Dustin_Marks

Thats a real shame... I was such a big fan of his. RIP Johnny.

Out of any of the regular Star Trek crew members, (Excluding Q or other such omnipotent beings) who would you choose to Captain your vessel. I will keep a tally of the votes and since I am starting things off, I will give my pick. TALLY: 1 for Spock Spock is simply the Uber-Choice for a Captain of any vessel. Cool and logical with enough experience to use intuition when neccisarry. His demeanor gives others strength and his intelligence can lead him out of any circumstance.

uh huh... We believe you... lol

So basically... No one knows the difference between say a Type VII and a Type X?

You know, I agree that Dr. (Or Admiral) McCoy would make an interesting choice as a Captain. I think the only problem with him is that he takes his decisions purely on Medical and Emotional judgement. In the same light, that is why I wouldn't want a pure engineer as a Captain as I believe they wouldn't be willing to push the ship that extra mile... Especially if they are not the ones handling the engines.

Jeez, didn't you guys ever hear about how Dr. Dustin Marks saved the Enterprise? Or how Security Officer Marks saved the Enterprise-D? Or how Engineer Marks stopped a warp core explosion on Voyager? Or what about when... ::THWAP:: LOL

I really felt the same way about Voyager in that it took a while for the show to really take off. As far as novels go, I never really enjoyed the Voyager series either because they seemed to spin-off the same concept too many times. I believe that's why Peter David and Michael Jan Friedman stayed more with TOS and TNG books because there was a lot more opportunity to write on. On an unrelated note, I started thinking about the whole "taking a couple seasons to catch on" thing. For me, the first two seasons of TOS and the first season of ENT were really great. However, I feel Enterprise has really gone downhill with only some brief shows of redemption (Brent Spiner gets a lot of credit for that.). I also think that with Voyager and DS9, the only times they really had a "great" show was when they revisited stories that were established in other Series and/or movies. The Voyager episode with the Excelsior comes to mind as does DS9's Trials and Tribulations.

November 15th, 2154 As the red alert klaxon hummed through the ship, Jon rounded the corner towards engineering flocked by Ensign Jones and Ensign Smith. He silently went over in his mind what had been released about these "Klingots"... Or was in "Klingon"? Whatever the case, Jon knew that they were fierce fighters and that his trio would have his hands full. Arriving at the doors to Engineering, Jon switched two a two-handed Weaver Stance with his Phase Pistol. He motioned to Jones to take the point and lead the trio in. He couldn't help but pray that no one had been hurt yet, especially Ensign M'rrisha who was doing the check in there. "Okay guys..." Jon shouted. "Eyes open! Set on Stun! Guns blazing! ON THREE!!! 1...2...3!!!" Jones opened the door followed by Jon and Smith as the trio fanned out into Engineering. Immediately Jon raised his pistol and fired a quick shot at a Klingon who was wielding some sort of curved blade. The blast hit the target in the chest and drove him back into the wall. Jon was about to change his target when he saw the Klingon wasn't completely out. He fired another shot knocking the Klingon to the floor unconscious. On the opposite side, Smith engaged one of the Klingons as well, missing two shots before having his weapon knocked out of his hand. "HELP!" Was the cry that escaped Smith's throat as Jon whipped around and caught the Klingon with a shot between the shoulder-blades. The Klingon fell into Smith, out cold, and trapping Smith in the corner. Jon's eyes widened as he hurried to help Smith but suddenly he caught sight of a Klingon charging the weaponless Engineers. Jon quickly ran for the ladder to get down to the lower section and slid down the ladder. He quickly inserted himself in-between the two engineers and fired a quick shot at the Klingon. Rather then buckling for the blow, the Klingon showed speed in spite of his size. Avoiding the blow, he ducked down and clobbered Jon's pistol, knocking from his hand and sending it scurrying into the darkness of Engineering. "Oh great..." Jon muttered. Jon quickly rolled to his right, trying to gather his pistol and lure the Klingon away from the Engineers. He succeeded in the latter but not the first. The Klingon was hot on him, swinging his weapon in trained patterns. Jon continued backing up taking a slice across the uniform that scratched the front of his chest. Ignoring the welling of blood, he quickly scurried backwards searching for something he could fight this monster with. His eyes moved wildly about him before finally finding an unused spanner sitting on a shelf. Jon grabbed it and tossed it as hard as he could at the Klingon's face. The spanner wizzed through the air and THWACK! The Klingon was hit square in the middle of his ridged forehead and stumbled a bit. Jon began smiling until the Klingon regained himself and glared at him with teeth bared. A low growl escaped his throat as he brought the blade up for the death blow. "Not good. NOT GOOD!" Jon yelled. Suddenlly, time seemed to stop for Jon. For one brief moment, he thought back to his youth and an old holovision show he would watch with his folks. He remembered the hero, a young and brash explorer who would stop at nothing from protecting himself and his crew. He remembered a time when he was fighting an alien and decided to throw a lunging dropkick at his opponent, rendering him unconscious. Without taking time to think further, Jon let out a war cry and rushed forward towards the Klingon. Using every ounce of energy he had left, he jumped and caught the Klingon square in the chest. Time seemed to freeze again as Jon realized that realistically, a man his size wouldn't do much damage to a creature the size of a Klingon. All too true, Jon opened his squeezed shut eyes to see that the Klingon was just staring at him, stunned but almost laughing at the futile attempt. Jon sighed resigned, knowing that now, his time must be over. A sudden "hissing" caused the Klingon and he to glance upward and see a Yellowish gas entering Engineering. "What the..." was the only thing Jon could think before the knockout gas started to cause drowsiness. Suddenly realizing what was being pumped into Engineering, he looked into the Klingon's eyes which were quickly falling shut. The strange weapon was still raised high above his head which seemed dangerously close to falling on Jon if the Klingon lost consciousness first. Doing the only thing he could of, Jon reared back and thrust his boot forward, catching the Klingon square on his kneecap. Jon could hear a joint pop and a bone break as the Klingon let out a roar before falling to the ground unconscious. Jon let out a sigh of relief as he felt his own consciousness swaying. His last thought before falling asleep was how he could possibly believe anything he watched on Holovision... END

