Billy Travis hated being a child.

It was bad enough he was a Vulcan child because every time he had fun, other Vulcan children would look at him as if he were some kind of misanthrope cast into their midst by the quirk of fate that was co-existence. His mother had once been a proper Vulcan wife with all the restraint and aloofness endemic to the breed. All that changed when his father died. Billy was aware of his memories of Syan of Vulcan were becoming vague. He remembered specific things like stories at bedtime, of struggling to always maintain a stiff upper lip no matter what the situation, only to realize his father truly cared and was able to show it despite the constraints of the non-emotive lifestyle required of all Vulcans.

Chris Larabee’s entry into his life and more specifically, into his mother’s, meant suddenly being Vulcan was not an absolute for him and Billy liked being able to express his feelings. He even liked being called Billy instead of William; a practice initiated by the Captain and now so ingrained with everyone even his mother called him that. While his mother was not entirely certain she should abandon Billy’s upbringing as a Vulcan, she was a little more vocal about allowing him to find his own way. She wanted the path of his life to be one of his own choosing and not confined to the expectations of class and creed. No doubt, his paternal grandparents may have reason to object.

In being given this freedom, Billy chose to have fun like other children his age and soon found being Vulcan was something of a stumbling block. He was already half-Vulcan and that made him something of a curiosity among the other Vulcan children, who claimed he could never truly be Vulcan. Unfortunately, displaying human tendencies seemed to cement this fact and Billy soon became excluded from things, though never outright. However, he could see the disapproval in their eyes as he approached them and Billy recognized the same look in adult Vulcans whenever Vin Tanner happened to be in the vicinity.

Deciding if he could not join the Vulcan children, he would try to mingle with the human variety. After all, if he was more like them, should he not find companionship with them? Unfortunately other than Lilith King, the human children did not appear to be any more accepting of him than the Vulcans before them. While the Vulcan children branded him an outcast because he could not behave Vulcan, the human variety based their disassociation on the fact that he looked Vulcan. Billy did not tell his mother about the situation, perfectly aware it would sadden her to learn her son was being treated in such a manner. As it was, she was happy for the first time since his father passed away and Billy suspected much of this had to do with the Captain. He did not want her to become sad again because of him and thus remained silent, suffering his plight alone.

Lilith on her part tried to be there for him all the time. Lilith, who was something of an outcast herself because she was terribly serious for one as young as she, did not think him either Vulcan or human. She treated him like Billy, a fact he was eternally grateful for. She was his best friend in the world, no the universe.

Unfortunately, today the young lady in question was at home in bed with Rigellian smallpox, a malady requiring quarantine and other than a quick visit to wish her well during her convalescence, he could not see her until she was completely recovered. Billy had not realized what a big part of his life she had become until this enforced absence. Suddenly, his day had become longer and lonelier and though he tried hard not to miss her, he found he could not. Worse yet, he found himself wishing he were not the blending of two worlds, wanting to be one or the other because it was too hard being neither.

To occupy himself, he decided to spend some time with the senior staff who were always happy to see him and did not have any difficulty seeing him as either Vulcan or human. To them, he was simply Billy Travis, the young son of their protocol officer and not subject to the scrutiny he was plagued with by his peers. Unfortunately, he was soon to learn adults tended to be just as restrictive with their time as children and almost everyone was either too busy or had little patience to deal with a young boy for very long.

With the Maverick on its way to the Antaria System where the indigenous race awaited the Captain and his protocol officer to mediate a dispute that had lasted twenty-two years, his mother was busily readying herself for the task ahead. Billy often found her in front of a mountain of data pads during the last week, endeavoring to study every treatise and text in regards to the long-running war. The Antarians who had been embroiled in their civil war for over two decades were poised on the verge of deploying doomsday weapons that would make life extinct, whatever its political affiliations. They had wisely pulled back from this suicide course and agreed to mediation by a third party before it was too late.

The stakes were of course high. The Antarians had made the necessary first step by agreeing to abide by whatever decision was afforded by the mediators. However, the mediators on their part had to forge a treaty capable of satisfying both warring sides or else, they would be the only ones who would remember the Antarians when the final solution was implemented and the race, as a species would no longer exist. His mother who would aid the Captain preventing this outcome had been totally engrossed in her preparations so he did even not bother to ask if she would spend some time with him.

