Episode 76

Star Trek: Phoenix-X
Life 2

Somewhere, within the swampy jungles of Narendra III, sits Kayl in her single house - the only house in the jungle. Meanwhile, the rest of the planet is populated by thousands of people.
>RaeLuna: "Why don't you go live in the city, mother?"
Kayl: "Oh, Rae. You just don't get human social interaction. I have to wait for them to come to me!"
>RaeLuna: "If that's what you say, mother. In the meantime, I'm having a wonderful experience with the Turismo's. Helping to rebuild their world is the best thing I've ever done."
Kayl: "That sounds great, sweetheart. Perhaps I should take the Raptor over and visit for a while?"
>RaeLuna: "Well alright. But just don't get into any fights with dad-- err, I mean Klokian."
Kayl: "I can't make any promises. But do have a medical team standby when I meet with him."
>RaeLuna: "Very well. I'll see you soon, mother."

The view-screen clicks off and the ever aging Kayl takes her walking-stick outside to the Raptor. The giant starship sits beside her house, half sinking into the swampy mud. She walks accross a piece of wooden board and enters the ship.

Elsewhere, the Phoenix-X treks through space. Commander Seifer sits in the Briefing Room, speaking to Admiral Cloud over-subspace.
Seifer: "Admiral, I don't think your new Starfleet uniforms are really catching on. I mean, puffy shirts? Eye-patches? Complimentary parrots?"
>Cloud: "I guess you're right. It's just the whole pirate craze lately. You'd think capitalizing on these fads would work in our case. But alas."
Seifer: "There's another matter in which I wanted to speak to you. This registry... what is the deal?"
>Cloud: "Explain."
Seifer: "Well, our registry was NX-00001 when the Phoenix-X was first launched. Then when the ship was commissioned, it became NCC-00001. Are we the first ship ever made or something?"
>Cloud: "Oh that number was just a decoy, made to bypass all the ship inspections. If Starfleet ever got a good look at that Transwarp engine, our covers would have been blown! Not to mention, we'd never get to sit in on Admiralty luncheons."
Seifer: "Great, so now we're a freak vessel."
>Cloud: "Are you kidding me? You have a normal registry. It was also an NX during that time period before the Phoenix-X was officially commissioned. Now it's an NCC."
Seifer: "What is it?"
>Cloud: "How am I supposed to know? Do I look like a numbers kind of guy? Wait a second. Perhaps we never actually activated your registry with the Starfleet Starship Database... Now that I think about it, we were so wrapped up in the amazingness that was our conspiracy that we completely forgot to activate it!"
Seifer: "It happens. One time I forgot to decompress the airlock at Starbase 78 and almost killed Lieutenant GoyCho! Hah. Man, we had some laughs after that. Well, it was more me laughing and him staring with contempt-- but the mood was clear."
>Cloud: "Well I suggest you activate that registry before it's too late. It's been, what, eight years since your commissioning?"
Seifer: "Nine."
>Cloud: "Hurry up, man! In order to activate your registry, you have to connect to the Starfleet main database."
Seifer: "Well why can't you do it? ..............................Sir?"
>Cloud: "Because I have a luncheon to get to! We're having an array of avocado based dishes."
Seifer: "Oh. Well, have good lunch then."
>Cloud: "Thank you. Starbase out."

