by Ted Pedersen
Quickly the four of them stepped through gateway.
Those must be the controls.
The thought was in Jake’s mind, but it did not belong to him. Dyan was communicating with him—with the others—telepathically. We must remove the green and blue tubes to shut down the machine.
Jake wondered how she knew that. Then he realized that blue and green were dominant in all the Rijarian icons and artifacts. So it made sense that they would be the control colors.
Slowly he approached one of the tube sets.
Together. Dyan’s thought came to him. We must do this at the same time. Professor Kala thinks there is a fail-safe that will be triggered if one of us is too fast or too slow.
With Dyan to guide them telepathically, that should be no problem, Jake thought. But then he realized that one of them was not part of her mind link. Nog would be the weak link in their chain. Dyan couldn’t communicate with his four-lobed Ferengi brain.
“You’re going to have to work the device closest to me,” Dyan said aloud to Nog. “I can’t communicate with you telepathically, so I’ll repeat everything by voice as well as thought.”
“This is one time I almost wish I had a normal brain,” Nog said as he stepped up to the tubes that were next to the group Dyan had chosen.
Under other circumstances Jake would have made a cutting remark. But this was not the time or place for a joke, though he wondered if a bit of humor might not lighten the heavy atmosphere that hung over them.
“We must extract the tubes in the precise order—and simultaneously.” Dyan’s words echoed in Jake’s mind, the combination of receiving her thought images and hearing her voice.
“Which one first?” Jake asked.
You don’t have to speak. It was Dyan’s mind-voice. Think, and I will hear you.
Then, Jake thought, which one is first?
There was a pause and then Dyan replied, both telepathically and vocally for Nog’s benefit, “Professor Kala believes it is the blue one. I agree.”
That makes sense, Jake thought. All the Rijarian icons have blue borders. It seemed a reasonable assumption that the pattern held true here. At least that’s what he hoped.
“It’s what we all hope,” K’am said, and Jake realized that not only was Dyan reading his thoughts but she was passing them on.
“Shall we begin?” Nog said. He seemed a bit irritated at being left out of the telepathic loop. Dyan leaned over and spoke softly in his ear, giving him instructions.
Blue it is, Jake thought. He reached out toward the blue tube. It seemed to pulsate as his hand neared. He was careful not to touch it. The Rijarians had probably set up some kind of protection so that any wrong move would terminate the process—and probably them as well.
Jake found himself sweating. Curious, he thought, that I can sweat in a virtual world. But then this was like being in a holosuite. He was always sweating when he played hologames with Nog. Nog. How was Nog doing?
He’s doing just fine. Having Dyan’s voice inside his head was both reassuring and disquieting. Jake was sure he could never get used to telepathy. It might be a great gift, but it could also be a burden.
You’re learning, Dyan mind-spoke to him. Then: Nog is ready. When he begins, we’ll all follow his lead and go with him.
Nog in charge. Jake thought it would be Dyan who would lead, but this made sense. Nog couldn’t be mind linked so he really had to be the initiator.
Close your eyes and become one with me. Jake heard Dyan in his mind and obeyed. And then it seemed as though he were standing beside Dyan and K’am. They were linked together and each moved in complete unison with the others.
Nog began to slide out his blue tube. At first it resisted, almost as if it were protesting, then—as the others began to move their own tubes—it became easier. In a moment, all the blue tubes had been removed.
Jake expected something to happen—either good or bad—but nothing did. There was only a deafening silence.
One more tube to go. Dyan mind-spoke to them, then said aloud to Nog, “Whenever you’re ready.”
The second tube, which was the green one, was not so easy. It resisted, even when all of them acted together. Something was fighting them. Something didn’t want them to succeed.
“What’s wrong?” Nog asked, saying aloud the question that was in each of their minds.
“We need to clear our minds,” Dyan said for everyone to hear. “The machine senses that perhaps we don’t belong here.”
How do you clear your mind? Jake thought.
