Episode III: The Path of Fire

"Captain's personal log, March 22, 2263. It's been over a month and a half since the ship became trapped in the hyperspace void. The crew seems to be getting along much better than I had previously thought."

Davidson had been surprised by the co-operation among the crewmembers. The Rangers had managed to get along well together despite the long-harbored animosities between many of their races. Much more time in this void though and those ancient hostilities were certain to reawaken.

"Helmsman Scott McLearn, oddly enough, has befriended the Minbari Assistant Engineer named Sonnier. I believe that Sonnier will get the brunt of the Scott/Lin feud which has captured the imagination of the ship."

Davidson allowed himself the luxury of a smile. Ordinarily he would have banned the personal conversation between the two from the bridge. But nothing was ordinary about this mission and the bantering between the two Rangers had been a needed and useful distraction for the crew.

"First Officer Brenn has not changed very much since we first met. He keeps to himself and almost never comments on anything. However, when he does comment, he seems to give very useful information. I believe he is hiding something. Whether it affects the ship or the crew I have yet to discover."

Davidson stopped smiling and began pacing.

"We have surveyed 3 planets so far since Alpha Prime, the first planet we encountered in this space and have yet to find any signs of intelligent life. The engine room has presented it's own problems, major problems. The gravitetic engine core has been sealed off quite thoroughly. Every attempt to access it has been thwarted. I have been unable to find out why it was sealed."

Davidson sat down on his bed and stared at the blank wall before him.

"Ship morale seems high, everyone is hopeful and optimistic that we'll get home. But hope and optimism aren't immortal and I can't help wonder what state the crew will be in if we don't soon find a way out of the void."

Davidson resumed pacing. He was unable to calm his restlessness. He could not relax, could not clear his mind.

"On a final note, I wish that something, anything, would happen. I am beginning to feel the stress of more than a month of nothing. The crew needs - I need something to end the waiting. End log."

On the bridge, Sonnier arrived at Scott's station. "You wanted to see me?"

"Sonn! Scott responded enthusiastically. "Yeah, umm, you know about today's pawner game. Right?"

"Pawner?"

"Yeah, pawner. It's a card game. Anyway, we need one more player. How about it?"

Sonnier reflected, "I believe I will not attend."

"Oh come on!" Scott urged. "You're too uptight, you remind me of a certain Centauri woman I know!"

"I heard that one." Lin interjected from her console on the other side of the bridge.

"You see what I mean?" Scott told Sonnier.

"Well I," Sonnier began.

"Great! Be there at 2200!" Scott prompted.

"But," Sonnier began to protest. Before he could finish, his link chirped, "This is Sonnier," he said.

"We need your services down in Engineering," said Chief Engineering Officer Matt Wang over the link.

"I am on my way," Sonnier spoke and left. As he left the bridge, Captain Davidson entered and relieved Brenn who went back to his normal station.

Davidson looked out the viewport at the waltzing clouds of hyperspace. The Grey Star had been in hyperspace for five days now and had not come upon anything of interest.

"Scott, what's our status?" Davidson asked.

"Smooth sailing, nothing to report, sir."

The captain shrugged. He hated waiting. He knew he was going to sit on the bridge for hours, doing endless tasks, none of which would get them home. Mostly he read and signed reports, reports on reports and more reports which said there was nothing to report. Despite his longing for something new, he still kept an aura of self discipline which appeared to the crew as a firmness that all captains carried. Although not to the same extent as Brenn.

"So are you up for tonight's game?" Scott asked Lin.

"Wait, you think I'm going to play pawner with you? Ha!" Lin snorted.

"Come on Lin, you love pawner!"

Captain Davidson watched this latest installment of the Scott/Lin feud. He reminded himself he should stop this but did not. Although he was loathed to admit it, he found watching them spar as entertaining as the rest of the crew did. It broke the monotony. It eased the crew down too, kept morale high.

Davidson tried not to appear interested in the conversation around him. His mouth openned as he was about to break it up when…

Slowly, the bridge faded away into blackness. He was alone with the mysterious golden-eyed stranger. The stranger walked away and Davidson followed. He did not know where he was going but he had to catch up. After several minutes, the stranger abruptly vanished.

