Paradise Interrupted

by John S. Drew

  The eleven-year-old felt the heat build up in his cheeks. He never considered his activities as “play.” He tried to gain control of his emotions as he saw his father’s demeanor change.

  “Eddie.” Ray’s tone softened as he let out a sigh. “I know this hasn’t been easy for you.”

  Here it came, the apologetic speech. Eddie heard it at least once a week. Ray Johnson ran a gentle hand through Eddie’s hair.

  “I miss your mother too. But it’s just the two of us now and we have to rely on each other. We also have to respect each other’s needs. I know I haven’t been doing that lately, what with the extra work I’ve been putting into the modified warp coils for my presentation at the symposium, but this is important to me.” He paused before continuing. “And you’re important to me.” Ray looked up at the ceiling as though he were making some mental notes about something completely unrelated to the conversation. “Look, how about we do a little exploring of those caves by the lagoon that you were talking about?”

  Eddie’s face lit up. “Really?”

  “Sure. I’ll tell you what, I’ve got some work to finish up here. Why don’t you start down to the lagoon and do a reconnoiter of the area.”

  “What?” Eddie’s face fell.

  “Yeah.” His father placed his hands on Eddie’s shoulders and guided him toward the front door. “There are several caves there. Pick a system that interests you the most and we’ll explore it together. The symposium doesn’t start for another two days. We can spend some of the time together.”

  “Some?” Eddie repeated softly.

  “Well, I’ve also got to finish copying my notes and putting them in some coherent order for my presentation, don’t I?” They passed through their bungalow entrance and Ray gave Eddie a gentle push forward. “But I promise you we’ll spend time together. Now, why don’t you run along and I’ll catch up with you.” He backed up into the doorway. “Oh, be careful down there. Don’t go too far into the caves. With the odd power fluctuations that have been happening, you might not be able to contact me if you need me. Have a good time.”

  He slammed the door shut as Eddie stood in the courtyard, stunned.

  He just blew me off. He didn’t even finish his speech. Where was the part about how it’s been rough on him as I remind him so much of Mom? Where was the part about how proud she would be that I have remained so strong during such a difficult time? I feel cheated.

  Eddie drew himself from his thoughts, determined not to let it get him down. He turned toward the lagoon and watched as his imaginary crew emerged from the shadows.

  “Where were you guys when I needed you?” he asked aloud. He knew he wasn’t going to get any answers. He shrugged. “Right then, we have a new mission. We’re going to explore the caves in the lagoon. We’ve been getting some unusual reports from Starfleet Command. I’ll explain on the way there.”

  Eddie trudged off toward the lagoon, developing his next adventure in his mind.

  Chapter

  3

  Commander Sonya Gomez gestured to Soloman to enter the conference room first as the two converged on the door at the same time.

  “Thank you, Commander,” the Bynar replied as he stepped through. Sonya couldn’t help but smile at the small alien. The two had been through quite a lot since she first boarded the ship a year ago. They had both watched as someone they cared greatly for had been lost in the line of duty. For Soloman, the loss had been his Bynar partner. In Bynar culture, partnership was essential for proper functioning. And yet, rather than return to his home world to recouple, Soloman elected to stay and serve on board the da Vinci. It took some time, but Soloman was adapting to life without his other half.

  Sonya’s bond with the late Kieran Duffy wasn’t anywhere near as total as the one Soloman had shared, but her own recovery seemed just as slow. Her near-death experience on Teneb had been a wake-up call for her to move on with her life, but there were days when she still felt like she was walking through mud.

  Captain David Gold’s voice drew her from her thoughts. “Any time you’d like to join us, Gomez.”

  “Sorry, sir.” She felt the blood gathering in her cheeks as she took her place at the conference room table. The usual crew was gathered in their traditional places. Sonya quickly acknowledged each and every one with a nod and a smile as she settled into her chair. She felt the odd stare from Mor glasch Tev, second officer aboard the da Vinci. She tried to meet his stare in the hope of unnerving him, but his face remained impassive.

