Chapter 6: Whispers in the Dark

When the fleet had arrived the crew had very nearly completed their work. Barclay and Obrien were put somewhat behind after having discovered some impurities in the devices reaction chamber. It would have taken longer to expunge the impurities than to rebuild the chamber, so they did. But it hardly mattered anyway for, as the fleet arrived, it took them nearly two hours to get into position.

As the fleet entered the nebula one obvious problem became immediately apparent. Namely how were they to navigate the ships into position without getting bogged down by the spatial distortions in the area. The problem was driven home early on as three ships, the U.S.S. Lexington, Odyssey and Copernicus found themselves immediately bound in the quantum quagmire. In the end it was the science officer on the U.S.S. Endeavor whose out-of-the-box solution saved the day.

He suggested that, though warp engines and thrusters may be inoperable, normal laws of inertia still seemed to apply. Therefore the ships on the outskirts, making use of their tractor beams, would launch large nearby asteroids into the area. Then the other ships in the formation would power down their engines and latch on to these projectiles with their own tractor beams and allow themselves to be towed into place. When they were a few thousand kilometers out they were to disengage their tractor beams. Friction with the gasses and dust in the nebula would then allow the ships to drift gracefully to a stop in their predetermined location.

A risky plan, to be certain, but with Data re-checking their calculations from the Enterprise the captains decided to proceed. The first to execute the risky maneuver were the Lexington, Odyssey and Copernicus. After they had drifted into place the U.S.S. Bozeman and Tolstoy followed and the rest of the fleet thereafter. The last to arrive was the Endeavor. With no asteroid to tow them into place, the Endeavor took a running start and entered the quantum sinkhole at speed. Their calculations weren't perfect for they were nearly half a kilometer off the mark, but they were close enough.

"Laforge, report," the captain ordered over the intercom.

"We're almost there, Captain," Geordi replied. "Obrien is installing the pulse field generator now. We'll be ready to proceed in 15 minutes."

"Copy, Laforge. Number One?"

"The fleet reports ready, sir," Riker said. "We can proceed at your command."

"Excellent. Picard to Rose and Grim. Respond."

"Rose here, Captain."

"Grim here."

"Are you prepared to disembark?"

"Yes, sir," Grim responded. "We're picking up our gear from security now. We'll be in the holodeck in about five minutes."

"Oh, and Captain," Rose said. "In case I don't get to talk to any of you again, thanks for all you've done. We really appreciate it. And we're sorry for any trouble we've caused, isn't that right, Roth?"

"Yeah, whatever," he muttered. "Hey big fella," Roth said over the comm. "Keep practicing those dance moves while I'm away. Maybe some day you'll be the belle of the ball!"

Worf never took his eyes off his console. But, even so, a wry smile crept at the corners of his mouth.

"Indeed," the captain said with a smile. "It was our pleasure, Miss Rose. And it was no trouble. But when you get back be sure to tell your scientists to get to work on their warp technology. You're a bit behind and there's a whole galaxy of possibility awaiting you."

"Yes, sir," she said, offering a hearty salute, though he would never see it over the comm.

"Captain, what about Coren," Grim asked.

"I'll have security deliver him shortly."

"Thank you, Captain."

"Doctor, report on Mr. Olwards condition."

A brief moment followed with silence over the comm.

"Dr. Crusher, report. Doctor?"

Another moment passed with Picard and Riker exchanging concerned glances before a shrill, panicked voice called over the comm.

"Medical to security! Security emergency in sickbay. Somebody, please respond!"

"Nurse Ogawa? What's wrong? Where's Beverly?"

"There's been a breech in sickbay," Alyssa responded. "The patient has escaped and Dr. Crusher is down."

"Coren."

Slowly Coren's eyes fluttered open and he looked around, though he was far from lucid. It was as though something was pulling him from the brink of slumber. Something was willing him awake, much in spite of the heavy blanket of sedatives he was under. He looked around, though the world hardly made sense when he did. It was a bizarre mosaic of muffled sounds, disjointed images and whitewashed shades of gray.

"Coren."

Each time the voice called to him it pulled him that much farther back into lucidity. It had been doing so for the last six hours. Patiently, unwavering and steadily urging him back to his senses. But now, with time short, there was an urgency as yet unknown in the voice. And it was this urgency which called to him more than anything else and begged him back into the world.

"The hypo!"

