," Marrissa said.
"Why are you going?" Clara said. "You're our leader. You
should say here."
"We need to get these placed quickly and well hidden,"
Marrissa said. "Alexander and I are the only two of us who have
any survival skills. I want to limit the chances of anyone being
captured and increase the chances of us knowing were the enemy
is. Jay will be in charge until I return. Shayna, relieve him
from the watch post. Clara, make sure Jay gets something to eat,
then see about improving our living situation. Alexander, let's
get going."
Shayna, Marrissa, and Alexander left the cave. Clara,
meanwhile, began to carefully look over the cave. It had
possibilities.

Jay had just finished his lunch when the PADD beeped and
began playing an image. There were five PADDs arrayed up against
the wall between the two sleeping chambers, each of them bearing
the name of one of the children. It was Jay's that turned on.
Jay's was programmed to receive transmissions from the shuttle.
The transmission was labeled "Delayed Ten Minutes." The
view was of the open door of the shuttle. An alien was bending
down to enter the shuttle. His skin was black and his hair was
yellow and long. As he entered, a fine red mist descended,
sneezing power. He sneezed, then again, then he went into a
violent seizure, collapsing to the ground outside the shuttle.
The seizure ended, and the alien remained there, unmoving. Then
a purple bolt hit him, vaporizing the alien.
A second one entered, and moved to look in the overhead
storage. A puff of barely visible mist hit him, stinky scent (a
perfect addition Shayna's whoopie cushion). This had no
immediately noticeable effect.
A third alien entered, moving toward the cockpit. He sat
down at the co-pilot's seat and attempted to bring up the
controls. Jay smiled at his frustration. He had locked down the
controls. It had taken a while, but it was worth it. The alien
stopped to scratch his hands. Shayna would be happy to know that
all of her traps had worked, beyond expectations.

Marrissa was up in a tree fixing one of the observation
tricorders into position, when she first heard the noise.
Someone was coming. Using the other tricorder she had brought
with her, she quickly determined that it wasn't one of her
friends. As the sounds got closer, she drew her phaser, and
pressed herself up against the trunk.
The alien came into view below her. As she was about two
and a half meters up the tree, he would have to look up to see
her. However, once he did, there was very little chance he'd
miss her. Marrissa was wearing bright red pants with a white
tank-top. In the dark purple foliage she was rather easy to
spot.
Marrissa tried to be as still and make as little noise as
possible as the alien moved past her. The tall black alien was
carrying a black hunk of something, probably a gun. As he passed
beneath the tree and away from the direction of the cave,
Marrissa noted that his bright yellow hair was held back with two
ribbons, one red, one gray. She stayed up in the tree for five
minutes after the alien passed. Then she scanned around her.
Finding nothing, she descended and carefully made her way back to
the cave.

Chapter Five

Clara was relaxing in the warm pool in the bathing chamber.
They'd chose to set up the room Japanese style, wash under the
cold waterfall then soak for a while in the pool. A rock had
been heated and tossed in to warm the pool, which was now a
comfortable 95 degrees F. If you didn't count the crash landing,
and the aliens chasing after you, life was good. Aside from
having that annoying tune from the Lion King running though your
head that is.
Clara was next to last. The boys had had the room first.
Tomorrow they'd do something to divide the room into male and
female. Clara was already working on an idea.
Marrissa's voice floated down the passage to the bathing
chamber. "Can I join you Clara?" she said.
"Go right ahead," Clara said. "Just don't let the boys come
down."
"Don't worry, they're busy," Marrissa said, as she entered
the room. As she undressed, she continued. "Alexander left a
couple communicators around where our alien friends camped, and
Shayna is giving them a concert."
Marrissa walked over to the waterfall and began washing.
"Her haunting rendition of the Battle Hymn of the Republic is no
doubt keeping them awake." Marrissa flipped back her long blond
hair after letting the water run though it for a while, sending a
spray of water arching behind her. Clara was jealous of
Marrissa's hair. Clara's hair had been brown when she was little
and was gradually darkening. People liked girls with light
colored hair, like Marrissa. In fact Marrissa had it all. She
was already developing breasts, and she was only ten. Clara
hoped she would be as pretty when she was older. She sighed.
"Something wrong, Clara?" Marrissa said.
"I wish I was as pretty as you," Clara commented.
"I'm not that pretty," Marrissa said, as she sat down to
wash her feet. "My hair is like straw, I'm starting to have acne
problems, and to make matters worse, everyone thinks I'm dumb
because I'm a blonde."
"Everyone thinks blondes are pretty," Clara said. "I've
just got this long black stuff that I can't do anything with."
"I'm sure we can do some thing," Marrissa said. "Have you
ever tried braiding your hair?"
"I don't know how," Clara said.
"Then when we get back, I'll have to teach you," Marrissa
said. "Now I believe I asked for some remodeling ideas..."

