What Evil Lurks in the Belly of the Cotton Ball Jar "
By: Dr. Alyssa Caitlin Northrop, Acting Chief Intel Officer, [PST]
Krystal, Hologram, [RNPC]
M'Ressha Mikaht, Fighter Pilot, [RNPC]
Maxine Lucinda Tapert, Computer Specialist, [PC]

Stardate: 58205.29 0300

"She needed to sleep," Pixie preened her wings and looked over at Blitzer. "She only catnaps, you know..."

Maxine had grudgingly gone back to where the bunks were, agreeing to take a nap, but that was all she agreed to.. And she made it clear that if she couldn't sleep, she'd be back cause she hated tossing and turning. She wasn't curled in the "nest" Blitzer had made for her on the floor more than five minutes before she'd fallen fast asleep.

Blitzer smiled, "Yeah, I cat nap too," he said. He looked at the blue ball beneath them. A large aurora began dancing across the polar region near by them. "You better check cloak matrix," said Blitzer.

"Aye, aye, sir!" the little hologram saluted and accessed the system, checking the matrix as he'd instructed. "You cat nap because you're a felinoid," she pointed out. "Matrix is 100 percent operational."

"Good." Blitzer wrapped himself up tighter in the blanket and nestled back into his chair.

Krystal went back to alternately preening her wings and braiding her hair.

Blitzer watched the little pixie, "So... what was it like for you to be a...REAL girl?"

She stopped what she was doing to look up at him and tip her head a little in thought. "I like to be real," she told him. "I want to be real all the time."

Blitzer smiled at the little pixie, feeling almost sorry for it, "Why can't you?"

Krystal held her hands out, palms up. "No field generators," she told him.

"Oh I see," said Blitzer regarding the little apparition, "Does it feel weird to be a ghost?"

"It feels... insubstantial," she told him with a little grin.

Blitzer reached out and passed his paw through her image.

"See?" she squeaked.

"Insubstantial, now there's a big word for a little pixie."

"I'm well versed," Krystal told him.

"What would you do if you were a *real* girl?"

"Real girl things."

Blitzer grinned and rolled his eyes, "Productive things?"

Krystal nodded. "Yes. Productive, *real* things.

Blitzer leaned back, "sounds like the earth story of Pinocchio."

"Pinocchio? What is a Pinocchio?" Krystal asked. But before Blitzer could answer she was accessing the data files and looking it up. After a moment her wings fluttered and she nodded. "Just like Pinocchio!" she agreed and giggled as she crossed her eyes and watched her nose grow.

Back in the rear of the runabout, Max began to stir in her sleep as a noise protruded into her subconscious and became part of the dream that was forming in her mind.

Blitzer pursed his lips tightly, and looked over his shoulder before he leaned toward the pixie, "Can you really do the Orion slave girl thing?"

Krystal looked over his shoulder too and then nodded. "Affirmative," she whispered and turned green. She grinned at him as her clothes started to shift into those really skimpy pieces of fabric the Orion slave girls deem to be clothing and her nose reverted back to normal size....

Max's scream rent the air as the bug-spider thing with braided hairy legs attacked her and tried to suck itself onto her lips.

Krystal poofed from sight with a screech, afraid of getting caught green-skinned in the act of doing the Orion Slave Girl dance.

Blitzer jumped from his chair and bolted down the corridor, limping as fast as he could to where Maxine was. He came in the room and found Max sitting up. "What is it?" he asked, looking around.

The eyes that looked at him were huge and frightened. She was holding a blanket clutched to her and looking around like something might leap on her at any moment. "I... Uh ... Something..." she had to take a breath before finally saying; "I thought something attacked me..." She scooted closer to him and tried to peer under the bunk.

Blitzer looked throughout the room. He sniffed the air as he went. "I - I don't see anything, you must have been dreaming." He sat down next to her and put his hands on her shoulders. She was trembling.

She let her breath out in a soft grunt and he could feel her relaxing a bit from his presence. "Okay... Yeah... A dream..." she agreed cause that was a whole lot better than the real thing.

"I'm glad you *were* only dreaming," confessed Blitzer, "I forgot my phaser."

That made her blink and finally stop trembling. "You would have had to use your warrior toes." She actually offered him a little smile.

Blitzer tipped his head sideways a little and huffed, "yeah...."

Maxine reached out and gently fwapped his shoulder. "You were supposed to laugh at that," she pointed out.

He took a couple of deep breaths, "Oh..., it was funny. I'll laugh later." He assured her with a smile and a generous nod of the snout. He glanced one more time around the quarters, "I'm sure we all will laugh later."

Maxi frowned and shivered. She held the blanket a little more tightly for a moment and then rubbed her face. "I need something for my headache," she told him and rose to her feet. "You can go ahead and sleep if you like..."

"I'm fine..." he said, "I got my catnap in before."

