From:		Jorith
Date:		17 January 1996 00:31
To:		U.S.S. Lafayette (BBS)
Subject:		Zero-G Team

} [Lt. Cmdr. Kindle - Zero-G Team]

[occ: Operation Pez? LOL! :) ]

	Motimer's voice came clearly over the comm:  "I'm giving you voice control over stealth mode controls. Good luck, and try not to blow the starbase up."
	"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Mortimer," Chandy thought ruefully. "Shouldn't be a problem. Kindle out." She looked at her team, all standing and waiting for instructions. "Okay everyone, suit up. Everyone pair up and check your partner's suit sealings. Last thing we need right now is to rush into another disaster. Detrick, you have the tools you'll need?"
	Detrick's porcine face looked up from where he was pulling on a suit over his rotund body. "Yes Sir." Chandy smiled as she slid into her close-fitting, light-weight suit. Detrick was not a very conversational person - a rare thing for a Tellarite. Still, he knew his business and was an experienced and  valuable member of the Engineering team. Besides, he knew more about the internal workings of umbilical connections than Chandy herself.
	"Good. Helmets on. There won't be any space to get them on later. It's going to be a tight squeeze as it is." 
	Without another word, everyone sealed up their suits, grabbed a magnetic grapnel and followed Chandy down through a narrow access panel. Progress was slowed by the bulkiness of the suits and Detrick almost got stuck several time. Eventually, however, the team reached the end of the shaft. Wishing she could remove her helmet to wipe the sweat off her brow, Chandy pulled her legs up close to her so she was in a ball. "Everyone curl up and get as close as you can to each other. Whoever is last in line....Jacques....make sure you're beyond that orange marker."
	"There's not enough room back here."
	"Okay, head back. We can afford to have anyone limbs severed. The rest of you squeeze in tight and stay that way until you are sure you are cleared from the ship, then fire your grapnels quickly before you drift too far away."
	They waited for several uncomfortable minutes until confirmation about Jacques return was given. "Zahn, this is Kindle. Keep a close eye on the displays up there. This is only a theory that the umbilical won't detect the switch to stealth mode. If everyone is ready then..." She paused to take a deep breath. "Engage stealth mode....now."

* * * * * * * *

	The team wasn't sure if they had been thrust into hell or if they were just being tortured through a prolonged death. All sense of direction was lost as the walls collapsed in on them. There was no thought about the possiblity of being in the wrong place or what might have happened - there was only the heat, nausea, crushing pressure and extreme sense of imminent death. They felt as if the very fiber of their bodies were being stripped from them in a titanic maelstrom.
	Then everything went black and a feeling of peace surrounded them like they were floating on clouds. Surely they had died.

* * * * * * * * 

	Chandy took a breath. That was her first clue that she was not alive. But where was she? Through her mental fog, the memory of the painful ordeal she had just survived rushed back to her. Still reeling from the pain, she blinked her eyes and tried to focus on something - anything. Firing her grapnel at the biggest light spot she saw, she weakly voiced into her comm: "Zero-G team, this is Kindle. Report please." A sickness gripped her stomach at first when there was no answer, but slowly everyone said one thing or another confirming they were all alive.
	She gave a sigh of relief and noticed that the large object was drawing nearer. Her grapnel must of made contact and was now reeling her in. Her vision began to clear and she saw that it was the Lafayette. Turning her head quickly caused her to almost vomit, but she saw the other team members attached to various portions of the ship. It had been awhile since she had been in a Zero-G situation and just now remembered why she never cared for that class back at the Academy.
	"USS Lafayette, this is Zero-G team. All members accounted for, and I see the ship is still in one piece so I guess the manuver was successful - just don't ask any of us to go through it again." She managed a weak laugh. "We're moving to the umbilical. Let us know when the Captain and his team are in position. Kindle out."