"Captain to the bridge!" Kowalsky's voice sounded urgent.

"On my way," replied Anthony immediately, irritated that he had to get up in the middle of the night. It was probably the one thing he hated most about being the captain. He put on his uniform as fast as he could and, minutes later, he emerged from the turbolift. "Report!" he demanded instantly.

"Captain, we've picked up what we believe to be a distress call from a ship25 light years away."

"Any other vessels in the vicinity?" Anthony took his seat and immediately placed his hand down on the console. Now he didn't even need the response, as Pierre started feeding him all the known data telepathically.

"Negative, sir," answered Piete, nevertheless.

"All right, change the course to intercept," Anthony gave the order as much to his helmsman as to Pierre, who controlled all the ship's functions. In an emergency, he was quite capable of running the ship all by himself. Anthony thought about sensors and instantly the sensor display appeared on his console. The alien vessel was barely within their range. They were still unable to detect any life signs.

Slow to warp speed, the captain gave another order, this time not even bothering to speak. Pierre received his thought and relayed it to Piete instantly.

"I'll be in my ready room," Anthony got up and left the bridge. He sat at his desk and contacted Pierre.

Yes, Mark?

I understand we received the signal ten minuets ago. Why wasn't I notified immediately?

There was a pause, before Pierre answered: Commander Kowalsky wanted to get all the possible data first.

Anthony got up and went over to his window. You realize it's a serious breach of protocol? And you have authorized it?

Yes, it was a direct order…

"Pierre!" Anthony was so incensed that he never let him finish. "You're not supposed to make such mistakes! You will report to engineering for diagnostics right away. Is that clear?"

Yes, Sir, responded Pierre, who was unable to disobey the captain's orders. At least not in his computer functions, that is. He was, however, perfectly capable of discussing them. Sir, may I suggest something? he ventured.

Anthony turned from the window and nodded. Go ahead.

I don't think I am malfunctioning, Sir. Commander gave me the order and he insisted that I do not call you to the bridge before we acquire more information. Had it been dangerous in any way, I would not have obeyed him. I do possess the ability to interpret the situation on my own.

Anthony thought about it for a minute and then nodded for Pierre to continue.

Under the circumstances I don't deem it wise to engage in a diagnostic mode. We are about to encounter an alien vessel and you might need me in my full capacity.

Anthony sighed heavily. You're right. In the future, however, I'd rather be notified of everything as soon as possible.

Yes Captain, Pierre replied in Anthony's mind. And while I realize the tension between you and the first officer, I think you're overreacting a little.

It was not his decision to make, Pierre, and you know it. He should have called me the moment we picked up that signal! It's standard procedure!

Hasn't it occurred to you that your scolding him has taken its toll finally?

What do you mean? Anthony's voice sounded tired.

Well, Pierre paused as if looking for appropriate words and, in fact, he was doing just that. He's been going out of his way lately to please you. He cares so much about your opinion of him that he'd do just about anything to impress you. Sometimes this leads to situations like this one. But you should have more confidence in your crew. In all of us.

Anthony went back to his desk and sat heavily. He fumbled about for a while, turning the computer terminal on, readjusting the few bibelots on his desk, only to give himself some time to think about what he's just heard. Pierre had seen through him like so many times before. He was right assuming that Anthony's irritation had more to do with Commander Kowalsky than himself.

Anthony smiled, finally. You might be right. Perhaps I did overreact a little. It's just that I'm not sure if the man isn't too much driven by ambition. I'd hate to see him endanger the ship...

Well, now he'll have a chance to prove he's responsible, Pierre interrupted him suddenly. We've just received first sensor readings of the alien vessel. There is life aboard.

* * *

"On screen!"

Everybody on the bridge looked up. What they saw was a crippled, alien shuttlecraft. It was almond-shaped and its nacelles protruded from the sides of it like wings. One of them was severely damaged.

We're picking up heightened plasma emissions, Sir. Its warp core is going to breach soon! Life support system's failing. There's one life form aboard, very weak. It's humanoid.

Humanoid! Can we transport him?

Affirmative, Sir. Locking on him now!

Beam him directly to sickbay!

The whole dialogue, as per standard procedure, was conducted mentally. It took considerably less time, with Pierre linking the crew and acting out orders in a matter of fractions of seconds.

Assist our guest in sickbay and notify Dr Darek immediately.

Already done, Sir. Pierre was really fast.

Anthony nodded his approval and left the bridge, saying: "Commander, you have the bridge. I'll be in sickbay."

As he was walking into the cart, the alien vessel exploded. Liana, at her science station, wanted to say something but she changed her mind when she saw the data being displayed on her console. Pierre, among other things, had also managed to conduct detailed scans of the vessel.

Thanks! she thought happily.

At your service, Madam, she heard a playful reply. She could tell that Pierre was pleased with himself. And he had every reason to be.

* * *

"How is he?" Anthony asked immediately upon entering the sickbay. Darek was working furiously, having virtually covered one of the biobeds with all the possible equipment.

"Inconclusive yet, Captain," he snapped a response without even turning to acknowledge his commanding officer. "He's badly hurt but we may be able to restore his vital functions. He is human," he added.

"He is what?!" Anthony thought he heard it wrong.

"I can't explain it, Sir, but it's a fact. I'll tell you more when we've completed the examination."

Darek never really paid attention to the captain during this conversation, still busy with his mysterious patientt. Anthony stood there for a while longer, watching him work together with Lieutenant Vort. It was a beautiful spectacle, almost a ballet. Darek would half turn, reach out his hand and, in an instant, Vort would appear right there, handing him the required tool. He would turn back and she was already there, supporting the patient or checking out readouts.

Pure poetry of efficiency, is it not? commented Pierre.

He was standing by the wall, out of everybody's way. He was using his android body but remained linked with all the computer systems. Should the need arise, he could immobilize an intruder on board and, at the same time, control the ship in battle.

Anthony nodded his agreement. "Keep me informed," he added and walked back to the bridge.

* * *

Cadet Joanna Kruk reported for her duty in Sickbay, almost as usual. Except for the fact that she was now Cadet Kruk, not Private. Dr Darek never mentioned her entrance exam, nor did he bother to congratulate her. For him, the equivalent of any or both of the above was that he simply started addressing her as cadet. Joanna was proud of herself. She was now about to start her courses as the first year Academy cadet. Her duties haven't changed yet. She was still assigned to Darek and still primarily responsible for keeping various samples and medical equipment in due order. Darek either saw to the patients, if there were any, or conducted some research while Vort assisted him. Joanna didn't particularly like her tasks but she knew they had to be done and that she wasn't yet qualified for any more challenging assignments.

"Cadet, bring me sample 473/B, please," she heard suddenly.

"Yes, sir," she replied and instantly turned to the right shelf. The containers had been placed in certain order to make it easy to find them when needed. By now, Joanna had been quite familiar with the labels, too. Number 4 at the beginning meant that the sample was organic. Samples 1 - 3 were inorganic matter. "B" meant it had been stored rather than replicated. She was genuinely surprised not to find the designated label between the containers 472/B and 474/B.

