Disclaimer - The New Mutants, Kitty Pryde and all related stuff belong
to Marvel comics - to my eternal regret. The starship Enterprise and its crew
belong to Paramount - at least, last time I checked. Neither my co-writer or I
are making any money out of this and are using the characters entirely without
the permission of their respective owners.
	So nyah-nyah-nyah-nyah-nyah =)

        *        *        *

	The previous chapters of this story are being archived at several 
places, including

Lori's page
http://web2.spydernet.com/lori/x-men.htm

My page
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/7746

	There are others, but in a fit of bad manners and lost email I`ve
completely forgotten where some of them are... sorry...

	All comments welcomed by both Me (monet@uky.campus.mci.net) and  
me (ian@wire.co.uk). Reviews and archive requests more than welcome. Junk
mail gets piped straight to /dev/null.

	Cheers

	Phil

        *        *        *

	Playing Games

	Chapter Six

    Though Picard always took pride in his martial skills and his ability to
cope quickly in any situation, the appearance of the enormous purple beast
on his bridge took him totally by surprise. As it leaped toward him, he
froze in utter disbelief.

    Thankfully, Data was not subject to any such feelings and he was endowed
with reflexes that were literally faster than the human eye. In a heartbeat
he leapt from his seat at the conn and tackled the monster with a force that 
didn't match with his slim figure. 

    Data knocked the creature into the small space between the Captain's
chair and Troi's, attempting to hold it still. The creature bent and
stuggled under the strain, and then seemed to fold over into itself. Without
warning it appeared to implode, showering the nearby area with purple slime.

    Stepping away, as if attacking purple creatures was part of his daily
routine, Data turned to face the captain.

    "Are you injured?" his voice, though entirely normal for him, sounded too
calm coming from someone who had just fought a beast.

    Picard blinked and shook his head once, coming out of a stupor. "No, no
Mr. Data, I'm quiet all right."

    "I am glad to hear that," Data responded simply. He seemed vaguely
distracted by a slimy purple film that covered the front of his uniform, and
then looked over to where the three strangers were still standing. Following
his gaze Picard was surprised to see that the Indian woman was also in a
battle-ready stance, as if she had been about to attack the creature before
Data dealt with it.

    Then Data spoke again. "Captain, I believe I might be able to interface 
with this creature." A nod of his head indicated that Data was talking about
the strange metal creature that the blonde boy had called Lock.

    Picard waved his hand, mildly irritated with Data's unending curiosity.
"Not now, Mr. Data, though perhaps when we learn more about our...visitors...
you can."

    "Captain!" the lieutenant at tactical exclaimed. "Reports are coming in
from all over. The...creatures have all been contained. Engineering reports 
that transporters are off line. Casualties are coming in...Cargo Bay six...
one injury, minor. Ten Forward, fifteen, ranging from serious to mild. No 
fatalities."

    Picard breathed a great sigh of relief. "What about the away team?"

    Pause. "All but three members are accounted for."

    The captain closed his eyes and asked, "who did we lose?"

    "...Commander Riker, Lt. Worf, and Counselor Troi."

    Jean-Luc Picard felt as if he had been physically struck. "Are they still
alive?"

    "Sensors are unable to locate them, sir."

    "No news is good news," Picard muttered. "Data, is it possible for them 
to survive on the planetoid when the nebula engulfs it?"

    Data responded immediately. "Due to our lack of knowledge on the effects 
of the nebular matter on life-forms this--"

    "Yes or no?" Picard interrupted.

    Data thought for a moment. "Unlikely, sir."

    "Merde." Picard looked thoughtful for a moment. "Can we send a shuttle 
down?"

    "No, sir. A shuttle-craft would not have sufficient shielding to maneuver
through the nebula."

    "Picard to LaForge."

    The response sounded slightly agitated, "Yes, Captain?"

    "Geordi, I don't care ~what~ is going on in Engineering at the moment, I
need you in one of the transporter rooms. Riker, Troi, and Worf are on the
planetoid and I want them off within the hour!"