He hardly knew what a hypo was, let alone how to use it. But all the same the fog of his mind cleared, if only just, and he reached for a tray of implements at his side. He was clumsy, uncoordinated but he managed to lay hold of the hypo anyway and brought it to his side.

"Blue."

He looked to the tray of medical devices at his side and saw a container with multicolored vials of liquid in them. He reached for them, his sleepy fingers laying hold of the only blue vial he could find. It was difficult, the world being a wash of gray, but somehow he found it. Instinct laid hold of him then and ejected the cartridge in the hypo and replaced it with the blue one. He didn't know how he knew to do this, but instinctively he brought the hypo to his neck and pressed button. His mind cleared immediately after receiving his dose of stimulant. His first impulse was to rise and bolt, but the voice halted him and bade him stay.

"No. Bide your time. We will make your way straight."

Patiently Coren honored the voices in his head and laid still. He watched the doctor and Nurse Ogawa as they went about their business from the corner of his eye. The doctor had her back to him. She was hunched over a microscope examining some biological samples while Alyssa was taking inventory.

"Alyssa, I think I'm ready for those cultures now," she said at last. "Do you think you could get them from the lab for me?"

"Of course."

"Patience."

Coren watched and waited as Alyssa left toward the lab at the back of sickbay.

"Move," the voice said when she had gone.

As quickly and quietly as he was able, Coren rose from the bio-bed and crept toward the doctor. Along the way he found a detronal scanner sitting among another table of surgical implements and cradled it firmly in his hand.

"Faster!"

He quickened his pace as the voice had instructed and the doctor heard him when he did. She turned toward the noise, but it was too late. By the time she saw him she could do nothing but watch in horror as he brought the scanner down on her head. She stumbled back in a daze and he pursued her, forcing her to the ground. A few more blows and she went limp, her blood pooling and seeping into her hair. He stood and regarded her for a moment, waves of regret and concern beginning to overtake him.

"Doctor," Alyssa called from the lab. "Beverly? Are you okay?"

"She will recover. Go!"

Setting his revulsion aside, Coren let the bloody scanner fall to the ground and dashed into the hallway. He knew not where to go yet somehow felt quite heavily drawn to his left. And so he went, honoring his instincts, until he came to a panel mounted in the wall. He began prying the panel from the wall when a loud siren echoed through the halls and the accent lighting at the top and bottom of the walls turned a bright yellow. From down the hall the sound of boots hurriedly advancing down the hall toward him could be heard.

"Hurry!"

He pried the panel loose and slipped inside the Jefferies Tube. He replaced the panel and felt it click in place just as Worf's security team passed him by. Safely inside the tube, Coren went up one level and over two junctions. There, sprawled on the floor, an open toolbox sat with its contents strewn about in a form of organized chaos. Someone had been working here and recently. The worker had probably vacated when the yellow alert was sounded. As though some hidden purpose lay behind his movements, Coren grabbed a datapad, plus a few other odds and ends, and began making his way down the nearest Jefferies Tube.

He emerged, winded and tired, some time later at deck 36. He popped the cover of the tube he was using and stuck his head out for one tentative look. Satisfied that the coast was clear, he stepped out and walked a few paces to the door, taking a moment to read the sign beside it; "Weapons Room," it read.

Without a word he approached the voice recognition panel near the door and began cutting it off with a laser cutter he had grabbed from the abandoned workstation earlier. It wasn't long before the computer sensed his intrusion and sounded an alarm. But, working fast, he soon had the panel off and ripped out a few of the wires therein. Then, allowing the laser cutter to fall to the ground, he took the wires he had pulled and began hardwiring them into the datapad he had stolen. When his work was done he began expertly navigating his way through the Lcars menu until he reached a programming sub directory. With a skill that amazed even himself he bean entering his own code, in spite of the alarm which still sounded noisily around him.

He had the door open in short order and wasted no time rushing through it. It was almost as if he knew the entire layout of the armory. Within seconds he had grabbed a handheld phaser, a couple pockets of stun grenades and a few spare communicators from the shelves. He made for the door but stopped short as he heard several pairs of boots dashing angrily his way.

"Do not fear," the voice said, sensing his rising panic. "We have made your way straight."

"There's been a breech in sickbay," Alyssa cried desperately. "The patient has escaped and Dr. Crusher is down."

"Lieutenant," Picard said looking to Worf. That was all the motivation the Klingon needed as he turned and hurried toward the turbolift.

"Worf to security," he said as he entered the turbolift. "Intruder alert in sickbay. All available personnel converge on sickbay!"

