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Star Trek: Series ? Episode 5x25: Hitting the Road, Part I
�Captain�s Log: My crew and I have been summoned to Starfleet Command by the Federation President himself. What this meeting is about, I can only guess...�
Braxton and his senior staff entered the chamber, where the Federation President, Admiral Crusher, and the entirety of Starfleet�s top brass were waiting for them. The President shook Braxton�s hand. �It�s good to see you, Captain. I wish I could say I had good news for you, but I�m afraid I don�t.�
Admiral Crusher punched a few buttons on a nearby console, and a holographic map of the galaxy appeared in the air above them. �One of Starfleet�s scientific probes in intergalactic space has picked up an energy signature that is currently inbound. This energy signature is identical to that of the vessel that attacked Starbase 47 nearly a year ago.�
Braxton, however, was clearly distracted by the twinkling stars floating above his head. Damar jabbed him with his elbow not-so-gently to bring him out of it. �Right. Energy signature. Inbound.�
�You haven�t the slightest idea what I�m talking about, do you?�
�Not a clue, sir.�
�It�s a Progeny vessel, you dimwit!�
�Uh...?�
�The Progeny! The noncorporeal aliens that kidnapped you twice and are bent on restoring the timeloop that ultimately results in you becoming Evil Braxton!�
�Oh, those Progeny...�
Crusher rubbed his temples in a futile attempt to stave off the inevitable headache. �The vessel is traveling at transhyperwarp speed, and is projected to enter the Milky Way Galaxy in several hours. It will only take minutes for it to cross the Delta and Beta Quadrants before it ultimately arrives here to find you.�
Ducane stepped forward. �Does Starfleet have a defense planned?�
The Federation President pressed another button, and the hologram above switched to sensor data on the Progeny ship itself. �As you will recall, the previous Progeny vessel was only the size of a runabout, and yet it took down Starbase 47�s shields with only one hit. Conventional weapons had no effect on it, and it took a temporal implosion to even bring down it�s shields.�
Ducane inferred the rest from the data. �This vessel is over 800 meters long and has an energy signature at least 100 times more powerful than the first! Not even a temporal implosion would begin to dent it�s shields!�
Crusher pointed to Starfleet�s top brass. �Starfleet Command�s expert opinion is that the situation is hopeless and that we should just let them have Braxton.�
�You disagree?�
�I�m Wesley Crusher! I can find a solution to anything!�
At which point the rest of the admirals began muttering things to themselves, although words like �The Boy� and �know-it-all� could occasionally be heard.
Crusher shot them a death glare, and then turned back to Braxton. �The Progeny cannot undo the timeloop if they cannot get their noncorporeal hands on you. Therefore, you are going to run away like little girls.�
It was Dax�s turn to point out the obvious. �I think you�re forgetting one little thing, Admiral. Their transhyperwarp drive beats out our hyperwarp drive any day of the week. If we try to run, they�ll catch us in mere seconds.�
Admiral Crusher smiled. The Relativity crew didn�t know whether to take that as a good sign or a bad sign, until Kes suddenly lit up. �Hold on!�
She whipped out a PADD and began furiously working on it. A few seconds later, she let out a loud �Aha! Here it is! In Episode 5x10, Admiral Crusher used his Traveler powers to speed up our ship! He�s going to boost our speed to allow us to get away!�
At which point Admiral Crusher turned to the screen. �Didn�t I tell you all that plot point was going to be important? DIDN�T I?�
Crusher cleared his throat and turned back to everyone else. �And the plan gets even better from there! Starfleet R&D has modified about a dozen temporal transponders to mimic Braxton�s space-time signature. Each transponder will be placed on a separate ship, which should confuse the Progeny�s sensors momentarily. It should buy the Relativity even more time. You�ll be set to leave as soon as my people complete the necessary upgrade to your inertial dampening system. Otherwise, the extreme speeds will eventually tear the Relativity apart. Dismissed!�
***
As the upgrade proceeded, the Progeny vessel raced towards the Milky Way Galaxy at unimaginable speeds. Once it reached the outer fringes of the Delta Quadrant, it found its path impeded by...
We are the Borg. Resistance is futile. We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own.
Sure enough, the Borg had detected the incoming Progeny and had assembled a fleet of several cubes to intercept and assimilate them.
The Progeny were amused, to say the least. So... You are the Borg. Braxton indicated that you were a force in this galaxy with which to be reckoned. Let us test that opinion.
Opinions are irrelevant.
The Borg fleet opened fire. The Progeny vessel�s shields laughed off the negligible damage. How cute. You�re trying to match our shield modulation. Perhaps we can be of assistance. Our shields operate on a frequency of 47 exahertz.
