rosetto

Her arms were wrapped around his waist and fear ripped through her mind but she couldn’t close her eyes. Her hair was whipping in all directions and she could feel the sun beating down on her scantily covered body. She didn’t care. Not even the adventure to Harrington Sky Bridge could match the adrenaline surging through her veins. Chen Hai Dozo was 8 annuls, very handsome, golden yellow skinned and broad shouldered. Joia could feel his heart pounding with hers as they sped through the busy park. “You like this?” “Kidding, right? This is fabulous! I’ve never gone this….Whoa!” Chen leaned into the jetcycle and they were both pulled violently but the bike safely avoided a small group of people having a picnic. Joia panicked and Chen felt her tense up. He chuckled and accelerated down an empty foot path. “Chen, be careful!” “Scared?” “NO! er, yeah, a little bit.” “I know exactly what I’m doing, babe.” Joia looked at him for a moment and seemed to be in agreement. She’s really impressed by how Chen had been handling the jetcycle. Sure, she was scared but no more than she’d been at amusement parks. Joia felt all twisted inside and squeezed her legs tighter as he banked the jetcycle hard to the left and they headed off into the farm lands of inner Southgate. There were fields of wheat and barley as far as the eye could see in every direction and the hills rose and fell like motionless ocean waves as the two daring adolescents skimmed the crests of wheat. Several times they’d dipped low enough for the stalks to brush their grains against her bare legs but it was only for a moment and then Chen would pull back on his mechanized thunderbolt and it would rise up making the grasses out of their reach again. After a while as the town disappeared beneath the rolling hills there appeared a small grove of trees. Chen pointed the bike in that general direction. The cycle was moving so fast that they were on top of the trees in a matter of decons and Chen brought the cycle to a stop right under a nice tree. “Sweet”, commented Joia as she climbed off the bike. She was actually a little relieved to be back on the ground and her legs were quivering. She watched as Chen powered down the jetcycle and set its auto-stabilizer. He then opened up the saddle pack and pulled out some Gorken Ale. When he turned around he had a big smile on his face and Joia was a little surprised but also excited. Her father had given her sips of Romulan Ale before and although it was bitter, she liked the bubbles. Gorken Ale was based on barley malt mixed with a hops brew. It was a unique flavor for ale giving it an extra tang on the palette and Joia seemed to like it very well. They both sat down against the tree and swigged their brews. “Nothing like a nice cold brew after a hard run, ay little one?” “I’m not so little anymore there, mister”, Joia replied with a smirk. “Besides, if my dad were here he’d tan your hide for this.” Joia laughed and Chen, knowing her dad very well, paused in thought and then joined her in laughter. “How’s your dad doing?” “He’s been really busy, I guess. I write him every day but his work keeps him pretty occupied. I have no idea what he’s doing. He keeps telling me that it’s just boring star plotting but I know my dad. If he’s bored then he finds something interesting to do!” “Do you think he’s…?” “Nah, I don’t think he’s that interested in other women.” “Joia, I think you’re kidding yourself. Wake up.” Joia looked at him with a concerned frown but didn’t want to fight with him. They had been having too much. She looked over at the bike and widened her eyes. “So how fast have you had that thing going?” “7.5, but a buddy of mine had one up to 9.3. Of course that was on an open beach area and he was alone and…” Joia felt a buzz from her pocket and she pulled out her PADD as he continued to explain why his friend could go faster. She didn’t want to interrupt him but this was an urgent call from her mother. It was a recorded message that would instantly contact her mother after Joia had listened to it. “Chen… Please excuse me; I have to take this, okay?” He nodded politely. “Joia D’Cel Rosetto? I am tired of being ignored. We gave you that PADD for a reason and again you’ve shut off your locator function. Young lady, I am not pleased with your performance.” The device immediately contacted Harriet and she knew who it was but simply answered, “Yes.” “Mah...um… I’m not ignoring you. You gotta learn to trust me, okay? I’m not that little girl of 3 annul any more. Besides, I got your message and responded right away…” “It’s not that I don’t trust you, Joia. It’s all those other offworlders who fly in and sweep you away with their unbridled charms! You never know WHAT those wackos are thinking.” “Chen’s not a wacko. He’s a nice boy…” “You’re with Chen right now? You are barely six and he’s eight going on twelve! I want you to…” “Mom, He’s not like that… Geez...” “Well, you know the rule. If your father was here, he’d be pretty upset. A message would have been nice to calm your mother though.” “Yes Ma’am. I’m sorry. I forgot…” “Well, I want you home by 15 dami; no excuses. That gives you 30 daki to say goodnight. Oh, by the way, just WHERE are you two? And it better be a public place.” Joia cringed and didn’t know what to tell her. She looked at Chen who had been unintentionally listening and he was shrugging his shoulders. She’d get little help from him. “We’re in the park. We have his jetcycle and will be home in 15 daki?” Joia looked for confirmation from Chen and he nodded. “Jetcycle! Errrrggggg…. Girl, you frustrate me. You tell him to be careful and to keep it under 3.5 with you on the back! I’ll see you in 30.”