October 24th, 2154. 1600 Hours Ensign Jon Marks looked out into the target range as he fired off a final burst at the moving clay targets. "CRACK" "CRACK" "CRACK" went the plates as his Plasma Pistol ran out of ammunition. He smiled inwardly, looking to see he went 49 for 50 on the range. Replacing the pistol, Jon picked up his outer tunic and made his way towards the Security Office. He had finally began to feel better after his talk with Dr. McCellan and decided that rather then let the pressure and mistakes get to him, he would rethink himself and become the best officer he could possibly be. He knew that sooner or later, Lt. Gamble would talk to him about the mishaps on Acamar, but in his mind he knew that everything would turn out for the best. Stopping to put his tunic back on, Jon caught a glimpse at sickbay with Dr. McDaniel and Dr. McCellan inside. He seemed tempted to talk to Willow and apologise for being so forward with her down on the planet. He shrugged and just ignored it, figuring it wasn't the first time he had been rejected and he was sure it wouldn't be the last. Stiffling laughter at that thought, he rounded the corner to the Armory. After gaining clearence from the computer, Jon gathered a Phase Pistol and checked it out from the locker. He stopped for a moment and took a breath before sitting down in a chair and waiting for Alpha Security patrol to return so he could relieve them...

October 20th, 2154: 200 Hours It was a dark scene in the Challenger's Mess as Ensign Jon Marks sat alone at a table well into his sleep cycle. His eyes looked sullen as he sipped at his ice water and gazed off into nothing. His mind wandered back to the mission on Acamar as suddenly the door opening caught his gaze. Ensign McCellan entered the mess and looked around, looking battered and wide awake. She couldn't sleep. "Hi there," she said to the sullen eyed figure who sipped his water when she came in. "Huh... Oh... Hi," was the only replied Jon could give to Ensign McCellan. Without so much of a second glance, he turned back to his drink, wallowing away in his own thoughts. Jasmine scratched her lids, while they were shut of course, and wandered blindly towards Jon Marks' table. She now identified the figure with the sullen eyes was Jon Marks, whom she vaguely recognized. She opened her eyes again and peered at him while he sipped his water. "Can't sleep?" Jon cracked his neck and sat up. "Nah, not really." "Ah," she said simply and looked about, there were a few other officers there with similiar insomia problems. She decided to sit down and look up at Marks. Jon met Jasmine's gaze and seemed a little uncomfortable with her sitting there. "I don't mean to be rude Doctor, but I just really am not in the mood to socialize. I am kind of... Anti-Social because of the recent events." Jasmine nodded slightly and stood up. "Are you sure you're fine?" She was surprised at herself, this man was a stranger and yet he seems like a friend. Interesting, she thought, now knowing what being on a ship felt like. Jon gazed up at her and tried to size up the situation. Without him ever realizing it, a string of emotion came out. "No... NO! No, I am not fine! I am not fine at all... This whole mission was a disaster and... And..." Jon rubbed rubbed his forehead and bit his lip. "And it could have been easily avoided if I didn't screw up." She knew now what had upset him now. The woman and a particular phaser wound on the foreign woman. "Ah," She said while trying to think thoughtfully. The "accident" or so it was referred that Jon had shot this woman out of pure frustration and literally out of a tree. "Now I see," She said, still thinking. "Hm... Well it is a sort of an accident right? Or is this about something else?" Jon just shook his head. "How could I have known? How could I have possibly known that the Acamarian Woman was in the tree? I saw the group of boars and I reacted in the one way I knew how to save the crew. But because of my stupid brash move, I almost started an interstellar war..." Jon scoffed at the words. "My god... I don't even know you and hear I am laying it all out." "Wow, he knows that i don't know him... Interesting," she thought and nodded. "Well ... it's true that you had no idea that she was there, and well ... it's better to learn from your mistake. Hopefully you will ..." She winced as that last sentence sounded some what harsh and inconsiderate but the damage was done. Jon's eyes opened wide. "My mistake??? How can no scans for intelligent life possibly be my mistake! Pfft... You are just like everybody else on this ship who continues to talk about 'Interpol Marks' and how he thinks with his gun and not his brain..." Jon's face was conveying fury at this point and he had to take a deep breath to calm himself down. Jasmine looked away and bit her lower lip. She did that thing again, saying things with out thinking... It