He decided to try Vin because next to his mother and Lilith, Vin was the only other person who understood what it was he went through on a daily basis. However, the Officer of the Con was still on the bridge and would not be liberated from duty for some hours yet so Billy took to following the first officer Buck Wilmington for the rest of the morning. Buck did not seem to mind his company except Billy soon got bored of stopping and talking to every woman who happened along. Alexandra Styles was a little easier to approach and for a good hour or so, she showed him what she was doing in stellar cartography when they played the game of ‘classify that planet.’

JD Dunne took away another hour of his day when the two sat down to play computer games in JD’s quarters before the young ensign had to go back to his lengthy duty on the bridge. Julia Pemberton allowed him to remain in the Engineering long enough to show Billy what a routine maintenance sweep of the warp core entailed before she was required to repair and EPS relay in one of the conduits running along the hull of the ship. Unfortunately, it was a task she deemed inappropriate for him to accompany her and he was soon ushered out again with nowhere to go. Ezra Standish was not exactly rude but Billy noticed that he was surlier than usual and though Ezra was normally happy to spend some time with him, it did not appear to be the case today. Thus he found himself making a brief visit with Josiah who had ten minutes between patients and Nathan who allowed him to hang around Sick Bay until he had to rush off to deliver a baby.

Chris was on the bridge so Billy did not even try. Besides, Billy thought with a smile, the Captain has to be on the bridge. He has the most important job of all.

He had been wandering down the halls of the Maverick looking bored indeed and rather disconsolate even though it had not occurred to him he appeared a picture of melancholy when a friendly hand rested on his shoulder.

"Hello, Billy."

Billy looked up and saw the lovely features of Transporter Chief Rain staring down at him with a smile on her lips. Billy liked Rain for she knew things most of the others did not and there was something about her that looked a lot older than she really was. He knew she was Trill and Trills lived a very long time and made the people who carried them, know just as much as well.

"Hi, Lieutenant Rain." He answered, responding to her smile a little but not much.

It did not take a genius to know the boy was missing his best friend and with Mary involved in their preparations to mediate for the Antarians, Rain guessed the child was feeling a little lonely as if the sad expression on his face was not a telling enough. In the lifetime of a symbiote, she had been a mother twice and a father three times and it gave her something of an insight about children, even ones as dispassionate as Billy Travis.

"Just call me Rain, sweetie." She said warmly. "What’s the matter?"

"Nothing." He remarked quietly, not meeting her gaze.

"Nothing huh?" Rain remarked, hiding her skepticism. "Well, I suppose we all have one of those days when nothing is the matter but we still look like hell anyway." She joked and noted that engendered a response since he looked up at her curiously.

"I’m just bored." He confessed after they had walked a little more. Billy always liked speaking to her because she did not talk down to him like he was a child. In fact, sometimes, she sounded as if she understood him as well.

Rain was not surprised. The boy was half Vulcan and half human and if there was one thing children from either race had in common, was the fact they could both be equally cruel as each other. There were some problems she could not fix but there were others within her reach,  and while the question of acceptance among his peers fell beyond her capabilities, occupying his time certainly did not. "I tell you what," she looked at him. "I’ve got some things to do but how about you come find me in an hour or so in Holodeck 2 and I’ll teach you how to surf."

"Surf?" He asked, brightening up immediately. He had no idea what she was talking about but her willingness to spend the day with him to show him how to do it was enough for his spirits to lift.

"Yeah," she grinned, pleased to see the suggestion had struck a chord. "It’s this quaint Earther sport I discovered a few weeks ago. You ride a board on a wave. It's lots of fun. You want me to show you?"

Billy nodded happily, staring at the bronzed skinned beauty with a hint of adoration. He liked how she looked when she smiled at him and decided he would like her to do it again more often.

"Alright then," Rain ruffled his hair, pleased she was able to bring a smile to his cherubic face which had no business looking as sad as it had when she first came across him. "I’ll see you in an hour at Holodeck 2."

