"Rockclimbing?"

"Yeah, climbing up the side of a mountain or wall. Using only your hands, feet, saftey equipment, and your own strength."

"Never did it before." said the Vulcan.

"Hasn't the good doctor shown you anything yet?"

"She's been busy fighting with another Vulcan on board - Selek."

"Oh. Well, I'm going to teach you rockclimbing. You'll see, it's lots of fun!" Jeph said excitiedly. Could this be the begining of a friendship? "So how do you like Doctor Affity?

"AFF-FI-TEE" said the vulcan slowly, trying to correct the betazoid. "She is called Affity, she prefers Celeste."

"oh." They stepped thru the holodeck door. "Computer... Run program Jeph delta 156RC1." The Holodeck came alive. The yellow gridlines were replaced by a scenic cliff. Gen could see the cities below her. They were on Terra. She looked up. The rock face went up as far as she could she. "Here," Jeph handed her a harness. "Put this on. This is the gear worn by 20th century rock climbers before Personal Gravity units were invented."

"These will protect me if I fall?" Gen asked.

"Well, the safety fields of the holodeck will catch you if you do ideed fall, but, these will help you stay on the rock face."

"oh. Well then, how do I get to the top?"

Jeph showed her, and she had just climbed over the first precipise, when the klaxons sounded. "Shit! What the hell is going on," Jeph said as he jumped down to the floor. "Gen," he called up to her, "jump. You'll be okay."

"It's too high." she replied.

"Computer, quit program." he said. "I'm sorry," he called up to her, but I have no time to play-" The simulation faded and Gen started to fall. Jeph caught her with one hand and finished his sentence "around. Go back to Aff-ity's (he struggled to get it right) quarters. I'll see you later. Okay?"

"hmrp!" Gen said. "How dare you do a thing like-"

Jeph put his hand over her mouth. His communicator beeped, "Commander Ocett to Lt. Fairchild,..."

He tapped the insignia, "Yes, commander?" "I need you on the bridge."

"On my way commander." He let go of Gen's mouth. "Now go to the doctor's quarters, I'll talk to you later. Promise." he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, and turned and walked out the door. The turbo-lift doors opened, and Jeph couldn't believe his eyes, a Romulan warship was opening fire on the LaGrange. "Commander!" Jeph called out, "What's going on?"

"I don't know Lt. They decloaked and started firing. Without any warning. They won't resond to hails, and their first attack effectivly took out our weapons systems. All we have are sheilds."

"Sheilds at 15%, commander." reported an ensign Jeph hadn't seen before.

"Do we have any power to run?" Jeph asked.

"We are not running Lt.! We will stay and fight! We have away teams down there, I will not abadon them!" Ocett said, almost screaming.

"With all due respect, commander, how do you intend to defend ourselves, let alone save the away team? We are sitting ducks. Why they haven't blown us out of the water yet is beyond me, but there is no fighting. Only survival. You have 2 choices, stay and die, or run and live to fight again!"

"Then I stay and die. I will not abadon my post! I will not desert the Federation. I will not-"

"Federation Vessel LaGrange." a strange voice cut Ocett off. "You will prepare to be boarded. We will not tolerate any backlash, or defiance. If you want to save yourselves, and your fellow crew, on the planets surface, you will comply with us."

Jeph looked up from his station. "Commander. What do you wish to do?"

"Inform them of our complete surender Lt." Ocett said. Jeph felt the Cardassians feelings pass thru him. Jeph suddenly realized why Ocett had been so willing to die.

"Unknown vessel, this is the Federation Starship USS LaGrange. My Commanding Officer wishes to inform you that we surrender." Jeph hit the transmit button.