Then there is nothing.
The End
17
From page 12.
Obviously, the computer FS-137-B has gone berserk. You smash at it with your melted screwdriver, hoping that the machine does not control enough energy to get through your radiation suit.
But as you hear your helmet cracking, you realize that it does have enough power.
The End
18
From page 24.
Lieutenant Grogan helps you into the heavy radiation suit and checks the controls on your tricorder. “I was pretty hard on you back there,” he says. “I’m sorry. You’re all right. No hard feelings?”
You suppose that Grogan was probably any Ensign once. “No hard feelings,” you say.
Grogan nods and opens the door to the Jeffries tube, a narrow shaft that leads up to the. warp engines themselves. Light spills out of the tube, and your tricorder begins to ping, detecting radiation.
“Good luck,” Grogan says, as you climb into the tube. The protective door closes behind you.
Your tricorder’s screen shows two very strong energy readings: one is just ahead and to the right, and the other is a long distance ahead.
If you proceed to check out the near point, turn to page 13.
If you move toward the energy point far up the Jeffries tube, go to page 9.
19
From page 13.
You take a screwdriver from your tool kit and pry at the lump. It shakes and tears open where you poked it. A clear liquid pours out of the creature.
The liquid dissolves the end of your screwdriver! It must be some kind of acid.
If you want to keep attacking the creature, go to page 26.
If you would rather get the lump out of the Enterprise, go to page 25.
20
From page 14.
Seeing that Mr. Scott is busy, you turn away and follow Lieutenant Grogan. He leads you from the main deck to a small room. The door closes behind the two of you.
“Now,” he says, “what’s so important?” You take out the robot “mouse,” and explain to Grogan that it has been stealing electronic parts from the ship.
“That’s very interesting,” Grogan says. “Too bad for you that you found out so much.” Grogan is pointing a gun at you. It is a Klingon disruptor pistol!
“You’re a Klingon spy!” you say. “That is correct,” says the “Lieutenant.” “But you won’t be telling anyone else about it.”
If you attack Grogan, turn to page 55.
If you try to find out more about the Klingons’ plans, turn to page 28.
21
From page 6.
You swing your sweeper at the little robot. It beeps loudly and scurries out of the way.
The sweeper hits the wall with a crash. Its headlight breaks. You see the creature’s red glowing eyes disappear into the distance.
Now you are in the dark, deep within the Enterprise, surrounded by high—voltage cables.
You hope someone finds you before you touch one of them….
The End
22
From page 15.
“You’re right,” you tell FS-137-B. “Oatmeal is very important to the Enterprise.”
“I am glad you understand,” the computer says proudly. As it speaks, you can feel the magnetic pull on your suit weakening. Apparently, when the computer thinks, it cannot use as much power to create the electric storm in the tube.
If you quickly give the computer a problem to salve, so the storm will weaken even more, turn to page 39.
If you keep talking to FS-137-B, and try to make it trust you, turn to page 30.
23
From page 15.
“Captain Kirk doesn’t eat oatmeal for breakfast,” you say. “He doesn’t even like oatmeal.”
“That’s impossible!” says FS-137-B. “Let me think.”
You notice that the energy Held around the computer seems to be weaker.
If you decide to smash FS-137-B, go to page 36.
If you want to keep arguing with the computer, turn to page 33.
24
From page 3.
You turn away from Lieutenant Grogan and toward Chief Engineer Scott. As you do, you can see that many of the lights on the panel where Scott is working are red. That means trouble.
“Sir,” you say, “there must be something more important than sweeping for me to do.”
Mr. Scott looks up at you and Grogan. “Aye, that’s right enough. Mr. Grogan, the Ensign here’s just the right size to check out the portside Jeffries tube. Get a radiation suit, a tricorder, and a Number Four tool kit.”
Grogan gives you a nasty look, but goes to obey orders.
“There’s a strange energy pattern comin’ from that port tube,” Mr. Scott tells you. “I want you to take a tricorder up there and bring me back a report.”
Turn to page 18.
25
From page 8.
You look around the walls of the tube. Nearby is a small hatch with a lever handle, and a sign:
EMERGENCY ESCAPE HATCH DANGER!
OPENS DIRECTLY TO VACUUM
Your radiation suit can protect you against the cold and vacuum of deep space for a few minutes, but it is not a spacesuit, and you will have only the air in your helmet to breathe.
If you want to open the hatch, go to page 37.
If you decide to try something else, go to page 26.
26
From page 19.
You slash again at the lump. Acid splashes around the Jeffries tube, eating into walls and cables—and your radiation suit. You can hear it burning.
The energy-eater stretches. It seems to be reaching toward you.
If you choose to get out of the Jeffries tube and away from the blob, go to page 41.
If you want to go on fighting the creature, turn to page 42.
27
From page 54.