  “Commander,” he said curtly with a slight snort. Sonya wasn’t sure if his tone was sarcastic.

  The communicator chimed as Anthony Shabalala’s voice filled the room. “Bridge to Captain Gold.”

  “Go ahead,” Gold replied.

  “We’re on course for Risa, Captain,” Shabalala announced. “I have Captain Scott standing by.”

  That surprised Sonya. Risa was usually one’s destination for shore leave, not a mission assignment.

  “Patch him through.”

  The S.C.E. team turned their attention to the viewscreen over Gold’s shoulder. The Starfleet emblem winked on momentarily and was replaced by the warm, smiling image of Captain Montgomery Scott.

  “Captain.” Gold nodded in greeting.

  “Good morning, people. As I’m sure you’re all aware, you’re currently on course for Risa.”

  “What happened?” Fabian Stevens had a hint of mischievousness in his voice. “Is there a broken blender that needs repair?”

  Bart Faulwell chuckled. “The entire Risan economy is on the brink of collapse because they can’t make the piña coladas fast enough.”

  This brought a laugh from Scotty. “ ’Tis a wee bit more serious than that. The entire future of Risa is in jeopardy. As I’m sure you know, Risa relies on mostly automated systems to make the stay of their guests as simple and as pleasurable as possible. Unfortunately, those systems are breakin’ down. We’re getting reports of random power drains from certain locales in the Monagas area. It’s affecting everything from the sonic toothbrushes to the sky vehicles to the weather control network. And the power disruptions are spreading.”

  “Is it a mechanical or natural phenomenon?” Gomez asked.

  “That’s for you lot to determine,” Scott replied. “We haven’t been able to contact Risa for nearly twelve hours now. The energy problems are affecting communications. Our most recent report came from an Andorian freighter. The crew was on leave and left after one day. The heavy rains caused by the lack of control of the weather system made it unbearable for them to stay.”

  Fabian grinned. “Well, they could make themselves the number-one destination spot for the Ferengi. A home away from home.”

  “I think they’d like to continue serving a broader client base.” Gold turned to his first officer. “Your thoughts, Gomez?”

  Gomez felt the eyes of everyone on her. “I would assume the Risan authorities would like this handled as quickly and as quietly as possible. So we don’t want to attract much attention. We’ll keep the initial team small as we assess the situation, then bring in team members as is necessary.”

  “Sounds good.” Gold smiled thinly.

  Scott nodded his consent as well. “I’ll leave you to your work then. Contact me when you arrive at Risa. Good luck.”

  The image of Scott faded from the viewscreen. Gold folded his hands in front of him. “And who will make up this team?”

  “Myself, Soloman, and Pattie,” she replied.

  Tev let out a snort of surprise. “Commander?”

  “Yes?” She turned toward the Tellarite, steeling herself for the challenge.

  “I understand your desire to keep the group small. In fact, I wholeheartedly endorse it, but I feel you will need my expertise on this matter.”

  “As I stated, Commander,” Sonya began to explain, keeping her tone as even and pleasant as possible, “I will be bringing in personnel as the situation warrants. Soloman will determine if the fault relate
s to the computer systems. Pattie will determine if the problem is mechanical.”

  “It would make more sense to bring a generalist down to determine the cause, then summon specialists as needed.”

  “Maybe, but I think this away team configuration is what’s best for the mission,” Gomez said, giving Tev a sharp look.

  Tev looked as though he was about to pursue the argument further, but instead settled back in his seat and folded his arms in defeat.

  Domenica Corsi spoke up. “I think you should have someone from security with you.”

  “Why?” Gomez asked, looking forward to hearing the expected answer.

  “What if the nature of these energy drainings is hostile?”

  “Then I’ll call a security detachment down. Domenica, this is Risa. This is where you go to get away from your troubles. Even the bad guys lower their weapons there. If we run into trouble, I’ll call you.”

