Captain LaSaille watched the zero pressure painters at work. McCaffrey was as good as his word. The work was almost finished and they still had 6 days of layover left. Well, he had an Admiral to see.
       Hull got up as the door slid open. "Jerry, I've got a plum for you. A chance to do a little science."
       "Those come rarely enough. What do you have?"
       "Sigma Terantix Three. It's on the way to Starbase 24." Hull pulled up the chart. "They are in an industrial stage as of the last report. We recently recorded a burst of radio from that location, and we are now getting indications of spaceflight technology."
       "You want us to sneak around and snoop."
       "Yes, exactly. Get as much information as you can without contact. They are at a delicate stage."
       "Technology is at the spaceflight cusp, how are they politically?"
       "Better than many worlds at that stage. They have three nations. Tarnax, Gendrot, and Endvore. No active war as of last report."
       "Could be they found a better way to compete?"
       "Could be. Give it a good looking at, take your time."
       "No chance of cultural raids?"
       "No, they will see you. They have some fine telescopes and radar technology. They have bragged about them among themselves. You can't risk a direct orbit."
       "Load up all the data for my science officer. He will want a look for sure."
       "It will be in the standard update."
       "Good. Anything else we need?"
       "Just the usual Orion warning. They have been steering clear of our big units. It makes me think they might have gotten a sensor upgrade."
       "I'll keep that in mind. It's an improvement if they can see me coming from further away, that increases the effectiveness of my patrol."
       "That's one way of looking at it. What plans do you have before you sail?"
       "I plan to get home long enough to sleep in my own bed a couple of nights. I think I can sneak a three-day pass in there."
       "Good luck on that. Enjoy your time off. Dismissed."

       Candy cuddled deeper in the bed, afterglow was, dreamy. Guy nuzzled closer.
       "Penny for your thoughts?"
       "Don't know I have any Guy, you drive them right out of my head."
       The windows boomed and rain beat against the pane. Candy looked out. "So much for our romantic view."
       "I'm told they pass quickly. The rain comes nearly every night with the terminator. Besides the real romantic view is in bed with me."
       "Flatterer."
       "Truth. Have you been here before?"
       "Once, I didn't get planet side. We, had a war to fight."
       "That still bothers you."
       "I don't think it will ever stop Guy. I don't know that I would want it to." She hugged closer. "I don't like war. I've been there, and it hurts."
       "Nothing is here to hurt you now."

       Jerry wracked his jaw to pop his ears at the sudden pressure change and opened is eyes. Yep, they were home. Teleporting was not fun. Transporters were less jarring.
       **I heard that.**
       **Sorry love, but it's true. The transporter is smoother.**
       **But it won't reach from Builder Station to Savanna.**
       **Neither can you without help.** He ruffled her mane. **Go play. You haven't gotten much of that either.**
       Aleilan trotted out of the house, and broke into a dead run before she reached the roof edge. Jerry stood in the courtyard and looked around. Home, he relaxed just looking at it. The UV dome softened the light in the courtyard and let his transplanted Earth plants thrive. The house was large by Earth standards, and built on the Roman model. The central courtyard and garden offered a sanctuary from the harsher atmosphere outside, but the house blended into that outside seamlessly. Water flowed from the cascade in the North and through the pebbled stream of the garden. Rooms bordered all four sides. Some rooms were enclosed, but most opened on both sides. Patios and low walls beyond the roof line made telling where the house started and ended difficult. It ambled its way down the low hillside, shaded by the native trees and open to the plains beyond.
       A tall blonde woman came out of one of the rooms facing the courtyard. "JERRY!" She flew across the space and gave him a hug.
       Two things were immediately apparent, one, she had Elizabeth's "face", and second she wasn't wearing a stitch. Jerry pulled back a little for a better look. "Elizabeth?"
       "Yes?" She took a step back.
       Jerry admired the effect. "Ah, this is new."
       "I've had it for several months. It's the new Stoner biomech."
       "I like."
       She giggled at the physical effects her state of dress was having. "I can see that."
       "So how functional is it?"
       "Very. Everything works at least from the outside. It doesn't have the brain capacity so I have to run it as peripheral. R&D is working on that too."
       "Sensate?"
       "Every bit as much as I would like, and a little more than I would like sometimes."
       "So have you, done anything with it yet?"
       "Not yet. It's taken me the last several months to learn to walk and talk."
       "What is the more than you would like part?"
       "Eating is a chore, but I am learning to like some foods. You have the results of eating to deal with. I cannot simply turn it off and leave it in the corner."
       Jerry moved close to caress her. "So, what is the opinion, worth it?"
       "Oooo. Biology is messy, but, yes I like the sensate world. I want to learn more."
       He caressed her hip and she moved closer. "I think that can be arranged."