Were the Borg capable of being impressed, they would have been. Such a shield frequency was well out of their league. Furthermore, were the Borg capable of being confused, they would have been that as well. After all, it wasn�t every day that the Borg were just handed a way to defeat an adversary�s defenses.
Instead, the Borg opted for their default tactic: Beaming a single drone aboard the Progeny vessel. The drone appeared in one of the few areas of the ship that were large enough to hold a humanoid, as the Progeny had no need for such spaces. It surveyed the area, and then attempted to co-opt the ship by plugging itself into the wall via it�s nanotubules.
Instead of control of the Progeny vessel, the drone got a nasty shock of brilliant gold energy, throwing it across the room violently. A Progeny male phased out of the wall and shook it�s head at the drone. So, these are the Borg. Cybernetics? How quaint, although I suppose they do impress the locals.
The drone managed to get itself upright and lumbered towards the Progeny. It attempted to grab a hold of the golden alien in order to assimilate it, but to no avail. The Progeny man laughed. Were you trying to do something like this?
With that, he sank one of his arms into the drone�s chest, sending tremendous surges of energy through it. It dropped to the floor seconds later, fried beyond recognition.
The Borg attempted to beam over more drones, but found that the Progeny had already remodulated their shields. As amusing as this has been, we have other matters to which we must attend. So, if there are no further interruptions, we�ll be on our way.
And with that, the Progeny vessel plowed right through the center of the cube immediately in it�s path, continuing towards the Alpha Quadrant at unparalleled speeds.
***
Yar continued to track the Progeny vessel onboard the Relativity. �Federation sensor network confirms the Progeny vessel has resumed its course towards Starbase 47. ETA is in 4 minutes, 7 seconds.�
Ducane, who had been coordinating efforts from the bridge, tapped his comm badge. �Damar, we need that upgrade completed in four minutes or we�re all doomed!�
�As a matter of fact, we just finished, sir!�
�Perfect. Ducane to Admiral Crusher. The upgrade is complete. Whenever you�re ready.�
***
In his office aboard Starbase 47, Admiral Crusher tapped his comm badge. �Understood. Crusher to fleet, you have a go for Operation Long Run.�
And with that, Crusher closed his eyes and began channeling his Traveler powers...
***
Out in space, the Relativity and the fleet of Federation ships surrounding it powered up their engines and began heading off in different directions.
Seconds later, the Progeny vessel dropped out of hypertranswarp beside Starbase 47. We have to admit, this Starfleet of yours is quite resourceful, given your limited technology. However, we have a complete temporal profile on Captain Braxton. Your temporal transponders cannot fool us, and we will have the Relativity in mere seconds.
�Not if I have anything to say about it!�
However, it was not Crusher�s voice that the Progeny heard.
It was Janeway�s.
The evil Excelsior evilly dropped out of ID space immediately in front of the Progeny vessel.
�It�s payback time!�
***
THEY�RE ON THE RUN
*Shot of the Relativity*
FROM AN UNSTOPPABLE FORCE.
*Shot of the Progeny*
AND THE ONLY ONES WHO HAVE THEIR BACKS
*Shot of the Excelsior*
ARE THEIR MORTAL ENEMIES!
Season 5 ends with Episode 5x26: Hitting the Road, Part II
-------------------- "Kirito? I killed a thing and now it says I have XPs! Is that bad? Am I dying?"
-Asuna, Episode 2, Sword Art Online Abridged
Registered: Mar 1999
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Ooh, does this mean that when Admiral Crusher tosses the Relativity out of the Milky Way, they get somewhere like the Pegasus Galaxy? (Maybe the Progeny don't have inter-dimensional technology...)
Also, it's nice to see that the Relativity crew are not the only ones who aren't happy about The Boy being a senior Starfleet commander...
Finally, aren't you cutting it a little close for the end of the season? The anniversary is coming up on March 26th...
-------------------- “Those people who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.” — Isaac Asimov Star Trek Minutiae | Memory Alpha
Registered: Nov 2000
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quote:Originally posted by MinutiaeMan: Ooh, does this mean that when Admiral Crusher tosses the Relativity out of the Milky Way, they get somewhere like the Pegasus Galaxy? (Maybe the Progeny don't have inter-dimensional technology...)
Good question. This will be answered in the season finale.
quote:Originally posted by MinutiaeMan: Finally, aren't you cutting it a little close for the end of the season? The anniversary is coming up on March 26th...
I've given up trying to stick to any kind of schedule this season, although I do imagine the season will be over by March 26. The season premiere (which will completely and totally shock anybody familiar with the series) will be pretty long and will take a while to write.
quote:Originally posted by TSN: Crusher stayed on the station? Couldn't the Progeny just blow up the station, thus killing Crusher and ending the Relativity's speed boost?
