Adam Allgood
pianodrums@aol.com

I have noticed that other authors post disclaimers before their
stories.  Here's one.
Sailor Moon, and all related characters belong to Naoko Takeuchi and
Kodansha, Bandai, Dic, etc.  Star Trek, created by Gene Roddenberry, and all
of it's related characters belong to Paramount Pictures.  Any other
characters were created by me.


 Star Trek: 
Sailor Moon

Mutual Dilemma 


The Buildup


Chapter 14
        Captain's Log:  It has been two days since Roshalon of Borg ceased
to exist...ejected from its host, by the host himself.  The five scouts
told me that the man who Roshalon inhabited was called Darien.  This
"Darien," supposedly, was also a member of the extraterrestrial
commonwealth known as the "Moon Kingdom."  He is said to have great powers
in a form known as "Tuxedo Mask."  I must say that I await to meet this
interesting fellow.  Doctor Crusher, after hours of surgery, has been able
to remove most of the Borg implants.  Darien's assimilation was far more
complete than mine, so we have had limited knowledge on how to proceed.
His injuries that he sustained in Ms. Tsukino's quarters were quite severe
indeed.  However, We have observed within this man, an incredible
regenerative power.  In what would have taken any normal person weeks of
recuperation, Darien healed to that level in just these two days.  He
regained consciousness soon after the surgery, but the doctor did not allow
anyone to speak with him.  She promptly gave him a sedative.
        The Borg continue their unusual work in the former city of Tokyo.
Most of the tall skyscrapers are gone; webbed into a single, huge
structure.  Are they building some kind of Borg city?  I had hoped to learn
this from our friend Darien, but as I said...the doctor rendered him
unconscious.  I feel that we need to act soon, if we are to attempt a
resistance to the Borg invasion.  We have only two Starships left in orbit.
Both of them are unmanned...their crews killed.  They are also in poor
condition.  One of them is depressurized, and the other has an internal
temperature of -20 degrees centigrade.
        Commander Data still remains insensate.  Commander Laforge has been
reconstructing his positronic net, but much repair work is still needed.
It is a miracle that the Borg virus-type program didn't destroy the parts
of Data's brain that only the late Dr. Noonian Soong understood.  Geordi
told me that Data would be fine in a matter of days.
        I have ordered my crew to practice battle simulations around the
clock.  I have a feeling that the Borg will next try to feast on us...when
they finish whatever they are constructing on the surface.  My senior staff
and I have been developing new defenses to hopefully slow the Borg when
they do board this ship.  They have adapted to most of our current phaser
frequencies, so we have been experimenting with new ones.  The five scouts
said that they would assist us in some way...I didn't let them finish, but
I have a meeting with them today.  We have even considered adopting the
"guns" of this century.  The Borg would adapt to bullets, but it would be
like another phaser frequency.  We have rerouted the ship's command
functions in such a way that it would be easy to erect forcefields anywhere
in the ship at a touch of a button.  Decks can be sealed off more easily,
and Borg soldiers can be slowed.  We may attempt to install transporter
pads on each deck...designed to lock onto, and beam invading Borg into
space.  It's all on the drawing board.
        Captain Picard set down his pad, and stared off into space.  The
blue planet of Earth slowly turned beneath him.  Never will I allow the
Borg to turn that beautiful place into a mechanical nightmare!  The
doorchime rang.  The captain composed himself, ran a hand over his head,
and called the person in.  The door opened, revealing Serena.
        "Ms. Tsukino...please, take a seat."  The captain motioned towards
a chair across from him.  The extremely pretty girl moved inside.
        "Thank you, Captain."  She sat down in the chair, crossing her
legs.
        "Would you like something to drink?  Tea?  Cocoa?"  Serena, never
one to pass up an opportunity for food, immediately nodded.
        "Thanks for your generous offer, sir.  I'll have some cocoa,
please."  The captain smiled, and walked to the replicator.  After placing
the order, the captain moved back to the table with two steaming mugs.  He
placed one in front of Serena, and the other in front of himself.
        "Thank you, captain."  The captain smiled again, and then took a
sip of what looked like tea.
        "What is it you wanted to ask me, Ms. Tsukino?"  The captain was
listening intently.
        "I'd like to express my great appreciation for your medical staff,
and everyone who helped both me, and Darien during this hard time.  They
were terrific!  I mean, just seeing the way they rushed in to help
Darien...I mean...Thanks!"  Serena blushed slightly.
        "Oh, that's what they were trained to do."  The captain drank
again, then continued.  "I'll be sure to relay your thanks to Doctor
Crusher, and her team.  I may even give them commendations."
        "Thank you again, sir."  Serena looked as though she was about to
get up.
        "Serena, is that the only thing you came here to say?"
        "Uh, no sir."  Well...I guess that I also wanted to ask you what
you plan for us to do against the Borg.  I mean, my parents, and my brother
were in Tokyo when...when..."  Tears began to form in her eyes again.  The
captain stood up, and put an arm on her shoulder.
        "Believe me, Serena.  If there is anything that this crew can do
against these monsters, I promise you that it will be done.  That very ship
has already decimated a fleet of Starships, and killed many innocent
people.  We will draw the line right here!"  Serena was surprised by the
sudden intensity in the captain's voice, but then she recalled that he,
like Darien, had been assimilated by the borg.
        "Doctor Crusher to Picard!"  The sudden paige broke both of them
from their bond.  The captain, without removing the hand touching Serena's
shoulder, tapped his communicator.
        "Picard here.  What is it?"
        "Captain," said the disembodied voice.  "Our patient, Darien, is
regaining consciousness."  Serena stifled a cry of joy.  Even Picard seemed
a bit excited at the news.
        "I'll be right there!  Picard out."  The captain tapped his badge
again, and squeezed Serena's shoulder.  She replied by rushing into him,
trapping him in her arms, and embracing him.  The captain had his turn to
blush.  The two of them promptly left the office.