The screen clicks off. Meanwhile, Kugo is in Engineering, thinking to herself.
Amp, walks over: "Hey Kugo. How's it going? Shouldn't you be doing actual work?"
Kugo: "Not at the moment. I am on one of the bi-weekly 15-minute breaks."
Amp: "Oh man. Those are rare. What are you going to do for this one?"
Kugo: "Well let's see... My last 15-minute break, I became famous throughout the Federation for my acting abilities. This one, I think I'll try to contact an old friend via subspace communication."
Amp: "That guy that tried to destroy the Phoenix-X on several occasions, Gul Meloneus?"
Kugo: "No. The Romulan that served with us, Ludeki. He is now on Romulus, learning the ways of Spock and his underground Reunification ways."
Amp: "Oh him. Yeah, he had a pretty okay track record with us."
She activates the view-screen of a nearby engineering console, and attempts to hail Spock via his special subspace frequency. Just then, what appears to be Spock, clicks on screen.
>Spock 2: "Greetings. I had no idea people used this frequency. It is one of my preferred."
Kugo: "Ambassador Spock? Is that you?"
>Spock 2: "Unfortunately no. I am a clone of Spock, created in 2269 by a Doctor Stavos Keniclius 5 in an effort to create a clone army that would impose peace throughout the galaxy."
Amp: "What happened?"
>Spock 2: "Keniclius' plans were foiled when it was realized the Federation had already accomplished such an endeavor. I opted to remain on planet Phylos to serve the population's needs in finding a cure to their species-wide infection."
Kugo: "Oh man! That means I just wasted my break time."
>Spock 2: "Careful. Emotions are a dangerous element."
Kugo: "I guess so. Thanks for the chat, Spock-clone. Phoenix-X out."

The screen clicks off. Up in Astrometrics, Ensign Dan hails the secret organization Section 31.
>Elena: "What is it now, Phoenix-X?"
Ensign Dan: "It's me, Ensign Dan. I wanted to speak to someone in charge around here."
>Nelkast: "This better be good. We both are very busy killing our enemies in silence!"
Ensign Dan: "I just have a problem with being an Ensign. I've been one for ten years now!"
>Elena: "According to our records, you were promoted quite quickly to Ensign upon graduating the Academy. The way we see it, your stay on such a rank is compensation for that."
Ensign Dan: "Are you kidding me? That's over-compensation! I should be a Lieutenant by now. Maybe even a Lieutenant Commander!"
>Nelkast: "Don't talk back to us! We provide you with food and clothing!"
Ensign Dan: "Yeah, I didn't want to mention anything. But restricting our replicators from creating those, and forcing us to wait for weekly cargo shipments, was a really dumb move."
>Elena: "There he goes again. Insulting our very institutionalized decisions!"
>Nelkast: "Now, now. Let's hear him out. Perhaps he has a bribe for us."
Ensign Dan: "Uhh, how about a picture of Kugo's acting appearance on All My Holograms?"
>Elena: "That is old news! Besides, we're Section 31. We have pictures of Willard Decker in both shocked and calm states while combing his hair!"
Ensign Dan: "Oh come on. Isn't there anything I can do for you?"
>Nelkast: "Hmm. How are you at persuading people that Captain Archer's Enterprise never existed?"
Ensign Dan: "I'm a little okay at it."
>Elena: "That may be good enough. We'll contact you again for further mission information. Section 31 out!"