       Jerry came out of his study. The lights against the dome gave a soft effect. It was enough light to see by, but not enough to obscure the outside view. Low rolls of thunder filled the evening air as the sunset thunderstorms moved west. The high green note of the setting sun graced the clouds as they followed the slow roll of the terminator. He had too little time this time. Home was good, but adventure waited. Adventure is what he had signed up for. That three day pass was Starfleet time, not the Savanna 36 hour day.
       Several dozen Ane lay about the courtyard in clumps. He went around and gave his friends a last hug and cuddle. Elizabeth had a light shift on now. It didn't hide much. Her body was a pleasant surprise. He would look up the technical details later.
       **Aleilan, time to go. Take care everyone. I'll see you around the All.**
       **Green grass and fresh water.** Came the massed reply.
       Jerry grabbed his kit bag and Aleilan's neck. He closed his eyes.
       Once again he popped his ears. El Nanth Starbase hadn't changed.

       "Captain to the Bridge."
       Jerry smiled for about the tenth time that day as he walked from the new day room to the bridge. It really was worth fighting to get. "What do you have Mr. Sommes."
       "Proximity alert Sir. Unknown target."
       "On the screen." A lump appear in the middle of the screen. "Magnify." The lump resolved into a ship-shaped lump. "Drop to Impulse at one hundred thousand kilometers.
       "Mr. Ghurn, what do you make of that?"
       "Unknown Captain. I am not getting an energy reading. Mass is one million tons. It is an artificial construction."
       The ship's engines ramped down and the view slowed to a crawl. Collard said. "Range one hundred thousand kilometers, proceeding on impulse."
       "Close slowly. Burt?"
       "I am getting minimal power levels now. The mass is a hollow cylinder 3 kilometers long and a kilometer across. The center holds a mechanism I would take to be Bussard ramjet."
       LaSaille frowned. "But ramjets don't work."
       "That is correct Captain. The interstellar medium is not dense enough to power a ramjet unless you are already over 0.5c. Nonetheless, I believe we have one here."
       "Vivian, what is their speed."
       Lt. Tate consulted her board. "0.001c sir."
       "No where near fast enough."
       The turbolift doors opened. Candice Meyers emerged. She slipped into the XO station without comment and proceeded to come up to speed. By this time the Kongo was in close weapons range.
       "Burt, any life signs?"
       Ghurn turned back to his scope. "I'm not reading any sir." He made an adjustment. "No, not even accepted hibernation levels."
       Commander Meyers said. "Do you want to board Captain?"
       "Burt, life support?"
       "No sir. You will get one tenth G due to spin, but it's way too cold."
       "Candice, you want to take a look?"
       "Yes."
       "Assemble your team, and be careful."

       The haze of the transporter faded. The landing party looked about getting their bearings. Frost covered everything.
       Lt. Sommes said. "Damn it's cold. It eats right through the suit."
       Lt. Cmd Ghurn added. "Correct. Commander we should not linger. The current temperature is 32 Kelvin. Our suits are not rated for very long in this."
       "Understood, fan out in twos. Get all the readings you can. We are out of here in fifteen minutes."
       Sommes scraped the frost off one of the nearby boxes. "Commander!" Meyers came over. "Bodies."
       Meyers peered though the haze of frost. "We figured as much. Ghurn, how frozen are they?"
       He ran his tricorder over the box. "Ambient temperature. Exceedingly frozen."
       Meyers shook her head. "That means they are dead."
       "Effectively, but perhaps not permanently."
       "They could be unfrozen?"
       "Today no. However, I am aware of developments in the works that could successfully revive them."
       "OK, let's get back and report."