The blackness rose like a stage curtain revealing a Grey Star corridor. In front of him was a door marked Cargo Bay 3.

The pillars they had discovered on Alpha Prime were being kept here. So far the symbols on the stones had defied translation and the pillars had been left alone.

Davidson entered the cargo bay and walked toward the columns. He let his hand run across the cold surface of one stone. It was smooth, almost without friction.

He felt calm, and very pleasant. He stood in the middle of the pillars. He could feel himself sway as if he were in a drunken stupor. He felt very, very relaxed as he collapsed onto the floor.

"Hello, Captain."

The golden eyed humanoid stood before him.

"Where am I?" Davidson asked.

"You have never left."

"I don't understand?"

"Where did you come from?" the man asked.

"Who are you?" Davidson gritted his teeth in irritation. This conversation was leading him no further this time than last.

"Where will you end?"

"What do you want?" Davidson demanded.

"Why have you come here?"

"I don't know!" Davidson yelled.

"No, you do not," the stranger responded. "My name is Gannonn."

"Where am I?" Davidson asked. He looked down and realized he was wearing civilian clothes.

"You are in a safe place. A sanctuary of sorts. It is a secret place of wandering where everyone knows and everyone forgets."

"And what do you want from me?"

" I want nothing from you. I am here to help you."

"To help me with what? Just what the hell is going on!"

"Everyone has somewhere to be, somewhere to go and some name to call it by. You came here, and I will be watching you."

"I didn't come here! My crew and I were thrown here!"

"And yet you came..." With that, Gannonn disappeared, leaving Davidson alone.

Lin entered Scott's quarters to see three people already sitting down around a table. Granted the room was not that big, but it still felt a little too cozy. "I don't know why I agreed to this," she remarked.

"You did it because you want to beat me at pawner" Scott replied.

"You know, for once you're right!" Lin said.

"I was curious as to the rules of the game." Sonnier interrupted

"You'll pick it up," Scott said as he started passing out seven cards to himself and seven to each of the other 3 players.

"Have you guys seen the captain?" Lin asked as she put down a few cards and picked up new ones. The other two players did the same, in a seemingly random way. Sonnier just watched.

"No, last time I saw him was on the bridge when I was trying to convince you to join us." Scott replied as he picked up 2 cards.

"I thought he was going to break us up again," Lin commented.

"Pawner," the other player said.

Scott looked at the player's cards. "That's not pawner! Where's your 3, huh?"

The other player took his cards back and apologized. Sonnier peered over to get a good look at what was on the table then began putting down cards and picking up new ones.

"So, just why did you join our little game?" Scott asked as he put down 4 cards. He grinned at Lin, "Really?"

"I told you, so I can beat you at this little game." She responded.

"I think, you said yes because deep down inside you really like me!"

"I would as soon fall for a bone head!"

"There's one right beside you!" Scott taunted poking Sonnier in the arm with his elbow.

"Yes and he is very attractive." Lin put her arm around Sonnier. Sonnier did not flinch. He acted as if nothing was happening. Scott glared across the table at Lin.

Sonnier sat in deep concentration then put his cards down. "Pawner." He shrugged his shoulders at Lin and Scott. "Do I win?"

The other three looked at Sonnier's cards in disbelief.

"What?" Sonnier asked.

Davidson waited in the blackness. He walked around, searched to see where this place of darkness ended, but he knew it did not end. Nothing ever really ends, only the situations.

"Who are you?" a female voice shouted from behind him. "What do you want?" the woman called out again.

Davidson turned. She was human, quite beautiful. She brushed her reddish blonde hair from her face so she could see him better. Hazel eyes looked at him intently.

"I'm William Davidson."

"Hello, William." She looked around at the darkness. "Now would you explain exactly where am I?"

"I'm not really sure. All I've been told is that this is a safe place."

"Told by whom?"

"Gannonn. He seems to be controlling things around here."

"Who?" She looked around and then back at him. "Well, I guess we're stuck here. If what you say is true."

"As far as I know, yes. And that's if you're not an illusion." Davidson paused. Somehow he knew that she was real and that she had wondered the same thing about him and had come to the same conclusion.

He began again. "I didn't catch your name."