The screen clicks off. Lieutenant Commander Armond taps at his console on the Bridge. Captain Cell walks over.
Cell: "Problem, Armond?"
Armond: "It seems like a lot of people are using the long-range communications systems. Are we that bored that our crew can't talk to each other?"
Cell: "Yeah, that happened a long time ago. You really missed a lot of changes here on the Phoenix-X during your absence."
Armond: "No kidding. Like take this long-range scanning button here. It used to be on the left side. Now it's on the right! How am I supposed to cope with that!?"
He taps it. Suddenly a beeping sound goes off.
Cell: "What is it?"
Armond, checks: "It appears to be a Silillian starship trapped within some sort of spacial anomaly a few sectors away..."
Cell: "How very odd. On-screen!"
The screen clicks on, showing the Raptor being pulled toward a blue swirl in space.
Cell: "That looks like the Raptor. Hail them!"
>Kayl: "Greetings Phoenix-X. I didn't expect to see you all the way out here."
Cell: "Well we do get around. I mean, we have a Transwarp engine for hecks sake."
Armond: "Kayl! Your ship is about to be destroyed. You must maintain structural integrity long enough for us to get to you."
>Kayl: "It's not necessary. I'm old. It's my time..."
Cell: "We're not giving up on you, Kayl. --Lieutenant Commander Red, set a course and engage at maximum speeds!"
Red: "Done. We're here."
The Phoenix-X drops Transwarp right in front of the distressed Raptor and spacial anomaly.
>Kayl: "Listen, there's a reason why it's not necessary. You see, I'm dying. It's just my old age."
Cell: "Stop talking like that, Kayl. --Armond, what can you tell us about that spacial anomaly?"
Armond: "According to sensors, it seems to be some kind of molecular reversion field. Transport may be possible."
Cell: "Then we've got to make it happen. --Captain Cell to Transporter Room 3."
#Tong: "Lieutenant Tong here."
Cell: "Transport Kayl over immediately. Cell out. --Captain Cell to Doctor Lox. Have a medical team meet in Transporter Room 3."
#Lox: "Oh, a medical emergency huh? Eeeexxccelleentt..."
Cell: "On second thought, scratch that. Have the medical equipment beamed over there and we'll figure out what to do ourselves."
#Lox: "Aw crap!"
Armond: "Transport successful, Captain."
The screen shows an empty chair where Kayl was sitting. Just then the screen distorts and immediately cuts to an outside view, showing the Raptor exploding from within the molecular reversion field.
#Tong: "--Transporter Room 3 to the Bridge. Captain, there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with Kayl. She seems fine and healthy... and if I may say, very alluring. You can't tell right now, but I'm winking at her seductively."
Cell: "What? First of all, stop that. You're freaking people out as usual. Second, I'll meet you down there."
He nods to Armond and steps off onto the Bridge's Turbolift.

Moments later, Captain Cell enters the Transporter Room. There, he finds Kayl standing on the transporter padd, appearing not to be old anymore, but rather to be an attractive young female looking to be in her late twenties.

Seifer: "I came as soon as I heard."
Cell: "Heard what?"
Seifer: "That there was someone hot in the Transporter room."
Cell: "It's Kayl!"
The Commander looks over.
Seifer: "Kayl?? What happened? You were supposed to be on Narendra III trying to get older."
Kayl: "I don't know..."
She steps off the transporter padd, rubbing her head.
Kayl: "I was on my way to visit Rae, when my ship suddenly was caught in a spacial anomaly."
Seifer: "What kind of spacial anomaly?"
Cell: "Sensors indicated a molecular reversion field."
Seifer: "Hmm. That sounds somewhat familiar..."
Tong: "Hey Kayl. How about a date tonight? Heh! Heh! Heh! No but really. I am still known for being sick."
Kayl: "It's good to see you again too, Tong."
Tong: "Aww. And...?"
Kayl: "Oh yeah-- and go to hell, Tong."
Tong, teary-eyed: "That just makes it all better. Thank you!"
He runs out of the transporter room in happiness to tell the rest of the crew of Kayl's presence.
Cell: "We'd better meet in the Briefing room. Perhaps you can enlighten us on the situation, Commander?"
Seifer: "Indeed."