was harsher than she thought... "Er... I'm sorry..." She looked back. "I meant ... don't take it too hard on yourself ... Well ... Er..." Jon was about to reply with another harsh remark, but stopped himself when he saw the apologetic look in Jasmine's eye. He just shook his head and leaned back. "You know... Maybe I should just go home." "What..." She desperately tried to construct a more helpful remark but it took her too long to think. "Wow," she thought. "No ... you don't mean that," she quickly said, not wanting to discourage her colleague already for just one small mistake. She started to turn. "Maybe I should just leave you to your thinking." Jon quickly shook his head and sat up. "No! I mean no... Please, stay. I know this might sound strange, but you are so far the easiest person to talk to. I know you didn't mean what you said, but I don't think you understand what kind of reputation I have had to live up to my entire life." Ensign McCellan stopped and thought about it. Eventually, she turned and walked back to the table. "Ah," She said simply. "What kind of reputation if you don't mind me asking?" Jon had to lean back and half laugh. "Only to live up to the greatest Interpol officer of all time. Detective Thomas Marks... Hero of Interpol. A living legend, a bonified hero, and my dear old Dad." "Wow, I can imagine, sort of, what expectations you need to live up to ... but how do you feel about it?" She said this while wondering why she was suddenly at ease while a moment ago she felt like running away. Perhaps... it was also an effect from being on a ship but she couldn't tell. "How did I feel...," Jon mused. Well what do you say to people who stare at your every move and compare everything you do to what you Father did before. 'You know, Tom did passed that with a higher... Tom shot with this percentage... Tom... Tom...' It was enough to drive a man wild. But then again... Isn't everyone always compared to their parents?" She bit her lip suddenly and quite forcablily, gashing her lip superficially. Also suddenly and forcabily, she was reminded of her parents and winced. "I see. I know how you feel. Have you wondered why? People comparing you to your parents. I think its just absurd but ... " She trailed off as she thought her speech was getting dull. "Well I think in time and with practice you will be as good as your father but ... I don't know..." She shut her self up as this was becoming too awkward." Jon looked at Jasmine for a second and sized her up as he would a possible criminal for a motive. However, he seemed to sense there was something uncomfortable in here talking about her parents and her problems. "Doctor... If I may inquire, do you have a similar problem?" She bit down on her lower bit alittle harder. "Well similar... but I don't want to bore you," she said. Jon perked up a bit. "No please. I would like to hear." Jasmine nodded, released the pressure on her lower lip, and thought of how to make this really simple. "Mommy played the Violin, she wanted me to play it too but I didn't like it... She was disappointed... She wasn't as forceful in instrument taste as Dad ... He didn't quite care and they had many fights on why I was forced ..." She sighed deeply. "It wasn't fun to watch." Jon felt a pressure tighten on his chest. He thought back to the first time he mentioned wanting to join the Starfleet back after he first joined Interpol. The look his Dad gave him and the pain instilled in him by being disappointing. "Disappointing... It hurts... I know. But maybe... Maybe there is something to be learned about people. As much as my Dad didn't approve of my admission to the Acadamy, in the end... He stood by my side. Maybe we should both look back on that. Or maybe... Maybe I should look back on that." "That I agree, but ... it's that when you look through your photo album and you have this picture with your parent with a disappointed face on it ... " She sighed again, knowing that she deleted the file the first time it was recorded, with relief. Jon sat back, realizing he was feeling better and yet Jasmine seemed to be falling into the hole he had originally dug. He didn't understand how or why the roles were suddenly reversed, but he felt compelled to comfort Jasmine as she had him. He put a hand on hers and looked her in the eye. "Things have a way of working themselves out... And I think I just realized the true meaning of that for myself." Jasmine blinked at the stranger in front of her, only he wasn't that strange any more. "I hope you feel better now, things are odd." She found she was too tired to think anything else. "I better go, its getting late." She shook her hand lose from Marks' grip lightly and walked away slowly thinking of what in the world just happened. This also was what happened to people on a starship. Jon nodded and stood up to watch her go. "Doctor McCellan... Thank you." THE END