I guess to have a qualifying entry, the burger kinda needs to be made of meat, huh? That definitely puts McDonalds in the freezer. My personal favorite WAS the Burger King Whopper until they followed suit with MickyDees. In Texas, number one was definitely the WhaddaBurger and here in AZ, Sonic beats them. I've had In & Out and wasn't too impressed. But I guess I'd hafta go to Cali for a good one...

TRUE STORY When I was in the service in England there was a snack bar in the building where I worked. It wasn't the only one on base but it was one of the more elaborate one's. Manning the snack bar had become one of those rotating duty assignments and eventually my number had come up. So, for the next week I was to man the snack bar, order and inventory the various snacks, clean the tables and keep the coffee pots full. Being a conscientious worker, I showed up early on Monday morning to get a leg up on my temporary duties. The coffee pots were atrocious and since my mother had worked in the restaurant business for 20+ years I knew several tricks of the trade; one being icecubes in glass coffee pots. I began to clean every pot using this method removing the crud that had built up over the years. Another coworker had saw what I was doing and was shocked. He told me to stop; that the sargeants and command staff would go through the roof if I ruined the 'seasoned' pots. I looked at him, laughed to myself and continued. Later that day I was approached by my sargeant. He told me that the building commander had come to visit him saying that he'd had some of the best coffee he'd had in years. He told my sargeant that he didn't care what I was doing or how my sargeant did it but that he wanted me to work the snack bar from then on. I worked the snack bar for two months straight until finally I asked my sargeant for relief. I showed him what I was doing to make the coffee 'so good' and he chuckled. The method of cleaning the coffee pots was indoctrinated into the snack bar duty roster and I was able to go back to my regular duties...

The two men sat opposite each other at a small table. The restaurant was quite busy and severs were in constant motion between their station, the kitchen and the floor. Both men clad business suits of the day, grey and grey-blue, and held menus in front of them. They weren't reading them. It was all part of the façade on this ordinary late morning just passed light moon. Dishes were clanging and orders were called out as each man paused, looked up and around, at each other in silence and returned to their contemplations. "He'll believe anything that I tell him." "Are you sure?" "Of course. I've worked with their family for years. He trusts my judgment. Besides, contract law was never his strong subject. That's why I'm in his employ." Their eyes met and both smiled. K'Normians were shrewd businessmen, highly conservative and ever conscious of the bottom line. Aside from the Westen, there were no natives on K'Normia. The Terrans had been the dominating species for nearly 150 years. Native simply meant born on the planet. Their culture was primarily of Federation tradition, however, over the years they had developed their own unique customs and adapted some of the Westen ritual and pomp. Business meetings over a mid-morning meal were one such adaptation. "But how are you going to convince him not to sell? The offer is highly reasonable and it is obvious that his interest in the business has waned." "Just leave that all up to me, Barclay. I know how to cast lures." A young server approached the table with a bubbly charm, "Are you two gentlemen--- Mr. Swanson! How are you today?" He looked up from his menu and was staring into Joia's bright blue eyes. "Good Morning, Joia. When did you start working here?" "Today's actually my first day", she claimed in an almost apologetic manner as she clutched her PADD close to her chest. "Mom thought I needed to get out of the house this year during first break. I am 6 annuls now, Mr. Swanson." There were three major breaks in the school year, one in late Koon that usually ended after the first week of Lapi, the second was post-Kie during mon of Sela and the third was the Neannul break which straddled Sune and Anna. "Indeed you are, Joia." He looked at her with a kind eye. Although he had no offspring he felt parental pride for a moment. "Please forgive my rudeness; this is Mr. Barclay, a business consultant. And this," he paused with a quaint hand gesture, "is Mr. Rosetto's daughter, Joia." They nodded to each other as Swanson quickly glanced at the menu again. "I think I'll just have coffee and a cheese Danish, Mr. Barclay?" "The same, I should think. With lemon." Joia jotted down their order and walked away with a huge smile.