In half an hour, the senior staff meets in the Briefing Room with Kayl; everyone sitting around the big table.
Lox: "Kayl, is it really you?"
Kayl: "Well you did run a bio-scan on me, didn't you?"
Lox: "Uhh, oh yeah. Sure... it was a bio-scan..."
Kugo: "Kayl, I am pleased to see you again. It has been quite some time since your incompetence."
Kayl: "Thanks."
Cell: "There will be plenty of time for welcomes later. First I'd like to know how this young version of Kayl is possible."
Armond: "Well, sir. According to the Commander's file, it appears the affects of her 'youthening', as Seifer coined it--"
Seifer: "Yep."
Armond: "--was due to the state of the molecular reversion field."
Lox: "Hmm. I've heard of this. The field acts as an obscuring factor within the ribo-viroxic-nucleic structure of a person's DNA during transport."
Armond: "It happened first aboard the Enterprise D, 15 years ago. Captain Picard and three other crew beamed through the reversion field, eliminating the DNA structure and transforming the group into pre-pubescent children."
Cell: "Typical. It always begins with Picard..."
Kayl: "But I remained an adult; remarkably younger, but an adult none-the-less."
Kugo: "It's possible that the power output of our transporters had an effect. Considering that technology has advanced pretty far in the past 15 years, the Enterprise's transporters back then were of a less power factor."
Seifer: "Not to mention how old Kayl was."
Armond: "Both explanations have validity. The energy output may have been able to protect a considerable amount of the DNA structure, and only was able to de-age her so far."
Cell: "Kayl, how do you feel? Has the transport affected you in anyway?"
Kayl: "I feel fine, except my double telepathic ability seems to be gone."
Seifer: "Phew! Finally. Now we can all think freely and not expect to be randomly slapped by you."
Lox: "I have to admit. Kayl seems to be in perfect health for her age... she's what, 71 years old now?"
Kayl: "72."
Kugo: "She looks 29."
Kayl: "Thanks."
Seifer: "Can any of us transport through it? I believe Lox needs to cut back a few years."
Cell: "No. Well, we'll see. First we must find out why Red decided he could miss this meeting. Who does he think he is? Some kind of Klingon?"

Meanwhile, out on the Bridge, Red sits with his head resting in his hand of which his arm's elbow is relaxing on his helm console. Ensign Dan continues to talk, on and on with Red, boring him to death.
Ensign Dan: "So this entire starship captained by this guy Archer, was so crazy that they had visits from the future which in turn messed up the time-stream continuity all over the place!"
Red: "That's umm... great. And you say this helmsmen never was allowed to speak?"
Ensign Dan: "Exactly!"
Red: "If you don't mind, your talking has incapacitated me... and I'm a Klingon for Stovokor's sake!"
He adds more head-weight to his arm, causing his elbow to accidentally activate the thruster sequence from his Helm console. The Phoenix-X suddenly moves forward, and closer into the molecular reversion field! Captain Cell and the rest of the senior staff walk out onto the Bridge in time to see this.
Cell: "Ahh! Red? What are you doing!?"
Red, wakes up: "Huh!!?"
He quickly puts on full reverse thrusters, trying to back the Phoenix-X away. But the field begins to slowly encompass the entire ship.
Seifer: "We're stuck within the reversion field. The hull is buckling!"
Cell: "Uugggh. Commander Red, where you sleeping on the job??"
Red: "It was Ensign Dan! He bored me with stories of some fictional starship!"
Seifer: "Ensign Dan, you're relieved of duty!"
Ensign Dan: "Fine. But I had a plan that would save us from this catastrophe. I guess now you guys won't get the chance to hear it. Bye."
He leaves the Bridge in anger.
Cell: "You're off the hook, Red."
Red: "Phew."
Cell: "But keep the thrusters going. We have to get out of this darn thing!"
Red: "Thrusters are at maximum. We are still not moving."
Seifer: "It's possible the thrusters are preventing us from being fully pulled into the anomaly."
Cell: "What happens then?"
Armond: "We get destroyed like the USS Fermi was, and like the Raptor just was."
Cell: "Oh good."

Kugo enters Engineering and rally's her staff into trying to give more power to the structural integrity.
Gewdeque: "Ma'am! We canna' break the laws of physics!"
Kugo: "Dammit, Gewdeque, find a way."
She taps at a console. Lieutenant Amp crosses his arms, next to her.
Amp: "You know, this never would have happened if I was at the helm of this ship. That Red don't know nothing about flying!"
Kugo: "As I recall, his flying techniques were the basis of your piloting program."
Amp: "Uhh, yeah. But my existence as of virus program manifested as a hologram made my flying much better... virally better. Get it? I'm an airborne virus? Heh, heh. Never-mind."

On the Bridge, Armond taps frantically at the controls. The ship's lights begin to flicker defectively.
Armond: "Aaarrggh! It's no use, Captain. We're losing the shield systems!"
Cell: "Keep at it, consornit! We're not giving up!"
Seifer: "But sir, we're down to mood-lighting!"
Cell: "You heard what I said. If you want to recuperate, then get into the mood!"

