Steven den Beste quickly turned the smoldering Teresa face-up, and Dr Kay retrieved the Apple. They looked at each other, then changed places. The water was pouring down atop them and rising up even more rapidly now.
Steven frantically pushed buttons on the Apple and produced a flashlight, a toilet, and a '57 Chevy Impala, which almost crushed Sissy when it flashed into being. On the next try he produced an Ark: It was about 6 inches tall. Steven fooled some more with the device and announced, "Hold on, folks, here we go!" and, pointing the beam beneath them, pushed some buttons. The Ark rose rapidly from their feet and carried them all skyward, away from the rapidly rising water, knocking everyone to their knees in the process. And it kept growing. Soon they were 20 feet high and still moving higher. The flashlight, toilet, bicycle, desk lamp and Chevy were carried up with them.
"OK, Steven, that should do fine," Smash shouted.
"Sorry, Captain, but I can't stop it," he yelled back, holding on to the Chevy for dear life, "I wasn't sure of the dimensions."
"Damn cubits," Joanie shrieked, clinging on to some Ark outcropping and holding her gun safe above the surging waters in the other fist.
Suddenly they stopped vertical movement ... some 5 stories above the water level. The huge vessel bobbed like a cork. The rain continued to pour, and ran off the deck by way of deep channels cut into it.
"Hey," Blackfive called, "This way!"
They struggled towards his position, Steven and Sondra dragging the still-unconscious Teresa. They found him pointing to a hatch with stairs disappearing below decks. Quickly, they made their way down, and closed the hatch behind them.
The crew found themselves in a galley, complete with a long table, chairs, gas lamps, and stores.
They dumped Teresa’s body on the table and Sondra continued to work on her.
"How is she?" Smash asked. "The way her head thumped on the stairs coming down really didn't sound good to me."
"Well, I've had to store her consciousness until I can repair her body."
"You can do that?"
"Oh, yes, it's right in here," Sondra tapped her medical tricorder. "The device contains something similar to a transporter. Her essential "Teresa-ness" is in stasis. Now, let me get back to work; she won't keep in there for long." Sondra turned back to her work.
Smash turned the tricorder over a few times, contemplatively, then seemed to collect himself and put it back on the table.
"Ok, everyone, I want you to go in pairs and explore this thing. Never separate, and report back here no later than one hour from now." They departed and Smash set about exploring the galley. He found coffee and a coffee pot, a wood-fired stove that was vented out through the deck above, and he busied himself assembling what he could for some much needed sustenance.
When the others got back Teresa was sitting in a chair at the table with Smash and Sondra.
"Coffee's over there; so far we've got some unleavened bread and fresh fruit. This place is stocked. There's enough basic food for a month."
When everyone had gotten some food and was seated at the table, Smash asked for a report.
"Well, Captain," Blackfive began, "it appears that except for the sleeping quarters, this place is a giant stable. There are three decks below this one and all are stables. All empty."
"Huh," Smash said. "Any guesses?"
Silence.
"Well, we may as well try to keep busy. Steven, do you suppose that thing can materialize food or drink stuffs? There are some notable omissions from this pantry, I'm afraid."
Weeks went by, or so it seemed. The group was restless and the continued absence of any response from the Surprise increased their anxiety. Steven created a still in one of the empty stables and had time to run a batch of homebrew. Joanie and Sondra practiced some weird martial arts routines in another stable.
Sissy took endless notes on everyone, whispering into her tricorder in a way that irritated Smash, still rankled at Sissy’s withholding his psych records.
Finally the rain stopped and the waters subsided. The Ark grounded itself. The crew climbed out into sunshine and fair weather.
"Steven, how far are we from that control center?" Smash asked when they were all back on solid ground.
"About 50 miles," Steven replied.
"Hmmmm. Do you think you could make another of those Chevies?" The other was stuck on top of the Ark with no way to get it down.
"I think so, lemme see." He fiddled with the Apple, and after a few mistakes, produced another '57 Impala. The Starfleet team poured in and headed in the direction Steven indicated. After about an hour or so Steven commanded they stop.
Before them was another set of gates. This time, they were tall and white. On the other side, one could dimly see beautiful crystal cities through the cloud-like haze. The gate had a sign on it.
"Pearly Gates," Smash read, "St. Peter, attendant. Be back in 5 minutes."
Smash looked at Steven. "Don't tell me: this is the place."
"Yes, Captain. The main computer room is no more than 100 yards beyond those gates."
Smash walked up to them and raised a fist.
"What are you doing?" Sissy asked.
"Why, I'm knocking on heaven's door, obviously."
But before he could, a thunderous voice boomed: "System reconfiguration impending. All users log off immediately."
"What?!?"
Then the Sun went out. They stood there in the dark afraid to move.
"Do you think we should have logged off?" Sondra asked.
Smash was about to answer when the light came back. Now a different barrier was in front of them. Beyond the gate, now made of ancient stone and wrought iron, was a cave flickering with fire, and the smell of rotting flesh emanated from its monstrous opening. The sign on the gate now read:
"Hell -- Come In, We're Open!" with a little smiley face.
As they read the sign, the gates swung open before them.
To be continued...