"Okay... I'll just go grab something then," she smiled a little and headed to Sickbay.

Blitzer followed Max until she turned and entered the tiny sickbay module. He proceeded up the corridor to the flight center and took his seat.

"She's ok," he told Krystal.

"I was concerned," the little pixie told him. "Look what I can do....."

It didn't take Max long to find something for her nightmare-induced headache, and she headed to the flight deck when she was done. By the time she got up front, Krystal had poofed into a 'bug' and was explaining to Blitzer what she'd inputted about their physiological makeup from the scan she'd run when it tried to eat her.

All Max saw was a BUG on the console in front of Blitzer and she screamed. "GET BACK!! GET BACK!! BLITZ GET BACK!" Then she started frantically looking around for a phaser, intent on killing the thing.

Blitzer got up from his chair, and grabbed Max so she wouldn't hurt herself. "Its ok," said Blitzer pointing, "it was just Krystal doing bug imitations."

Maxine was shaking. She blinked and looked from him to the bug that waved at her. "Bloody 'ell..." she drew in breath and let it out in an expressive grunt. "Scared the crap outta me," she complained. "I 'ate bugs."

"Okay, Krysal, better just turn back into yourself."

He sat down and looked at Max, "we should try and contact Northrop and make sure she's ok."

Krystal the bug giggled and poofed back into Krystal the Pixie in a shower of golden pixie dust.

"You're right," Max agreed with a nod as she took her own seat and eyed the changing hologram. "She's been quiet for an awful long time."

"Okay, open a channel and send a single click," reminded Blitzer.

Alyssa stirred under the covers of the bed that Christine Walker had provided. Part of the archeologist had wished that she'd had company, but that wasn't part of the mission. She'd heard the single click from her combadge, despite the fact that it was across the room. Tossing back the blanket, she padded over to the device and picked it up. "Northrop here. Go ahead."

"Tapert here. Just doing a status check, sir," Max responded. "Your message has been sent. Everything okay?"

Without really thinking, she nodded as she spoke. "Yes.. everything's fine here. I'm just waiting on further instructions. What's the word from on high?"

"The party starts sometime soon." said Blitzer, even though he was on a secure channel, thought to be a little vague.

Alyssa frowned. Why did people always want to act so cryptic when they got to play secret agent? "Mr. Blitzer....could you be somewhat less vague, please?"

She caught the use of her "irritated professor" voice and shook her head slightly. "The channel is secure and I've taken every precaution on my end. Swept the room for bugs, I'm using a sound proofing to keep anyone from eavesdropping. So just tell me, ok? How can I carry out my orders if I don't know what they are?"

Blitzer hesitated and glanced at Max before he spoke, "The Zion will be entering the system sometime after 1300."

Max frowned in response to that look and shrugged a little.

Blitzer paused, "Will you be beaming up soon?"

The irritation became more pronounced at the felinoid's refusal to tell her what was going on. "Only if I have to, Blitzer. Do I have to? Or will you just tell me what the brass wants me to do?"

"We had a very short transmission window, we have no further orders. Signal us if you need to beam aboard. Tigris out."

Alyssa blew air up through her bangs. "Very well, Tigris....I'll be here when you need me. Northrop out."

It wasn't truly like her to get short with people, but then again getting woken from a fairly deep sleep would do that to you. Dropping her badge into her pack, she padded back over to the bed and lay down again. It was still dark outside, which meant that it was still as early as it felt. Staring up at the ceiling, Alyssa thought about what was beyond that.... the USS Yamoto.... and the governor of this world. Given the shear number of personnel on the ground, there couldn't be THAT many people aboard. But how do you board a ship in orbit? Sure you could beam in, but that was traceable. Perhaps from that Government Center she'd gone to the previous night? That was a distinct possibility.

Blitzer watched as Max closed the Comlink.

"That was uhh. ...interesting," Max looked over at him and quirked a brow. The Intel officer had certainly been cranky.

He pulled up the geocoordinates which displayed superimposed on the view screen, "oh... its really...really early in the morning there." he said.

Blitzer folded his arms and leaned back. "But it looks like everything is ok."

"Uh-hu---" she stopped and straightened. "I'm picking up a transmission from the media network on the planet," she told him. "Putting it up on screen..."

An image appeared on the viewscreen, It was a the face of a well groomed diplomat. He held an infant in one arm and waved with the other. An audience around him was applauding, behind him stood someone dressed in a federation uniform. "...And furthermore," continued the man, "now that Deleplane's dictatorship has been removed, Pacifica can now move forward! And with the help of our Federation friends, we can grow and prosper. But to undo the things that Deleplane done, will be costly. Our Federation friends have agreed to help us rebuild our great planet to what it was 10 years ago. We will join our forces and fight along side our Federation allies. We must! It is the right war at the right time. Prosperity will be ours again!"