The ship shakes violently every now and again. Ensign Dan enters his Quarters, where Ensign Yeltso is trying to stay in her chair.
Yeltso: "Ensign Dan, what the hell is going on??"
Ensign Dan: "The ship is caught within a molecular reversion field. But it wasn't my fault!!!"
Yeltso: "Who cares about that. Is the Captain going to give the order to evacuate the ship?"
Ensign Dan: "Doubtfully. He's always willing to sacrifice the crew for his stubbornness. Remember that time when the Borg tried taking over the Phoenix-X from Engineering after we were sent back in time to First Contact, Montana - April 5th, 2063??"
Yeltso: "Vividly!"
Ensign Dan: "I rest my case."
Yeltso: "Does this mean we're all gonna die? It is one of your catch phrases."
Ensign Dan: "Oh is it now? Well we'll see about that. This time I'm going to opt for the possibility of our survival!"
Yeltso: "That's not like you."
Ensign Dan: "I know. But think about it. We've been in tough situations before."
Yeltso: "Duh. And so has almost every Federation Starship out there. It's like every ship has its own sequence of episodes that lead and develop each crewmember as arc-like characters within an epic or mediocre plot."
Ensign Dan: "But this time I mean it! I've expected us to die at almost every encounter we got into. Especially the non-threatening ones with the Tree species. Now it's time for a change! ...Err, well that, and I was this close to getting a promotion!"
Yeltso: "I guess all we can do is sit here and wait to see what happens. No sense getting involved."
Ensign Dan: "Exactly. I knew there was a reason I loved you!"
He sits on the couch next to her, and they both try not to fall out during the violent shakes.

Seifer goes over to the back of the Bridge, where Kayl is tapping at the operations consoles like crazy.
Seifer: "Hey, you don't have access to that."
Kayl: "I released my access using my access codes. It would appear you forgot to disable them."
Seifer: "Oh! ...Um, carry on."
He opens a console, activating the long-range communications.
Kayl: "What are you doing?"
Seifer: "Letting Starfleet know that we're about to be destroyed... oh, and using my name as the person who sacrificed himself for the good of the ship."
Kayl: "You wrote Captain Cell as the person who got us into this mess."
Seifer: "Yeah, I know. It's nothing personal; it just helps me to look better in the history books."
He glances over and notices a connection to the Starfleet database.
Seifer: "Heh. I completely forgot about this... the Phoenix-X registry. I was supposed to activate it using this connection. I might as well do it now, since we're about to be destroyed. One last mystery to be satisfied."
The Commander taps at the console, activating the registry. The screen then begins to scroll countless NCC number's, in search of the Phoenix-X's number.

The Engineering staff drop what they're doing in trying to save the Phoenix-X, and begin to run around Engineering like chickens with their heads cut off.
Gewdeque: "YYyyaaaaarrrrrrhhhhhh!!!!!!!"
Kortos: "I am a Klingon. I do not fear death. This will be an honorable destruction."
Amp: "How do you figure?"
Kortos: "We are battling with this anomaly."
Amp: "No we're n---"
Kortos: "I SAID! ...we - are - battling - with - this - anomaly..."
Lieutenant Amp slowly walks backwards and away in fear. He eventually bumps into Kugo accidentally.
Amp: "Ahh! I mean, Kugo. Get us out of this mess!"
Kugo: "It's impossible. Half the Engineering systems are locked out. Not to mention the entire staff has given up their posts and decided to run around in circles."
Amp: "Yeah, but can't you use the chaos to your advantage? Like factor in 'people running scared' into your computational equations??"
Kugo: "Do you plan on making sense, or is that a part of your virus programming?"
Amp: "It's a part of the programming."