A short turbolift ride later he was on deck 12 and on his way to sickbay. He met several of his security team on the way and the rest just outside of sickbay. He marched through the sickbay doors with better than half a dozen armed men at his side. On the floor Nurse Ogawa was giving aid to the gravely wounded Dr. Crusher. She had stopped the bleeding and, after checking for neck and spine trauma, rolled the doctor into a recovery position.

"Quick, help me get her onto a bio bed," she said as the security team entered.

"What happened here," Worf said as he braced the doctors head.

Several members of the security team, being larger and stronger, relieved Alyssa as they carefully lifted the doctor onto the bed.

"I left to get some samples from the lab," Alyssa explained. She took her medical tricorder and began taking some more detailed scans of the doctors injuries. "I heard a noise and when I came out Beverly was unconscious and the prisoner was gone."

To their backs none were aware as the young Wesley Crusher rushed in urgently. He had one of his teachers in tow behind him. He paused briefly as he stepped in the pool of blood at his feet.

"Mom," he said, an expression of horror on his face as he watched Alyssa work on his mother. "Mom!"

"He shouldn't be here," Alyssa called out as she continued to work on Beverly. One of the security detachment stepped in front of Wesley, placing firm hands on his chest. His teacher put her arms around him as they stepped back into the hall.

"Come on, son," the security officer said. "You don't need to see this."

"Mr. Worf, I could use some assistance," Alyssa said. Worf nodded to two of his security personnel and they began assisting her.

"Worf to Picard," the Lieutenant said over the comm.

"Report, Mr. Worf," the captain replied.

"The prisoner has escaped, Captain, and Dr. Crusher is seriously injured."

"How did he escape?"

"Unknown. I recommend going to yellow alert, Captain."

There was no reply over the comm, but seconds later the ships lighting turned bright yellow and an alert sounded over the ships speakers.

"Captain, can you locate Mr. Olward by internal sensors?"

"Not yet, Mr. Worf. He's not wearing his communicator. Stand by… Internal scans reveal a humanoid figure descending on deck 30. He may be using the Jefferies Tubes to navigate the ship. Use caution, Mr. Worf!"

"Understood."

Without a further word Worf nodded to the rest of his security team, those that were not assisting Nurse Ogawa, and they left for the nearest turbolift.

"Worf, do you copy," Commander Riker said over the comm.

"Worf here."

"We just registered an alarm at the armory."

"Copy that. I'm on my way."

A short turbolift ride later and Worf and his team converged on the armory. The door was widely ajar and the voice identification panel beside it had been removed. A datapad still hung from cables ripped from within. Worf ordered his team to set up a perimeter and stepped inside the armory. He took a quick inventory and helped his team sweep the room before tapping on his communicator.

"Worf to Picard."

"Report, Mr. Worf."

"Mr. Olward is gone, sir. After gaining access to the armory he stole a handheld phaser and several stun grenades."

"He gained access to the armory? How did he gain access to the armory?"

"It would appear he performed a hard bypass on the door mechanism. I will need to perform a more detailed analysis."

"Did he take anything else?"

"Unknown, sir. We will need to take a more complete inventory to be certain."

"Very well. Leave two of your men to do an inventory and track him down, Mr. Worf. Sensors show him on deck 42."

"What could he want on deck 42, Captain? There should be no high value targets there."

"Unknown. But he's psychotic, Mr. Worf. For all we know he wants to blow out the bottom of my ship. Apprehend him quickly. And use extreme caution."

"Understood."

The hatch Coren had used to gain entry to the armory was still open. Worf left two of his security in the armory and the rest followed him through the tubes to deck 42. They stopped at the deck 41 junction, just above deck 42, and Worf peered down cautiously. In the space beyond he saw nothing but another Jefferies Tube junction and workspace.

Worf was the first one down, after he was satisfied the room was clear. The rest of the team followed suit and secured the fore, aft, port and starboard Jefferies Tube access points.

"Worf to bridge, do you have a reading on Mr. Olwards location?"

"Worf, according to our sensors you're standing right on top of him," Commander Riker said.

Worf looked around anxiously, his senses on high alert. He checked every corner, every panel, every nook that might hide someone of Mr. Olwards size but nothing. His Klingon blood was beginning to boil when he heard something. It was a small thing. A barely noticeable ubiquitous crunch and then the world became a wash of white.