With each hand, you hit a photon arming switch. The ship trembles with another Klingon shot. It seems to take forever for the READY lights to come on: when they finally do, you launch both torpedoes.
Twin explosions Hare. Then everything is quiet.
“The Klingon cruiser is badly damaged, Captain,” Mr. Spock says. “They are running away.”
“Excellent shooting, Ensign,” says Captain Kirk. “Lieutenant Uhura, call the Klingons on the planet. Ask them if we can give them a ride home … without the dilithium crystals, of course.”
The End
28
From page 20.
“I don’t understand,” you tell the spy.
“It’s very simple,” he says. “I am Krogan of the Klingon Empire. Disguised as one of your crew, I put the robot aboard. It has been stealing parts from your engines and weapons. Soon one of our cruisers will arrive to capture the Enterprise, and you will be powerless to fight back.”
“How will the Klingon ship know when to arrive?” you ask, trying to distract Krogan.
“There is a small subspace radio as part of my disguise,” he says. “I will let you listen as I call the cruiser. It will be the last thing you ever do.” He reaches behind his ear and pulls out a wire antenna.
As he does, you rush him. Together you crash into the wall. The antenna breaks off in Krogan’s hand.
The Klingon curses at you. Now his ship cannot attack the Enterprise, and you know that soon he will be captured.
But as he points his disruptor at you, you realize you won’t be around to see it.
The End
29
From page 11.
Krogan says, “Now my rank is Commander, but soon I will be a Captain. You see, you are wrong about our robot. It is not supposed to wreck the Enterprise—only damage it and make it easy for us to capture. One of our battle cruisers will soon arrive to do just that … but you won’t be here to see it, I’m afraid. Now, give me the robot.”
If you hand over the robot to Krogan, turn to page 32.
If you decide to t
hrow the robot at the spy and try to grab his gun, go to page 31.
30
From page 22.
You say, “I’m glad you told me about this. I really like oatmeal.”
“You do?” says FS-137-B.
“Very much,” you say. “I’d like to help you.”
“Oh, good!” the computer says. “I’ve been trying to plug into the power from the main warp engines. If I could do that, I could make much more oatmeal than I can now. The crew could have oatmeal three times a day, and oatmeal for midnight snacks, and oatmeal burgers, and oatmeal pie. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?”
“Oh, yes,” you say. “I think I can plug you into the engines. But you’ll have to stop making all this energy, so I can use my tricorder. Will you do that?”
“Just a moment,” says the computer. The electric storm becomes quiet. Your tricorder starts working again. Quickly, you use its sensors to scan FS-137-B, and find its main power line. You take the wire cutters from your tool kit and snip the cable.
“You tricked me!” shouts FS-137-B. “I’ll get you for that!”
Turn to page 34.
31
From page 29.
You throw the metal “mouse” at Krogan. You and Mr. Scott both rush at the Klingon spy. Krogan cannot shoot both of you, and one of you is certain to capture him.
Unfortunately for you, Krogan still has time for one shot, and the gun is pointed at you. Its flash is the last thing you see.
The End
32
From page 29.
You put the robot “mouse” into Krogan’s hand. It blinks its electric eyes, looking at the Klingon’s gun. You realize that the robot is still programmed to steal electronic parts—and Klingon disruptors are electronic.
The robot reaches for the gun with its steel claws and pulls it out of Krogan’s grip. Together, you and Mr. Scott jump on the Klingon and pin him to the floor.
In minutes, Security answers your call. As Krogan is led away, he kicks at the “mouse” robot, which beeps and runs away to hide under a table. Mr. Scott laughs.
Then the Engineer says to you, “That was a nice piece of work, Ensign. Saving the Enterprise isn’t bad at all for a first cruise.”
Mr. Scott smiles, and you know you will not be sweeping any more decks.
The End
33
From page 23.
FS-137-B says, “I know Captain Kirk had oatmeal for breakfast. I am a computer and cannot be wrong.”
“Prove it,” you say.
There is a loud hum as the computer thinks. The energy field around FS-137-B starts to weaken. Quickly, you open the computer’s case and pull out a boardful of circuit chips.
Suddenly, everything is quiet.
Your suit radio crackles. “Ensign?” Mr. Scott’s voice says. “Everything’s back to normal! That was a line piece of work!”
You have saved the Enterprise. You only hope that Captain Kirk does not want oatmeal for breakfast tomorrow.
The End
34
From page 30.
There is a rumbling sound from the ventilators in the Jeffries tube. Suddenly, they burst open, and lumpy brown waves of oatmeal pour out: tons of oatmeal, crashing into you.
You grab hold of the only thing nearby, which is FS-137-B’s case. As the river of oatmeal rushes at you, the computer is torn off the wall, and together you are swept away. Oatmeal covers the faceplate of your helmet, and you cannot see.