Mr. Nickles: I guess I'm formally submitting an application for employment at Red Star. I would make a good bar-back and fill-in bartender when my services are required and am available most Saturday Nights (as long as I have internet). Sal

How about naming these ladies on the beach?

Thanks Sonny! 'Have you had your Happy Thing Today?' ;)

Girl:"Daddy, this is embarrassing..." Dad:"Smile Sweatheart. This will prove once and for all to your Uncle Peter than we DO have beavers in Beaverton, Oregon!" BTW: I think Will already won.... ;)

Only Enterprise (parody of Alice Cooper's 'Only Women Bleed') Will's got his women to take his seed Geodi's got power –oh Tasha's got needs She spent her lives through yet another captain She speeds them to the stars or anywhere she can She breaches her core to often She chokes and sinks and don't respond at all Only Enterprise Only Enterprise Only Enterprise Kirk made you refit He's his own mistake All you're really seeking out is alien landscapes Jean Luc whines at you You know you hate that tea He points his finger commands and you take them to warp 3 She breaches her core to often She chokes and sinks and don't respond at all Only Enterprise Only Enterprise Only Enterprise Only Enterprise Only Enterprise Only Enterprise Only Enterprise Warp Drive; Space & Time All misaligned But beading the line Any you there in Jefferies' tube It was so overused Conduit fused inside Only Enterprise Only Enterprise Only Enterprise Only Enterprise Only Enterprise Only Enterprise Only Enterprise --rosetto In My Tractor Beam (parody of Alice Cooper's 'Under My Wheels') The transporter shimmers Not another rerun I just got the cable bill The syndicate begun Warping my drive up to you, babe Guess I could always dream, yeah yeah You're in my tractor beam Aren't you attracted to me Cuz when you engage the teleport Saying this mission is abort I just cannot go on report Captain sends me packing to spaceport The transporter shimmers You got me on the pad Another sexy geek-type now You're in my tractor beam You're in my tractor beam You're in my tractor beam Yeah yeah You're in my tractor beam Yeah yeah You're in my tractor beam The transporter shimmers It's just another alien I'm engaging warp drive now Manipulating time Warping my drive up to you, babe Guess I could always dream, yeah yeah You're in my tractor beam, honey Aren't you attracted to me You're in my tractor beam You're in my tractor beam You're in my tractor beam Yeah yeah My Tractor Beam Yeah yeah My Tractor Beam Yeah yeah --rosetto

??? since these are all original parodies written by me I am confused ???

Okay, that leaves the Doll! LOL But, who is missing??? Definitely a regular character on one of the crews....

Here's what I guess: 1--SPOCK, McCOY, SCOTT, UHURA, SULU, CHEKOV, RAND, CHAPEL, KYLE, ILIA, AREX, M'RESS, RIKER, TROI 2--CRUSHER, DATA, LA FORGE, WORF, O'BRIEN, YAR, ROE, BARCLEY, PULASKI, OGAWA, GUINAN, LUXUANNA 3--KIRA, ODO, DAX, BASHER, JAKE, QUARK, KIEKO, ???, CHAKOTAY ,TUVOK, TORRES, ALEXANDER 4--PARIS/PHLOX, KIM, DOCTOR,7of9,NEELIX, KES,TUCKER ,T'POL, REED, HOSHI, MAYWEATHER 5--SPOT/??/??, KIRK, SISKO, ARCHER, PICARD, JANEWAY, BEAGLE? so, I'm missing four... and cheated on three...