He was the first to awake several minutes later. His head was still spinning from some unknown attack and the rest of his security team lay beside him, unconscious. In the distance he heard what sounded like the captain and Commander Riker pleading with him for information over the comm. Gathering his senses, Worf pushed himself to his knees and crawled to the sound of the crunch he had heard before. When he found it he held it in his hands and regarded it closely.

"Worf… to bridge," he said, still clearing his head.

"Mr. Worf! What happened," the captain answered.

"Some kind of… improvised explosive device… sir. Composed of… a communicator and… a stun grenade."

"An I.E.D.? Are you and your men injured?"

"Negative, Captain," Worf said, pulling himself to his feet. "Only stunned."

"Can you see any trace of Mr. Olward? He's disappeared from sensors."

One by one Worf began making rounds to his still unconscious team before responding.

"Negative, Captain. I don't think he was ever here."

When Coren heard the footsteps rushing down the hall toward him, he quickly ducked inside the open Jefferies Tube. He quickly ducked up one level and into the workspace there as the voice had instructed. Then he used the control panel in the workspace to open all Jefferies Tube hatches down to deck 42. When he had opened the shaft straight to the bottom he took one of the comm badges he had pilfered and set to work on it. When he was done he tore off a strip of his clothing and fastened one of the stun grenades to it before dropping it down the shaft and shutting the hatch behind it.

After a few moments he heard Worf and his team descend down the shaft. The voice bade him wait and he did. When the coast was clear, at the voice's counsel, he opened his hatch and descended back into deck 36. He did not tarry there but continued on, through the Jefferies Tubes, to main deflector control. He followed the pleading of his own personal poltergeist until it led him to a panel just behind the main console in deflector control. There he saw Obrien and Barclay putting the finishing touches on the pulse field emitter. They were making the last of their connections and the emitter would be operational within minutes.

As carefully as he was able, Coren opened the panel and set it aside softly. Obrien and Barclay caught unawares as Coren silently entered the room behind them.

"F-f-freeze! Freeze! Freeze," Coren shouted madly.

Barclay and Obrien both jumped with a start at the command. Barclay's mouth dropped open and he froze at the sight of the phaser pointed at his chest. He tried to say something to reassure the lad but it only came out as something of a stuttering gibberish. Obrien had more luck, having stared down the barrel of a phaser before.

"Alright, son, now let's just stay calm," Obrien said raising his hands. "Nobody needs to get hurt, here."

"I don't want to hurt anyone, hurt anyone," Coren replied.

"Good! That's good. Now why don't you just hand the phaser over to me and we can take you back to the doctor."

Coren averted his gaze and his eyes welled up at the mention of the doctor. Obrien took the opportunity to take one tentative step forward.

"Back, back, back," Coren shouted, panicked. "You stay back, back!"

"Alright, son," Obrien said, taking a step back. "Alright, son. Why don't you just tell us what you want."

"What thing, son? There are a lot of things in here."

"The thing. The thing, I need the thing!"

"Alright, you need the thing. Maybe if you point to it we can help you."

Impatiently Coren pointed the pulse field emitter, stabbing at it violently with his finger.

"That thing! I need that thing, that thing."

"Alright, son. Just let us disconnect it for you."

"No tricks! No tricks!"

"No tricks. You can watch us. No tricks."

Slowly, so as not to startle the lad, Obrien and Barclay disconnected the device. When their work was done they set the emitter on the floor about halfway between themselves and Coren. Coren never took his eyes off them as he leaned in to pick it up. It wasn't overly heavy, but it was oddly shaped and awkward to carry. But he managed, all the same, and backed his way toward the Jefferies Tube.

However he stopped just shy of the opening and eyed them both curiously.

"You'll tell on me," he said, mistrust evident in his voice.

"No, son, we won't say a word," Obrien said and Barclay nodded his agreement.

"You'll follow me!"

"No we won't. We'll stay right here, I promise."

"Liar," Coren cried as he raised his phaser to fire.

"Coren, No!"

Quite suddenly it was as though he knew where he was. The void disconnect in his eyes was replaced an abrupt understanding of his surroundings. He lowered his phaser but still kept the pair in sight as he backed out through the Jefferies Tube entrance. Afterward he proceeded upward, zigzagging all the way, until he reached a point just outside holodeck 3. He loosened the panel and stepped into the corridor, after making sure it was clear.

The corridor was vacant and still. The yellow alert had cleared most of the already sparse skeleton crew from the corridors. Coren was able to follow the hall freely as it gently curved left before him.

"Coren, ready!"