  “And what if communications are out?” Gomez noted Gold’s “leave her alone” look being directed at Corsi, but the security chief was ignoring it.

  “Then I’ll simply scream at the top of my lungs until you hear me,” Gomez replied with an impish smile that drew a frustrated sigh from both Corsi and Tev simultaneously.

  “It’s settled then,” Gold said. “We’ll arrive at Risa in thirteen hours. Unless there are any other questions or comments, you’re dismissed.”

  The staff rose from their chairs and slowly filed out of the room. Gomez and Gold watched as they departed.

  As the door closed with a whispering hiss, Gold gave his first officer a look. “Gomez, you know that you’ve got final say over any away team you lead.”

  Gomez heard the implied word at the end of that, and provided it. “But?”

  “Tev had a point.”

  “Yes, sir, he did. And honestly, with a different second officer—” Her voice caught, but she recovered.

  “—I would probably have him or her along. But as good as Tev is—and I admit, he’s very good—he’s still adjusting to working with the team. Until he does, I want to remind him that there are other people on the ship.” She smiled. “Besides, this is Risa. These are friendly people, and I trust Soloman and Pattie to interact more pleasantly with the staff.”

  Gold grinned. “Good point.”

  Chapter

  4

  Commander Eddie Johnson stopped short in his hurried tracks as he approached the cave system looking out over the lagoon. He felt a heavy heart as he knew he would be exploring the area alone, even though he had the rest of his crew along in spirit. He turned to face them, holding out a hand to halt their advance.

  “I haven’t been completely honest with you,” he said to his crew with regret. “There isn’t any trouble in these caves. For a long time, you have been faithfully following my orders without question. I appreciate that. It’s nice to have such a loyal crew. But I think you should know that there has been an ulterior motive to all this.”

  Eddie sighed. This wasn’t going to be easy. “A few years ago, I lost my father. He disappeared from my life at a time when I needed him most. Every mission we have been on, while they have served the best interests of Starfleet and the Federation, has also been about finding my father.

  “My father is Ray Johnson, the noted warp field specialist. He’s been working on a top-secret project to produce a more efficient warp coil generator. I believe he may have been on the verge of something critical when he disappeared. I don’t know if he met with foul play or if he has simply gone into hiding, but every mission we have been on in the last six months has allowed me to follow up on clues and rumors I’ve heard regarding his whereabouts.”

  Eddie pointed toward the entrance. “I have every reason to believe he is in there. So, while officially we will be exploring the caves and creating a detailed map of the region for Starfleet records, unofficially, we will be looking for my father.” Eddie paused to allow everyone to ponder what he had just said. “I will understand if anyone wishes to return to the ship.”

  Silence was once again the reply. Eddie broke out into a big smile. He had a good crew.

  “Then why are we waiting? Let’s move out!”

  The crew moved quietly through the caves for the better part of an hour. The only sound that could be heard was the echoing of Eddie’s heavy bootsteps. The journey inward had been uneventful for the most part, save for Lieutenant McGuiness nearly falling into a chasm. Some quick thinking on Eddie’s part saved her from a sad ending.

  Eddie stopped for a moment and took in a deep breath. The much cooler, damper air of the caves filled his lungs and caused him to cough. He settled down on a large boulder and looked around at the craggy features of the ceiling and walls surrounding him.

  A glance at his watch confirmed his worst fear. He had been in the caves for nearly two hours now.

  His father wasn’t joining him.

  He stood up, determined not to let his crew see the mixture of disappointment and anger in his face. He cleared his throat and prepared to make the announcement when something shining out of the corner of his eye caught his attention.

  Eddie stepped slowly toward the glow, which seemed to pulse and emanate a low hum. It was coming from just around the corner, where Ensign Tomkins had reported as “uninteresting” just moments before. Eddie made a note to have a word later with Tomkins about the accuracy of his investigations.