Finally, you stop tumbling. FS-137-B is still clutched in your hands. “Oops,” you hear it say weakly, and then its stored power finally fails.
A hand scrapes the sticky cereal from your faceplate. You see Lieutenant Grogan standing over you. He is smiling and holding the electronic sweeper.
“This is quite a mess, Ensign,” he says. “And somebody’s got to clean it up.” He holds the sweeper out to you. “No hard feelings?”
Go to page 35
35
From page 34.
The End
36
From page 23.
As the FS computer’s energy field weakens, you swing your tricorder into it.
There is a crash, then an explosion. You jump away, down the tube to the door.
Everything is quiet when you reach the end of the tube. It is several minutes before the door opens. Mr. Scott is standing there.
“Congratulations, Ensign,” he says. “That was a fine job—and just in time, too. Systems were goin’ crazy all over the ship.”
As you get out of the tube, you can see Lieutenant Grogan walk past. He is pushing the electronic sweeper he tried to give you. He does not look happy.
You look closer and see that the deck is covered with lumpy brown stuff. It seems to have poured out of the food service panels on the walls. Lieutenant Grogan is going to be sweeping up oatmeal for quite a while.
The End
37
From page 25.
You take a deep breath, brace yourself, and pull the lever on the escape hatch.
The hatch door is blasted open by the pressure of air inside. Wind pulls and pounds at you, and at any moment you think you will be sucked out into space.
On the wall of the tube, the energy-eater shakes and spreads itself thin, trying to avoid the same fate. It bleeds acid, making the metal around it smoke and sizzle.
You reach to the lump and grab it with both of your heavy gloves. Slowly, as the wind roars around you, you pull the creature from the wall. It jumps around in your hands, and tries to wrap itself around you. With your last strength, you throw it at the hatch. It fills the opening and is blown out.
You cannot breathe. There is no air left.
You black out.
Turn to page 40.
38
From page 15.
You swing your tricorder at FS-137-B. At the last moment, you remember that the computer can throw lightning bolts.
There is a brilliant flash. It is the last thing you see.
The End
39
From page 22.
You say, “I’ll bet you know a lot about oatmeal.”
“I know everything about oatmeal,” says FS- 137-B. “Ask me any question about it.”
“Okay,” you say. “How many bowls of uncooked oatmeal would it take to reach from Starbase 18 to the far side of the Klingon Empire?” Since nobody knows where the far side of the Klingon Empire is, that should keep the computer busy for a while.
As it thinks, the Jeffries Tube becomes very quiet. After a few minutes, FS-137-B says, “I need some more computing power. Will you plug me into that data cable over there?”
“You won’t shock me, will you?” you say.
“Of course not,” says the computer. The electric sparks stop, all around the tube.
Quickly, you pull out all the plugs connecting FS-137-B to the ship. “That’s not fair…" you hear it say, and then there is silence.
You take FS-137-B off the wall, put it under your arm, and start to climb down the Jeffries tube.
The End
40
From page 37.
Slowly, you awaken, your ears and throat aching. You are in sick bay, and Dr. McCoy is looking down at you. Mr. Scott is also there, wearing a spacesuit. You realize he must have gone into the Jeffries tube to pull you out.
Dr. McCoy says, “We just about lost you, Ensign. What went on in there?”
With a dry throat, you explain about the energy-eating blob. The Doctor and Mr. Scott listen carefully.
When you are finished, Dr. McCoy says, “Sounds to me like a bad case of space sickness, Scotty.”
“Aye, Doctor. Perhaps our new Ensign was seein’ things.”
You are worried. How can you prove what you saw and did?
Then Chief Engineer Scott laughs. “Don’t worry, Ensign. We believe you.”
Lieutenant Grogan comes into the room, carrying a plastic box. Inside it is one of the gloves from your radiation suit. And on the glove is a piece
of the lump.
Then you can laugh as well.
The End
41
From page 26.
You try to climb down the tube, toward the door. You watch the creature, still dripping acid, stretch out toward you, growing as it does.
You pull yourself down the tube, bumping the shoulders and knees of your clumsy radiation suit, dropping your tool kit and tricorder. You move fast.
Unfortunately, the creature moves even faster.
The End
42
From page 26.
With a mighty effort, you grab the energy- eater in both hands and tear it wide open. Acid splashes you; you can feel it burning through your suit.
Then there is a spark against the wall of the tube, and everything goes dark. The artificial gravity goes off, and you start to tumble down the tube toward the door. The creature falls after you.
By the faint light of your tricorder’s display screen, you see that the creature is shrinking. You realize that its acid ate into the main power cable and broke it, cutting off the creature’s food supply. It is starving to death.
You bump gently against the door. You can hear Mr. Scott on the other side, ordering Lieutenant Grogan to open it.
You will spend a little time in sick bay, maybe. But you have saved the ship.
The End
43
Star Trek: Voyage to Adventure Page 2