Instinctively Coren stopped and pressed himself against the wall. Nothing was there. At least nothing that he could see or hear. But he honored the voice, all the same.

"Aim!"

Without a thought Coren raised the phaser, preparing to fire.

"Fire!"

Obediently, Coren fired. He knew not at what, but he fired anyway. Just as he did a phaser clad security officer rounded the bend before him. He was caught entirely unawares as he walked right into Coren's phaser blast.

"Down!"

Coren obeyed and a second officer, the partner of the first, burst forward with phaser in hand. Coren fired and the officer barely had time to respond before he, too, fell limp to the ground beside his comrade. Immediately Coren jumped to his feet and took off in a mad sprint down the hallway. After a short ways he felt a strong urge to ready one of his stun grenades, so he did.

"Bank it, Coren."

With uncommon speed and strength Coren threw it hard against the wall which curved out of sight before him. It hit the wall and bounded out of sight before disappearing around the bend. It exploded in a flash of blue light accompanied by the cries of the guards as they crumpled to the ground. Coren rounded the bend and found the guards where they lay and the holodeck entrance completely unguarded. He rushed through without a thought and vanished into the thick wood beyond.

After the assault Captain Picard ordered an immediate conference in the observation lounge. In attendance were Commander Riker, Worf, Laforge, Data, Barclay and Nurse Ogawa for the injured Dr. Crusher. Rose and Grim were also present, as was Deana who requested to be present. All were assembled when the captain entered and took his seat. His normally calm demeanor was noticeably less so, lines of frustration etched upon his face.

"Nurse Ogawa, report on Dr. Crusher's condition," he began.

"I've stopped the bleeding and repaired the major damage, Captain," she replied. "She's resting comfortably, for the moment."

"And the rest of the security team?"

"No serious injuries. I have treated the security team for low level phaser trauma and they are fit to return to duty."

"I see. Mr. Worf, how did Mr. Olward gain access to the armory?"

"Sir, he gained access to the circuitry behind the voice control panel with a laser cutter," Worf began. "He performed a hard bypass with a data pad we believe he obtained from a workstation not far from the armory. Then he supplemented his attack by writing his own code to open the door from a programming sub directory within the pad."

"He wrote his own code," Commander Riker asked, leaning in. "How is that possible?"

"Unknown, sir."

"Indeed," the Captain uttered, stealing a disapproving glance at Grim. "How did he evade sensors, Mr. Worf?"

Immediately he brought forward the communicator they found on deck 42. It was cracked down the middle where someone had stepped on it and scorched where the grenade had gone off.

"Our inventory check has determined that two communicators were taken, in addition to the phaser and stun grenades. This communicator was programmed to emit a false bio signature. It was then connected to a stun grenade and programmed to IED when stepped on. I believe the other communicator is actively masking his bio signature, sir."

"Can we contact him on this communicator?"

"We can't target the communicator directly. We can send out a wide area broadcast, but that will depend on his willingness to respond."

"I see. Mr. Allsbane, the time has come for answers. I want to know who this man is and how he has such intimate knowledge of my ship."

"I'm sorry, Captain. I don't have any answers. I'm as perplexed as you."

"Not good enough, Mr. Allsbane! Not nearly good enough! This man has wreaked havoc upon my ship. He has escaped from sickbay, severely injuring my chief medical officer in the process, evaded my security and hacked his way into one of the most secure areas of this vessel. Not to mention that he has demonstrated a mastery of this ship and its systems that rivals the best of Starfleet. Now, I want answers, Mr. Allsbane. Either this man has innate knowledge of this ship and its systems or he acquired it elsewhere. It must be one or the other, so which is it?"

Grim's face reddened and he lowered his head, searching for the right answer.

"I don't know," he said plainly.

"Oh, so what, then? Perhaps Starfleet security is so lax that any layman…"

"Excuse me, Captain," Deana said, somewhat apologetically. "I believe I may have an answer."

"Counselor?"

"I believe Coren may have been under the influence of a foreign entity, sir."

"What makes you say so?"

"For the last three or four hours I have noticed a growing presence in sickbay, but I never reported it."

"Why not, Counselor?"

"It's difficult to explain, Captain, but I'll try. Human minds are very unguarded, as are most species that are not telepathically adept. Your minds aren't used to guarding against outside intrusion, so they don't. From time to time this can create ghosts, of a sort, as the energies from stray thought and emotion drift and mingle together. I usually just dismiss them."