"Doctor," she reported. "I can't see the sample you asked for. There is no container marked 473/B here."

Darek looked out of his office and raised his brow in a cold, Vulcan manner.

"I asked you to bring me sample 473/C, Cadet. I suggest you pay more attention to your work."

Joanna could have sworn she had heard him say "B" but she decided not to pursue the subject. Instead, she turned back to the shelves and... she didn't find sample 473/C either. She thought for a moment: Is there something wrong? It's so unlike Darek to make that kind of mistake... She shrugged and went into his office.

"Doctor," she began a little anxiously. Darek briefly looked up at her from behind his desk

"Yes, Cadet. What is it?" he asked casually.

"I... I'm sorry, sir. I couldn't find sample 473/C."

Darek glanced at her with astonishment. "Is there any particular reason you are telling me this?"

Joanna was stunned. "Uhm... well, you asked for it, sir. Just a moment ago."

"I did?" Darek asked with disbelief. "Are you sure? I've got to go back and check on our patient now. Please, go back to your post, Private."

Now Joanna was certain that something was very, very wrong.

* * *

"Who are you?"

"My name is Jonar. I am a pilot."

Anthony gestured for the alien to sit down. They were in the captain's ready room. Pierre, still acting as a chief of security, was standing by the door. The alien sat down carefully. It was strange to refer to him as an 'alien', since the man was perfectly human.

"Would you care to tell me what species you are?" asked Captain Anthony.

"I am a Kelvan," reported the alien. He had blue eyes, blond hair, was tall and slim. Quite handsome, actually.

"A Kelvan?" the captain looked at Pierre.

The android accessed the Federation databanks and, in a second, he had a reply ready. The Kelvans, he proceeded to report, telepathically. First encountered stardate 4658 by the USS Enterprise, Capt. Kirk commanding. Large creatures with hundreds of tentacles and extremely complex minds. Assumed human form to kidnap the Enterprise and go back to Andromeda, where they claimed to have come from.

Anthony thought for a while, keeping an eye on the alien, who was sitting there, calmly. The captain wasn't sure if it would be wise to reveal the information to him. Then it occurred to him that it must have been obvious…

"Our peoples have met before," he said. "About two hundred years ago. You were trying to steal one of our ships along with her crew!"

The alien looked surprised. "I have no data about your species, captain," he answered slowly.

Captain, Pierre immediately corrected Anthony's mistaken assumption. Their original crew never made it back! The Enterprise was returned and the Kelvans settled on a planet near the edge of our galaxy. The Kelvans here probably don't know what happened to them...

Anthony was sure he should have known about that. He felt confused.

"You aren't human," he turned back to the alien, with a sigh.

"No, I am not," Jonar replied patiently. "I have only assumed this form to be able to communicate with you."

"Ah…," Anthony felt that something was wrong with this explanation but he couldn't exactly tell what. He was beginning to feel more and more… lost. He looked helplessly at Pierre. The android asked the next question.

"How did you know what form to take before we contacted you? Does that mean you were able to scan us before and, almost dying, assumed the proper form?"

Anthony, who was listening intently to what Pierre was saying, didn't quite understand what was being said. He turned his attention to the Kelvan, who replied:

"I scanned your ship after you responded to my distress signal. I didn't know who you were and I didn't want to scare you."

Anthony was desperately thinking of a next question that should be asked but he had no idea how to proceed. He just wanted to get out of that room. You… will question him… later, Pierre?

Yes, Sir... the computer officer replied and moved out of the way quickly, as the captain rushed to the door.

* * *

"So, how is our mysterious patient?" Joanna asked Vort later that day. They were sitting in the observation lounge with Chris, who was playing among the tables. As soon as he got used to it, it has become his favorite place on the ship. Joanna often took him there in the afternoons. Vort, for some reason liked the place, too. It was designed in a way that least obstructed the view of the space around them. The lights were dim, tables and chairs loosely scattered around, there was no ceiling or walls – all had been turned into viewscreens. Sitting anywhere there, one had an impression of being hung outside, in the vacuum. It took some getting used to but many people found it irresistible. Now, the Explorer was only travelling with warp speed so the additional effect of streaking points of light enhanced the impression.

Vort sipped her drink through a straw and blinked at Joanna with her yellow, alien eyes. "He's recovered," she hissed, having Pierre instantly translate the sounds into Federation standard. "We rendezvoused with another vessel, carrying his people and we returned him. He never volunteered any information about himself, as far as I know. Strange, isn't it? That life would evolve so similarly in two distant galaxies. I would have never expected meeting humanoids here. You seem to prevail in the whole universe…"

Joanna thought for a while. Encountering a human life-form in another galaxy was strange enough but she had more pressing matters on her mind at the moment. Vort was perfectly capable of reading her thoughts, of course, but she would never answer them without invitation. Joanna was grateful for that. Having two telepaths as her closest friends telepaths proved difficult sometimes. She finally spoke. "Have you noticed anything unusual today?"

Vort turned her head to look at her so quickly that Joanna completely missed the move. She just instantly saw her friend's face looking at her from the other side of the table. She had got used to that, too.

"What do you mean?" asked the Scythiaan.

"Well, any… unusual incidents in sickbay?" Joanna probed.

"No. Why?" Vort asked simply.

Joanna sighed. "I have a feeling that there is something strange going on."

"Explain."

"Well, this morning, when I was walking Chris to his holo-classes, I met Piete. He…," she paused, recalling the incident. "It's hard to explain, you know. He just looked at me so… oddly. I know how it sounds," she added quickly. "Let me explain. I know he's a Gurlan and I know they are so very impulsive and childish, in a way but… that was different. He was looking at me like he was hungry or something. Like, he desired me?"

Vort started shaking slightly and the hissing sound she made wasn't translated at all. It took Joanna a moment to realize that her friend was… laughing.

"Oh, Joanna," she finally said. "He's humanoid, after all. Is it so… weird for you that a man would desire you? I've always thought you were an attractive female by your standards!"

Joanna shook her head, apparently not amused. "It's not that," she said. "I mean, he may very well be attracted to me but that's not the point. You see, his look was so… intense. Menacing. I was scared."

Vort pondered it for a moment. "Does a man's interest scare you?" she asked.

Joanna looked at her, irritated. "It's not what I meant!"

"I'm sorry," Vort replied immediately. "I don't know much about your mating rituals."

Joanna laughed. "It's not that," she said. "You see, I wouldn't be scared by a male showing me his interest. It's just that this was different."

"Perhaps because he's a Gurlan?" offered Vort. "Their reactions are often misinterpreted by humans."

"Maybe," Joanna wasn't convinced. She smiled to Chris who just waved at her, playing happily in the corner and continued: "If it was only that, I might dismiss it as my imagination, but…"

"But what?"

Joanna looked at her alien friend thoughtfully. "I already asked you but are you sure you haven't noticed anything about Darek today?"