"Okay Rain." Billy replied as the turbo lift doors where they had paused, slid open and Rain stepped inside. She gave him a little wink before stepping inside the capsule that would take her to another part of the ship. As the doors slid close, sealing her inside to begin her journey, Billy guessed he could understand why Nathan liked her so much.

She was fun.

******

One hour never seemed so long and finally, Billy decided to do one of his favorite things since coming on board the Maverick to live. He went to the quiet space of the Observation Deck and climbed onto the ledge running along the plexiglass. The space was wide enough to fit him easily and Billy leaned against the glass and watched the stars whizz past as the ship traveled at high warp. Even though he was little more than six years old, he enjoyed living in space. It was so much more fun than living on Jupiter Station, where the view outside the window was nothing more than powerful swirls of gas, propelled by winds that swept across the unseen landscape at 250 miles an hour. On Jupiter, it was not possible to see anything through those incredible winds and clouds of gas. No horizon in the distance and certainly no sky up above. While he did not know what claustrophobia was, Billy certainly felt it.

In space, it was different.

When he looked out into the stars traveling past the ship at incredible speeds thanks to the warp field surrounding it, Billy did not feel like a hybrid Vulcan or his life was not as perfect as he wanted to be. All that seemed insignificant when one looked outside the ship. It was impossible not to feel tiny, to feel one’s problems equally minuscule when faced with the majesty of the cosmos. Some people believed everyone was apart of the universe, of existence actually. When Billy stared into the wide expanse of the galaxy like this, he could well believe it too.

"Hello."

The voice came out of nowhere so abruptly, the young boy almost jumped out of his skin. Turning around, he looked at the intruder into his thoughts and found himself staring at a young boy his age, with dark hair and inquiring hazel colored eyes. He was dressed plainly in a jumpsuit worn by most of the children on board although Billy confessed he did not recognize him.

"Hello." Billy answered uncertain, wondering why a human boy would seek him out. They usually did not like to mix with him because, in their games, he was smarter, faster and stronger than any of them. That had been reason enough to make him feel like a freak but the fact he was Vulcan too, gave them all the justification to make him an outcast as well.

"You’re a Vulcan." The boy stated.

Billy nodded. "I haven’t seen you before, are you new to the ship?" The Vulcan asked in turn, deciding with each passing second he had never seen this boy before. The boy was his age and even if they did not socialize, he would have nonetheless been aware of him from school at the very least.

"Yes," the new arrival answered. "I just arrived."

"From where?" Billy inquired.

"Far away." Was all he was prepared to say.

The boy studied Billy. For a moment, Billy felt what Chris Larabee usually called gut instinct, surfacing inside him. Unfortunately, it appeared in such a vague form Billy did not know how to define it and so he let it pass, feeling the uneasiness dissolve inside his mind after a second of rumination on the matter. Besides, this boy was talking to him and Billy was somewhat curious to know what he wanted. Billy also wondered when he could have come on board since it had been three weeks since the Maverick was at any place passengers could be picked up and this boy would have missed a lot of school if he had been on board since then.

"What’s your name?" Billy asked this time around, hoping to be met with a little more than monosyllabic responses at every question.

For a moment, he did not answer and appeared as if he were deliberating whether or not he should impart that information to his new acquaintance. However, noting his pause was giving rise to further suspicion from the Vulcan child before him, he decided he better speak.

"Quinn." He answered after a moment with a smile of satisfaction on his face that Billy could not fathom but felt it impolite to inquire after.

"I’m Billy." The young Vulcan introduced himself accordingly since he had made the first overtures of inquiry.

"I know." Quinn replied. He seemed to be watching Billy as if waiting to take his cue to speak or respond from the Vulcan and Billy wondered if there was not perhaps something wrong with Quinn that made him a little slow.

"How do you know?" Billy asked once more, wishing his new friend would be a little forthcoming and not require information to be pried from his lips with a multitude of questions.

"I know things." Quinn responded and then looked outside the plexiglass window. Starlight filled his hazel eyes as he stared into the expanse of space moving past the ship.

He was a little strange, Billy thought silently

"I’m not strange."