        Devon sat alone in the guest quarters.  He had returned from the
security office, where a gruff man whose forehead sported bony ripples had
tried to teach him how to use a phaser.  In case the Borg take us
unexpected.  The man had said.  When Devon had asked if the security
officer was a human, he scowled, and cried out: ghobe'!  I am a Klingon!
(gho-BE)  This confused Devon.
        Oh well.  He picked up a pad that one of the officers giving him
the guided tour had left for him.  It said on the top of it: ENTERTAINMENT
DATABASE.  Devon wanted to find out just what this ship had for video
games, but the door chime sounded.
        "Come in!"  The door opened, revealing Mina.  Devon smiled, and
blushed slightly.  "Hi, Mina."  He said, brushing the pad aside.  The
blonde haired girl entered the room.
        "Hi there, Devon.  Have you had a good day?"  Devon cleared her an
opening on the couch beside him.  She sat down.
        "Well, I don't know what to make of it.  There was this guy
teaching me about phaser-guns, but he was totally weird.  I mean, he had
bones protruding from his forehead, he was almost seven feet tall, and he
had a huge attitude problem!"  At this, Mina laughed.
        "You must have met Worf!  He's not even a human!  Did you know
that?"
        "Well, he was so different, I asked him that question.  He growled
something at me in another language, and told me that he was a Klingon."
        "Ah, well...he's all right, but...just don't buy him a soft furry
animal."  At this, Devon laughed.
        "Oh the thought of it!  He would probably eat it for lunch!"  They
shared a laugh together.  Mina shifted her weight.
        "Guess what!  Tuxedo Mask is back with us!  He was possessed with
this evil Borg mind for a long time, but he was able to beat it!"
        "Wow!  Isn't Tuxedo Mask that guy in the...in the..."
        "Yes, he is!"
        "That's crazy!  You mean to tell me, that a character in a video
game that I have been playing since I was little, is real?"
        "Uh, huh.  That he is."  Devon's eyes widened as he made the
association.
        "Where is he?  Can I meet him?  Oh wow!  Two weeks ago, I was
playing 'Sailor V' in the arcade, and now I have met her, you, in person!
And now I just learned that Tuxedo Mask is real too?  Unbelievable!  Tokyo
is a crazy place indeed!  I'm almost glad I moved there!"  Devon twisted
around to face Mina squarely.
        "You just moved there?"  Mina asked.
        "Yeah.  I was in my first day of school when all of the excitement
happened."
        "Really?"
        "Yeah, I'm in your class!"
        "What?  Why have I never seen you?"
        "You were absent that day."  Mina recalled that day.
        "Yeah, I was here."
        "There was only one girl absent.  A girl named 'Mina.' "  He
smiled.
        "That's a pretty good memory there."
        "Thanks."  They sat in silence for a while.  Devon's heart was
racing just by being next to this beautiful young woman.  However, he
didn't know quite what to say.  He had so many ideas on what they could do,
but he didn't have the nerve to express them.  Mina finally broke the
silence.
        "Hey, Devon.  There's a nice restaurant on this ship called
'Ten-Forward.'  Would you like to go have dinner?"  She looked at him