The audience roared with applause. The man handed the baby to a woman near by and began shake hands with some of the people near him and walked away from the podium with the Federation official right behind him.

Blitzer shook his head in bewilderment and flipped his paw over as he gestured toward the viewscreen, "He seems like a nice guy," he said sarcastically.

"Uh-huh... Probably slobbers on babies when 'e kisses them," Max smirked. "There's something wrong with a politician that holds up babies t'show 'ow cool 'e is."

Blitzer looked over at Max and laughed lightly. "He makes it sound like we're the bad guys." Blitzer frowned, "I hope the whole planet doesn't believe it."

"A lot of people still believe it," Max pointed out reasonably.

Blitzer stood up and pulled the blanket tight around himself. "I'm going to the head," he said as he hobbled out the door.

"Don't get lost!" she called after him and then turned to Krystal. "Behave. I'm gonna go get something to eat," she told the pixie and followed Blitzer out of the Flight deck, disappearing into the galley.

Krystal saluted and preened her wings. After a moment she disappeared and reappeared in Sickbay.

When he was finished, Blitzer washed his paws and limped back to the front of the Runabout. He paused when he heard a noise behind the door of the SB module. He stepped inside and looked at the cottonballs that were all over the floor from Krystals effort to count them. He spotted Krystal who was operating the medical replicator.

"I'm getting some pain medicine for you," the pixie turned EMH started to tell him when she spotted the Cait.

It was about then that they could hear commotion coming from the flight deck and Maxine's raised voice.

"What now?" muttered Blitzer as he turned and limped out the door.

"Oh bloody 'ell! You turn back right now an' stop scaring me! This is not funny any more... I mean it. I'm going t'turn you off..." Max threatened.

Blitzer could hear Max continuing in a berating tone of voice as he entered the flight center.

He saw a small spider on the view port directly in front of her, it was about 9 inches across. It moved back and forth and looked as if it were going to pounce on Max. "What are you doing?" he asked.

Max glanced back at Blitzer and pointed at the spider. "Yelling at Krystal. Look at 'er! Do y'see what she's doing? I'm going to bloody well turn 'er off!"

He frowned as he quickly snatched the phaser from Max's holster turned the power down to setting '1' and fired it on creature in one swift movement. The blast blew it off its perch. It bounced off Max's console and landed at Blitzer's feet.

"ACK! You didn't 'ave t'kill 'er!" Max jumped back at the blast, unable to believe he just shot her AI!.

He bent down and picked the bug up by one of its legs and held it up. It was slightly charred and smoking a little bit from the blast.

"Krystal is in sickbay getting me something for my pain," he said.

Max stared at him and the spider in disbelief. His words were just sinking in when one of the spider's legs twitched. That's when Max lost it and let out a startled scream as she scrambled back away from him and the evil looking thing he held in his hand.

Surprised by the scream, Blitzer dropped the bug and jumped back himself. He shook his head and recovered. Drawing a deep breath he scooped up the spider. It twitched a little more. "Its still alive," announced Blitzer turning it around as he examined it.

Max shook and kept her distance from Blitzer and his new playmate. "K-Kill it!" she stuttered, and it was about that time when Krystal popped into view.

"Ewww...." she looked at the spider Blitz had a hold of and fluttered her wings. "Where'd that come from? What are you going to do with it?"

"'E's gonna kill it," Max answered from her corner.

"Why?" the pixie blinked and flew closer to Blitz and hovered around the spider. "We should keep it."

"Maybe she's right," said Blitzer, "the science department might like to see this."

Maxine continued to eye Blitzer and the bug. "Uhhh... Let them catch their own?" she suggested cautiously. "'Ow are y'going to keep it? We don't 'ave any specimen jars big enough to 'old it...." It was clear Max wasn't enamored of keeping the thing alive.

Blitzer turned and marched into the sickbay with the spider and stuffed it in the now empty jar that once held the cottonballs. He fastened the lid and then used surgical tape to secure the lid.

Max leaned over and watched him disappear down the corridor. "Hmmm..."

"He's a Cait on a mission.." Krystal observed as she fluttered near Max and watched Blitzer's parting form along with her.

"Do y'think 'e's angry?" Max asked.

Krystal shook her head with a small spray of golden dust. "Nah. He just struts," the pixie observed.

"Ahhh.. roight..." The pair kept watching down the corridor, straightening as they watched him return to the flight center with his "specimin"

"It won't get out... roight?" Max eyed the thing cautiously, her gaze going from the spider in the jar to him.

"Ooohhh..." Krystal fluttered around it and tapped the glass with her tiny fist, pretending like it didn't pass through. "Wake up," she giggled.

"'Ere now, stop that!" Maxine told her.

Blitzer laughted at Pixie's antics and shook the jar a little, "It can't get out. I'll keep an eye on it and make sure it doesn't get too big or something."