The Captain holds his seat upon the Bridge of the shaking Phoenix-X. Red attempts to redirect power to the thrusters.
Cell: "Hold your course, Red."
Red: "Sir, perhaps another ship will stumble upon us and save us from this catastrophe?"
Cell: "Hey you're right. That's actually the most likely thing to happen!"
He peers out the view-screen in focused anticipation.
Cell: "Now, it's a good possibility that when everyone beams over to the rescue ship, that everyone will turn into children. Hah! That will make for one hilarious episode!"
They wait a few minutes.
Red: "Nothing is coming."
Cell: "Wait for it..."
Just then, another minute passes by.
Armond: "If it will make the two of you feel better, Starfleet has dispatched three starships in our direction. But it will take them two weeks to get here."
Cell: "Who?"
Armond: "The USS Lexington, the USS Intrepid, and the USS Saladin."
Cell: "That one nacelled Constitution class wannabe!?"
Armond: "Well they're pretty much preparing to clean up our destruction-debris. They're not even trying to get here faster."
Cell: "The Saladin couldn't if it tried!"

Meanwhile, at the back of the Bridge, Commander Seifer continues to stare at the screen in boredom. The numbers are still scrolling at immense speeds.
Seifer: "Oh my gosh! How many starships are there?? Arrgghh."
Kayl: "You think you have problems? I almost figured out how to deflect the molecular reversion field by polarizing what's left of our tattered hull!"
Seifer, gets up: "Oh! How?"
Kayl: "Ugh. How am I supposed to know? It's just a theory. My concentration is shifted."
Seifer: "You have to concentrate!"
Kayl: "But I can't. I'm used to keeping a telepathic mind focused. Now that my powers are gone, I can't possibly know how to treat my mind."
Seifer: "You're still Kayl. You can't let your lack of telepathic power make you weak. Disabled people get by through life perfectly fine all the time!"
Kayl: "Can they get through life as being not-labelled disabled?"
Seifer: "Uhh, err, well no I suppose..."
Kayl: "My point exactly!"

Ensign Dan and Yeltso hold each other close as their Quarters rumble all around them. Outside in the hallway, a group of violinists play a song to distract the mood.
Ensign Dan: "Where did that violin group come from?"
Yeltso: "Who cares. What's important is that we're together before we die."
Ensign Dan: "Oh crap, you're right. Out of my way!! We're all gonna die!!!!!!!!"
He shoves Yeltso aside and runs out the corridors, screaming in fear. The violinists continue to play.

Lieutenant Commander Kugo decides to sit cross-legged in Engineering.
Amp: "What are you doing?"
Kugo: "Since we will be perishing, it is time for me to take one last action."
Amp: "What's that?"
Kugo: "I now realize that I've always respected the Vulcan culture. I believe I should clear my mind, as they do, and control all emotions until they are non-existent."
Amp: "Whoa. Kugo, that's very noble of you. It's a very romantic way to pass on."
Kugo: "Perhaps you should indulge in your finale. What is it that you need to do before you die?"
Amp: "Infect Omega..."
He nods with confidence.
Kugo: "Then you must do so."
Amp: "Thanks, Kugo. You would've made an excellent Vulcan."
He disappears and transfers to another part of the ship.

Omega sits in his Quarters, regenerating his power cells until the cycle is complete. He then opens his eyes, awakening to the shaking of the Phoenix-X and its immenent destruction.
Omega: "It appears as if there is trouble. I may have a way to save this vessel."
Just then, Amp transfers his program into the Omega android. Since Amp is a virus program, the android is infected horribly.
Omega: "Amp!?!?! NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!"