"No, why don't you tell me what happened?"

Joanna reported the incident with the samples. Vort was genuinely surprised. "Now that is extraordinary," she said. "Have you talked to him about it?"

Joanna shook her head. "He wouldn't let me. He dismissed me with another advice to be more careful with my duties. Perhaps you should try? Maybe he'll listen to you…?"

* * *

Joanna was sitting in her quarters, reading data from one of the numerous padds scattered around the room, when she heard the door chime. Much as she was motivated to learn, after hours of cramming, she welcomed the distraction: "Come in," she said with open relief.

The door opened and she saw Piete, the Gurlan helmsman.

"What can I do for you, Ensign?" She asked. She saw him only occasionally and didn't know much about him, apart from some general information on his species. It was the kind of "Good morning, Ensign," "Good day, Cadet" relationship. Except for the strange look he gave her this morning. And now he came to pay her a visit.

Piete was just standing in the doorway, shuffling his feet, apparently unsure what to do. Joanna smiled encouragingly. After her conversation with Vort the other day, she decided there was nothing to be afraid after all. Now she wanted him to speak his mind and clear the atmosphere. "Well, come on in," she said. "Can I help you with something?"

Piete moved forward, just enough to let the door close behind him. He smiled shyly at her and cleared his throat.

"I…" he began. "I wanted to ask you something…" he finally uttered, looking at her pleadingly.

"Well, go ahead," Joanna said, motioning for him to come in further and sit down. He didn't. Instead, he rapidly plummeted down to his knees and pulled out a bunch of red roses from behind his back. "Will you be my mate?"he asked, holding out the flowers.

Joanna was stunned. She knew the Gurlans to be an extraordinary race and she was sure the man was attracted to her but she would have never expected that kind of offer so… soon. Not that she wasn't flattered, but… well. She got a hold of herself and took the flowers. Piete was about to say something but she only shook her head and gestured for him to sit in the armchair. He finally complied and settled there, with a very satisfied expression on his face. Joanna sighed. She hated to disappoint him but the whole situation was just ridiculous. Even more so with his emotions changing ever so rapidly. However, she had no choice; she had to deal with it right there and now.

"The flowers are beautiful, Piete," she began carefully in a soft voice. He smiled proudly. "I can see that you have studied human habits… and I am… honored… however," she took a deep breath, seeing that Piete wasn't even suspecting the outcome. "I cannot be your mate."

Piete just sat there for a while, before her words really sank in. It was clearly visible on his somewhat distorted face. The Gurlans' facial features were very specific. To humans they looked like someone made a rubber mask of a human face and overheated it. All emotions were expressed with considerable exaggeration, at least to human eyes. Joanna observed his going from self-satisfied through shocked to hurt. She felt sorry for him but she had no choice. Prolonging any delusion of their possible relationship would be even more cruel. She knew he'd be deeply hurt but his reaction startled her, nevertheless. He jumped up from the armchair and yelled in genuine anguish:

"How can you?!? I did everything that's required of me! I won't live without you! I… if you don't want me I'm gonna kill myself!" He rushed out from the room before she could stop him.

* * *

What would you like for dinner, Sunshine? Joanna heard the familiar voice in her head. Pierre had been busy the whole morning, coordinating maintenance checks on all the systems and she didn't want to bother him. Not that he couldn't handle it, of course. He was perfectly capable of such multiple tasking. It was… Joanna wasn't sure she could explain what it was. Since she had seen him face to face, their relationship had changed subtly. At least for her. She stopped thinking of him as a machine and she decided it was inappropriate to distract a man while on duty. It has become common for them to meet in the mess hall in the afternoons, unless Joanna was working Beta shift.

She quickly got up from her favorite armchair and headed for the door only to find him right outside. "Hello, Pierre," she smiled at him and took his arm. He loved playing an old-fashioned gentleman for her and she certainly didn't mind. "I think I'll have some spaghetti today. How about you?"

Pierre grinned at her. "My thoughts, exactly! So," he added conversationally as they headed to the turbolift. "How was your day?"

Joanna looked at him thoughtfully. He hasn't heard, she thought involuntarily.

He hasn't heard what? he asked right away and she cursed silently.

"Sometimes I wish you weren't so… telepathic!" She said, half jokingly.

Pierre looked honestly apologetic. "I didn't mean to pry into your thoughts, Joanna. I am sorry."

She just waved her hand. "That's all right. It happens all the time. I suppose I should have gotten used to it by now."

"No, you shouldn't," Pierre answered.

The turbolift came and they went in. Pierre made it go to Deck 10 and turned to look at Joanna as the cart started. "I do tend to cross borders with you. I should be more careful. I believe it's because you have never received a proper training in dealing with TCS. Other members of the crew have the ability to shut me off whenever they feel like it. Otherwise, things would be much more complicated for both sides."

Joanna ordered the computer to stop the turbolift and looked into Pierre's eyes. Strange as they were, white and shiny, she found them extremely appealing.

"Listen carefully," she said softly. "I may not have had any proper training but it doesn't mean that you bother me in any way. I like it exactly the way it is and I don't want you to spoil it for me. Is that clear?"

Pierre only nodded, fascinated by the intense look on her face. He couldn't find the words to reply. A peculiar feeling for a computer with the capacity of trillions of operations per second.

Resume! Joanna thought and the cart started again.

After a pause, Pierre asked. "So what was it I haven't heard?"

"Ah, that," Joanna wasn't sure if she really wanted to tell him. It was too late, though, and she didn't want him to feel she was holding something back.

They reached their destination, ordered their meals from a replicator and sat down at a table. The mess hall was full of people at that time of the day but there was still enough room to find a place to eat. Joanna took the first fork of her spaghetti and started telling him about Piete's visit that morning. After he had stormed out from her quarters, she called Aleyah, who reassured her and promised to take care of Piete. She told her that his intent to kill himself might have been genuine at the moment but he'd recover soon enough. Joanna was still a little nervous, though. She wasn't used to such impulsiveness. It turned out that neither was Pierre.

"He did what?!?" It was so loud that several people at other tables looked around. Joanna tried to say something but with little success. Pierre was suddenly furious. "How did he dare! Who gave him the right…" He pushed his plate so fiercely that most of its content landed on the table.

"Pierre!" Joanna finally managed to get his attention. He gazed at her, still boiling with anger but silent for a moment. His eyes looked like he was about to start shooting thunderbolts.

"What's wrong?" She asked, frightened. She had never seen him that angry. As a matter of fact, she had never seen him angry at all. He had to take a few deep breaths before he was able to speak normally again.

"Uhm…," he apparently had trouble regaining composure. "I'm sorry," he finally managed, still through gritted teeth. He reached for the plate to clean up the mess but Joanna took his hand into hers, forcing him to pay attention to her again.

"What is wrong with you?" she repeated slowly, looking into his eyes. He tried to break free from her grip, but she just held him tighter. Eventually, he relaxed a little and sank back into his chair.

