11 "Yes," commented the Doctor, "like drugs that
only have to work for a few hours. You make them out of water and a few
hours later they revert back to water, and you don't have to worry
about bad after effects!”
12 The Medic nodded. "Get to work, gentlemen! " Morn snapped. The
computer buzzed, and Morn went over and pressed the activation button.
"Have located an unauthorized organism," the computer announced, "but
cannot identify."
13 "Tell me what you DO identify," Morn ordered.
14 "A scattered entity," continued the computer, "with no identifiable
shape, mainly loose gasses in a constantly flowing state, but
containing DNA, carbon, hydrogen, many assorted chemicals, a basic life
form yet not comparable to anything in my catalogue."
15 Morn tapped the computer's screen thoughtfully. "There is one thing," continued the computer, "but my readings must be
in error. I detect fusionable material. "
16 "Where could it get fusionable material?" gasped the Doctor, "And
how could it suspend it in a gaseous state?"
17 "You've got me!" Morn told him. "But we've got plenty of the stuff
in our mines, or in our system drive engines." Morn called
engineering. The Chief Engineer answered. "Chief," Morn ordered, "I
want you to account for every bit of fusionable material we have on
board ….ALL
OF IT!"
18 The Engineer looked surprised. "Sir," he said, "I was just going to
call you! We've just got around to checking out the system engines and
discovered we're two pounds short! That's not much, but that stuff's
hot! None of our sensors show any radiation and the mutineers swear
they didn't take it."
19 "It's alright, Engineer," assured Morn, "we know where the material
is. Now that I have you on the line, gather your crew and get them
ready for change over. You're going to isolation in sickbay."
20 "Really, sir," argued the Engineer, "we can continue our duties."