Stardate: 70326:1220
Title: Strange Things Happen
Author: Basil Khalid
Time: Current
Scene: USS Horizon


=/\= Period between the arrival of Basil on the USS Horizon and the current time =/\=

It's been a while after Basil arrived on the USS Horizon. The situation has been a complicated one, Basil was kind of amazed by the grandeur of the whole thing. He could never have imagined gigantic spheres consuming entire planets.

So far nothing happened that needed his talents; the Horizon was, after all, an exploration and science vessel. But he didn't mind. After he arrived he went to the bridge two times, but he wasn't needed and the Captain wasn't there, so he had a lot of free time. He spent his days praying as usual and scouting his new home, hoping to memorize everything about it. He now knew most of the ship so he could handle himself pretty well.

As days passed and an away team was sent to one of the spheres, again he wasn't needed and so he decided to learn more about the equipment and weapons of the Horizon. As much as he enjoyed his solitude he really hoped that he would be needed, for anything at all...


=/\= Current time, Basil's quarters =/\=

Basil woke up suddenly, as always. He slept only to recharge his batteries, but he didn't like it. Sometimes while sleeping he dreamt the death of his parents, an event that still marked him. He went to a counseling session on the previous ship he served but no results were made. So he retreated behind his prayers, in his faith of a supreme being who has something better prepared for everyone.

As he got up from his bed it struck him - a lovely unwanted headache.

*Darn it, just what i needed to start another 'I-feel-very-useless' day*

He dressed up and decided to go to the sickbay.

*I sure hope the Doctor is not sleeping*

He slowly walked towards the sickbay. On his way he stopped a couple of times to check on the computer, to se if anything interesting was happening.

*Now this is kind of sadistic of me. I can't believe I am actually hoping for something bad to happen so I can be of some use! Allah is testing my patience now and I seem ready to fail his test. I need a new life...*


=/\= Sickbay =/\=

Basil entered the sickbay slowly, his head lowered and resting in his raised hand; his headache was getting a bit worse. He lifted his head and saw something he never thought possible - on one of the biobeds there was a man who had one arm missing, half-a-nose, and some of his hair was falling out. If Basil hadn't worked on his cool and cold attitude over the years he would've screamed and started to run to the far side of the ship or he would've hid in the torpedo tube and ejected himself.

*Maybe I am over reacting. I would never go into a torpedo tube - teleportation has been invented. I feel like I am in one of those ghost-monster-zombie stories. I sure hope he is sleeping...*

His thoughts were interrupted as the man raised himself and looked at him.

"Erm... hello... my name... is... Basil." Basil said with a trembling voice. Never in his life did he expect to live an experience like this. "What happened to you?"

The man mumbled something but Basil couldn't understand. He seemed quite sick.

*I think he is really sedated.*

The man pointed out to a glass of water that was a bit too far for him to reach, and so Basil brought him the glass and helped him drink. As the man drank he started to cough - Basil patted him on the back. Then, in a moment of horror, something happened: as Basil patted him a bit harder the man's right eye departed from its biological place and fell down onto the floor, rolling under a cabinet.

"Allah have mercy..." Basil said as he blanked out.


===============
Ensign Basil Khalid
Tactical Officer
USS Horizon
NCC-72400
===============

EDITOR'S NOTE: For those of you not already aware, Troy's 'predicament' is some light-hearted relief at an expendable NPC, and not at a writer (although people have chosen to write him previously).