"I just didn't like the way he treated you," he said in an almost normal voice. "Storming into your quarters like that, out of the blue, making such offers. That's…" he was looking for an appropriate word. "Insulting." Joanna looked at him with disbelief. "And irrational," he added.

"It's you who's being irrational, Pierre," she answered. "What's gotten into you, anyway? It was just a proposal. Unexpected, true, but there was absolutely nothing insulting about it! On the contrary, I even felt flattered. Every woman is in such situations. Even that ridiculous. Oh yes, that was ridiculous, maybe, but not insulting!" He gave her a blank look. Joanna tried again: "Are you all right?" He just nodded but it wasn't enough for her. "Pierre, it's not normal for you to behave like that. There is something wrong going on here. First Darek and now you! Perhaps we should talk to the captain?"

Pierre just shook his head. "There is nothing wrong with me. I had my systems checked only this morning."

"It was the ship's systems, Pierre," Joanna was still concerned. "You have some of your own, too. Can't you see you're not being yourself?"

Pierre looked away. He knew exactly what was wrong with him. And it had nothing to do with his systems. At least not directly. He was simply and wildly… jealous! The thought occurred to him suddenly but he knew instantly that it was it. He was jealous of that woman. He couldn't stand the thought of another man even coming close to her! Even if that man was a Gurlan.

* * *

"Is there something wrong, Captain?" Aleyah was genuinely surprised to see Anthony volunteer for a meeting in her office. Not that they never spent any time together, of course. It's just that Anthony had always been most reluctant to any counseling.

"I think there is, Counselor," he answered silently.

"Please, sit down. Tell me."

Anthony lowered himself heavily onto one of the armchairs in the counselor's office. The lights were reasonably dim, the design unobtrusive; everything to make a patient comfortable. For a while they just sat there and none of them said anything. Aleyah knew better than to rush things in moments such as this. Finally, Anthony looked up at her and shrugged. "You were right about my emotions, after all."

Aleyah took a deep breath. This was getting more and more interesting. For five years, since their current mission began, she had been trying really hard to help him. They had known each other longer than that but she had never worked with him before. Now, after five years of gently probing his feelings it looked as though she finally succeeded. But this was just too unexpected for Aleyah to believe that the only reason for his sudden confession was her counseling.

"Why don't you tell me what happened?"

Mark sighed heavily. It was difficult for him, too but he had a distinct feeling that delaying this conversation might endanger his crew and his ship somehow. That, he could not afford and because of that he knew he needed help.

"May I have a cup of tea, Counselor?"

"Why, of course," Aleyah smiled and jumped up to the replicator. Once Anthony had a steaming cup in his hands, he put it away and started talking.

While the forgotten tea was getting cold, he told Aleyah all about the incidents of the last few days. His impulsive reaction to Jerry. His failure in interrogating the mysterious Kelvan and his growing uneasiness. Minutes ticked by and he was still talking. It must have been one of the longest monologues in his entire life. He was talking about his emotions. The words flew and they just wouldn't stop. He talked about his hopes and fears, his attempts to make things run smooth on his ship… Aleyah was just sitting there, listening patiently. She knew that all he needed right now was a pair of ears so she just offered them.

Finally, about an hour later, Anthony fell silent. After a moment, he remembered his tea and reached for it. He frowned when attempting to drink the cold beverage but downed the cup anyway.

"I'm sorry, Aleyah," he said. "I don't know what happened to me. I just felt I had to tell you this."

"I'm glad you did," she said simply. "I only wonder, why now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Has anything in particular affected you recently? I think there's something that prompted you to come here and talk right now, after all these years."

Anthony thought for a while. "I don't know," he said slowly. "I just had this… this feeling that hiding all of this inside me any longer would somehow endanger the ship. Perhaps my attitude to Jerry?"

"What about your attitude to Jerry?"

"You see, this man is really getting on my nerves lately. One slip and I am ready to jump at his throat. I took it out on Pierre, for some reason. I don't know what happened to me, I was just furious. I should have noticed that the man was simply trying to earn my approval."

"Don't be too hard on yourself, Mark. You're a captain, not a counselor."

"Yes, but it's part of my responsibilities as a leader to be able to judge people fairly. That's a feature of a good commanding officer, isn't it? And look at me. Here I am, yelling on Pierre instead of Jerry… I feel confused."

"You've been through a lot, Mark. None of us has had much chance for relieving stress lately. We all need a break."

"Yeah, remember how our last shore leave ended?"

"That doesn't mean we're not going to get any more shore leave for the rest of the trip, does it?"

Anthony laughed, now almost relaxed. "No, of course not. I'll start looking around for a decent place to rest."

* * *

"I told you to change the resolution, didn't I?!"

Tanaki was taken aback. She had never heard Kowalsky yell at anybody. True, he's never been the most amiable person: tough, demanding, cold and distant, perhaps, but never unfair.

"But, Sir…" she tried to explain that the sensor scan resolution had been changed and what he was looking at was just the result of it. He never let her finish.

"That's enough, Lieutenant!" he snapped. "You will carry out my orders immediately or I will relieve you. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Sir," the poor woman was almost scared. She had always admired Jerry for his professional detachment even though, at times, she wished he weren't so detached after all. Now, she was witnessing something far from professional. The man was absolutely furious and she just couldn't understand why.

"Now, change that damned resolution!" he shouted. She was too afraid to argue. She just put her hand onto the console and made Pierre reset the display. He did, without comments.

Jerry was so carried away by his emotions at the moment that he never noticed anything. He stared intently at the display of the Kelvan shuttle they encountered a few days ago.

"Are you telling me that this is it? No sophisticated shields, no powerful weapons and an obsolete warp drive? Is that all you can come up with?" He fumed again. This time Pierre decided to interrupt.

Commander, he thought so that both Tanaki and Kowalsky heard him. There is simply nothing more to that ship. You can't expect us to find something that is just not there…

That instant, Jerry's eyes became red with fury. "And who asked you?!!!" he yelled. The other people on the bridge, who hadn't heard all the previous conversation, almost jumped up in their seats, startled, and looked at their first officer.

"What are you looking at?!" he screamed hysterically. "What do you want from me?"

He backed away, slowly, along the wall as if preparing to defend himself. He walked backwards right into two security holograms, summoned by Pierre. Sickbay, he ordered them with a single thought and went back to comfort Tanaki, who was still standing there, almost paralyzed with fear. At the same time, he notified the captain about the incident and informed Dr Darek that he had an incoming patient.

* * *

"Sickbay to the captain!"

Anthony was just about to go down to the mess hall for his first decent meal that day. "Anthony here," he sighed heavily.

"Sir, I've got a report I'd like to discuss with you," Dr Darek's voice was as flat and unemotional as ever.

"Can you join me for dinner, Doctor?" Anthony asked hopefully.

"On my way," came the efficient reply.

"Have you found out what happened to Jerry?" the captain asked when they were sitting in the mess hall, waiting for their food to cool off.