Personal Log
Marrissa Flores
First Day on the Planet
We've set up in the cave, and got most of the material we
need to survive from the shuttle. Alexander and I have rigged
up a network of tricorders that Clara programmed so we can safely
follow to movements of the enemy. They visited the shuttle late
last night. They are brutes. They stand over two meters in
height and have an over-muscled bodies black in color. As far as
I can tell, they seem to be nearly identical. The only differing
feature they have is the colored ribbons in their hair.

They were their eyes to the outdoors. The displays on the
PADDs listened to the scrambled and irregular feeds from the
tricorders Marrissa and Alexander had placed. Marrissa kept an
eye on them, as she fixed lunch. It was mostly cold stuff, but
she was cooking some soup on some phaser heated rocks.
The views were calm. A breeze was blowing outside, causing
the tree limbs tow sway gently as their purple leaves showed
their olive green undersides. A small blue bird flew by
observation four, the closest to the cave. Its beak moved in
song when it landed on a nearby branch. Since no sound was being
transmitted, Marrissa couldn't hear the bird sing, but in her
mind she heard in. It was a beautiful song, a series of musical
chirps which called to the young girl.
It was a shame when the trio of aliens scared the bird. The
three aliens strode though the clearing, weapons drawn. All of
them were about the same height, two meters. They were dressed
in form fitting black armor, with no adornment. Their yellow
hair was tied back in pigtails. One of their faces had paled,
and another seemed to be having a hard time holding his weapon.
They were headed right for the cave. This wasn't good. Plus,
the soup was boiling over.
"Clara, Alex, Jay, Shayna," Marrissa yelled, pulling the
soup off the rocks. "We've got company coming, Battle stations!"
Clara, and Alex came in from the entrance. Shayna came from
the girls room, and Jay, rushed up from the bathing chamber,
still putting his shirt on. "Clara, is the barricade finished,"
Marrissa asked, once the group had assembled, picking up the two
phaser rifles and three of the phasers.
"Just moved it into place," Clara said.
"Then we better get behind it, because we've got company
coming.

Chapter Six

Alexander, Marrissa, and Jay squatted behind the barricade.
There was only room for three across the cave mouth, so Shayna
and Clara were back in the main room, preparing a retreat
position. If necessary, they would leave by the stream. It was
only five feet of underwater travel, and Shayna had tried it
before.
The trio of aliens came into view, there black skin
glistening in the noon sun. The pale faced one was on the left,
his face almost white now, and quite sickly looking. The
rightmost one was handling his gun like it was burning him, in
fact his hands seemed to be rather red compared to the rest of
his exposed skin. Only the middle one seemed to be the same as
the first view of the aliens. Spotting the three behind the
barricade, they opened fire. The rightmost one's shot wouldn't
have hit the broad side of a barn, although it might have clipped
the weathervane. A small shower of dirt momentarily obscured the
view. That probably accounted for the middle one missing the
three children, hitting the stone wall behind them. The leftmost
one's shot, was a tad more accurate, hitting the barricade right
below Alexander.
Alexander quickly returned fire. The shot from his rifle
was accurate, hitting right on the middle of pale faced alien's
armored chest. The alien dropped to the ground. Marrissa's shot
clipped the middle one's left shoulder, and Jay's shot the gun
right out of the rightmost's hands.
A word from the middle alien, and the aliens were in
retreat. They paused only long enough to adjust their weapons
and vaporize their stunned companion. Then they were gone.

Alexander had wanted to follow the retreating aliens.
Marrissa had vetoed the idea. She had sent him in to get
something to eat, and watch the tricorder feeds. Shayna and
Clara took up post behind the barricade, and Jay had been sent up
to the top of the cliff to watch for departing shuttles.
As he sipped his chicken noddle soup, he watched the feeds.
Four was the first to show the departing two aliens. They
stopped for a moment, the one with the red ribbon in his hair,
who had seemed to lead the attack, holding a device up to his
ear. Then they hurried out of range of the tricorder. Two was
the next to pick them up. They moved rapidly across it's field
of vision. Cowards, Alexander thought as he finished the last
bit of his soup.
Marrissa returned to the main room from the entry barricade,
smiling. Alexander had to admit she had that right. When he had
met Marrissa for the first time, two months ago, he had been the
new student, she had been the shy one. Jay had been the one that
brought him into the group of friends. Clara and Shayna had
welcomed him. Marrissa, now that was hard to determine. She
seemed to be always in the background. True she was older than
the rest. Maybe that's why she seemed to be so remote. And it
wasn't like this was her only class, she had other classmates.
He'd seen her talking with T'Luv, the daughter of one of the
stellar cartographers. Still, you'd think he'd notice talent
like hers.
"Marrissa," Alexander said. She looked up from where she was
checking on the soup. "It seems that our enemies have fled. I
just saw them running past four and two. They got a call at
four, before they started running."
"Good, go relieve Jay," Marrissa ordered, turning back to
the soup. "Hopefully they'll leave soon, and the Enterprise will
arrive."
"Aye, sir," Alexander said, standing up and giving a quick
salute. Then with a quick about face, headed toward the door.
"Oh and Alex," Marrissa said. Alexander stopped, and turned
back. "Cut the soldier routine. We're all friends here."
"I hope," Alexander said before heading out.