'Another Saturday night and I ain't go nobody got some money cuz I just got paid'

Sal wasn't paying much attention. He was still concerned about Manning and his attitude. Trust was understandable however in Sal's eyes he had now risked his own life twice in the same night and was still no closer to getting a job than he was 16 hours ago. Manning was hiding something. There was some other reason why he was intentionally being vague about signing Shane and him on. He also didn't know who this Parson character was that had seemingly dropped out of the sky. Was he a member of the crew as well? Sal did not remember seeing him earlier at the Maze. He seemed willing enough to help, seemed to know Nickles as well as Pher. Sal could only assume that he was indeed a crew member. There was a buzz in his pocket and Sal knew who it was. He had half expected it to occur at a less reasonable time. Reaching in with his free hand, he pulled out his PADD and looked. It was a message from Joia. Her button-nosed face had filled the display and it brought a smile to his face. It was accompanied by a frown because right now he really wanted Harry's results. Two full days had passed on K'Normia since he had sent his message. As they see each other on a daily basis, Sal knew that she had had plenty of time to ask her father about Manning. He put in back in his pocket knowing what ever it was it would have to wait until they got settled somewhere.

Harry, is your vision any better? I think the script writers should be severely beaten... Script writers? Those guys in costume are laughing their fannies off!

Don't skip your line (parody of Harry Belafonte's 'Jump In The Line') Fake, fake, fake, Deana, fake another line Make, make, make, Deana, make them redefine Work, work, work, Deana, work it out in time Work, work, work, Deana, read another mind My girl’s name is Deana I’d tell all your friends about it When we let her drive, oh brother! She’s a traffic jam no matter the light color (Don’t skip your line, get it right this time) Oh god, I believe it! (Don’t skip your line, get it right this time) Come on, I can see you! (Don’t skip your line, get it right this time) Oh god, I believe it! (Don’t skip your line, get it right this time) Warp! Fake, fake, fake, Deana, fake another line Make, make, make, Deana, make them redefine Work, work, work, Deana, work it out in time Work, work, work, Deana, read another mind You can read the mind of Kapellan Klingon, Spic or the Alauran Deana’s trick has some merit Just what it is, well I can’t tell ya (Don’t skip your line, get it right this time) Oh god, I believe it! (Don’t skip your line, get it right this time) Come on, I can see you! (Don’t skip your line, get it right this time) Oh god, I believe it! (Don’t skip your line, get it right this time) Warp! Fake, fake, fake, Deana, fake another line Make, make, make, Deana, make them redefine (Whoo) Work, work, work, Deana, work it out in time (Yep) Work, work, work, Deana, read another mind Deana studies relations The reason for averation And fellas, you better watch her When she’s tipped up, she flip up, don’t drive the rocket! (Don’t skip your line, get it right this time) Oh god, I believe it! (Don’t skip your line, get it right this time) You call that a uniform? (Don’t skip your line, get it right this time) Jumpin’ Jiminnies (Don’t skip your line, get it right this time) Whoa oh oh oh! [break] Deana’s been to 12 Leo Left to the right of Albedo And when she makes the decisions Things go up in the air, come down in confusion (Don’t skip your line, get it right this time) Oh god, I believe it! (Don’t skip your line, get it right this time) Somebody tell her! (Don’t skip your line, get it right this time) Oh god, I believe it! (Don’t skip your line, get it right this time) Whoopie! Fake, fake, fake, Deana, fake another line Make, make, make, Deana, make them redefine Work, work, work, Deana!!