October 9th, 2154: 2200 Hours Ensign Jon Marks stood at the base of the camp, looking out into the forest shrubbery and trying to figure out how such a routine mission had gone so wrong. All he had to do was lead into the forest, find the suitable food source, kill and capture, and take it back to camp. Instead, everything fell apart... Things started off fine until a literal army of those boar things rushed from the woods and started gnawing at them. Out of pure desperation, Jon had fired a shot at a tree branch, intending to knock it down and scare off the boars. Next thing he knew, a woman fell out of the tree, obviously one of the inhabitants of Acamar. Jon couldn't help but sigh at the thought of the woman going down although he had to admit, he had no idea of knowing about the woman. Doing a mental rundown of his briefing, the sensors revealed none of the locals to be around their entrance point. He would have to talk to Lt. Gamble about the sciences doing more thorough scans before just sending people in to hunt. Hopefully Gamble could talk to the Commander or the Commodore about that. Of course, that would have to wait as Gamble would first have to explain how a member of the crew managed to get Percussion Grenades down on the surface. Grenades... With that one word Jon was forced to just shake his head in disgust. As much as he thought about it, he just couldn't imagine the mindset of the crewmember who decided to be a hero and toss a grenade, much less a crewmember not involved with security. Seceretly he hoped that Gamble and himself would get a chance to talk to this crewman about the proper use of weapons and when to rely on the expertise of Security. Taking another deep breath, Jon decided to check on the condition of the woman. He walked towards the makeshift medical tent where Dr. McDaniel worked on her. Jon began opening his mouth to say something, but was forced to stop himself. He thought back to when they first arrived on the planet and how he brought up the nerve to ask her out to dinner. Jon had hoped she would be flattered, but instead, she looked at him like he had three heads. Pushing that out of his mind, Jon saw one of Dr. McDaniel's nurses walk away from the young Acamarian woman. He recognized the nurse as a Ensign Jennifer Garrett, a younger petite blonde he had met during the Challenger reception. Putting out an arm to stop her, Jon cleared his throat. "How is the woman?" Jon asked. Ensign Garrett looked back to Dr. McDaniel and made a so-so motion with her head. "Not too bad actually. The shot actually only grazed her, but it was enough to knock her out of the tree." Jon cocked an eyebrow. "So the fall knocked her out and not the stun?" "Correct," she replied. "There was some minor phase burns, but nothing to worry about. The only thing the doctor is worried about is her head injury." Jon thought that over for a second. "Well let me ask, if we were to stablize her and put her back where she fell, would she know we were even here? "Probably not," Jennifer replied. "Unfortunately, if what I am hearing is right about someone setting off a grenade is true, her finding out about us will be the least of our problems." Jon was forced to nod and admit it could only be a matter of time before the Acamarians came to investigate what had happened. "Indeed. Well thank you." "Anytime," Jennifer mused. As Ensign Garrett walked off, Jon let his gaze fall back to the forest. There was going to be a lot of questions to be answered andhe did not look forward to the part he was to play in it...