    "Captain, I--"

    "Within the hour, LaForge! Picard out."

    The captain knew he was too harsh with LaForge, but he was ~not~ going to
lose three of his senior staff, and three of his closest friends. He ran a
hand over his bald head, which was slick with sweat, and then along the side
of his uniform.

    "Now..." he said, looking to the two officers huddled around the...thing.
He raised his eyes to the ceiling, the situation being entirely more
complicated than he would have liked. He was suddenly aware of a muted
conversation between the three strangers. "Lieutenant," he said with a glance
to tactical, "have a security team escort our guests to secured quarters."

    Almost immediatly the 'lift doors opened and three members of security
moved over to the strangers. As they gently but firmly began to steer the
three away the blonde boy began to struggle.

    "Hey! What do you think..." He pulled away from the security guard, who
tried to grab him again.

    "Doug!" The Indian woman interrupted before things could get too heated.
"Cool it, okay?"

    As soon as the 'lift doors closed, Picard turned to Data. "Mr. Data, you
have the bridge..." With a distasteful glance to the place where the remains
of the monster were he added: "And get damned mess cleaned up!"

                *                *                *

    "In there, please," the security guard said, indicating a sparse room.
With a short look at Doug, Dani entered the room. Glancing round at the
three security men Doug entered as well, followed by the mass of
yellow-and-black circuitry that was the alien Warlock.

    The security guard pressed some unseen buttons on the wall beside the
entrance, and a flash of light glanced across it. "The captain will see you
soon," he said, and led his men off.

    As soon as they had left Doug walked over to the doorway and put his
hand through it. A sharp flash of light ensued.

    "Ouch!" He yelled, more in surprise than anything else since the
forcefield had not caused any actual pain. He turned back round. "Dani?
What the hell is going on here? Why isn't the Danger Room responding to the
overrides?"

    "I don't know," she replied, sitting down on the bare bunk provided.

    "I just hope one of the others gets back soon and sorts it out."

    "I'm not sure they will."

    "Huh?"

    She looked at him thoughtfully. "Doug, did you recognize that creature
before?"

    "Well, no. Not really. Did you?" Doug stood with his hands on his hips,
an intense look upon his face. Unobserved by his friend, Warlock silently
stood behind him, mimicing his shape and stance.

    "I think it was one of Illyana's demons."

    "Illyana's? From Limbo?" Doug ran his hand through his hair, the motion
echoed in techno-organics by Warlock. "So it's her fault the Danger Room
screwed up? Great. What a simulation to be stuck in."

    "Believe me, Doug, it could be a lot worse," Dani replied, remembering
the time shortly after she'd joined the school when the Danger Room had gone
out of control. She'd barely made it out alive. "But I'm not sure that's
what happened here."

    "Huh?" Doug said, repeating himself.

    "Warlock, I need you to do a full sensor scan of the area. Find out
exactly where we are."

    "Self obeys, selffriendDaniMirage." Warlock stopped mimicing Doug and
flowed into a new shape. Short, sqaut and covered with hundreds of different
devices he sat on the floor and scanned.

    "Well, pal?" Doug knelt beside the alien. "Can you figure out what's
wrong with the Danger Room?"

    "Negative, selfsoulfriendDougCypher."

    "You don't know what's wrong?"

    "Negative. Self and selffriends are not in localeDangerRoom."

    "Huh?!"

    "That's what I was afraid of," Dani said, kneeling beside Warlock.
"'Lock, can you tell us where we are?"

    "Negative. Data insufficient."

    "Oh boy." Doug leaned back against the wall. "Illyana, where did you
'port us this time?" He looked over to Dani. "Now what, Chief?"

    "Now we try and find Kitty and Illyana." She grinned. "Reckon you can
de'Cypher' that force-field?"

    He grinned back. "The team supreme? No problem. Come on, 'Lock."
Shifting into his usual humanoid form Warlock followed Doug over to the wall
by the entrance.

    "Can you access the door lock?" Doug asked.