Time to Feed Spot (Mr. Data Man) (parody of Harry Bellafonte - 'Banana Boat Song') Day-ta, Day-ay-ay-ta Come Mr. Data me wan’ some grub Day, me say day, me say day, me say day Me say day, me say day-ay-ay-ta Come Mr. Data me wan’ some grub Prowl all night going up and down Come Mr. Data me wan’ some grub Never a mouse for a cat to pounce Come Mr. Data me wan’ some grub Come, Mister Geodi man, find me supplement Come Mr. Data me wan’ some grub Come, Mister Geodi man, find me supplement Come Mr. Data me wan’ some grub It's six bits, seven bits, eight bits LUNCH! Come Mr. Data me wan’ some grub Six bits, seven bits, eight bits LUNCH! Come Mr. Data me wan’ some grub Day, me say day-ay-ay-ta Come Mr. Data me wan’ some grub Day, me say day, me say day, me say day... Come Mr. Data me wan’ some grub A little mew is all you hear from me Come Mr. Data me wan’ some grub Promise not to scratch Mr. Worf again Come Mr. Data me wan’ some grub It's six bits, seven bits, eight bits LUNCH! Come Mr. Data me wan’ some grub Six bits, seven bits, eight bits LUNCH! Come Mr. Data me wan’ some grub Day, me say day-ay-ay-ta Come Mr. Data me wan’ some grub Day, me say day, me say day, me say day... Come Mr. Data me wan’ some grub Come, Mister Geodi man, find me supplement Come Mr. Data me wan’ some grub Come, Mister Geodi man, find me supplement Come Mr. Data me wan’ some grub Day-o, day-ay-ay-ta Come Mr. Data me wan’ some grub Day, me say day, me say day, me say day Me say day, me say day-ay-ay-ta Come Mr. Data me wan’ some grub

The Starship Enterprise (parody of Eagles - 'Hotel California') In a dark matter nebula, loosing at truth or dare Strong pull of gravitation, Radiation every where Up ahead on the view screen, I saw a shimmering light The ship grew heavy and impulse went limp We had to stop or be fried Standing there in the hanger bay; What would this mission tell? Cuz I was thinking to myself ‘I need to do this right or catch the hell’ Then she lit up a phaser And she showed me the bay There were voices on the intercom I thought I heard them say Welcome aboard the starship Enterprise Such a lovely lady Such a ship of grace There’s plenty of room on the starship Enterprise Any time or year, there’s been 6 remakes Her core is multi-dimensioned, she got the anti-matter propulsion She got a lot of busy little boys, on which she depends How they jump in Engineering, multi-species’ sweat Some jump to recalibrate, some jump to refit So I hailed to the captain ‘please tell me my lines’ He said, ‘we haven’t had a retake here since nineteen sixty nine’ And still that voice keeps calling in the passage way Wake you up in the middle of the night To tell you it’s day Welcome aboard the starship Enterprise Such a lovely lady Such a ship of grace They go to warp on the starship Enterprise What I can’t surmise, they’re buying these lies No mirrors on the holodeck And the planet ‘scape is ice And she said ‘we’re gonna be stranded here if I can’t fix this device’ In the dilithium chambers Something they forgot to tweak They panic and run for their lives As the coolant springs a leak Last thing I remember, I was Beating down the door I had to get this simulation stopped Or find the meaning of the core ‘relax’, said the ensign We can reprogram easily This is only degenerate matter Stuck in virtual reality!

If you wanna return (parody of Jimmy Soul - 'If you wanna be happy') If you wanna return to the ship unhurt Let the one in the red shirt go first Choose to take another point of view You might return a pile of goo If you wanna return to the ship unhurt Let the one in the red shirt go first Choose to take another point of view You might return a pile of goo A 1st year ensign makes one look small And very often causes your downfall. Always questions every word you state Always rushing in and just can’t wait But if you let the red shirt go first You’re gonna return to the ship unhurt Doesn’t matter; you breach protocol You’ll be laughing again tomorrow If you wanna return to the ship unhurt Let the one in the red shirt go first Choose to take another point of view You might return a pile of goo Don’t let your mates see you afraid Go ahead and send him anyway Though he’s inexperienced; he can’t shoot It’s gonna be better him than you If you wanna return to the ship unhurt Let the one in the red shirt go first Choose to take another point of view You might return a pile of goo Say Commander Hey Lieutenant Saw that ensign the other day Yeah? Yeah, He’s Dead Jim! Yeah, He’s dead but I’m still bold Yeah? Okay.