"Catherine, Catherine Verne."

"Well Miss Verne, do you have any idea's on what we should do?"

"We could find out where this place ends. That would be a start."

"I've already tried. I don't think this place does end."

"Then I guess we have to wait," she said.

More waiting. Davidson had hoped she would not suggest that.

Brenn brought all the senior officers together on the bridge. "We have a problem," Brenn said without any apparent emotion, "The Captain appears to be trapped in cargo bay 3."

"Trapped, how?" Scott asked.

Brenn glared at him. He had not reached that point in what he had to say and he wanted no interruptions until he was finished.

Brenn looked away from Scott and continued, undisturbed. "Cargo bay 3 is protected by some form of energy barrier. All attempts to break through have failed. We can scan inside the bay. The four pillars brought on board by Captain Davidson are creating the energy field. I have assumed command until a way to break the barrier is found."

Brenn paused to make sure everyone had understood. His next words seemed to cause him some difficulty. "Any... suggestions?"

No one spoke. Brenn looked at the assembled officers. "Dismissed," he commanded.

Catherine Verne was laughing so hard she was almost crying. "...and that's... when this Narn... came up to me and... and said." Her sentences were broken by her laughter. "and he said, 'Human female, you are like spoo in front of a hungry man. I desire your company!' " she said in the deepest voice she could. Davidson could not help but laugh at the story.

"Of course I said..." her voice trailed off and she stopped laughing. It took Davidson a few seconds to register the silence. He had been enjoying this time of "santuary".

"Will," Catherine said to him.

"What is it Kate?"

"Over there." Catherine pointed to an area in front of where they sat on the floor.

Gannonn stood watching them, his head slightly tilted to the left. Davidson rose to his feet and walked toward him.

"Gannonn, why have we been held here?"

"You did not need to stay. You could have left at any time."

"But there isn't any way out!" Davidson indicated the darkness surrounding them.

"You are mistaken, there are no walls holding you in," Gannonn replied. "You have not left because you needed to wait. Now the waiting is over and the future begins. From this point forward you both will walk the path of fire. "

Gannonn nodded his head toward them. "Catherine has already begun her journey. While you, William, have just started yours. We will meet again in a different time and a different place, and all the changes from here to there will not yield to the fire that is to come. A fire that you have not tasted yet William. Until the next time, farewell."

Davidson woke up although he did not remember falling asleep. He was on the cold floor of the cargo bay. He stood up in the darkness.

The lights in the room abruptly flickered and turned off as the bay doors opened. Security teams ran in and stood poised to fire at the pillars.

"Halt!" Davidson cried out. "Don't fire!"

He waited until he was sure the teams had understood and obeyed his orders. "Move everything but the pillars from here to cargo bay 1! Then I want this place locked down. No one is allowed in or out without my direct authorization! Move!"

The security leader barked out orders and the team began moving cargo out of the room. Davidson left the bay and headed toward his quarters. He was exhausted. He would rest now. His report could wait until tomorrow.

"Captain's personal log, March 23 2263."

Questions had haunted Davidson's sleep. Questions and images of Gannonn and Catherine.

"At my order, cargo bay 3 has been quarantined. Lin believes the pillars were drawing power from the ship to create the barrier and hold me captive. However, the objects do not require an outside power source. The truth is Gannonn didn't want me disturbed while I was in the sanctuary."

Davidson did not understand why. Gannonn offered more questions than answers.

"I have declared cargo bay 3 a security hazard and had all power emissions dampened in that area to make Lin's theory appear valid. I do not want anyone discovering what is really there. To that end, I have falsified my report stating I remember nothing from the time I entered the room and collapsed until the time the security forces entered."

Davidson paused to reflect before continuing.

"Yesterday I wished that something would happen to make this waiting end. I got my wish. That old saying rings true. Be careful what you wish for; you just might get it. Now I wish that all I had to do was wait. But that too has its consequences, I suppose."

Davidson listened to the silence of his quarters. In his mind was the faint echo of laughter.

"I'm left with the thought of Kate. Who is she and where does she fit into the scheme of things? Gannonn said she had already been on the path of fire and that I had only begun. So maybe the question is where do I fit into the scheme of things? End log."

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