Holodream

Chapter IV

[Original story formerly published in paper by the Star Trek Italian Club, which graciously granted permission to publish it digitally. Cover and drawings by Chiara Falchini.]

Chapter IV

"The wood is coming to an end", Data announced, returning from scouting, "There is a grassy plain in front of us, similar to England's moorland, with low hills, small woods and streams."

"Fine", Viviana said, "I was getting bored with trees."

Soon after they reached the forest's margin and contemplated the wavy lowland extending in front of their eyes in the three directions. The sun was westering, almost straight in front of them, indicating it was already late in the afternoon.

"Which direction should we go?", Riker asked, gazing at the horizon in search of hints for human settlements, but finding none.

"One direction's good as any", Viviana answered, "Southward?"

The others had no objections, so they set out toward that direction and ventured into the knee-high grass.

"There aren't poisonous snakes, I hope?", Deanna enquired.

"Only if useful to the game development", Viviana answered, "but I never found one."

They arrived at the roots of a low hill and Data pointed toward one side:

"Look, there is smoke."

"Let's go and see", Riker suggested. They headed toward the place where the thin smoke spiral arose from, probably originated by a campfire, climbing diagonally up the hill. The smoke came from a sheltered hollow, where the remainders of a small fire were still burning. There were evident signs of a camping, but there was no soul around.

"They went away without extinguishing the fire", Riker grumbled, "with the danger to set ablaze the whole surroundings, how irresponsible!"

He approached the fire and kicked earth on the dying embers, smothering them. A faint rustle of moving branches, coming from her right, alarmed Viviana; she jerked around, just in time to catch sight of a black clothed shape who was throwing itself toward her, brandishing a dagger. Instinctively, she took a step to her left to go out of his path, grabbed the aggressor's stretched arm with both her hands, twisted it slightly downward and, using his own momentum, sent him tumbling violently on the ground.

At the same time, another dark figure jumped Data, throwing him a cutting blow on his hip, which the android parried with a simple movement of his arm: he grabbed his aggressor's wrist and twisted it, forcing him to dump the dagger, then he knocked him out with a Vulcan nerve pinch. The aggressor collapse, unconscious.

Riker tried to pull out his broadsword, but while he was extracting the long blade from its sheath, a third black shape appeared from behind a bush and assailed him; his long dagger drew an arc and jabbed into the first officer's shoulder. Riker gave off a roar of both pain and surprise.