       Mr. Ghurn finished his report. "That is the extent of it Captain. From the evidence the ship is a failed colony effort. We counted 2000 deep hibernation tubes, all frozen at ambient temperature. We found no computers."
       "What was the energy reading?"
       "Superconducting in the hull sir. It's dead."
       Meyers said. "Mr. Ghurn indicates it might be possible, in the future to revive them."
       Dr. Ballard took the question, nodding to Ghurn. "Yes, there are some solid leads in that direction. Nothing I can say that will be ready in 'X' years."
       LaSaille asked. "What is your recommendation Doctor?"
       "Leave it, they ain't getting any deader."
       LaSaille nodded. "We will take that recommendation. Burt, do what science you can remotely. Vivian, find me a nice souvenir by sensors and beam it over. Something that will look good in my office. Ian, make me a salvage tag. Starfleet ID."
       Lt. Sommes looked a little confused. "Sir, why beam something off?"
       "Ancient salvage rights Lieutenant, still in force. If we leave her as she is, anyone can still claim it. It I take so much as a teacup, it's ours. If it's ours, Starfleet can protect it until medical science catches up with the problem. Burt, I'll give you 48 hours to get your readings."
       "Am I permitted to board sir?"
       "I don't see why not. Just keep the dangers in mind."

       Now hear this. Man down high energy physics, Medical to high energy physics, STAT."
       Lt. Tate pressed the call for the Captain's day room. She wore white micro-fiber gloves, and carried an ancient looking weapon.
       "Come."
       "I have your souvenir sir."
       Jerry smiled. "You finally have it warm enough?"
"Yes, admittedly it took a week, but we couldn't warm it too fast." She set the stand under her arm on the table and carefully placed the gun in it. Then she locked the built in force field down.
       "Is the force field necessary?"
       "If it hits the floor it could shatter."
       "Oh. If I might ask Mr. Tate, why that item?"
       "Mr. Ghurn's science team found it on the bridge sir, in the Captan's hand."
       "Indeed."
       "He killed himself with it."
       Jerry stopped. "A message Mr. Tate?"
       "For all of us sir. Mistakes can be costly."
       "Thank you. That will be all."
       She left the room. Jerry stared at the gun a long time. "Talk to me."

       Captain LaSaille settled into the command chair. "Report."
       "We have arrived at Sigma Terantix sir."
       "Give me a cometary orbit, and cut the engines. Mr. Ghurn, the sensors are yours."
       He grunted a reply and got busy.

       Now hear this. Ensign Fine, Ensign Howard, to sociology. Ensign Fine, Ensign Howard, to sociology. That is all.
       Lt. Tate wandered into the main Rec-hall. The big screen was on. The show was local. Some analog video signal cleaned up and translated. Two smaller screens showed the survey in progress. Several people sat in isolation zones, doubtless listening to audio programming. She spotted Janice Joyce, the Captain's yeoman looking over the smorgasbord.
       "Can't decide?"
       "No sir. This is really exciting."
       "Call me Vivian. We're off duty. I love this stuff, 'strange new worlds'."
       "Yea, new people, new cultures. When I was a kid I was part of the group that surfed the Starfleet academic databases for music and bits of culture from uncontacted worlds. If we got news that someone had joined the warp drive community their music was colder than two-day-old oatmeal. It had to be edgy and uncontacted."
       "Interesting hobby. Now we are on the collecting end."
       "Yea, this is so rad."
       "We could hold a dance, using local music."
       "I like it. Lets."