The Commander grabs a hold of Kayl's shoulders and shakes her profusely.
Seifer: "Kayl get a hold of yourself!"
He then slaps her a few times accross her cheeks.
Seifer: "You have to implement those polarity calculations!"
Kayl: "Aaahhh! Alright alright!"
She pulls away and begins tapping at the consoles.
Kayl: "I didn't get young again so that you could ruin my cheekbones!"
Cell: "Commander, were you just hitting a woman?"
Seifer: "Uhhhh..."
Cell: "You'll get the Brig for that!"
Seifer: "But she was hesitating, and--"
Cell: "I don't care! You're renegade symbiont has caused you to cross the line far too much."
Seifer: "Captain, can't this wait until we are destroyed?"
Cell: "No. And I'll explain why. You see it all started in the 14th century when---"
Ensign Dan: "--Captain! I have a few things to say to you. First of all, I think you're the worst Captain to ever work in Starfleet. You don't care about your crew and constantly put us in danger! Second of all, you have no clue how make proper first contact with an alien race. The Lobster species are now at war with us!"
Cell: "Hey. Those Lobster people had it coming... what with those claws and their beady little eyes."
Ensign Dan: "And another thing--"
Cell: "--Hey! You know Ensign Dan I had no idea you felt this way."
Ensign Dan: "Really, sir?"
Cell: "Yeah. But right now, I'm commanding Seifer to the Brig. So you'll have to wait."
Ensign Dan: "Arrggghh!!"

Just then, a surge of polarized energy rides up along the dented and ruined hull of the Phoenix-X, successfully deflecting the engaging molecular reversion field. Red's full impulse suddenly pulls the Phoenix-X back, and far away from the field.

Lieutenant Commander Armond checks the sensors carefully, finding that the stress to the ship has been stabilized.
Armond: "Captain! We've cleared the reversion field!"
Cell: "But how?"
Seifer: "It was Kayl, sir."
Cell: "Well done, Kayl. You saved our lives."
Kayl: "It wasn't easy. I had to learn to focus without my telepathic powers."
Cell: "How were you able to do that?"
Kayl: "I thought about how young I was and how sexy I now look."
Cell: "Err, okaayy..."
Kayl: "It's quite a confidence builder."
Seifer: "No kidding. Captain, I suggest we get out of here before Ensign Dan causes Red to push us into that field again."
They look over to the helm where Ensign Dan is telling Red another Enterprise story. Red has his elbow leaning against his console, as he's falling asleep again.
Ensign Dan: "...And they had the most pathetic excuse for a transporter that was---"
Cell/Seifer/Kayl/Armond: "RED!!!"
Red, wakes up: "Huh? Oh right. The whole 'elbow' thing."
He shakes his head.
Red: "We Klingons respect the elbow. But you Starfleet's are much less understanding in such a case. Pitiful."
Cell: "Just take us out of here."
Red: "Aye sir. To our previous heading?"
Cell: "There was no previous heading. We were just roaming. Take us to Teketekon station for repairs."
Seifer: "That station was annexed by Starfleet Security, remember?"
Cell: "Damn! Then where the hell do we get repairs done now?"
All of a sudden, the view-screen clicks on to a view of Elena and Nelkast.
>Elena: "We'll field that question."
>Nelkast: "You're place of repair will be Deep Space 7."
Cell: "Ah! Elena and Nelkast? Since when did you get here?"
>Elena: "We appear when and if we like."
>Nelkast: "But more frequent we appeared for your Ensign Dan, who was vying for a promotion."
Cell: "You didn't tell him to preach NX-Enterprise stories, did you?"
>Elena: "That is one of the things we told him to preach!"
>Nelkast: "Something called the Shatnerverse was the other."
Cell: "I have no idea what you're talking about, but I am not promoting Ensign Dan for getting the Phoenix-X caught in that reversion field!"
Ensign Dan: "What about Lieutenant Commander Red?"
Cell: "Yeah, he'll be okay for promotion to Lieutenant Commander Senior Grade. The position doesn't exist... yet."
>Elena: "Do whatever you want! Just take your ship to Deep Space 7. It's the closest Starfleet Drydock for you."
Seifer: "But what about our Transwarp engine being discovered in the repair?"
>Nelkast: "We've got that covered. The Phoenix-X can pretty much repair at any Federation station. Besides, you have that ability to mask your engine as a simple Warp drive."
>Elena: "So get going."
>Nelkast: "Yeah, and when you get there, don't touch the leather sofa's!"
The screen clicks off.

