“Mr. Hogan, I am proud to announce that you are in perfect health, for someone of your age anyway.”
“Does that mean I can leave sickbay?”
“It certainly does. I see no reason for you to remain if you’re healthy.”
Singh activate his communicator.
“Singh to Watt. Captain, our patient is fit and well and ready to leave sickbay.”
Watt, who was on the bridge, responded.
“Understood Doctor.”
Watt turned to Tompkins at the helm.
“Mister Tompkins, please show our guest to his quarters.”
A few minutes later Tompkins arrived in sickbay. He saw Hogan sitting on the examination table.
“Good morning Mister Hogan. I’m Lieutenant Mark Tompkins. I’m here to show you to your quarters.”
Upon hearing Tompkins’ name he perked up a bit.
“Tompkins? Very pleased to meet you.”
Tompkins showed Hogan out of sickbay. They made their way to the living quarters.
“It certainly is a remarkable ship you have here Lieutenant.”
“Please, call me Mark.”
“Well, Mark, tell me something of your ship.”
“The Valkyrie is a Wagner-class starship, currently the only one of it’s class in service. It was commissioned ten years ago. Her first commander was Captain Connor McCloud. Captain Watt was first officer then, and was promoted when Captain McCloud was promoted to Admiral.”
“Why does the name Connor McCloud sound familiar?”
“Probably because he is an Immortal, born eight hundred years ago, give or take a year or so.”
They stopped when they came to a door.
“Here we are.”
They entered the guest quarters. Hogan looked around. Tompkins walked over to the replicator.
“This is the food replicator. It will provide any food or drink you want.”
After gazing around Hogan looked at Tompkins.
“Would it be possible to take a tour of this ship?”
“I would have to ask the Captain first, but I don’t see why not. If you wish to contact me press this button on the panel.”
Tompkins soon left the quarters. Hogan seemed very happy at his surroundings.
An hour or so later Hogan’s door buzzer went. At first Hogan didn’t know what was happening. The buzzer went again, and this time Hogan approached the door. When it opened he saw Magus standing there.
“I hope I’m not disturbing you Mister Hogan.” he said. “May I come in?”
Hogan showed Magus into the room. The wizard looked around.
“I see you have been given the quarters normally given to visiting dignitaries. They look very comfortable.”
“If you don’t mind Doctor I am very tired. I would like to get some rest.”
Magus smiled.
“No one has called me Doctor for nearly two hundred years. It’s good to hear that name again. I really came here to find out how you were, and if you’d remembered anything else.”
“Such as?”
“Such as what you were doing on a ship bound for Earth when there were no such vessels doing that in the year 2000.”
Hogan seemed to be annoyed by this. He clenched his fists.
“I told you, all I remember is that I was leaving Mars for Earth. That is all I remember!”
“There is no need to get aggressive, Mister Hogan. I was merely trying to solve a mystery that had developed since your arrival. The solving of this mystery would be of benefit to all concerned.”
“Can you please leave now? I am rather tired.”
Magus went to walk towards the door but suddenly stopped and turned to Hogan.
“We are only trying to help you. If you are withholding any information we will find out sooner or later.”
In sickbay Watt and Singh stood looking at the latest results from Hogan’s last examination. They caused some concern.
“I can’t explain it.” said Singh. “The scanners didn’t pick it up before, but there is definitely some sort of energy reading in Hogan’s cell structure.”
“Have you tried to identify it?”
“I can’t find any cross reference in the computer.”
Then Magus entered.
“I’ve just been speaking to hour guest, he…”
“We were just discussing him also.” said Watt. “Do you recognise this energy pattern?”
Magus looked at the screen. A worried look appeared on his face.
“I haven’t seen a pattern like this for over three hundred years. It’s mystical in origin.”
“Could Hogan be a wizard?” asked Singh.
“No. I would have been able to tell.”
“Then why is this energy in his cells?” asked Watt.
“I don’t know, but I have my suspicions.”
For someone who seemed very tired moments ago Hogan was walking around like a spring chicken. He soon made his way to the Gresley bar, and for someone three hundred and seventy years out of his time he didn’t seem out of sorts. Upon entering the bar he looked around as if he was looking for someone. Near the windows he saw Tompkins, who was reading a book. Hogan soon joined him.
“May I join you?”
Tompkins looked up from his book.
“Certainly.”
Hogan pulled up a chair. A waiter then came up and Hogan ordered an ale.
“I’m not disturbing you am I Mark?” Hogan asked.
Tompkins closed his book and put it on the table.
“No. Would you like to talk?”
“Yes, about this ship. How fast can it travel?”