    Warlock scanned the force-field briefly. It was a low-power field,
forming a complete globe around the room to stop escape in any direction.
However the vibrational rate of the energy was producing miniscule
fluctuations in the field. "Affirmative. Self can extrude molecule-thick 
tendril of self outside aparture..." As he spoke Warlock's foot changed shape
and became a thin tendril, reaching through the fluctuations in the field 
and stretching up the wall on the other side to where the door-pad was 
situated. He quickly entered the communications system and merged himself 
with the central circuitry. A few moments passed.

    "Scananlysis inconclusive. Circuit pattern too complex." His face
swivelled round to Doug. "SelfsoulfriendDougCypher, request assistance."

    "Sure, pal. That's what I'm here for." Understanding immediatly what
Warlock was asking Doug moved towards the creature. As soon as their bodies
made contact the techno-organic circuitry flowed over Doug, covering him
completely in the yellow-black circuitry that comprised Warlock's body.

    "This is so cool when we merge like this 'Lock. I can see so much..."
Doug's voice sounded different, carrying the metallic twang that Warlock
spoke with.

    "Warning, selfsoulfriendDoug, there is danger in soulmerging," Warlock
reminded him.

    "Yeah, I know. That's why we'd better get a move on." Doug knew the
dangers of such a merge, that his body would become infected with the alien
techno-organic virus. If that happened he would be transformed into a
techno-organic creature himself - not temporarily as happened when he merged
with Warlock, but permanently.

    Quickly shaking the thoughts out of his head he turned his concentration
to the door lock. Through the link he could feel Warlock's connection to the
circuitry and see it in a thousand ways he could never have before. He saw
the patterns of electricity, felt the shifting energy fields of the complex
circuitry. Warlock was right, this was something far more complex than he
had ever seen before. Where had Illyana taken them...?

    He concentrated further, analysing the patterns and scanning for as much
information as he could. Gradually his mutant power began to kick in and the
patterns simplified themselves, resolving into easier equations and clearer
constructions until...

    "Got it!" they both said at once. With a flicker of light the
force-field in the doorway de-activated, and Warlock separated himself from
Doug's body. "Told you, chief."

    She grinned at him. "Good work, the pair of you. Now let's go!"

                *                *                *

    "Come," Picard said sharply in response to the chirp of the door chime. 

    The doors parted with a swoosh to reveal the rather somber form of 
Guinan. "Are you always in the habit of answering the door so tersely?" she 
said as she stepped inside.

    "Guinan!" Picard's voice held as much surprise as it had sharpness 
before. He chose not to answer her question, aside from the fact most of her
questions were in the rhetoric, he generally ~did~ snap at those coming to
his door. But now he was concerned; it was a rare thing when Guinan came to
the bridge. Theoretically the bar-tender of a ship couldn't even gain
bridge access, but somehow she managed.

    "What is it?" he asked, standing to his feet.

    "Well," she began with a shrug. "I thought perhaps we need to have a talk
about our visitors."

    Picard's face took on a look of understanding. The monsters that had
appeared in Ten-Forward.

    "Please, have a seat," he gestured to the couch.

    Guinan smiled, engimatic as a sphinx, and sat.

    "We are still trying to figure out what they are. Ever since she was 
beamed back, Dr. Crusher has been dissecting them and trying to determine 
just what they are."

    "Dissecting them?" Guinan's look was puzzled.

    "Yes, she has been unable to determine if the creatures are even alive
or not, much less ascertain their origin."

    "Oh, I'm not talking about the demons," Guinan said offhandedly. "I'm
talking about the people who appeared on the bridge."

    Picard immediately was thrown. He hadn't been expecting that. To his
credit he stopped himself from asking how she knew; it didn't matter how
she knew, she did. She was Guinan. "What about them?"

    "They don't belong here, Picard. Something is very wrong."

    "Obviously. That was the conclusion I reached."

    "No, not just the fact that they appeared. Deeper than that. There's much
more to it than the sudden appearance of these people. There is a deep
wrongness to this situation, Jean-Luc."