Where No One Has Gone Before (parody of Jet's 'Are you gonna be my girl?') Engage! So 1, 2, 3 the first star is right for me These things I have in mind Are the voyages of the Enterprise These things I have in mind Are the voyages of the Enterprise Oh, 4,5,6 Get your warp factor fixed We don’t need any money Space is the final frontier, honey Long black boots Skirt’s in air She’s so tweaked With her pony tail Well, I could see Your future with me But you’re on your own mission, yeah Seek out new life and new cityscapes To boldly go another way, yeah To go, where no one has gone before. Yeah Well, so 1, 2, 3 the first star is right for me These things I have in mind Are the voyages of the Enterprise These things I have in mind Are the voyages of the Enterprise Oh, 4,5,6 Get your warp factor fixed We don’t need any money Space is the final frontier Long black boots Skirt’s in air She’s so tweaked With her pony tail I could see Your future with me But you’re on your own mission, yeah Seek out new life and new cityscapes To boldly go another way, yeah Where no one has gone before. Yeah I could see Your future with me But you’re on your own mission, yeah Seek out new life and new cityscapes To boldly go another way, yeah Uh, Gone before Gone before Where no one has gone before. Yeah

Be My Captain (parody of Alice Cooper's 'Be My Lover') She passes through the doors Before I say enter But with a tricorder scan I just sort of look her over, ahh She has a heart or two Well, maybe three And then suddenly she starts shimmering Like in a beam She says Baby, if you wanna be my captain You need to say the word Cuz it’s a long long way to Rigel V And this is still ten forward Told her that I came From Deneb 14 And only controlled the helm On a galactic class starship She asked me why The captain’s name was Picard I said listen, baby I really think you’re gonna flip And I said Baby, if you want me to be your captain You’re gonna have to wait Cuz it’s a long long way to captain’s bars And I’m still junior grade Oh, baby, if you want me To be the captain You just might have to wait Cuz it’s a long long way to captain’s bars And I’m still junior graaaaade…

Sarek and Amanda were dating Amanda was patiently waiting For signs of romance Soft words, a slow dance What she got was an efficiency rating --unknown Welcome Aboard My Starship (parody of Alice Cooper's Welcome To My Nightmare) Welcome aboard my starship I think you’re gonna like it We’re gonna make you feel… like a drone Another pointless mission Unnecessary decision Want to make you feel nothing can go wrong Welcome aboard my starship Welcome to the beamdown I hope he didn’t scare you It’s just the Klingon way when things go down We scan and shoot and beam here ‘cuz egos thrive and scheme here That thing inside you feels right at home Here Welcome to the beamdown Whoa… You’re welcome aboard my starship Yeah… Welcome aboard my starship I think you’re gonna warp it You think you’re gonna see… you’ll be wrong We syndicate repeats here ‘cuz writers tend to repeat, yeah Gonna wanna scream at the next theme song Welcome aboard my starship Welcome to the beamdown Yeah… --- rosetto

And now for something completely different: Powder Blue Psyche Who’s to say that black is black, when it’s blue Living lies of compromise, who decides it’s true Hope you’re sitting down and Both feet are grounded Cuz what I have found is, it’s me and you You think about the words to use, the P’s & Q’s Always wondering what others think instead of you Before you dot another I Cross that T with a line Stop and think who you’re trying to prove it to We all have the power and the will to do what’s best It’s just a matter of perception and to hell with the rest Looking inside you’ll be amazed what you find The you that everyone has second guessed Powder Blue Psyche (in you in me) Powder Blue Psyche (in you in me)