"I haven't, sir," Darek answered. His eyes were restless. If Anthony didn't know any better, he could have sworn that the Vulcan was nervous. "I asked counselor Purr to come down and talk to him, Sir."

"Very well," acknowledged Anthony. "Is there something else you wanted to discuss?"

Darek thought for a while. Finally, he nodded: "Yes Sir, there is. Please excuse me," he added. "I am experiencing certain problems with concentration. I will correct it."

Anthony only gestured for him to continue. He was aware of his crew's recent problems. He was experiencing them himself. We could all do with some rest, he thought. Aleyah was right.

"Please, go on," he turned to the Vulcan doctor, who was nibbling at his meal with total disinterest.

"Sir?" Darek looked up, surprised. "Oh, yes," he quickly added. "There is something strange about his brainwave patterns but I couldn't tell what exactly."

Anthony stopped eating and eyed the doctor carefully. "Then why did you send him over to Aleyah? It seems there might be something wrong with him physically, after all?"

Darek shrugged. "It's not that simple, Sir. I am unable to explain those patterns. They may be caused by some mental distress as well."

"I see," replied Anthony, distracted. Suddenly, he felt strangely out of place. He still knew who he was and what he was doing with that Vulcan over there, it's just that he wasn't sure what to do next.

"Doctor…" he started but Darek was too deep in his own thoughts by now to even hear his captain.

"Captain to the bridge," Anthony heard Pierre's voice summoning the commanding officer. Something has happened, he thought curiously. Then it dawned on him. He was the commanding officer being called to the bridge. He jumped up, tapping his commbadge. "On my way!"

When the turbolift door opened, Anthony strolled onto the bridge. He looked around. Everything looked perfectly familiar. Only the center seat was taken by an android, for some reason. Pierre got up immediately but Anthony dismissed him.

Mark, are you all right? He was startled by an unexpected thought in his mind. "Who are you?" he asked aloud, causing a few curious looks from the crew.

Captain, he heard a reply. I am Pierre, the ship's TCS unit. We are being hailed, Sir.

What? Who is hailing us? Anthony thought now totally disoriented.

We don't know yet, Sir, Pierre replied, simultaneously opening the channel.

"This is Pardan, in command of the Kelvan Fleet," they heard but the viewscreen remained black. The transmission was audio only. "You are now on a direct course to the Kelvan Empire. You will arrive in approximately three of your hours. We will escort you. Maintain your present course and speed and prepare to surrender your vessel to our forces."

Anthony looked around, helplessly. "Now I'm supposed to give an order, right? Any suggestions?"

Pierre thought to the captain: Ask him what happens if we change course.

Anthony replied mechanically: "What happens if we change course?"

The voice replied: "Don't. We are prepared to set you back on course but your ship will suffer unnecessary damage and lives may be lost." The channel went dead.

Anthony was still standing in the middle of the bridge, confused. He had no idea what to do.

Mark, he heard the strange voice in his head again. Report to sickbay, please...

Yes, Sir, he thought back, happy that someone finally told him what to do, and headed towards the turbolift.

"Captain!" Liana exclaimed from her post but Anthony only shook his head and disappeared into the cart.

"Acting captain's log," Pierre announced. "Stardate 141344.2. due to some yet unexplained problems both the captain and the first officer have been incapacitated. I am taking command of this vessel, effective immediately."

* * *

Pierre was sitting in the ready room, conducting thousands of calculations per second. The Explorer was cruising silently, surrounded by the Kelvan Fleet. More than twelve battle ships, each one of them outgunning the Explorer significantly. Pierre and accessed all of the Starfleet orders concerning the mission, including those for captain's eyes only. Considering the possibility of encountering the Kelvans. Suddenly, the door bell chimed.

"Enter!" he snapped, still busy processing data.

The door opened to reveal on of the Jem'Hadar, Ensign Arak, working in the Engineering. He was half carrying, half pulling the chief engineer, Timothy Rex.

"What happened?" asked Pierre.

"Sir, I demand to be heard by the captain immediately!" Timothy yelled, trying to free himself from the ensign's firm grip.

"I am the captain now," Pierre answered calmly, ordering the Jem'Hadar to release Tim.

"I'm sorry, Sir," the ensign replied, not relenting. "Lieutenant Rex has attacked me and two other officers on duty, claiming that we've sabotaged the ship, sir."

Pierre frowned at him. "Thank you. Now release him and wait outside."

This time, the Jem'Hadar complied, albeit reluctantly. Once the door closed, the Bajoran chief engineer approached Pierre. "What's going on here?" he demanded. "Where's the captain and who are you?"

Pierre gently probed his mind. He found the same signs of confusion he had sensed before from Anthony and Kowalsky.

"Lieutenant," he began softly but Tim was already on the move. He jumped up to Pierre and reached for his throat. It was a lost cause with an android, though. Pierre gently took his hand and held it in the air while two security holograms appeared.

"What?!…" Tim blinked on seeing them appear out of thin air but before he managed to say anything, they dragged him effortlessly away from Pierre. Sickbay, he ordered and calmly went back to reviewing all the available data.

Darek has been looking at the readouts on his viewscreen for a few hours now. He knew, or rather felt unclearly, there was something about them he should analyze closer. Those strange brainwave patterns. He first saw them with Jerry, then the captain. Now, ten other personnel, including the chief engineer and the counselor have been brought to sickbay. The symptoms were similar: erratic, emotional behavior and growing feeling of confusion. At first, Darek suspected some memory loss. However, it turned out that both long and short term memory of all his patients was intact. It looked like something, or somebody, only took their decision-making abilities from them. No matter how long he studied the readouts and compared the data, he couldn't find out what was causing it.

"Doctor?"

"Yes, what is it, Vort?" Darek asked impatiently. The Scythiaan didn't reply so he looked up. He saw his nurse in a very odd position. As if she was trying to climb up the wall.

"What is it, nurse?" He asked, now intrigued.

"The Borg, sir! We've been boarded!" Vort hissed in panic.

"The Borg?" Darek thought he heard her wrong. "The Borg have been destroyed years ago, what are you talking about?" He got up and reached for his medical tricorder to scan her but Vort was way too fast.

"Don't touch that! I won't be assimilated!" she screamed. Security to sickbay! Darek called with a thought and, in an instant, the security holograms appeared. After a short but violent struggle, they managed to immobilize Vort. Darek had them put her on a biobed under a restraining field and finally managed to scan her. He sighed, as the readouts revealed she was in exactly the same condition as the rest of his patients. Then, something occurred to him. He turned the tricorder around and scanned himself. The results sent cold shivers down his spine.

* * *

Joanna was called to sickbay even though it wasn't her shift yet. Pierre had told her about their situation and that more and more crew were becoming affected. It was absolutely crucial that they discover what is wrong before everyone's gone crazy. She was surprised to see an unknown face when she entered Darek's office to report for duty. The man sitting at the doctor's desk was short, dark-skinned and certainly not Vulcan.