You can’t, Dyan answered in his head. It was the wrong choice of words. As long as you’re alive, you think—but the trick is to choose what you think about.
“You can only hold one thought in your mind at a time,” Dyan said aloud so that Nog could hear. “It’s impossible to think about two things in the same instant. Think about the Pyxlanan puzzle we worked on yesterday.”
The Pyxlanan puzzle was a four-dimensional sphere that had to be taken apart and then pieced back together. Even with the entire team concentrating, it took three hours and they never did find the solution. That’s what they thought about as they removed the last tube.
And it must have worked, for this time the tubes did not resist and slid out easily.
“We did it,” Nog exclaimed.
But had it worked? Jake wondered.
We’ll have the answer to that in a moment, Dyan’s mind-voice answered.
Jake realized with a surge of terror what she meant. The explosions would be happening if they had failed—and they would know it in their last second alive.
There was nothing else to do. Jake closed his eyes and waited . . . and waited.
Nothing happened.
Slowly Jake opened his eyes.
He was no longer inside the alien environment, but back in the control room. He stepped out of the alien station and found himself standing with the others. They were all smiling.
Professor Kala joined them. He was also smiling. “Well-done, Cadets.” Jake noticed that he left off the word candidates, and was addressing them as Starfleet cadets who had just accomplished a difficult mission. “Starfleet can send in a team of experts to finish up. We’ve done our job. Now let’s get out of here.”
Jake was beaming inside as they departed. Today they had saved Space Camp. And tomorrow they would graduate.
CHAPTER 15
Two weeks ago, you were novices, playing at Starfleet games. But today you have become candidates worthy of applying to Starfleet for admission to the Academy.” Professor Kala looked out over the faces of the Space Camp participants as he addressed them on their last day on Rijar. “It is my fond hope that at least some of you will avail yourself of that opportunity.”
Jake sat with Nog, K’am, and Dyan in the front row of the auditorium. He expected that the professor would single them out for their success in disarming the alien machine and preventing the destruction of Space Camp. He was surprised that the assembly ended without even a public mention of last night’s activities.
“We’re heroes,” Nog complained as they walked outside after being dismissed.
“No,” Jake replied, after he had time to reflect. “We did what would have been expected of any Starfleet officer. It’s what comes with the territory.”
“An excellent observation, young Sisko.” Professor Kala was standing in the shade as they passed. He fell into step beside them as they crossed the exercise ground. “Have you reached a decision about Starfleet Academy?” he asked Jake.
Jake paused, trying to organize his thoughts. So much had happened these past two weeks, and yet his goals seemed even less clearly defined than they had been when he arrived. “I don’t know. Part of me likes the excitement and challenge of Starfleet. But another part of me wants … something else.”
Professor Kala smiled and placed a hand on Jake’s shoulder. “I think I understand you more clearly than you do yourself. Starfleet may not be in your future. The passion does
not burn in you as it did with your father when he was your age.”
“I’m sorry,” Jake apologized.
“Don’t be. Starfleet is not for everyone. We all have different life paths to follow. I can see the passion your father felt for Starfleet in the words of the stories you showed me. Perhaps they are your destiny.”
“I don’t want to disappoint my father,” Jake said.
“You never will,” Kala replied. “Benjamin Sisko wants you to become a Starfleet officer only if that’s what you truly want. What he does want, above all else, is for you to follow your heart … to do what makes you happy.”
Jake thought about that and knew it was true. His father would accept whatever Jake did with his life—as long as it was an honest choice. Jake felt better about his reluctance to embrace Starfleet. Perhaps someday he actually would want to attend the Academy, though he was beginning to doubt it.
“And you, my young Ferengi.” Professor Kala turned his attention to Nog. “What are your plans?”
Jake thought he knew the answer to that, but Nog’s reply surprised him. “I would never say this in front of my uncle, Quark, but I had fun here.”