"I see. And what does this have to do with Mr. Olward?"

"For three or four hours I have noticed a large number of these ghosts in the area of sickbay. It's unusual for them to cluster so tightly around one area, but I attributed it to rising tensions from the upcoming mission and dismissed them anyway. I fear I was in error, Captain. I think something was attempting to influence him. I believe Grim really does have no idea what is going on. I'm sorry. I should have brought this to you sooner."

"Counselor, your intuitions have saved this ship many times over, so I think you are entitled to one mistake. However, in the future, I expect you to come to me with all concerns no matter how trivial you believe them to be. Understand?"

"Understood, Captain."

"And as for you, Mr. Allsbane, I may have misjudged you again. You have my apologies."

Grim said nothing, but nodded his acceptance.

"Mr. Data, have you sensed anything?"

"No, sir. I have not. I have sensed no unusual energy readings from the nebula. None more than what we have observed, at any rate. However, I was not looking for coherent energy patterns indicatent of non-corporeal life. Further scans with this focus in mind may yield more refined results."

"Make it so, Mr. Data. Don't wait around here. Begin immediately."

"Yes, sir," Data said. He left immediately to begin his scans.

"Mr. Worf, Can you pinpoint Mr. Olward's position in the holodeck?"

"No, sir," Worf replied. "Even if he wasn't masking his bio signature his body is still just a holographic projection. He would be indistinguishable from everything else in the holodeck."

"I see. Counselor Troi, can you still sense these ghosts?"

"Yes, Captain. They are growing stronger. I can sense them clearly in holodeck 3."

"If I could get you in the holodeck, on the ground, do you think you could follow your senses to track Mr. Olward?"

"Yes, I believe so."

"Excellent. This is the plan; Counselor, I am going to insert you, Mr. Worf and a full security detachment into the holodeck. You will lead and they will follow your senses to track Mr. Allsbane. Mr. Barclay, you are to join them as well."

"M-m-me, sir," Barclay stuttered. "O-o-on the h-h-holodeck? With D-d-deana?"

"Yes. Is that a problem?"

"N-n-no! No. No, sir."

"Good. I want you to take pack an engineering kit and accompany the security team. When you find the emitter you are to assess its condition and affect any repairs necessary on your way out of the holodeck. Pack your kit accordingly."

"Y-y-yes, sir."

"Mr. Laforge, you are our insurance policy. I want you and Mr. Obrien to begin work on a backup emitter immediately. Time is of the essence. If I understand what the Doctor has already said, these people have been logged in for nearly 36 hours now. Signs of dehydration may have already begun to manifest. If we can't retrieve the original emitter by the time you have finished your backup then we will use your backup instead."

"Understood," Laforge replied. "We'll get to work right away, Captain."

"Excellent. If there's nothing else…"

"Excuse me, Captain," Rose interjected, raising her hand.

"Yes?"

"If you're going into the simulation we should come."

"Absolutely not. Out of the question."

"No, Captain, she's right," Grim added. "You will need us to help you navigate. And the extra muscle won't hurt, either."

"Mr. Allsbane, Miss Rose, we have been on away missions in arboreal environments before. I assure you that we can handle ourselves."

"No, you don't understand," Rose said. "Caldera is not a regular land. And the forest you're about to enter is not a regular forest."

"How so?"

"This won't be like a regular walk through the forest, Captain. Regular forests are homogenous. You have the same trees, the same insects and the same animals spread evenly through the whole forest.

"But Caldera is different. It's a game. It's designed to give the players a challenge. There are some parts that are very high difficulty and some that are very low difficulty. Without a guide your people could walk from a low level area into a high level area without even realizing it. Without knowing what to expect you could easily be ambushed by forces you aren't prepared to face. And with your safety protocols engaged, that could be disastrous."

"I see. And what's to prevent you from coming to harm?"

"Caldera is our world, Captain. We have our own protections. We're actually in more danger here than we are in there."

"And what dangers could we face? Can you give us an idea?"

"It's difficult to say," Grim answered. "Trolls, goblins, dragons, giants or even other players. It all depends where Coren ran off to."

The captain leaned back in his chair and sighed, deep in thought.

"Very well," the Captain agreed at last. "You and your people will assist. But only if you understand that Lieutenant Worf is in charge. He has seniority and you will follow his command. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Captain," Rose said. "And thank you."

"Understood," Grim agreed. "Very well understood."

"Good. Then everyone go and make your preparations. You disembark in ten minutes."