Oh... You helmet is soooo big... LMAO

October 3rd, 2154: 1640 Hours Ensign Jon Marks let the air rush from the planet sweep into his lungs as he set foot out of the shuttle. He smiled as he looked around the beautiful flora and fauna, taking in every bit of atmosphere he could. “This is nice,” Jon said aloud. “Wish I could vacation here.” As the away team starting going about their various duties, Jon gazed out into the shrubbery, heeding the information from Commander Moore regarding the indigenous wildlife. Thoughts of his childhood when he and his Grandfather visited a preserve in Nevada sprang through his mind. Memories of feeding the animals and listening to his grandfather speak fondly of the Animal Kingdom soon gave away to the reality that the life-forms here would be better suited to eat, rather then watch. With a reserved sigh, Jon walked towards the edge of an unknown tree and propped up against it. Several minutes passed as the Away Team gathered samples to test for edibility as well as scientific testing. A noise behind him caused Jon to momentarily make a grab for his phase pistol, but he soon realized it was just the doctor searching the shrubs. Calming down, he took a moment to digest the beauty of the doctor. Her red hair blowing in the breeze, her swiftness in gathering samples, and her delightful drawl all made Dr. McDaniel seem ideal. Jon quickly tried to dismiss these thoughts as he tried to focus on the mission at hand. “Can I help gather some samples for you?” Jon asked. With a nod of approval, Jon began picking some berries from a nearby tree. The berries ripe red and green textures made them appear quite appetizing, but he knew looks could be deceiving. A silly though went through his head while in the academy, a cadet brought a Venus Fly-Trap to a botany class and neglected to tell his lab partner what it was. A yell and three stitches later showcased that no matter how beautiful something is on the outside, they could be able to strike at any moment. With that thought, he gazed back up at Dr. McDaniel and wondered if she possessed a similar quality. Maybe not so much as an attacker, but maybe her demeanor hid something else. She seemed a bit to herself at times and that made Jon wonder if maybe he should ask her out to dinner one night to see what she was really like. “Why not?” Jon thought aloud. Gathering up the remainder of his berries, Jon began navigating back to Dr. McDaniel with his samples. Just as he turned the corner though, he saw the outline of his Commander making his way towards the Doctor as well. Nodding to Moore, Jon handed the berries to Dr. McDaniel… --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Challenger Personal Letter Log" TO: Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Marks FROM: Ensign Jonathan Marks Dear Mom and Dad, Sorry I haven't had a chance to drop you a line earlier, but I am afraid that things were a bit hectic here on the Challenger. As I am sure you must of heard by the Earth News Network, we were the victims of foul play aboard the Challenger. Although I cannot reveal who or what had happened, let me just tell you that I am fine save for a cheap shot I recieved during the incident. Oh, and don't worry Mom, Dr. McDaniel did an excellent job in patching me up. Anyhow, things has definitely seemed to have calmed down a bit here on the Challenger over the last few days. Alhough, by calming down, I mean checking the ship for any more signs of foul play. Don't get me wrong though, I would definitly perfer doing routine work to fighting hoards of alien beings... Heh... I know Dad, I am a worse liar then you. Besides the early fireworks, the ship is very similar to being in your own moving city. Believe it or not, I have already run into some old friends and am quickly making new ones. My friend Aaron Westler was assigned as an Engineer and we spend a lot of our off hours together. I also spend time with my roommate Daryus who, coincidently, is also an Engineer. And no Dad, not all engineers are pencil pushers... Surprisingly, there is quite a bit to do on our off time. There is a wonderful gym installed here on the Challenger as well as a movie screening area in the mess. There is also a state-of-the-art target range set aside for the Security Squad which makes Interpol's look outdated. There is also an Arboretum which I haven't had a chance to visit yet, but when we are able to recieve a transmission of the latest novels from home, I may spend some time reading there. On a quick change of pace, let me reassure Mom that yes, their is more then what she described as quote/unquote "resequenced slop" here on the ship. In fact the food is quite excellent. Although Chef hasn't had a whole lot to work with, he made a delicious grilled chicken over a bed of Fettachini Alfredo right before I wrote this letter. With a glass of Iced Tea and some thick crusted sourdough bread, I am quite happy. Well, thats about it for this letter. I just want to say I miss and love you both dearly and that everything is going to be great. Your Son, Jon