In about a day, the Phoenix-X has been sitting within Deep Space 7's Repair Drydock. Most of the work has been focused around the hull and shield technologies. Commander Seifer and Captain Cell wait around in one of the Command Office's out looking the Drydock aboard the station. They have a perfect view of the Phoenix-X.

Seifer: "So what are you thinking, sir?"
Cell: "That my ship has gone through a lot."
Seifer: "Tell me about it. Unfortunately, the Carthiginian Lightning Shields were totalled in the molecular reversion field."
Cell: "Oh man. Those were so electrifying."
Seifer: "There's more... the Borg Regeneration Hull system was destroyed aswell."
Cell: "Great. We gain amazing technologies, and for what!?"
Seifer: "Well we barely used them."
Cell: "What are our defenses now?"
The Commander picks up a padd on the table and checks through it.
Seifer: "Hmm... Deflector shields, Metaphasic shields, and Unimatrix shields. Something based on Immersive shielding was integrated into our structural integrity field. Our hull has been reinforced with Ablative armour technology."
Cell: "The kind that Janeway had?"
Seifer: "No, just the normal kind."
Cell: "Dang! Well, the upgrades seem to be sufficient."
All of a sudden the computer chimes a beeping noise.
Seifer: "What the hel-- Oh right. I had the computer remind me when the registry activation was complete."
He goes over to a console, as Cell follows in curiosity.
Seifer: "It says our registry is NCC-79648."
Cell: "I see."
The registry list suddenly disappears, being replaced by a long-range communication from Starfleet.
>Kinis: "Greetings. Why are you accessing the Starship Regisrty Database?"
Seifer: "Oh, uh, we were just activating our registry. How were we not noticed before without one?"
>Kinis: "Phoenix-X, huh? It says here you were a result of the X-Project... a failed Transwarp experiment. Well the answer is simple. You were always NCC-79648 within the Federation database. Whenever you docked at a Starbase or visited a Federaion planet, your registry was apparent within the database. It even was NX-79648 before your official commisioning. The Starship Database is different; it's limited to Starfleet Command at Earth. You should have had that activated when you started. Why the hell didn't you? Activating that tells the paint-artists what to paint on your hull. Are you telling me you've been masquerading around the galaxy with no registry on your hull?"
Cell and Seifer glance at each other in wonder.
Seifer: "Actually, we never look at our ship from the outside. We're always inside of it."
>Kinis: "I see. Well I advise you to get that done. Because you are now activated within the Starship Database. Starfleet Command out."
The screen clicks off.
Seifer: "Phew. Almost blew our cover there, huh?"
Cell: "I'm going to check out my Ready Room. They're supposed to install new goldfish into it."
He leaves.

Down in the Phoenix-X's 10-Forward, Lox decides to join Kayl at the window.
Lox: "The ship is almost done."
Kayl: "Great."
Lox: "I heard they allowed you a return to Starfleet with a new Starfleet commission?"
Kayl: "Yeah. I missed exploring the galaxy."
Lox: "So I presume that you will not be changing back to your older self."
Kayl: "What? Of course not!"
Lox: "But I readied the procedure and everything! That's what Picard did on the Enterprise??"
Kayl: "Picard and his crew were children. Of course they had to go back to normal. I was on the verge of death!"
Lox: "Right, so who are we to tamper with your biological fate? If everyone had a choice, they'd beam through a molecular reversion field every 50th birthday and become young again. Thus, ultimately discovering a fountain of youth."
Kayl: "Maybe it was fate that I ended up in that field? Hmm. If I were a Ferengi, I could capitalize on this reversion field for some interesting profits."
BOB: "Nah, I tried. The field dissipated after we left. Those things appear out of nowhere. Man! The Ferengi get no break."
He then walks away. Lox and Kayl shrug their shoulders.
Kayl: "Well I did learn one thing from all this."
Lox: "What was that?"
Kayl: "To stop waiting."
She puts her drink down and leaves 10-Forward to make a difference in her life.

THE END