       Jerry slumped in his seat in the Captain's conference room. He had gathered the senior officer quietly. "Asteroid..."
       Bert shifted in his seat. "Yes sir. We have the orbit calculated. They have two months to live."
       "Damn. All for nothing." He slammed his fist into the table.
       Vivian looked from one of her fellow officers to the other. "Let's shoot it down."
       Bert waved a hand aimlessly. "You know it isn't as simple as that."
       Candice jumped in. "No, it isn't simple, but we have the most powerful ship in the fleet! If we can't come up with a plan we are not worthy of her."
       Jerry turned to Ghurn. "Bert, tell them."
       "They have powerful optical instruments in orbit. We cannot act without being seen."
       Candice looked from Ghurn to LaSaille. "Do they even know?"
       Bert continued. "Yes, one of their lesser Instruments is pointed right at it. I am sure they know."
       Dr. Ballad said. "There is no indication of this in any of their media."
       LaSaille shook his head. "It wouldn't be the first time that a government kept something from the public, 'for their own good'."
       Collard looked around the table. "Candice is right, we have the power."
       Jerry shook his head. "We have the power, but do we have the right? There is that little sticking point of General Order Number One. We must not interfere in the natural development of a pre-warp culture."
       "Collard spoke again. "Sir, how can that apply? They are dying. Bert how big is it."
       The big Tellarite replied tonelessly. "Big, enough. Major extinction event, might crack the planet."
       Candice turned to Ballard. "Doctor, don't you have anything to add?"
       "What's to add? I don't like it, I don't approve, but I don't recall being asked if I approve."
       LaSaille's eyes narrowed. "Has anyone here ever seen a Ceetian?"
       Negatives came from around the room.
       "Nor are you likely to. They are the reason we have the Prime Directive as I have heard it called. It is still questionable as to whether they have a sustainable population left. No one may ever see a Ceetian, again."
       Meyers looked at the long faces around the table. "But why should that apply here? These people are reaching into space, not hiding under the trees. We need to save them." Collard and Tate were both nodding.
       LaSaille sat up and straightened his uniform. "I would agree, but orders are not something we can ignore when we feel like it. That is why they are expressed as orders. General Order Number One says no interference, and as much as we might like to interfere just this one time, we are not disobeying orders. Dismissed.
       Ghurn levered himself from his chair with a grunt and left. Vivian Tate fled the room, on the verge of tears. Dr. Ballard gave LaSaille a long, hard look, and departed without a further word. The last of the senior staff left the room, nothing was said. LaSaille still sat there. Meyers stopped at the door and squared her shoulders. She turned around, shaking slightly.
       "Sir, I must protest!"
       LaSaille sighed. "There is nothing left to protest. We have a principle to uphold, as painful as that might be."
       "What about the principle of life? Billions of people are going to die, not might, not could, but will! Doesn't that count for something?"
       "Yes it counts, but we have gone over this. We must not interfere in the natural development of a pre warp culture."
       "Even if that 'development' is to die?"
       Jerry spun out of his chair. He paced, angry. "Life dies all the time. More life rises to replace it. One asteroid will not make a difference to life."
       "But it will make a critical difference for that life, those people. I frankly, Sir, do not care about life a million years from now, or a million years ago. I care about, the, life we, have, now."
       Jerry looked at her flatly. "Epsilon Thirty Cee."
       "They didn't get hit by a rock."
       "No, they didn't. They got hit by us. We were the cause of the collapse of an entire culture, the near extinction of a species because of an arrogant attitude that we knew best. The issue is still not decided. They could yet die to the last. Who is to say that will not happen here?"
       "Excuse me Captain, but that rock is going to do some hefty interfering if we do nothing."
       "And nothing is what we must do."
       "Captain... Jerry, what do we have to lose? You said it yourself, they are doomed. If we walk away, BAM! One million metric tons of death, express delivered. They are as good as dead. By the time we reach Starbase 24 it will be over. The ecosphere might not even make it. A billion years before life forms again. Unless we try."
       "Candice it's a natural event, we have no say."
       "Natural? Are we unnatural? What force outside of nature made us, or makes this ship run? Everything is within the laws of physics or it couldn't work. Sir, the attitude that we are an unnatural force is more arrogant than any contact, no matter how disastrous. Are we God to decide who lives and who dies and by what means? If that asteroid was an alien fleet you would be calling for reinforcements and prepared to sacrifice this ship and all within to save those people, and we would be right behind you. But because it is an asteroid, and not a fleet, and all we risk are the phasers, we do nothing. I challenge you to tell me how this ship and her crew are any more or less natural than that hunk of cosmic slag."
       Jerry stood poker faced. "Are you done?"
       Candice realized she was panting, sweaty. "Yes Sir."
       "I accept your challenge, and I will give you my answer tomorrow." He left the office by the door to his quarters.
       Candice Meyers stood there for a long moment. She didn't know of she had won, or lost, but it was movement."

