From:		Xavyre
Date:		06 July 1996 03:30
To:		U.S.S. Lafayette
Subject:		The Alley Attack!

<Lieutenant Straylar and Ensign Vyd on the mean streets of downtown Slatersville>

Lieutenant Straylar and Ensign Vyd arrive at the Vidalican headquarters and see that a large fence surrounds a modest compound with various alien shaped statues and a lush garden.  At the entrance to the compound a gate stands, ready to block all who would trespass.  Ensign Vyd notices a small comm box near the gate and points it out to his commanding officer.  

"Lieutenant....a comm box."

"Yes I see.  Well let's see if anyone's home shall we?"  

Straylar walks up to the gate where the comm box is and presses the single button that would seem to call out to the house.  Instantly a small hologram of a weasel like creature appears next to the security duo startling both.  The weasel like creature cowers at the site of the phasers momentarily before they are put back into their holsters.  Lieutenant Straylar is the first to speak.

"Hello, I am Lieutenant Straylar of the U.S.S. Lafayette.  We have permission from your government to investigate the origins of the Slater Plague.  I would like to speak to Mysa Verel of the Vidalican political faction."

"What strange shapes you take?"  The weasel hisses.

"These are our normal and only shapes.  We are from the United Federation of Planets."

"I see....."

"Assemblyman Verel is not here.  Go away!"  With that the hologram disappears rather abruptly.

Straylar and Vyd look at each other.  Vyd pulls out his security tricorder and scans the premises.

"Sir I'm reading possible non Slider life signs in the building."
"Non Slider?  Be more specific Vyd."

Vyd fine tunes his readings.

"Well sir, my best guess is that there are from two to three Romulans inside that main building."

"Romulans?"  Hmmmm... Just as we suspected.  Okay lets head a little ways away so we don't seem so conspicuous here."

The two security officers head to a nearby alley that affords them an uninterrupted view of the Vidalican headquarters. 

"Sir maybe we should report this to the Captain?" Ensign Vyd says.

"That wouldn't be such a good idea.  They're probably monitory all communications in the local area."

 In an almost whining voice Ensign Vyd says.  "Well then what are we going to do?"

Straylar looks at the Ensign in a half surprised, half disgust and thinks for a moment of the quality of the officers on the Lafayette if this Ensign is any measure.  The look from his commander is all that is needed to intimidate the young officer into silence.  Straylar focuses his attention back on the house when suddenly he hears a loud shriek next to him.  He turns to see Ensign Vyd collapsing to the alley cobblestones clutching at his back which is bleeding profusely.  Immediately he looks around the alley to access his situation.  Nothing down the alley. He looks down at Vyd who is half on his side screaming pain and crying out for help.  Just then Straylar is brought out of it by the sound of the flapping wings.  He turns and ducks at the same time as a large predatorial type bird narrowly misses his face.  Talon scrape off of the side of the building as it fights to pull up out of it's dive.  

Dazed from it's impact, the creature tries to stand up from the place it landed next to a now even more terrified Vyd.  As it stands up it transforms into a huge bipedal creature with claws.  Straylar thinks that somehow it looks like a cross between a Tiger, a Wolverine, a Kodiak Bear, and a Klingon Taarg.  Straylar grabs Vyd by his wrist and drags him out of the way of the creature before he is stepped on.  Straylar drags him around the corner to a safe doorway that is of course locked.  So he leaves Vyd's quivering bloody body to lie there in the doorway. 

Straylar then turns to face the creature that has already exited the alley.  Straylar gives a look back in Vyd's direction and sees that he doesn't have much time to deal with Vyds massive wounds, so he draws his phaser aiming at the creature.  The creature seeing the weapon drawn leaps at Straylar as the two bodies fall to the ground a phaser blast erupts from his firearm and partially stuns the massive creature.  The creature then turns into some sort of small snake with legs and runs away into the nearby alley.  Straylar runs to the mouth of the alley and sees the creature disappear into the darkness.  

Thinking of Vyd, Straylar rushed over to his side and sees Vyd's body starting to, for lack of a better thought, he appears as if he is melting right before his eyes. Changing shape into some amorphous blob.  Straylar runs to Vyd and presses the young officer's comm badge and barks out an order to the transporter chief on the Lafayette.

"Chief beam Ensign Vyd to sickbay right away.  He was slashed by one of the Sliders.  I think he might be infected with a variation of the plague.  I'm going after the Slider that did it.  Straylar out!"

With that Vyd's ever melting body beams away and Straylar is left alone momentarily. Then the Lieutenant runs in the direction of the Slider.