  Eddie stepped cautiously forward, wishing he had thought to bring his tricorder with him. As he moved into the next chamber, he caught the first sight of its occupant—a glowing orange-yellow ball of pulsing light that illuminated the chamber.

  To Eddie’s surprise, it appeared to retreat slightly as he entered. Eddie stopped and watched for a moment, waiting to see if it would make a move.

  Make a move? You should be the one making a move, Eddie Johnson, right out of the cave.

  And yet he remained perfectly still, watching as the glowing light maintained an equal distance away from the boy. As Eddie took a step forward, it would move the same distance back and move forward as the boy retreated. Eddie wiped away a trickle of sweat that ran down the side of his cheek. The heat emanating from the creature, for lack of a better term, was sweltering.

  “I’m not going to hurt you,” he said, surprising himself as he said it. This thing looked powerful enough to take out most of the continent. Realization dawned on the boy. “Say, you’re not what’s causing all these energy problems on Risa, are you?”

  As if in response to his question, the creature shuddered and Eddie’s torch suddenly winked out.

  “Wow,” he whispered as he slowly put the torch down on the ground. “My name’s Eddie.”

  The creature offered no acknowledgment.

  “I come from a planet called Earth. We have a lot of energy there.” Nice move, Eddie. Come visit Earth, we’re ripe for the taking.

  “Do you have a name?”

  Again, the creature just pulsed in silence.

  Eddie took another step forward. This time, the creature did not move.

  “Starting to trust me?”

  Eddie ran his arm across his forehead, which was producing rivulets of sweat that ran into his eyes, stinging them. He took another step.

  “All right. You won’t tell me your name, how about where you come from?”

  Another step. The creature’s glow began to increase. Eddie placed a hand in front of his eyes to shield the glare. It didn’t help much.

  “Can you talk at all? How are we going to communicate?”

  Every instinct in Eddie told him to leave quickly, but his curiosity and the serenity of the creature kept his guard in check. He stepped forward again.

  The creature suddenly shifted forward, growing somewhat larger as it did. Eddie took a fearful step back and stumbled to the ground.

  He fumbled with the combadge his father had given him. “D-d-dad! This is-is E-e-eddie! Come in!”

  There was no response. He looked up at the creature. It
was hovering close to him. “Drained the energy from that too, huh?”

  The creature continued to advance on Eddie.

  “Now look, just remember. I came here in peace. I want to go that way!”

  It was less than half a meter away from Eddie now. The heat was becoming unbearable. Eddie thought he might pass out.

  “I won’t even tell anyone that you’re here. I promise!”

  The creature made one sweeping move forward, engulfing Eddie. He felt a momentary searing flash of heat touch every part of his body as the creature washed over him, but the heat quickly subsided as consciousness began to slip away from him.

  Despite all that was happening and how dangerous the situation seemed, Eddie final thought before succumbing to the darkness was Wow!

  Chapter

  5

  “Now entering standard orbit of Risa,” Songmin Wong announced to the bridge crew of the da Vinci. He tapped a further command into his console and smiled with satisfaction. They had arrived at Risa without incident, which made a nice change for the conn officer. After the navigational nightmare of the so-called “Sargasso sector,” a simple flight to Risa was a welcome change.

  Wong, like most in Starfleet, looked forward to the challenges of exploring strange new life-forms and new civilizations, but he never expected ferrying a bunch of techs across the galaxy to be so dangerous. He glanced down at his left hand and said another silent prayer of thanks that he managed to retain it after an explosion of his console hurled debris at him at Galvan VI.

  “Very good, Wong.”

  Wong turned to look up at Captain Gold as he rose from his chair. The captain hadn’t been so lucky. His hand was lost as nearly the entire ceiling had come crashing down upon him. But the captain was luckier than tactical officer David McAllan. Gold lost his left hand due to the pinning debris. McAllan lost his life as he leapt forward and pushed the captain to safety, taking the brunt of the wreckage himself.