September 19th, 2154: 2210 hours "Okay... This hurts." That was the most prominent thought going through Jon Marks' mind as he came out of Sickbay and started making his way back towards the Armory. It seemed like only seconds had passed since Lt. Gamble, Commodore Moose, and himself had chased down what was believed to be a Suliban operative from Engineering. "No," Jon thought to himself, "it couldn't be a Suliban could it? I mean weren't they just myths from the acadamy?" Thinking back to the stories of his Acadamy days, Jon recalled hearing rumors about "invisible assassins from the future" who were coming back to the past to change things. Shrugging it off as utter nonsense, Jon didn't think much of it. However, the hole he suffered in his lip courtesy of a blow of some sort by the intruder seemed to prove that his believed nonsense was in fact true. Unconsciously feeling his bottom lip, Jon was happy to note that Dr. McDaniel had done a very good job on patching him up. Although it still burned from the treatment she had put on it, it would seem that there would be no scar tissue. "A good doctor and a looker to boot," Jon mused. Jon's levity was short lived though as he walked past a medical team placing a man unto a strecther. Looking down, he recognized the man as Ensign Lucky, the same man who had his neck snapped by the intruder during the chase. Fighting a feeling of deep hatred for the intruder, Jon knelt down by Lucky as the medical team pulled a sheet over his face. "We will get him," Jon whispered. "We will get him and make him pay for this..." Jon hurried down the hall and into the Armory. He knew that with an unknown assailant attempting to do something on the Challenger, it would only be a matter of time before another would attempt it again. Placing his Phase Pistol back into the cabinet, Jon let out a sigh and allowed himself to fall into a chair. Turning a console to him, Jon begin manually inputting his log to help further the investigation and to gain revenge on what the intruder had done...

I have a one!!! On my notebook, I have a Starfleet Command background. lol

September 12th, 2154 2248 Hours As Jon was introduced to his security partner, he could help but wonder how someone as small and petite as Ensign Warren ever made it into a Security force. He quickly shrugged that thought of, considering as long as she could handle a Phase Pistol, everything would be ok. However, if push came to shove, she was still partnered with a two time Acadamy Gold Glove champion who wouldn't let anything hurt her or anyone else on the crew. As the two turned the corner and arrived in the security armory, Jon immediately knew that this was home. The smell of plasma and sterility filled the air as he unlocked the cabinet and produced two Phase Pistols. He couldn't help but smile at these new weapons. "My god," Jon thought, "how can these things stop anything?" Jon really did know that their size and shape were but an illusion. With a setting for Stun and Kill, they were far more efficient then the Plasma Guns also stored in the ship, and were easily used by any member of the crew. A beeping of his communicator broke his line of thought. Picking it up, he heard the voice of his friend Aaron voicing his concern about something in Engineering. With anyone else, Jon would of passed this feeling off as nerves or otherwise. However, Aaron had a gift, a gift of knowing when something was going to happen. Considering this, Jon knew it would be best if Engineering was their first stop on their patrol... 2300 Hours "I will do the sweep, you two can do some catching up." Jon said that as he could see the look in Ensign Warren's and Ensign Williams' eyes. Affection, or perhaps something deeper, existed between the two. Smiling a bit, Jon lowered himself down the ladder into D-Deck, making a routine sweep around. He turned his attention to the Warp Drive, taking a moment to gaze at its glory. "This is the pinnicle of Earth," Jon decided, "And I am proud to be here with it." Shaking off his awe, Jon began a basic pattern, sweeping towards the back of engineering and into the storage corners. So far nothing except for the sounds of the engineers and the Warp Drive. Suddenly, he thought he heard another set of footsteps besides his own. Looking sharply and seeing nothing, Jon was forced to ignore it, placing the blame on an overactive imagination. "Ensign Marks, Ensign Warren, Report." Jon quickly filled in Lt. Gamble to the situation... Or rather lack of. Although he was forced to admit his feeling of uneasiment, Gamble seemed to half-heartedly suggest Space Sickness was the culprit. Jon acknowledged that as he made his way back to the ladder. As Jon made his way back up the ladder to the top of engineering, he couldn't help but take a final glance around. He suddenly felt it too, a wave of uneasiness. Perhaps Lt. Gamble was right, it was just space sickness or maybe his own anxiety. Shrugging it off, Jon pulled himself up to Deck E and made his way back towards Ensign Warren...