It was getting hot again up on the cliff. Jay had taken off
his shirt and was taking a long drink from his canteen. As he
lowered the canteen, he spotted something rising from the
foliage. He pulled out the binoculars. The black alien shuttle
was rising. It was wobbling as if the pilot was having a hard
time controlling it. As Jay watched, it straightened and left at
high speed up into space. It wasn't very long before a standard
Star Fleet shuttle descended..

Chapter Seven

Marrissa was relaxing after lunch when the live transmission
from the shuttle came on. Data and La Forge were entering the
shuttle. La Forge pointing out Shayna's various traps and Data
disarming them. She hoped they'd find the group soon. She would
have taken the group back to the shuttle, but one thing she'd
learn when her parents took her camping, was that if someone was
looking for you, it's advisable to stay in one place if you want
them to find you.
She wished she could contact the away team. As Captain
Picard entered the shuttle, Marrissa stretched out her arms.
This caused the communicator that she'd attached to her tank-top
that morning to hit her breast. She could contact them.
"Marrissa to Captain Picard," she said.
"Picard here. It's a relief to hear you, Marrissa. Are you
and your friends alright?"
"All of us are okay, with the exception of the two adults.
They died before we landed."
"Where are you?"
"About five kilometers to the north-west of you, in the cave
labeled survey base camp number twenty-four."
"Stay there. We'll be there in about a hour."
"Aye sir. We'll have dinner ready."

Marrissa stood in the entrance to the came as Captain Picard
lead the away team up the path. Shayna stood at her side. "Are
you sure you removed all the traps?" Marrissa asked.
"Pretty sure," Shayna said. Moments later, Captain Picard
found a trap and ended up with a bright purple fruit in his face
as a result. The juice fruit mess dripped down on to his red
Starfleet uniform, making a through mess of it.
"Shayna, how is it that three aliens attack us with phaser
fire, not triggering a single one of your traps and then, after I
have you remove them all, Captain Picard gets hit with a fruit?"
Marrissa asked.
"I'm not sure," Shayna said as the Captain and Data finished
their walk up the path.
"Welcome to our cave hide-away, sir," Marrissa greeted.
"I'm sorry about the mess, Shayna had assured me that all of our
trip wires had been disabled."
"Sorry sir," Shayna said contritely.
"That is quite all right," Picard responded. "It is
reassuring that you were able to mount such a successful defense
under these conditions. Perhaps you'll end up in security some
where down the road."
"With Shayna's constant practical jokes, that's a good bet,
sir," Marrissa said. "If you'd like to clean off that fruit, Jay
will show you the bathing room."
"Thank you Marrissa," Picard said, entering the cave. "I
believe you offered diner?"
"Yes, sir," Marrissa responded, "Clara will be cooking hot
dogs and chilli."

All of the parents were there when the shuttle returned to
the Enterprise. Most of the parents were gathered by the door to
the corridor. Alexander's father, however was different. He was
standing in the far corner, checking the phasers in the bay
armor.
Captain Picard exited the shuttle first, followed by the
children. Marrissa was quickly embraced by her parents, though
she tried to put them off. Clara jumped into her father's arms,
nearly causing him to lose his balance and fall. Jay almost
disappeared in the combined hug of his parents. His two year old
sister hugged her older brother's leg like she was afraid he
would disappear. Shayna's greeting was warm, but not overly
demonstrative.
Alexander's greeting was totally different. He walked over
to his father, who appeared to be engrossed in his job. At first
the greeting was emotionless. But then once the families had
departed from view, Worf gave his son a big hug and asked him
about what had happened. Alexander was one of the few people
that saw the more open side of the Klingon Security Chief, and
few would believe that the laughter coming from Shuttlebay Two
was that of Worf and his son.

Epilogue

Personal Log
Marrissa Amber Flores

Today was the first meeting of the "Kid's Crew." We created
the club because we (at least Jay and I) wanted to see what
commanding a starship would be like. Commander Riker has agreed
to be our sponsor. He says that if train well, he may be able to
get us a shift, sometime when we are in spacedock, on the bridge.
We wouldn't be alone on the bridge, but if we manage to do that
someday, it will be beyond my dreams, at least the short term
ones.
What are my dreams? Some day I'd like to command my own
starship. I'd have many adventures with a handsome young first
officer at my side. My ship would be the fastest in the fleet,
never defeated in battle, and my crew would be the best in Star
Fleet. It will never happen, but I can dream.
It's just like my dream of being a Princess. I'm not the
daughter of a prince, so I can't be a princess. It doesn't stop
me from dreaming though. I have no way of guaranteeing that I'll
be able to enter Star Fleet, much less get my own command.
However I can dream, and for this dream I can prepare. I've told
my teacher that I'd like to be in Star Fleet someday and he
suggested that I look for a mentor to help me become one.
I've already decided who I want. No one else has ever asked
Captain Picard if he would mentor them, but I will.