"Ack! Dun shake it!" Max squeaked and reached out to smack his hand and then thought better of it... cause what would happen if he dropped it?? "Oh sure, now I 'ave visions of the thing out-growin' the jar and burstin' free of it...."

Krystal giggled and perched on the jar top where she proceeded to preen her wings.

Blitzer shrugged as he looked at his prize, "I wonder if they are good to eat."

"That reminds me..." Max handed him a sandwich. "Yanno, that thing's probably poisonous," she made a face. "It'd give you indigestion for sure."

"Oh!" Krystal sprinkled some pixie dust and the blue transporter haze deposited a hypospray on the console. "That's for you," she told Blitzer.

Blitzer picked it up and looked at it, "I don't know how to use this thing." he said.

"I would, but I can't," Krystal demonstrated by passing her hand through something tangible. "See?" And then she looked at Max.

"'Ey now.. I've never used anything like that..." Max defended herself.

"It's easy," Krystal told her. "I'll talk you through it..."

Max frowned and looked at Blitzer.

Blitzer handed Max the hypospray. "Be careful, I've heard it can be a dangerous weapon," he said with a giggle.

Max took it and eyed him and Krystal. "Uhhh.... Oh fine..." she grumbled and moved closer. "Just don't get mad if I kill you or somethin'," she warned, him and gave Krystal the 'what now?' look.

Blitzer turned his head to expose his neck.

Krystal giggled and carefully explained to Max how to administer the pain killer.

"'Ang on..." Max bent closer to peer at Blitz's neck and move some of his fur aside with her fingertips. "Okay... Y'sure m'not gonna kill 'im or anything?"

Krystal giggled again and looked at Blitzer, giving him a big wink over Max's head.

Blitzer winked back, "just do it already," he said with a smile.

"I'm sure... Just press it to his neck... That's it..." Krystal coaxed and watched as Max followed her directions. The computer expert turned temporary medic was concentrating so hard she had the tip of her tongue slipped out between her teeth and her face inches from Blitzer's neck. "Now just squ----"

"NOT LIKE THAT!" The pixie squealed and then rolled around, giggling helplessly as Max screamed and jumped back, falling over her seat and landing on her butt.

Blitzer cupped both his paws over his snout to keep from laughing out loud. Seeing Max wasn't as amused, he offered her his paw and helped her up.

Max recovered the hypospray and glared at the still giggling pixie as she took Blitz's hand and stood back up. "I swear I'm gonna turn 'er off. An' run a full diagnostic on 'er; or rewrite 'er," she muttered and quirked a brow at Blitz. "Dun laugh at 'er," she told him as she bent to administer the hypospray, trying not to laugh herself now. "It'll only encourage 'er."

She finished the shot without killing him and flicked her fingers through the snickering pixie hologram when she was through. "I did not program you t'do that," she pointed out.

"Hey!!" Krystal giggled when she got flicked. "It's in the databanks," she told her with a nod. "I've been studying."

"Uh-huh..." Max flicked the hologram again, making Krystal giggle once more, and then she turned to Blitzer. "I didn't 'urt you, did I?" She bent down to look where she'd given him the hypospray to make sure he wasn't bleeding or getting a huge bruise or anything.

"I'm fine," he said, "you did that just like a pro."

Blitzer pulled the blanket tighter around himself and curled up in his chair. The medicine made him feel sleepy. He yawned and turned and looked at Max and Krystal with a vacant stare and blank dopey smile.

Max blinked and then gave Krystal a LOOK. "Y'put 'im t'sleep, y'nit," she scolded.

Krystal grinned and shrugged. "Pain medication does that," she explained.

"Hrmph... Well, dun give him anymore then." Max turned and gently shook Blitzer's arm. "Eh, go back an' lay down, mate," she told him. "You'll fall outa there if y'don't. An' you're too 'eavy for me t'lift."

Blitzer complied and stood up, "Wake me up if you....uhm... need anything." He leaned over and picked up the bug in the jar up from the floor and set it on his chair. He leaned toward Krystal, "Keep'n eye on that okay?" He wrapped the blanket around him and picked up his phaser rifle and sauntered down the corridor.

"Uuhhh... Roight..." Max watched him put the bug on the chair and then leave. "What do we look like?" she asked Krystal. "Bug sitters?" she grumbled and eyed the bug. "There is somethin' very wrong about keepin' a bug like that in a jar an' not killin' it..."

"Hey!! It might *grow*!" Krystal nodded and fluttered over to perch on top the jar. "That would be fun."

"You're nuts," Max told her and grabbed her phaser pistol, cradling it in her lap. "If it even twitches, y'tell me, got it?"

"Aye Aye, Maxie!" The little pixie hologram saluted and then giggled as she started to preen her wings.

"I hate bugs," Max grumbled. "And I *really* hate spiders."