“Maybe you should consider taking the Academy entrance exams. I think you might do well, and you would be the first Ferengi in Starfleet.” Professor Kala smiled at some inner joke. “I think the experience would be good—on both sides.”
“To be the first Ferengi in Starfleet may not be all that outrageous,” Nog said. “At least it’s something I will think about.” Listening to him, Jake could tell that his friend was seriously considering the possibility.
“Good future to both of you—whatever your choices.” Professor Kala turned and walked back to Space Camp. He paused and called over his shoulder, “See both of you at the farewell reception this evening.”
The rest of the afternoon was uneventful. Jake and Nog packed for their return to Deep Space Nine, then said good-bye to the friends they had made during Space Camp. Friends they would miss, but whom they hoped to encounter in the future.
“We have only one thing left to decide,” Nog said as they stood on the hill outside Space Camp and watched the sun set over the dunes for the last time.
“Which is?” Jake asked.
“Which one of us takes Dyan to the party.”
“I think you’ve earned the honor,” Jake said, having decided his friendship with Nog was worth the price of any girl—even Dyan.
“No,” Nog replied. “I think you should be the one.”
Jake looked at Nog with amazement. For a Ferengi to surrender a prize he had won meant only one thing. They were indeed friends again.
“I have an idea,” Jake suggested. “Let’s both take her.”
“Share and share alike.” Nog smiled. “I almost like the sound of that.”
“It’s only fair,” Jake proclaimed.
And with that they shook hands, using their secret Space Warriors grip, from their favorite hologame, and headed back to Space Camp to break the good news to their lovely Betazoid.
The only problem was that Dyan did not share their enthusiasm for being escorted by two of Deep Space Nine’s finest.
“I’m really sorry,” she told them. “I wish you’d asked me sooner.”
“You’re going with someone else?” Jake asked, wondering who the interloper could be.
Dyan nodded. “K’am invited me.”
“I hate Klingons,” Nog grumbled under his breath to Jake when they were alone.
“You don’t mean that.”
“No. But we don’t have a date to the party.”
Determined to overcome that obstacle, Jake and Nog decided to invite Sorex and Missy to be their dates. By the time they reached the girls’ quarters they were even convinced that this was a better choice after all. Both were very nice girls.
But, as they learned to their sorrow, both were already spoken for. Twhat and the Orion, Hajar, had been there before them.
“Never a good idea to wait until the last minute,” was all Jake could say. He was disappointed enough almost to pass up the final party.
“We can’t do that,” Nog urged.
“You’re right. We’d just regret it later.” Jake smiled at Nog, happy that their differences had been resolved. Nothing would ever come between the friends again.
So, with no other possibilities, they arrived at the farewell party together.
“It’s going to be fun,” Nog said.
“Just don’t ask me to dance,” Jake replied, with a wink.
Space Camp has been fun, Jake thought. It had been a great adventure. But tomorrow he would be more thin happy to be heading back to Deep Space Nine.
About the Author
TED PEDERSEN began his career writing programs for computers in Seattle before making the long trek south to Los Angeles to write for TV. He has authored more than one hundred episodes for such landmark animation series as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Exosquad, X-Men, and Mummies. More recently he started writing books, and these include Internet For Kids, The Tale of the Virtual Nightmare in the Are You Afraid of the Dark? series, and two previous Deep Space Nine YA novels, The Pet and Gypsy World. He is currently working on his next contribution to the series. When not out wandering the World Wide Web, Ted hangs out in Venice, California, with his wife; Phyllis, and their menagerie of cats and computers.
About the Illustrator
TODD CAMERON HAMILTON is a self-taught artist who has resided all his life in Chicago, Illinois. He has been a professional illustrator for the past ten years, specializing in fantasy, science fiction, and horror. Todd is the current president of the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists. His original works grace many private and corporate collections. He has coauthored two novels and several short stories. When he is not drawing, painting, or writing, his interests include metalsmithing, puppetry, and teaching.