September 11th, 2154 1600 Hours The last three weeks seemed like a blur to Jon at this point as he slowly tried to get comfortable in his seat. His visit to his folks, his new standing orders, preparing himself for the journey; all lost as the transport neared the Mars Station. Jon anxiously looked out the port window and then back down the large transport which housed fifty members of Starfleet from all different walks of life. "Hmmm..." He pondered inside, "I wonder how many here will be serving on the Challenger?" As the minutes ticked by aimlessly, Jon continued to think of the new opportunities on the Challenger. Thoughts of accompanying the Commodore on an away mission and meeting exotic new alien species circulated through his mind. Of course, he realized that it wasn't all excitement. As a member of the security force, he was also responsible for the lives of every one on that ship. Jon let himself sink back into his chair with that thought as the ship made a final approach towards the Station. A sudden jolt shifted the ship as the internal dampners compensated for the upcoming approach. His box containing his Ancestor's Six Gun and Knife shook out from under his arm and fell into his lap. As Jon went to pick it up, he realized that it was a symbol of the unknown. Even in his several times over Grandfather's time, there was danger in the unknown. People died, and even with all the training and experience he had, Jon was forced to bite his lip at the thought of everyone's inevitable dimise. The transport locked in with the Mars Station as Jon put the box back under his arm. As the transport pressurized with the Station, a final thought ran through his head. "Could I die out here?" A large smile broke out over his face as the door was opened. "No..." He thought, "I am just going to have to live forever..." He had arrived.

September 11th, 2154, 1400 hours. Ensign Jon Marks stood gazing out at the San Fransisco Bay, a small but sad smile on his face. "Well," he thought, "looks like this is the last I will see of here for a while." Jon sighed and sat down on the bench outside of Starfleet Headquarters awaiting the arrival of the ground transport to take him to the space transport bound for the Mars Dry dock. There, he would be serving on his first Starship, the NX-Challenger. A combination of joy and anxiety swept over him as he thought about the ship. It was a honor to be able to serve on the NX class ship, but part of him was still sad he would have to leave home so far behind. His friends, his mother, his father... All gone. Suddenly a voice broke his train of thought. "Hey partner, you busy?" Jon whipped around to see his father Tom Marks walk up to him. In his late 50s, Tom carried himself strongly but open. Jon got up but Tom motioned him back down and sat next to him. "Dad," Jon said, "what are you doing here?" A faint smile broke out over Tom's lips. "What, you think you were going to go galaxy hopping without seeing your old man one last time?" Jon smiled as well as Tom looked out into the bay. "Although son... I have to be honest with you. I kind of wish you would of pursued a career in Interpol..." Jon sighed aloud. "Dad... We have discussed this... I just don't..." Tom raised a hand and cut his son off. "I know Jonny... And I also know that whatever you choose in your life will be what ends up being best for you. Heh... Its just funny though. My whole life, I spent it at home protecting it from the influence and danger of the outside. Now, it almost is like you will be the influence to hundreds of worlds and they might see you as a danger. But... I know it is different. We are explorers, not warriors." Jon nodded his head and gazed at his father who continued talking. "We humans always have been explorers, never content on staying in one place. From Columbus to Cochrine, we always wanted to explore the unknown. Even your Great-great- ETC. Grandfather settled the West. And from him to now, we continue to explore the unknown. So with that being said, I have a gift for you." Tom reached into his jacket and pulled out a small hermetically sealed box. He handed it to Jon who peered at the transparent aluminum that covered the top of it. "A gun?" Jon inquired. "That, my boy, is the same Gun, Knife, and Bullets your ancestor used in settling the west. He passed it down to his son who passed it down to his and finally, I am passing it to you." Tom handed the case to Jon who took it in his hands. "I want you to have it now as a symbol of what you represent. Not just of you, but of your family, your planet, and your species." Jon looked at the box and looked back to his Dad as a gust of air signified the arrival of the ground transport. Jon and Tom stood up as the transport began to land. "Dad," Jon said, "I don't know what to say..." Tom grabbed his son in a hug. "How about I love you," Tom said to Jon. As the the two hugged, Tom whispered a final thing into Jon's ear. "Regardless of what happens or what anyone says, I am proud of you and so is your mother. We love you and we know you will be special." Tom finally let his son go and Jon turned to get on the transport. He took one last look at his Dad and smiled before entering and looking forward to what the future would hold...