Billy’s eyes widened in realization that the boy was telepathic. "Are you Betazoid?" Billy inquired. He knew there were a few Betazoids on board the Maverick.

The boy looked at him with a hint of confusion before uttering, "Betazoid, inhabitants of the planet Betazed, sometimes called Haven, located in Quadrant 23 of Gamma Ceti 5. They are telepathic."

"Yes," Billy found this entire situation becoming stranger by the minute. He nodded dumbfounded as he heard Quinn recite a wealth of information about Betazed, which he did not even know. The boy looked human and while Betazoids could be mistaken for such as well, Billy did not believe Quinn was from either species but he was terribly smart.

"I am not Betazoid. I am Quinn." He reaffirmed after his recital.

"What do you want?" Billy finally asked, starting to feel a little anxious because something about Quinn was making him nervous and once again that sensation Chris Larabee coined so accurately, surfaced inside his stomach.

"You don’t have to be afraid of me." Quinn stated with just a little bit of hurt in his voice. It was the first hint of feeling Billy had seen in his eyes other than curiosity. "I won’t hurt you. I’m just bored."

Now that was something Billy could understand very well and the young Vulcan smiled at Quinn, a gesture that did much to alleviate the apprehension they both felt. Billy began to empathize at how it must be for Quinn to feel boredom and not have anyone to share that with. It was obvious Quinn was also very different from other children his age and Billy could identify with his need to belong.

"I am sorry," Billy apologized. "Other children do not like me much either, except Lilith but she is sick today and that is why I am alone."

"Lilith?" Once again that curiosity emerged.

"Yes," Billy nodded. "She’s my best friend."

"Am I your friend?" Quinn followed the question with another.

This time, Billy had to think about his answer. In truth, he had not known Quinn enough to say they were friends but he could sympathize with Quinn’s need to have one. After all, the insecurities Quinn felt were not new to him and Billy realized he was in a position to treat Quinn with a lot more sympathy than was shown to him since his arrival on board the Maverick. He had always told himself he would not be malicious and cruel like those other children and now was the opportunity to prove he was true to his word. Hadn’t Chris always said that when a man had nothing left, didn’t he still have his word?

"Yes," Billy offered Quinn a smile. "You’re my friend too."

This seemed most agreeable to Quinn and once again he lapsed into silence as he waited for Billy to say something further. Billy, in turn, realized he would get nowhere with Quinn unless he took the initiative. Besides, Quinn said he was bored and there was still a good hour to kill before he had to meet Rain to learn how to surf. Perhaps the transporter chief would be nice enough to teach them both.

"Want to play?" Billy suggested.

"Okay." Quinn nodded. "Where?"

Billy thought quickly and was suddenly struck with inspiration. He climbed off the ledge he had been sitting on and landed on the space next to Quinn. "Come on." He urged eagerly and both boys were soon hurrying down the corridor towards the turbo lift.

Their travels when it came to a close, brought them to Holodeck 2 where Billy was to meet Rain in an hour. Fortune was with them for the room was unoccupied and thus they were able to spend the next half hour running through a series of programs stored inside the vast memory banks of the ship’s computer. They began with fun locales such as Buck Wilmington’s Jamaica program where there was nothing but stretches of ocean and to Billy’s puzzlement, a bevy of scantily clad females walking across the white sands with not a male in sight. The young Vulcan could not imagine how Buck could find the program fun but nonetheless enjoyed the beach.

Using one of Nathan’s programs, they went to New Orleans in the middle of Mardi Gras where the entire city was a whirlpool of bright colors and sequined costumes. They followed the procession of light and dancers, reveling in the gaiety that took the breath away if one was well and truly in the mood for such exhilaration. Quinn seemed to enjoy himself and Billy had to admit despite the quirks of his companion’s personality, he was too. After New Orleans, they went to Corvix, to the sacred Klingon city where Alexandra Styles perfected her hand to hand combat techniques. However, another aspect of the holy city was its famous temple where clerics performed exhibitions regarding the historical battles of Klingon culture that was also interesting to watch.