"Please state the nature of the medical emergency," he demanded on seeing Joanna.

Oh, an EMH, she thought. "Where's Dr Darek?"

"Dr Darek is with the rest of the patients. I'm afraid he's been infected, too," the hologram answered while waving his tricorder in the air around Joanna's head. "Fortunately, you are not yet showing any signs of the virus."

"Virus?" Joanna asked. "So you've determined it's a virus?"

"Yes," the hologram nodded. "Unfortunately, I have yet been unable to track it down. You will assist me, please."

Joanna felt suddenly nervous. Insofar, her duties had been simple enough. Now she was facing her first real job aboard the USS Explorer.

Don't worry, Sunshine. You'll manage, she heard Pierre in her mind. She smiled at the thought that even now, with all his new responsibilities as an acting captain, he still found time to comfort her. At your service, Madam, he replied.

* * *

After the whole day of exhausting work, they weren't any closer to the solution. The virus was fast, vicious and apparently genetically engineered. It attacked everyone who was infected, sooner or later, making them incapable of performing their duties. And by then, almost everyone aboard had been infected. The EMH had to turn one of the cargo bays into another ward since, by the end of the day, thirty-two members of the crew had fallen ill. Half the ship's compliment.

Joanna was walking down the corridors. It felt almost like a ghost ship with so many holograms: engineering, security and medical. They were not very advanced and certainly far from sentient, apart from the main medical, that is. The others were exactly what their name said: emergency holo-projections. With Pierre in control, the ship could travel for years without biological life aboard and still fulfil its basic mission. That, however, was not what they had intended.

"Mommy!" Chris was genuinely happy to finally see Joanna. "You're late!"

"I'm sorry, honey," Joanna hugged the boy as tightly as she could without breaking his bones and they walked together out of the holodeck. Chris spent his whole mornings there, attending classes as any human child would and playing under the supervision of holographic teachers.

"I had a lot of work to do. Very important work'" she explained while they headed to their quarters.

"But now we will play?" Chris asked hopefully, turning his innocent blue eyes up to her. She looked at the boy and something came to her mind.

"We will," she said quickly. "But first let's go to sickbay for a minute, OK? I want to check something."

"What happened to all these people?" Chris asked when he saw the sickbay full of patients. Each and every one of them was behind a restraining field, restless and nervous. The virus attacked both decision center in the brain and emotional control. Some of the people were crying, others were shouting furiously. Medical holo-personnel had their hands full, tending to their various needs.

"They're ill," Joanna answered. "But don't worry, we're working on it."

She scanned Chris herself. After hours of work this morning, under the Chief EMH's guidance, she already knew what to look for. She was happy not to find it. "Stand still!" she said to the boy, who started fidgeting impatiently.

Pierre! Joanna called, forgetting that she should now perhaps address him as captain.

What is it? he replied instantly.

Chris is probably the only person on board who's not infected.

That's good, he replied. Have you made any progress in developing the vaccine yet?

I'm afraid not but the EMH is still working on it.

Understood. Now, you need rest, he added, sensing how tired she was. Go ahead and get some before you go down too,

Joanna knew it was inevitable. She wanted to stay alert for as long as possible but she realized that unless they found the vaccine, eventually the whole crew would be suffering. She smiled sadly. You will take care of Chris for me, won't you? she thought to him.

I will. I'll take care of all of you, don't you worry, she sensed a reassuring smile in his reply. She suddenly wished he were here but she knew that right now he had other responsibilities.

"Come on," she smiled to Chris. "Let's go play!"

* * *

They were back on their way to the quarters when they encountered Piete. It looked as though he had been waiting there. Joanna pushed Chris to go ahead and slowed down herself, wondering if he wanted to talk to her alone, perhaps apologize for his behavior the other day. She knew she was wrong the moment she saw his face.

Gurlan facial features included a wide mouth. Usually, it looked like the person was smiling wildly. Sort of a clown's look. Joanna had to explain that association to quite a few people, unfamiliar with Earth's history. Now, however, Piete's face didn't remind that of a clown. If anything, it resembled a gnome. A threatening one.

"What do you want?" Joanna asked, feeling her throat go dry instantly.

"You will be my mate!" Piete demanded firmly, approaching her.

Joanna waved to Chris, showing him to enter their quarters. When he did, she turned back to Piete. "I am sorry, Piete," she began in a soft voice, trying to calm him down but he interrupted her.

"No!" he shouted. "No more of this nonsense! You will be my mate now!" he cried out coming even closer.

Joanna was scared. She looked around but the corridor was empty. She knew she could call Pierre but she didn't want to disturb him. She remembered his violent reaction when he first found out about Piete making her offers. Besides now, he was the captain. He had more important things, like the Kelvan Fleet, on his mind. No, she had to handle this one herself.

"Piete," she smiled to the Gurlan, attempting to ease the atmosphere. He was standing very close to her but so far, he had made no move to touch her. She didn't know how long it would last. From the look of his round eyes she knew the man was desperate.

"Piete, I know you have studied human culture. I still have those roses from you."

Piete's face softened a little. "You do?" he asked hopefully.

Joanna nodded. "They're beautiful."

"Are they… appropriate?"

Joanna nodded. "But I've never had a chance to study your habits in any detail. Could you perhaps tell me something more about them? Being your mate, for example. What exactly does it involve? And why have you chosen me? Are the interracial marriages common for Gurlans?" She was trying to stall him with all these questions and she wasn't disappointed.

Piete stepped away, now trying hard to concentrate on what she had said. Joanna briefly thought of running away now and calling security but she sensed that she was no longer in immediate danger from that alien man.

Piete looked at her thoughtfully. "The Gurlans always mate for life," he began. "We usually fall in love only once and it lasts a lifetime. We do not believe in any form of lawful enforcement of matrimony, as is common for many cultures. We have no need for that. There has never been a single divorce among my people.

Joanna thought this was truly remarkable. Particularly for a race so famous for their inability to control emotions. Now she knew he would never have hurt her.

She was just about to invite him to her quarters and find out more about his race when she saw Pierre. He was coming, no, running down the corridor really fast. She wanted to say something but… he never stopped. Before she managed to open her mouth, he had already knocked Piete down on the floor and now they were wrestling. Tough. The Gurlans were relatively strong but, of course, no biological life form stood a chance against an android. In a second it was obvious that Piete was fighting for his life.

"Pierre! Stop it! You'll kill him!" Joanna screamed but he didn't seem to hear her. He turned Piete face up, sat on top of him and he was reaching for the man's throat. Piete tried to release his hand from the android's grip but to no avail. Pierre struck him hard in the face and the Gurlan lost consciousness. The android didn't even notice it. He struck the man for the second time. And third. Before Joanna had a chance to react, Piete was lying in a pool of his own blood. And Pierre kept on torturing the Gurlan's unconscious body…

Security! Double! Joanna thought. The holograms appeared but… nothing happened. Take him away! Joanna ordered them forgetting that Pierre was now in control of the ship. She couldn't relieve him of command and the security holograms took orders from him directly. Right now, however, he didn't seem capable of giving orders. He kept on struggling with the tortured Gurlan's body, tossing him and shaking on the floor.