“In the warp scale at warp nine-point-two, but a speed limit was recently put in place at warp five because it was found that warp drive was damaging parts of space.”
“What about weapons?”
“The usual, phasers, torpedoes, but we don’t compare to the Galaxy-class ships. May I ask you a question?”
“Certainly.”
“It’s more of an observation really. I’ve read some journals on the effects of suspended animation. They detailed some of the side effects felt by those who had been asleep. If you don’t mind me saying you don’t seem to have any of these. I was just wondering why. After all, you were asleep for nearly three hundred years or so.”
Hogan moved forward and leaned on the table.
“What do you know of the New Age?”
“New Age? What are you talking about?”
“The first New Age took place three hundred and seventy years ago. The second New Age will take place in one hundred and thirty years. If I were you I would watch my back. Your life could be in danger.”
And with that Hogan got to his feet, leaving Tompkins wondering what he was talking about.
It was s short time later that Hogan soon entered the communications section where Ensign Greenleaf was carrying out routine checks. At first the elf did not notice Hogan, but when he turned away from his work he did.
“Are you authorised?” Greenleaf asked. “Should you be in here?”
Hogan did not answer. He just seemed to study the communications console.
“I afraid I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”
Still there was no reply. Then, just as Greenleaf went to activate his communicator Hogan turned round and pointed his hand at him. Then to Greenleaf’s surprise a blast of energy shot out of his hand and hit him, stunning him and rendering him unconscious. He then turned back towards the panel. After a few seconds he began to operate the panel, and he was soon sending a signal out. This was soon picked up on the bridge.
“Captain.” said Amarus. “Someone is sending a signal out.”
“Who, and where from?” asked Watt.
“Unable to identify who is sending the signal, but it is being sent from the communications section.”
Watt turned to Tompkins.
“Anything on your panel?”
“Nothing sir.”
“Tompkins, Amarus, go to the communications section and find out what is going on. It may just be a malfunction.”
They soon arrived at the communications section. They were both surprised to see that it was Hogan sending the signal. Amarus drew his phaser.
“Stop that immediately!” he ordered.
Hogan turned to look at them. He seemed happy to see Tompkins and most unhappy when he saw Amarus.
“It’s good to see you again Mark.” he said. “A pity you had to bring a friend.”
Once again he raised his hand, and this time he fired another energy burst at Amarus, knocking him out. Just as Tompkins was about to fire his phaser Hogan grabbed it.
“I’m sorry I have to do this.”
Hogan then fired a smaller burst of energy which just had enough power to knock Tompkins out. He then returned to the panel and completed his message. Then Hogan picked up Tompkins like a sack of potatoes and draped him over his shoulder. He then left the room.
Upon entering the corridor Hogan found it filled with security teams. Several guards tried to apprehend him but Hogan tossed them around like a piece of rubbish. He ploughed through them as if they were not there.
After a short tip in the turbo life he soon made his way to one of the shuttle bays. He walked over to the control panel and started the sequence to open the bay doors. Then as he walked towards the shuttle he found his path blocked by Magus.
“Out of my way Istarian.” he said.
“I was right about you wasn’t I?” said Magus.
“You knew all along.”
“I suspected. I suspected that you were a left-over from the last New Age. I noticed after studying Darkmagus’ logs from that era that one of his sleeper ships had gone missing, spinning out of control and flying off near Saturn. If we hadn’t been on our way back to Earth we probably would never have found you.”
“Then it’s lucky you did, but unlucky for him here.”
“You’re trying to stop the next New Age, aren’t you, over a hundred years before it’s due to begin. It won’t work.”
“Yes it will.”
Then Hogan caught Magus off-guard, catching him with an energy blast powerful enough to knock him off his feet. Then as he moved towards the shuttle craft the entrance opened and Pendragon and another security team entered. Pendragon fired his phaser but Hogan deflected the beam with his hand. Then he fired another blast, hitting Pendragon and his team. This gave Hogan the time he needed as he boarded the shuttle and soon left the ship.
On the bridge they tried to act.
“Activate the tractor beam.” ordered Watt.
The beam was activated but they couldn’t get a lock on it.
“Ahead full impulse power. Put us ahead of the shuttle.”
But then, just as the order was about to be carried out the shuttle craft rocketed off ahead at a speed far faster than it was meant to travel.
“Lom I need power!” said Watt.
“We can’t follow him.” replied Lom. “He was travelling in excess of warp ten!”
“That’s impossible!”
Then the turbo lift door opened and Magus came onto the bridge.
“No it isn’t Captain, not for someone who has been given his power by Darkmagus!”
“Helm, which course did he take?”
“I can tell you that.” said Magus. “He’s heading towards the Procyn system because he knows that is where his master can be found!”
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