    Before he could say anything, she continued, "They're safe. They're the
good-guys. And they're human, in a way, but they're missing some of their
own. And they could inadvertently become very dangerous in an attempts to
find their friends. Listen to me, Picard, you have to talk with them right 
now."

    "Guinan, three of my crew are missing and I intend to get them back.
These people can wait, and it's safest for everyone if they're confined to
quarters until I have time to deal with them."

    "No, Jean-Luc, that isn't the safest thing. You can help each other. You
both have knowledge that you could share with each other. They don't know
where they are, or if their friends are somewhere else on this ship. You
don't know who they are or where they're from, and for all you know, their
technology could be ~years~ ahead of yours. I don't care what they're
dressed in, they're not Starfleet. You need to talk with them ~now~, or if
you can't, find someone who can. But you can't leave them locked up or
they'll escape and hurt someone in the process."

    "Guinan, I haven't thrown them in the brig."

    "No, but you've confined them. Sooner or later they're going to feel
trapped, and a caged animal is the most dangerous kind."

                *                *                *

    Geordi pulled away from the transporter pad and sat back to look at the
mess he had created. The contents of the gutted beam-up pad spilled onto the
floor and were illuminated by the intermittent light of flashing nodules.
The lights to the room had been cut off through an unforeseen technical flaw
that Geordi had tried to compensate for. 

    Using a sample of the nebular matter, Geordi had created an additional
pattern buffer that, theoretically, could sift through the anomalous
particles of the nebula to find the definite particles of an individual.
However, it needed to work ~with~ the original pattern buffers, not in place
of them. So, after he had the two buffers hooked together, more power was
needed simply to run them. However, he discovered there was no way to route
power to the pattern buffers through the Hisenberg compensators. Generally,
if the pattern buffers needed more power, and for some reason that power
couldn't be provided by the back-up system, the needed energy could be
relayed through the Hisenberg compensators and to the buffers. And that's
where Geordi's problem arose. 

    There was literally no way to even connect the compensators to the 
buffers; the system simply hadn't been designed to do such a thing. Through
a burst of what seemed like inspiration at the time, Geordi realized that the
transport signal lights, the lights that activated whenever the transporter
was in use, ran through both the compensator and the buffer. The needed
power ~was~ able to be relayed to the pattern buffers from the compensators,
however in the process, Geordi overloaded the lighting system and all lights
to deck six were deactivated.

    Not that it posed a problem to Geordi, he could see in pitch black as 
well as he could in full light, but it did cause a problem for the rest of 
the people on that deck. And because of the captain's demand that the
transporters be able to pierce the nebula within the hour, Geordi didn't
have time to get the lights back on-line, or to even get the back up lights
running.

    "Small price to pay," LaForge sighed.

                *               *               *

    Picard had just stepped out of the turbolift when the entire corridor was
plunged into darkness.

    "What the hell..." he trailed off. He walked to the wall console and 
tapped it. "Computer, activate emergency lights."

    "<Emergency lights are off line.>"

    "Computer, illuminate all wall consoles on deck six."
 
    The computer responded with a chirp and then ahead of him and behind him
pale orange and yellow lights activated along the walls. Certainly not
enough light to illuminate the hallway clearly, not even enough light to
clearly identify his hand with; but it provided a trail for him to follow
and kept him from running into the wall.

    Then he heard it. At first, it was unclear and muffled, but then it grew
louder. Footfalls and whisperings. Picard could only catch snatches of what
they were saying.

    "... still in Limbo?"

    "...'Lock, think you could..."

    "...affirmative, selffriend..."

    They were getting closer. Ahead of him, the light of the console was
blotted out by a running silhouette.

    "Stop!" Picard called out a little too late.

    The figures crashed into him, sending the lot of them sprawling to the
floor. 

-- 

        **********************************
           Phil Foster | ian@wire.co.uk
            "Moines a pint a scrumpy!"
        http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/7746
        **********************************