Joanna hesitated for a second and then threw herself over Piete, trying to cover him from Pierre's hits. She closed her eyes, awaiting the first blow but it never came. She opened her eyes and saw Pierre's face looming over hers. She could hardly recognize him.

"Never… do… that again!" he stuttered, struggling to regain his composure. "I could've… hurt… you…"

* * *

Joanna, may I talk to you? She turned around to see Pierre. She was in sickbay, tending to Piete who was still unconscious. Pierre came up to her with an apologetic look on his face but she just shook her head.

"No," she said aloud. "Can't you see something's wrong with you? Either you're also somehow affected by the virus or you're malfunctioning seriously."

"I am not…" Pierre started in a raised voice but quickly corrected himself and continued softer: "I am not malfunctioning, Joanna. And I can't possibly be affected by a virus..."

Joanna was already reaching for the medical tricorder but his last words stopped her.

"Do you want to tell me that your behavior towards Piete is normal? You're actually supposed to be attacking crewmembers whenever you feel like it?"

"No, I am not," he replied. "But it has nothing to do with any faulty conduits or a damaged piece of software. I am a sentient being, don't you forget that! I have emotions and experience the same temptations as anyone else. And, just like else I sometimes act on them. If any other two people started a fight for personal reasons, would you call for a doctor to see what is wrong with their bio-neural circuitry?"

"No. But they would be thrown into the brig and reminded of Starfleet rules of conduct. Forcibly. Who's gonna throw you into the brig?"

Pierre wanted to say something but he hesitated. He wanted to tell that woman that it was all her fault. Since she came on board, with that undisciplined and unrestrained 21st century mind of hers, he… No. Now was not the time for this. He had other responsibilities. If she wanted to blame him, so be it.

"Cadet," he said officially. "You're now off duty. Go to your quarters and relax. We will still need you tomorrow."

"Yes, sir!" Joanna snapped to attention stiffly and then turned around and left the sickbay. Pierre looked after her but couldn't decide whether her attitude was professional or sarcastic.

* * *

A few hours later, Joanna was getting ready for her next shift. She had already accessed the computer to monitor the progress the EMH might have done during the night. For some reason she preferred to access particular subsystems rather than involve Pierre in her research. Even though it would have been quicker to just call him, like she used to and ask. She was hoping to avoid meeting him that morning but she had no such luck. Just as she was ready to leave her quarters, the door bell chimed.

"Enter!" she called, resigned. She didn't even have to look to know it was him. "One would think you have more important things to tend to right now, Captain," she said defiantly and with a significant dose of irony.

Pierre glanced at her sadly and replied: "Right now, you and Chris are the only crewmembers still unaffected. We're working all holograms now. I wanted to check on you, personally.

Joanna didn't know why but she suddenly felt furious. "Why can't you just leave me alone?!" she shouted angrily. "You've been spying on me ever since I came here! You're not even real, just as all these holograms of yours! Now get out of here! Now!"

"Joanna!" Pierre's voice was full of pain. He realized she was no longer being herself. At least, he hoped so.

"Get out of my way!" Joanna shouted again, trying to push him out of the room. He complied. Once outside, he summoned the security holograms and ordered them to escort her to sickbay. He didn't even want to count how many times he did that same thing in the past few days...

* * *

"Report!" Pierre demanded when the EMH entered the ready room.

"Not much to report, Sir, I'm afraid. The virus is attacking the controlling centers of the brain. We know its structure, its purpose and its method of working. We don't know how to defeat it, Sir."

Pierre thought for a while. "How did it come aboard? If we knew that we might be able to find out the rest. You once said it was genetically engineered. any idea who might be responsible?"

The EMH shook his head. "I was only activated when the virus had already spread considerably, Captain."

Pierre reclined back in the captain's chair, spreading his long legs. Not that he actually needed to change his position, of course, but he had found out that certain human behaviors helped him concentrate.

"Check the medical logs, Doctor," he finally said. "Who was the first person affected?"

The EMH accessed the logs and so did Pierre. The latter was, of course, faster.

"Jerry Kowalsky was the first one diagnosed. I sent him down to sickbay myself but I don't believe it really started there."

"Sir?" the EMH looked puzzled.

There had been incidents of strange behavior before that, thought Pierre. "Perhaps not that clear but the whole mating thing with Piete…" he finished aloud.

"I am unaware of any mating…" the EMH wanted to say something else but Pierre waved his hand dismissively.

"And I remember Mark feeling extremely unsure of himself not long before that…" he searched his databank again and cross-referenced the data. Finally, he knew.

"Doctor!" he ordered. "Go back to sickbay immediately. Check all the medical logs and results and anything we have on that shuttle survivor, Jonar."

"Sir?" the hologram didn't quite understand.

"No time for explanations, Doctor. Do it!" Pierre was now impatient. "I want you to check all the scan results, see if you can find our virus. Also check his genetic code carefully, Doctor. He said he was a Kelvan and I want a proof of that."

The holographic doctor, still a little puzzled, turned around and left the captain's office with no further comments. He wasn't programmed to question his orders, after all.

Pierre, once he was left alone, started thinking furiously. The Kelvans never contacted them again. Pierre had decided to yield to their demands since it was clear the Explorer would have been lost had they started the fight. Now it was too late even for that. The entire crew was infected, unable to fulfil their duties. All that Pierre had at his disposal was an army of skilful but uncreative holograms. He couldn't risk a battle. Not that he lacked the manpower to maintain all the ship's operations. The problem was that the Kelvans wouldn't probably even bother to stand up to the challenge. All they'd have to do would be to cut power to the rebellious ship. The lights go down and… poof! The Explorer is a real ghost ship, dead in space.

Why haven't they done it anyway? Pierre wondered. Apparently, their goal is not to destroy us. If it's them who planted the virus here, it all makes sense now. They needed all the biological life forms out of the way… No, it's not that, he immediately corrected himself. They could have disabled the ship and kill them all. They must need them the way they are now, which is… unable to make decisions, acting irrationally. For some reason, they want them all to… what? Make stupid mistakes? Jonar did a very good job. But why? They send a powerful fleet to make sure we do not deviate from the course to their Empire. They want us to arrive there on schedule for… what?

Pierre scanned the Starfleet database one more time. Finally, he knew all there was to know.

"Chris?" he called through the commlink to the only biological life form aboard the vessel who had not been affected by the virus. "Report to the ready room!" he ordered, without any more hesitation. He's so much more than he appears to be, he thought. Yagla turned out to be impervious to the virus but the Kelvans may not know it. They expected a ship from Milky Way, not species from their own galaxy. All they saw was an 8-year-old human boy. We still might be able to outsmart them…

A few moments later, when Chris turned up for the meeting with the captain, he was surprised at what was required of him. He was even more surprised when he realized that he was the only one who could save the ship and its crew. For a moment, the responsibility weighed heavily on his shoulders. Yagla or not, he was still a child, after all. However, this crew had treated him well. He became a part of it. Now he could finally use some of his abilities to help them. And that last thought made him happy.