There was not enough time for Billy to show all his favorite programs but he could not resist presenting Quinn with the one ranked as his most favorite in the selection. As the alien world of Corvix dissolved around them, the dry, dusty surrounds of town from the Old West replaced the Klingon city. Billy had been here on numerous occasions with his mother and Chris Larabee and he always enjoyed the thrill of watching his Captain and his personal hero, taking on the persona of the hardened gunslinger whenever he stepped into this place.

"What is this?" Quinn asked with fascination as he studied the buildings made of wood and mortar, their shutters and doors clattering with every gust of hot wind. There seemed to be dust on everything and it existed like a sedentary layer to the entire place, including the people in the rugged terrain. Overhead, he could feel the hot sun and see the inhabitants in their impractical clothes, impractical because of the weather, moving up and down the boardwalk going about their business.

"It is called Four Corners in the Old West," Billy remarked as he motioned Quinn to follow him as they hurried down the dirt street towards the building with the sign that read ‘jail house’. "This is the Captain’s favorite program," Billy answered as they hurried along. "When he comes here, all the senior staff does too."

"The Old West," Quinn mused for a moment and then replied. "Earth, the continental United States during the mid 1800’s?"

Billy supposed that was a good an answer as any. "Yes," he nodded. "They’re all cowboys but don’t let Chris hear you say that because he doesn’t like being called a cowboy." Billy informed dutifully before continuing with his explanation. "Sometimes Alex, my mother and Julia, they join too and they let me play."

"There’s nothing happening." Quinn pointed out as he surveyed the place, unable to deny he was being caught up with Billy’s enthusiasm and wanted to see the full applications of the program but not in this limited fashion.

"There will not be," Billy explained, "at least not until Chris and the others get here."

"But I want to see them now." Quinn insisted.

"You cannot," Billy answered, wondering if Quinn knew anything about life on a starship at all. "They’re all on duty."

Quinn frowned and cast his eyes across the expanse of the town, wanting to see the place livelier because it had well and truly sparked his interest. He had never come across anything like this in his short life and wanted to share the moment with his newfound friend.

"That doesn’t matter. I’ll make them come and then we can play." He said with a smile and snapped his fingers.

******

At that instant, Alexandra Styles who was in the process of classifying a gaseous nebula containing thousands of stars, suddenly disappeared from the floor of stellar cartography. The officers around her merely gaped in astonishment as she vanished in a flash of light, leaving behind only the data pad she had been holding in her hand before it was free falling in the air. The device landed on the floor with a loud clatter and immediately sparked the excited conversation of those left behind as they tried to discern what happened to the science officer.

Ezra Standish was standing over the replicator in his office, deciding red roses were going to be the first step in repairing his fractured relationship with Julia Pemberton following the invasion of the ship by the aliens of Accra. He had just finished punching in the code for a dozen long stemmed roses, hoping they would in some way help his case with the love of his life when he too disappeared from the room. His absence witnessed only by the roses that materialized at the same time he was swept away.

Buck Wilmington was going over his reports, wondering how being the first officer could be so thrilling and so mind numbingly dull at the same time. He hated writing crew evaluation reports and wished something would come and take him away from all this.

He got his wish.

Josiah Sanchez was in the middle of listening to Lt. Anderson's issues with insecurity, particularly her concerns about not being able to draw the attention of those who mattered to her work when he dissolved before her like smoke, making the Lieutenant wonder if causing a warp core breach might be simpler than therapy.

JD Dunne who had just ended an exhausting shift because he had been reconfiguring the communications array of the Maverick had only two things in mind when he stumbled into his quarters for the day. One was to shower and clean the day’s dirt off his skin. The other was to spend a few blissful hours asleep in his bed. Well, one out of two was not bad.

Julia Pemberton was presently at EPS relay 32 on Deck 34, attempting to replace a burnt out coil. After much wrestling with a hydro-spanner to fit the fixings that needed to be loosened, she managed to pry the damaged coil out of its place. That success was short lived for she vanished soon after dropping the spanner and allowing fluid to pump forth from the loosened relay and bleed onto the deck, creating a neon colored pool in her wake

Nathan Jackson who was poised to sever the umbilical cord on a newborn infant dropped the surgical instrument he had in his hand for the task and disappeared in front of the startled new mother and the equally astonished nursing staff attending him during the birth. Fortunately, one of his junior physicians was able to step in to finish off the delivery by performing the final step of the birthing process and welcoming the child, one James Nathaniel Watson, the newest (and youngest) member of the crew to the Maverick.