       Back in her quarters Candice Meyers looked at her reflection in the mirror. The gold uniform, the section patch on her breast. "Guy, I'm resigning."
       "A bit hasty aren't you? He hasn't said no absolutely."
       "I have to be ready. I cannot serve in a Starfleet that will stand by and watch an entire world die. That isn't what I came out here for."

       Jerry scrubbed at his face. He couldn't do it tonight. Three centuries of practice or not, too much on his mind tonight to find his center. So much for throwing the question to the All.
       **If your mind is so troubled, perhaps you have the answer already?**
       Jerry rolled to face Aleilan on her three quarters of the bed. **Why would an answer trouble me?**
       **Are not answers often more troubling than questions?**
       **Don't go getting all Ane on me.**
       **I am already 'all Ane'. How could I be otherwise?**
       **Not now. What would you do?**
       **Nothing. Ane do not have the means to act, no matter what we might choose.**
       **I have the means to act.**
       **Then you are blessed with a meaningful choice.**
       **Blessed, you call this a blessing? I want to do something, but the memory of that little golden man, and his abject, fear... I never want to be the cause of that again.**
       **Is she right?**
       **My heart says yes. How can we be different from the universe that contains us? Hell, even that is an arrogant statement, we are not "contained" we are part of the universe, made of stardust.**
       **And your troubling answer?**
       **The difference between us and that rock is we have the responsibility of choices.**
       **And what is your choice?**
       **I cannot choose less than life, and face myself.**
       **And if you lose your commission over it?**
       **I have lost greater things, and survived. Cuddle, Sweety?**
       Aleilan moved closer to him and he snaked an arm over her neck. Captain Jerrold Ryan LaSaille slept the sleep of the just.

       "Captain on the bridge." The tension was palpable as the Captain walked across the bridge without a word and entered his day room. It was barely closed when the comm chirped.
       "Bridge, LaSaille here. Commander Myers to report to my day room."
       All eyes were on her as she stood. "Lt. Collard, you have the con."
       Meyers was not as calm as she hoped she looked as she pressed the call. "Come." She entered and the door closed behind her like a guillotine blade.
       "Captain?"
       "I gave full consideration to your words last night Commander. It was a difficult night indeed."
       "And?*
       "The difference between us and the asteroid is that we have the responsibility of choices. I wish for you to call a briefing at 0900 hours for all senior staff members. The subject will be, how to smash that rock. Dismissed.
       The tension in her chest snapped like an over-wound spring. "Yes, Sir, at once Sir." She turned to leave.
       "Candice."
       She looked back. "Yes Sir?"
       "Don't be too relieved until we see if we have any career left."
       "Sir, if you hadn't decided this way, my career was over anyway."
       "You planed to resign?"
       "I spent the night drafting the letter."
       "It may be needed yet. Send me a copy, I might crib from it."
       "Yes Sir."