I'm just saying...
Again, good question, and it will be answered in the season finale.
quote:Originally posted by Shakaar: By the time you've reached episode 5x26, it's high time you named the series. *G*
Star Trek: Series ? is the title of the show, where ? is any integer greater than the current number of actual Star Trek series.
Fast fact: When I think the name of the series (I never have had reason to actually say it out loud), the question mark is pronounced like the buzzer sound on a game show when a contestant answers incorrectly.
-------------------- "Kirito? I killed a thing and now it says I have XPs! Is that bad? Am I dying?"
-Asuna, Episode 2, Sword Art Online Abridged
Registered: Mar 1999
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quote:When I think the name of the series (I never have had reason to actually say it out loud)
What, you never actually talk about your writings to anyone? Even I've mentioned the series to a couple of friends (verbally). (And no, they didn't look at me funny or anything. They're actually into weirder stuff than me!)
quote:The season premiere (which will completely and totally shock anybody familiar with the series)
So, are you collaborating with Ronald D. Moore now?
-------------------- “Those people who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.” — Isaac Asimov Star Trek Minutiae | Memory Alpha
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posted
The worst thing that could ever happen to the Relativity crew... Is it:
1) The crews of the Relativity and the Excelsior are drafted to be the cast of a new series called Star Trek: Temptation Island?
2) The Progeny fail to capture Braxton, so they resort to their backup plan, which is an invasion of Teletubbies?
3) The ship ends up being saved by Wesley Crusher? (Er, wait...)
4) The Excelsior uses its ID drive to rescue the Relativity, but a miscalculation by Apophis sends both ships into the Mystery Science Theater 3000 universe?
-------------------- “Those people who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.” — Isaac Asimov Star Trek Minutiae | Memory Alpha
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quote:Originally posted by MinutiaeMan: 4) The Excelsior uses its ID drive to rescue the Relativity, but a miscalculation by Apophis sends both ships into the Mystery Science Theater 3000 universe?
I'd call that a BEST possible thing to happen. After 5 minutes of talking with Crow, Wesley's head would explode!
posted
Guessing plot events is kind of risky as it almost ensures that the idea, had it been a good one, never will be used. Like a fondled baby rabbit, to be shunned by its mother because of icky mansmell. (actually I think that's bullshit but Snopes don't mention it so my hands are tied)
About the episode, nice castration of the Borg, I'm sure they had it coming. I'd only call it a 3 of 10 in the monster-castration scale, where a 7 would be Michael Caine nagging about the smell of the giant shark's breath, and a 10 being Danny Glover calling the Predator "pussyface" and then hacking the poor thing's arm off.
Just out of curiosity, Krenim, are the golden aliens of the Progeny in any way inspired by this guy?
Registered: Aug 1999
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posted
Oh, I wasn't intending for any of those guesses to turn out to be right. (Although the MST3K idea is pretty damn awesome in retrospect, but not for a season finale.)
-------------------- “Those people who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.” — Isaac Asimov Star Trek Minutiae | Memory Alpha
Registered: Nov 2000
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quote:Originally posted by Nim: Just out of curiosity, Krenim, are the golden aliens of the Progeny in any way inspired by this guy?
Not even close.
The Progeny, when taking on a humanoid form, most closely resemble the Kaminoans from Attack of the Clones, but with the following modifications:
1) They are golden. 2) They are noncorporeal. 3) They have a slight glow to them. 4) Their necks, while still pretty long for a humanoid, are nowhere near as long as a Kaminoan's. Maybe about half as long. 5) They have heads that are fairly human-like (like most Star Trek aliens), and they do have hair. The Progeny woman that's been seen in previous episodes tended to have long black hair in my imagination. 6) They tend to wear flowing white clothes that do not look particularly futuristic. Using the Progeny woman again, I stated several times that she wore a simple white dress.
-------------------- "Kirito? I killed a thing and now it says I have XPs! Is that bad? Am I dying?"
-Asuna, Episode 2, Sword Art Online Abridged
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
I haven't read your earlier chapters with this "progeny woman" and her dress, so I thought "golden, slender, long-necked, humanoid head and with hair" fitted the Animatrix's poor Emancipated Sentry Drone down to a tee. All Peter Chung's creations seem to share certain aspects with your described Progeny, in fact.
But kaminoans do work for me. I would've liked to have seen them fight, maybe a few kamino-guards chasing down occasional clones that go off the deep end, that small but not insignificant anomaly which, despite their sincerest efforts, the kaminoans have been unable to eliminate from what is otherwise a harmony of mathematical precision.
Registered: Aug 1999
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![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
(Maybe the Progeny don't have inter-dimensional technology...)![[Wink]](wink.gif)
![[Mad]](mad.gif)
![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
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