expectantly.  Devon's heart leapt into his throat.
        "Absolutely!  I mean...Yes, I'd love to!"  They laughed together.
        "Great!  Let's go!  Afterwards, we can visit Darien, who is Tuxedo
Mask, in Sickbay, and then do something fun!"  Devon, more excited than he
had ever been in his lifetime, stood.  He held out his hand timidly, and
Mina took it.  They left together.
***
        Picard and Serena entered Sickbay.  Darien had been moved from the
intensive care ward, to the larger, general room.  He was sitting up in a
biobed, drinking some water, when the two entered.
        "Darien!"  cried Serena.  She ran to his bedside, and melted into
his embrace.
        "I was never away from you, Serena."  He said.  "When that evil
thing kept talking to you, I was constantly fighting it, and I finally
won."  Serena smiled brightly.  She examined her love.  His jet-black hair
had grown back to its original length.  His skin was once again a tanned
shade, unlike the green/white that it had been.  His eyes were blue/indigo
once again, and the eyepatch that he had been wearing since the surgery was
finally removed.  He still had some bandages on his face, but they matched
the color of his skin.
        Darien, noticing her wandering eyes, said, "The bandages will be
removed tonight."  She smiled.  Darien returned it, smiling as if languid.
        "How do you feel, muffin?"  she asked.  He sighed.
        "Physically, I feel fine.  Except for a bit of itching on my face,
and my fatigue, I'll be good as new by tomorrow.  But I still have these
terrible images running through my head.  When I was asleep, I kept having
nightmares about The Future.  It's the Borg's plan to conquer everything."
At this, Captain Picard stepped forward.  Darien smiled at him.
        "Hello, Captain.  I'm sorry we couldn't meet on better terms.  The
Borg really wanted you back."  Picard was horrified, but he kept his
composure.
        "I'm sorry to disturb you two, but I really need some information
from Darien."  Darien smiled and nodded.
        "I remember everything, Captain."  His smile fell.  "Everything."
His face darkened.  "Everything."  Picard sympathized with Darien's anger.
He still had much of it left in him today.  However, there was no need to
discuss that, because Darien already knew it.
        "Please, Darien, what do the Borg want?"
        "When they assimilated me into their Collective mind, they
discovered all about who I am, and where I came from.  They learned of the
immense power hidden inside Serena's crystal.  They discovered the origins
of all of its power: the Moon.  They wanted to travel to the moon,
assimilate the knowledge left in the ruins of the palace.  They wanted me
to capture Serena's crystal, and use it to triple their power.  Only then
could they continue their evil trek across the stars, assimilating
everything in their path."  Picard was shocked and unnerved.  These guests,
a bunch of teenagers aboard his ship, seemed to hold a power so great, the
Borg would do anything to get it.  But one question: How?
        "Darien, how do the Borg intend to get to the moon?"  Darien
frowned.
        "Don't you know?  Haven't you seen their labors on Earth?  They are
building a cube!"