Stardate: 80616:1900
Title: The Sound of Muzak
Author: Emma Smith
Time: After "Band of Eight"
Scene: Planet-side


~

It's a funny thing. We think nothing of telling children stories of horrid stepmothers, poison apples, fierce wolves and cannibalistic giants. Is it any wonder that when the chickens come home to roost, and life finally imitates art, that the world ends up not being the pretty place for which we'd wished.

~

"So you actually shoved the old girl in the oven??"

"Yup."

"Just like that?"

"Yup."

"Burnt her alive?"

"Yup."

*Note to self: Never cheese-off the First Officer.*

Fortunately for the Away Team, the terrain was not overly difficult. Between the large dresses, glass and velvet slippers, brocades and capes, the going was already slower than what the Captain would have liked.

Had it not been for the Narrator's occasional commentary, not to mention the incessant chirping from that blessed blue bird that had taken up residence on Emma's shoulder, the group would have made the trek in complete silence.

Each waited and watched for the first sign of confusion; the first indication that they had taken a step too far toward the castle.

"There it is!" Gitta pointed.

It was typical storybook fashion. Uniformly shaped stones stacked up to four towers that were topped with indiscernible flags which waved haphazardly in the breeze. Although there were many small windows, a single large wooden door that was laden with heavy chains appeared to be the only entry. If that weren't enough to preclude a quiet entrance, a fresh water moat encased the entire structure.

"Everyone okay?" Dr. Matthews had taken it upon himself to keep tabs on their mental states.

Each sounded off in kind, that they hadn't yet been affected.

"Good." Deadilus gestured forward. "Let's move closer."

"So," Emma gingerly stepped over several rocks, then turned to Remmick, "have you figured out how to disrupt the program?"

The little red hood fell to his shoulders as Marc shook his head. "I think our best bet may lie with Gitta's 'fairygodfather'. Without so much as a tricorder, there isn't much I can do."

It appeared that Emma was going to answer, then, oddly, (even for Emma) began to sing. "I'm wishing, (I'm wishing), for the one I love, to find me, (to find me) today... (today...) ah ah ah ah ah..."

"Oh no!" Exclaimed Ross. "This is horrible."

Commander Falls stopped dead in her tracks. "We're too close."

"Oh uh yea.." Ross nodded. "That too.


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Lt. (S.G.) Emma Smith
Chief Security Officer
USS Horizon
NCC-72400
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