       "As you are all aware the subject of this briefing is, 'how to stop the rock'. I am of the opinion that this action will violate General Order Number One. Anyone not comfortable with the idea of not having a long and illustrious career in Starfleet should retire from the proceedings now."
       Ballard snorted. "Been there, done that, but I ain't never saved a whole planet. Let's get down to business."
       No one got up. McCaffrey added: "I would be guessing that will speak for the lot Captain."
       Nods around the table.
       LaSaille smiled. "Good, let's do this. First problem, can we reduce that rock to the point it is not a threat to the life and ecology of the planet?"
       Lt. Tate said. "We have the fire power. While we can't destroy it all at once, we can nibble it away."
       "How long?"
       "Given the mass of the asteroid, I estimate three weeks."
       McCaffrey interjected. "Lass, if ye will be taking three weeks, how do ye be planning to do it."
       "Phasers Mr. McCaffrey."
       "Ye should well know lass that the ship's phasers, while powerful, are not meant to be fired for three weeks solid. I am not wanting to be a wet blanket here, but if we burn out the phasers, the good people below are in the same boat they are now."
       LaSaille tapped is stylus on the table. "How heavy a duty cycle can the phasers take?"
       McCaffrey thought for a moment. "Hours, perhaps a full shift. If we keep it down to burst, no long blasts."
       "Can you maintain the banks between the shifts they are used?"
       "Aye, I can keep them going a while like that."
       "What is our state of replacements?"
       "We are fully stocked, I have enough spares to replace one bank, four times, completely. I have or can fabricate additional spares of the most perishable parts."
       Tate said. "The Kongo has four phaser banks. If we rotate them one bank a shift, and they are maintained between shifts, and we keep it to short bursts, can we do it?"
       McCaffrey shook his head. "I wouldn't want to be pinned down on that lass, I wouldn't. Try, I can. Assure, well that I cannot."
       LaSaille said. "Will you try?"
       "Aye sir, with all me heart and skill, but I'll not be makin' promises I cannot keep."
       "We will try then. The question remains to astrophysics. Mr. Ghurn can you, given our limitations, devise a plan to cut the rock up?"
       Ghurn started. "Devise it yes. In the time we have... that depends on your definition of 'destroyed'."
       "Explain please."
       "To disintegrate the asteroid completely, and fulfill Mr. McCaffrey's requirement we go gentle on the phasers, we don't have enough time, on rough estimate. How destroyed is enough?"
       LaSaille said. "Small enough to not kill people, or as few as we can get away with."
       Tate added. "Under a meter would be best. That is still going to result in a lot of minor hits. Statistically people will die 4 billion people, a whole planet, some rocks will hit people."
       Ghurn grunted. "But, the ecology, and the culture will not be impacted."
       Meyers said. "I don't think we can average a meter either. It has to be a meter and under."
       LaSaille said. "What is the impact zone?"
       Ghurn replied. "The area they call the Indrun Sea." He pecked at his terminal and brought the graphic up on the central screen. "The resulting tsunami will hit 30% of their most populated coastlines it will destroy land as far as 500 miles inland. That is not the worst. The returning ejecta will, well the effects are well known. Destruction of civilization, mass extinction event, minimally. This asteroid is large enough and fast enough it could disrupt the crust."
       LaSaile paused. "Mr. Ghurn, being we are going to the trouble, what do the natives call themselves?"
       "Bolians, sir."
       "Then we are working to save Bolia then. Mr. Ghurn, get us some real figures to deal with. Mt. Tate, work with Mr. Ghurn and formulate a plan to fire the phasers by. Mr. McCaffrey, I suggest you prepare your team for a good deal of phaser maintenance. We will be effectively under battle stations for weeks. We won't have anyone shooting back at us. But I expect this will be wearing on everyone. I know that all departments will pitch in. We will reconvene at 1500 hours. Dismissed."

       LaSaille scrubbed his chin. Stubble was forming. Time to depilate again, heck he might grow a beard. Two days of plan and discuss, discuss and plan. No one had gotten a lot of sleep. The final proposal was in front of him. "OK, we have a solid plan. We can nibble the asteroid away to the point that it is only the most spectacular meteor shower of all time, and keep our phasers working while we do it."
       Lt. Tate said. "Yes sir. By the final action plan it will 25 days and we can conserve the phaser relays and emitters."
       McCaffrey said. "Aye, but we won't be in any shape for a long fight."
       LaSaille nodded. I'll take that under advisement. We still have the Prime Directive."
       Meyers scowled slightly. "I thought we had gone over that?"
       "I agreed that we have to help, but we still have the Prime Directive, and we are going to try and uphold that."
       Tate said. "Respectfully sir, with us blasting chunks of rock off the asteroid, how? They have some pretty good telescopes."
       "We will keep the asteroid between us and Bolia Vivian."
       "Will that work?"
       LaSaille stood up and stretched. "Frankly? I doubt it, but we will make the effort. Mr. Meyers, isolate and seal the logs from these briefings. No doubt they will be required at the court martial."
       "Yes sir."

Concluded in part four