* * *

"Sir, we are receiving a call from the planet's surface," the tactical hologram reported with its flat voice.

"On screen," replied Anthony in an equally calm tone of voice.

"This is Pendar. I am the Emperor of Kelvans. You will now surrender your vessel to us."

"I am captain Mark Anthony of the Federation starship Explorer. Greetings, Emperor but we will do no such thing."

The man on the screen looked surprised. He turned to somebody who was outside the screen view and apparently demanded some additional information. It looked like he didn't get any. He returned his puzzled look to Anthony, now standing firmly in the middle of the bridge. "You will surrender your ship immediately, captain!" he repeated.

Anthony, slowly shook his head. "Emperor, may I have the honor to invite you to discuss your problems with us? I'm sure we can find a solution without breaking into violence."

Excellent, Chris! Pierre commented silently. You're doing very well.

The Emperor was even more astonished. Clearly, he hadn't expected any resistance.

The channel went mute and they saw the Emperor engaging in a lively discussion with two other people, also looking absolutely human. Evidently, some high officials of the Kelvan Empire, assigned to advise their Emperor. It looked as though they were desperately trying to convince him to do, or not to do something. Finally, the audio signal was restored and the Emperor spoke again.

"I will have you beamed to my palace in one hour. Do not attempt to bring any holograms or with you!"

Chris waited a moment until he got confirmation from Pierre. It was fast enough, so that the Emperor never noticed any delay.

"I will be honored, Your Majesty." Anthony bowed slightly, showing respect, and the screen went blank.

"How did I do?" shouted Chris excitedly. It was a good thing now that the bridge was only manned by holograms. The original crew would be very much surprised to see their captain, with all his Vulcan aspirations, jump up and down in his seat.

"Very well, Chris," repeated Pierre. Now, we've got one more hour to instruct you further how to behave like the real captain. Once you beam down, they will probably jam all our communication systems. You will be on your own.

* * *

"What did you tell them?"

Anthony - this time the real Anthony – was questioning Chris. After his successful negotiations, the Explorer was released and the whole crew treated for the virus. Now the captain wanted to know all the details.

"These were Starfleet orders, Sir," answered Chris proudly. "The radiation levels in this part of the galaxy will render all life impossible here in approximately eight hundred years. The Kelvans have been seeking a new home for over two millennia now. The Explorer was authorized to share technology and navigational charts of your own galaxy and extend the invitation for them to settle in the Beta Quadrant, sir. Captain Kirk had been the one to officially pose the request for the settlement option on behalf of the Kelvans. The project treaty was in your databanks all the time. All I had to do was to tell them about that encounter with the USS Enterprise and the arrangements that had been made since then. They were impressed."

"So am I," Anthony smiled. "There is still one thing I don't quite understand, though. The first impression is that they are an extremely violent race. How did you manage to convince them that a peaceful solution was possible?"

Chris smiled. "Well, for one thing, they're clearly not as violent as they like to picture themselves, Captain. Instead of killing all of the Enterprise crew, they gained control over them with a neurological field and afterwards, they simply put them into their own version of stasis."

"If I recall correctly, one person died on that mission," interrupted Anthony.

"Well, yes, Sir. However, her death was intended as an example for the others. The Kelvans could have easily killed them all." Anthony nodded and signed for Chris to continue.

"They did pretty much the same thing here. Instead of killing us all and using the Explorer to gain knowledge of your technology, they planted a virus which never damaged anyone permanently. It only rendered all of you… useless, unable to resist."

"They never anticipated you wouldn't be affected…"

"That's because they hadn't encountered my species before, Captain. I would have known otherwise."

"So, what you're saying is that basically they like to threaten others but in the depth of their hearts they're not such bad guys?" Anthony smiled.

"That's right, Sir. At least that's what it looks like now, doesn't it? With the data we brought for them they will soon be building a fleet of colonization vessels. They still have plenty of time before they reach their destination. Let's hope they'll stay as reasonable as they are now…"

* * *

Commander Jerry Kowalsky has been fidgeting in the center seat for the last half an hour. His shift was about to end and he still hadn't had a chance to talk to Tanaki. The tactical officer was supposed to report for duty… just about now. Jerry glanced at the console to check the time and that instant the turbolift door opened and the woman entered the bridge.

"Lieutenant Tanaki reporting for duty, Sir," she stated properly.

Kowalsky nodded his acknowledgement and she went over to her post at the combined tactical and operations console at the back of the bridge. She put her tiny hand on the red spot and linked her mind directly with the ship's telepathic circuitry. Jerry gave her a moment to familiarize herself with their current status and came over to her. She looked up at him, questioningly.

"I…," he began quietly. "I'd like to apologize for my behavior, Lieutenant. It was absolutely uncalled for."

Yoko opened her eyes widely and smiled at him. "There's no need to apologize, Sir," she said in a warm tone of voice. "You were acting under the alien influence, I understand that. None of us was able to control our emotions then."

Jerry looked closer at the woman's face. What he saw, gave him a pause. He wanted to say something else but for a moment he was at a loss for words. Her face was not only reassuring but… he couldn't be sure but there was something else in her eyes. Some… feeling he had never expected to find there. Is she…? No! That's impossible! He quickly rectified himself. Pierre, who couldn't help but hear his thoughts, chuckled softly to himself.

"Carry on, Lieutenant," Jerry finished awkwardly and went back to his chair.

* * *

"Can I do something for you, Commander?" Darek asked on seeing Pierre enter the sickbay.

"Thank you, doctor," the android smiled. "Actually I came to see Cadet Kruk."

The Vulcan gestured for Pierre to come in further and went back to his office. Pierre looked around the now empty sickbay with certain sense of relief. Everyone has recovered nicely and it was good to see all the empty biobeds for a change.

"What do you want?" Joanna's voice startled him. He turned around to see her face.

"Are you still angry with me?" he asked.

Joanna shook her head. "I don't know what to think."

Pierre nodded. "I understand. How's Piete?"

"He's all right now. But you could have killed him." her voice was cold.

Pierre sighed and sat on a biobed. "I told you why I did that. I realize it was a mistake but… wasn't it a human mistake?"

She shrugged. "What kind of an explanation is that? You're an android, your strength and stamina give you an unbeatable advantage over pretty much everyone. I still hope that it was the virus, otherwise it would be pretty scary to have someone like you on board. YOu do have human cells in your body, you could have been affected, too."

She came closer to him with a medical tricorder in her hand. "Will you finally let me scan you now?"

Pierre got up, making himself better available for the scan. Joanna concentrated on the task for a while. When she looked up, she had a terrified look on her face.

"No, you have never been affected," she whispered. "All you did during the last few days was only you."