Sal thought about the last 16 hours and could not believe the changes that had transpired. Back at the Maze he was a stranger. It was obvious that he didn't belong in this painting. He could have easily past for a travelling businessman speculating new frontiers in the Cluster. Tranquility was hardly a 'Club Fed' resort spa but there was booming commerce there. The City spanned nearly a 25-kilometer radius and many of the buildings rose to 50 or more stories in the Federal District. The whole scene had reminded him of Platte on Goren IV. The Goren system edged the Briar Patch and contained three habitable planetoids, two of which were minor planets that loomed above the huge gas giant of Daugant. The third was known as Helbosia by the natives and categorized as Goren IV as it was the fourth world in the system to be surveyed. Platte was one of the larger settlements on that world and a major space port in the area. Helbosia was an arid world and barely met the classification requirements to be considered class-M. It was nearly 30 degrees warmer year-round and life outside man-made structures was brutal. The El Paso was sent to Helbosia in '98 to investigate some geological phenomenon that was occurring there. They had picked up Dr. Gail Winters, PHD and her entourage on twenty geo-physicists at Starbase 216 and taken them to Platte. The El Paso was stationed there in standard orbit for nearly six weeks while Dr. Winters collected data on the geothermic ribbon that lay just beneath the planet's crust. Sal served as the liaison between Winters' surface team and the El Paso and so he had several opportunities to beam to the surface. Sal learned that the ribbon actually contained pure molten titanium and was 5 kilometers wide in some places. Dr. Winters wanted to tap into this resource that lay 450 kilometers below the planet's surface. Although the phenomenon was interesting to Sal, the work was extremely tedious and often boring. Platte, however, could not be described as boring by anyone. Like Tranquility City, it was contained beneath energy domes that maintained a stable atmosphere. Although it was smaller in size, Platte had several different sections and they all had their unique flair to them. The populous was mostly made up of titanium miners with a smaller municipal group that governed and managed the city. Sal's temporary assignment included escort duties and so he had spent a week prior to Winters' arrival studying the local culture and customs of Helbosia. One thing that was never boring about being a Starfleet officer was the many hats that one had to wear. The infamous 32 Avenue was well known for its open-air bars that lined the street and Sal had spent many evenings with members of Winters' group who required time away from their terminals and mundane data streams. The Helbosians were a brutish people and why Sal was assigned this duty baffled him. He was thankful that a detachment of security officers were at his disposal. Although the expedition was essentially funded by the UFP, Winters' group were not Starfleet officers and so sometimes their actions needed to be restrained. The games that the Helbosian miners played were a little more extreme than what the naïve scientists had expected and that usually resulted in trouble. There had been many times that the mixture of drink and low oxygen content had gotten the better of peoples' morality. Sal shook his head and brought himself back to his present surroundings. He hadn't thought about Helbosia in at least 10 years and often wondered if, Franks, that young scientist who had stayed behind, had ever adjusted to his new life with the woman he had met there. The one thing that stuck in his mind and wouldn’t let go was the Titanium Ribbon of Tranquility. After Winters’ visit and the subsequent development of the drilling rigs that released that vein of pure, the planet Helbosia had changed. The planet was the center of attention for nearly five years as it contained the largest natural resource of titanium within Federation borders. The UFP had placed two research facilities, R-1 type orbital platforms, in permanent orbit in the system. McCormick Station was now15000 kilometers above Platte in geosynchronous orbit and the Edison-Blake Research Facility hung about the Goren sun which was known on many Terran star charts as Wasat, at approximately 1 AU distance. With this new found wealth came speculators and developers from across the Federation who built hundreds of cities that climbed out of the harsh Helbosian deserts. Fortunes were made and many peoples’ lives changed almost overnight. Tranquility had been abandoned by the Federation and yet the Taurians, the natives of this cluster, had focused vast amounts of wealth in developing this unforgiving landscape. Sal wondered what it was that had kept the investor’s interests salivating. He wondered about this Minos character and he also wondered about Manning. Had one or both discovered Tranquility’s secret? Sal needed time in front of a terminal. He needed to get the information promised him from Harry’s father on the Captain. He needed more data and running around chasing bad guys in rough neighborhoods was not filling in the blanks fast enough for him.

"GRRRR!! Why do they always put the sign on the HUMAN side of the obstacles!"