The Lycanthrope - Chapter One

The Valkyrie was on a rendezvous with the transport ship Dubai. The reason for the rendezvous - standard crew transfer and rotation. A simple enough task, but something on this crew transfer was different.
    As always Commander Pendragon and Counsellor Trospheo were waiting to greet the new arrivals in transporter room three. Pendragon gave the order for the transporter beam to be energized, and a few seconds later some of the new arrivals were on board the Valkyrie.
    “Thos of you who are to be assigned bridge duty come with me.” said Pendragon. “The rest of you go with Counsellor Trospheo.”
    While four people stepped off the transporter pad one young man remained. He appeared to be very nervous, looking around very sheepishly.
    “Is there a problem….?” asked Trospheo.
    “Talbot, Lieutenant Lawrence Talbot, Life Sciences. It’s…nothing. It’s just that I haven’t been on a starship for some time.”

    Pendragon led his small group to the bridge to brief them while Trospheo led Talbot and the others to their assigned posts. About ninety minutes later they met with Captain Watt in his ready room.
    “Have the new crew members been assigned to their posts?” asked Watt.
    “Aye sir.” replied Pendragon. “One of them seemed to be…rather odd!”
    “Odd?” asked Watt. “How do you mean odd?”
    “He seemed to act rather strangely.” said Pendragon.
    “Who is he?” asked Watt.
    “Lieutenant Lawrence Talbot.” said Trospheo. “Life Sciences division. It was probably nothing. He seemed very young, it was probably nerves.”
    “Well, if there’s nothing else to do here we should get under way.” said Watt. “Starfleet want that report on the Sierra system in a week.”
    “Understood.”
    Pendragon activated his communicator.
    “Pendragon to Sutek. Set a course for the Sierra system, ahead warp for.”
    “Aye Commander.”
    The rendezvous with the Dubai complete, the Valkyrie was soon on it’s way to it’s next assignment.

    Later that night Magus entered the Gresley bar. He approached the bar and was given his usual glass of whiskey. While sipping from his glass he noticed Lt. Talbot sitting alone at a table looking very disturbed. Magus approached him.
    “Is this seat taken?” Magus asked.
    Talbot looked up at Magus. A few seconds later he shook his head. Magus seated himself in the chair opposite Talbot.
    “I don’t believe I’ve seen you in here before.” said Magus. “You must be one of the crew transfers.”
    Magus extended his hand across the table.
    “I’m Ambassador Phineas Magus. And you are…?”
    “Lawrence Talbot. My friends call me Larry…well…what friends I have.”
    Talbot grasped Magus’s hand.
    “Tell me, Mr. Talbot, what was your last assignment?”
    “On station K-6. I was hoping for a transfer to another station, perhaps D.S.9. I didn’t want to serve on a starship.”
    “Then why enter Starfleet? It is the ambition of everyone who enters the academy to serve on a starship.”
    “That was my ambition, until a few years ago, until…”
    Talbot suddenly sprang to his feet, spilling his drink over Magus’ clothes.
    “S-sorry, Ambassador!” he stuttered.
    Talbot took a small handkerchief out of his picket and began wiping Magus. Talbot’s necklace then came out of his uniform. The necklace fascinated Magus.
    “An interesting piece of jewellery Mr. Talbot.” he said. “May I look at it?”
    “It’s nothing! It’s just a pentagram!”
    “A five pointed star. The sign of the werewolf!”
    When Talbot heard those words he suddenly stared at Magus. A look of horror appeared on Talbot’s face. Suddenly he rushed out of the Gresley. Magus watched as he left. Pendragon had seen this from the bar and walked over to the table.
    “What’s wrong with him?” he asked.
    “I don’t know.” said Magus. “But I sense that all is not well with young Mr. Talbot.”

    It was the next morning and Counsellor Trospheo sat in her office checking over the riles of the new crew members. He door buzzer then went.
    “Come in.”
    There was a wait of a few seconds before Lawrence Talbot entered the office.
    “Hello Mr. Talbot.” Trospheo smiled. “Come in, sit down.”
    Talbot seated himself on the couch next to Trospheo. He still seemed very nervous.
    “In case you may be wondering this is just an informal chat. It’s something I always do to new crew members.”
    Trospheo switched on her small computer terminal.
    “I’ve been reading your record.” she said. “I see you graduated form the academy with near perfect marks.”
    “Yeah.” said Talbot. “I was a bright kid.”
    Trospheo continued to look at Talbot’s record.
    “This is only the second starship you’ve served on in seven years. Your record says you haven’t served on a starship or starbase since the incident on Alpha-Four.”
    Talbot seemed to get very nervous.
    “You were attacked by a savage animal and almost died. The record doesn’t seem to say much, only that you made a rapid recovery. Is that true?”
    “I guess I’m a fast healer.” said Talbot, his voice faltering slightly.
    “It wasn’t long after that you transferred to station Delta. Any reason?”
    “I…I just wanted a change. I thought it would refresh me!”
    “It says here you tried to oppose your transfer to the Valkyrie but wouldn’t give a reason. Perhaps you’d like to give me a reason.”
    Talbot sprang to his feet. He now seemed more nervous than before. He was sweating profusely.
    “I’d rather not talk about it Counsellor.”
    “Lawrence, if there’s anything you’d like to talk to me about just say. That’s what I’m here for!”
    Talbot walked towards the door.
    “If you don’t mind Counsellor I have rather a lot to do today. I’d rather get on with it.”
    Talbot marched out of Trospheo’s office. As soon as the door closed behind him he leaned up against the wall. The sweat was dripping down his face and he was breathing heavily. It was as if he had a deadly secret to keep and it was burning him up inside keeping that secret.