Mary Travis had made an interesting discovery in one of Antaria’s older texts that could offer an arguing point for the case of compromise between the two warring factions. She immediately jotted down the quote into her voluminous data pad and hoped this was the key she needed to hammer out some kind of peace accord when she was carried away in a flash of light like so many others across the ship at this moment.

Vin Tanner was at helm control ruminating silently about Billy Travis and trying to think up some activity they could do together to take the boy’s mind off his troubles. Vin who knew intimately what it meant to be an outcast among one’s own people, felt Billy’s plight most empathetically and was pleased for once, his experiences could benefit someone else. He had no time to ponder this further because he soon disappeared off the bridge.

Chris Larabee saw the flash of light in front of him as his helm officer disappeared. The captain stood up instantly from his command chair, in readiness to respond to whatever force had taken his best friend, when suddenly he too vanished, not even hearing it when the intruder alert began screaming all across his ship.

All it had taken was a blink of an eye and Chris Larabee was no longer on his bridge.

Though his eyes recognized his surroundings, his brain had trouble registering it for an instant. The setting was familiar of course, even if how he suddenly arrived here eluded him when a moment ago, he was on his bridge. Letting his gaze sweep across the room, Chris was more than acquainted with his new environment. He visited this place on numerous occasions as Chris Larabee, gunslinger, as opposed to Captain Larabee. Clad entirely in black, from the sepulcher colored hat on his brow, to the jet duster covered in just a hint of dust and the pearl-handled guns that hung from the gunbelt around his hips, he looked every bit the part of the Man in Black.

At present, he was in the saloon of the fictional town of Four Corners, existing only in the tales written about the Magnificent Seven and the holodeck setting of his favorite recreational program. The saloon was as authentic as programming could make it with a sultry bartender behind the bar who was serving drinks in small shot glasses and patrons gathered around circular tables playing cards or being entertained by gaudily painted saloon girls. In the background, someone was playing the harpsichord, sending clunky music through the air. The atmosphere was lethargic which was not unusual because it was the afternoon and the sun radiating outside relentlessly had driven away the compulsion to get any work done or the need to leave the cool shade of the building.

Fortunately, he was not alone in his confusion.

Standing next to him at the bar, appearing just as bewildered by their change in circumstance was Vin Tanner. The helmsman was also wearing the clothes he normally did when engaging in this program. Vin’s costume was most prolifically a coat made of hide. According to the times, Chris had deduced long ago it was meant to be buffalo. In this universe, Vin was not his officer of the con but rather his trusted second and a formidable tracker. Vin was wearing a slouch hat, the kind meant to be popular with army scouts back in the days when combating Indians was a national pursuit. Vin always seemed to be wearing a different shirt and a multitude of colorful scarves against his hide pants.

"Chris." Vin found his voice to speak. "What the hell just happened?"

"I don’t know," Chris answered automatically, his eyes fixed on the people in the saloon, wondering if they were what they seemed, holodeck recreations or the ones responsible for bringing them here. "We were on the bridge."

Suddenly footsteps were heard walking rapidly towards the batwing doors that served as the entrance to this place. The footsteps were short and not very loud but there was no doubt the person approaching was making great haste to reach the doors. A few eyes shifted towards the doorway in anticipation of the new arrival and instinctively, Chris dropped his hand to the pearl-handled weapon at his hip. In this environment, it was a natural instinct and his mind though slow at first to accept where he was soon adapted his psyche to survive in this new environment.

The instinct was mirrored in Vin Tanner as well, for the helmsman made similar motions towards the sawn-off rifle he had sitting in the makeshift holster fashioned to hold the weapon, slung around his lean hips. Both men were reluctant to shoot, especially when this could all turn out to be some elaborate joke by one of their comrades. However, were it not, they wished to be ready for any unexpected danger. Although holodeck safety protocols would ensure they would not be harmed, the mystery about this situation warranted the precaution.

The shadow of the new arrival proceeded the actual entry itself and when the figure did move into their line of sight, Chris found himself growing more and more convinced this had to be someone’s idea of a joke. Someone, he thought silently, who was going to be spending the next month, cleaning EPS conduits with a toothbrush. If he were a betting man, Chris would have placed all his money on the odds of that someone being Buck Wilmington.

Mary Travis stepped into the saloon and immediately found him with her gaze. Her blond hair was forced into a tight bun at the back of her head and she was dressed for the period in a floral dress that covered her modesty appropriate for the era. She walked toward him, oblivious to the disapproving stares being sent in her direction by the patrons who felt it improper for a good Christian woman, such as herself since they saw her as the character she played, to be in a saloon. Whenever Mary accompanied Chris to the program, she normally played the part of the feisty newspaper reporter.

"What the hell is going on?" She demanded upon reaching them, her cheeks flushed as she unashamedly revealed her displeasure. "Is this one of you guys idea of a joke? I just got through sorting out more religious dogma then I care to wade through in my entire life and found the perfect point that will sort this Antarian situation out and I get beamed out of my quarters into my newspaper office!"

"Hold on Mary," Chris said quickly, trying to calm her down. She was rarely moved to this level of irritation but when she was, even the Captain of the Maverick was smart enough to take cover. "I didn’t do this. In fact, me and Vin are just as pissed off since we were on duty on the bridge, when we were brought here."

"So you didn’t deactivate the archway?" She looked at him, puzzlement and worry starting to seep into her skin and she suddenly felt very uneasy.

"Deactivate the arch?" Chris’s eyes widened ever so slightly but in truth, he was just as shocked as she was. "Vin."

The helmsman nodded and looked around, not wishing to be seen but decided what did it matter since they were being viewed by a bunch of images produced by light and magnetic containment. Besides, the minute they stepped out of here, everything in this world would cease to exist anyway.

"Computer, arch." He called out, waiting for the doors to slide open so that they could step out of this holodeck fantasy. However, seconds tumbled past with no evidence of an arch or anything remotely resembling a door appeared before them while eyes continued to stare at them in curiosity.

Vin glanced at Chris and then tried again. "Computer, exit."

Once more, the same inactivity followed and this time, Chris decided to take a turn. "Computer, command override, authorization, Captain Larabee."

"I think you had enough," the bartender behind the counter remarked as she walked past the three of them. Buck had programmed the simulation so she would look like Inez Recillos, much to the woman’s chagrin. Despite Inez’s insistence, Buck could not bring himself to change the lovely countenance as he put it, of the bartender. "Your drinks are getting to your head." She gave them a look of disapproval that did not look unlike the original.

Chris frowned and looked at the two officers with him. "Let’s take this outside."

Without looking behind him to see if they were following, Chris strode out of the saloon. Eyes followed him as he moved across the floor and he wondered how much of this had to do with their peculiar behavior or the imposing persona he was meant to have in this holodeck town. He supposed it was probably the latter since the reaction he garnered every time he made eye contact with someone other than Mary and Vin was met with a quick about-face. Chris put these concerns aside for the moment, more interested in learning for certain if the exit protocols for the holodeck was as disabled as they appeared. While this had all the trappings of one of Buck's pranks, even the first officer knew better than to lock out the Captain's access without a monumental death wish.

They stepped outside into the open air and immediately blinked as the noonday sun shone brightly in their eyes after the dim lighting inside the saloon. No one was watching them as they emerged even though everyone noticed their arrival. Chris Larabee was not someone whose gaze you held unless you had good reason for it. He could see that look in their faces as they turned away and went about their business.

"Chris!" Buck Wilmington called out as he hurried down the steps from one of the rickety structures that passed for buildings in this place. From the window, a brunette with wild tousled hair and not much on, waved after him.

"Come back, Buck!" She wailed. "You don't have to be in such a hurry now."

Chris, Mary and Vin could only watch as Buck Wilmington descended down the steps, one hand pulling up his britches, the other keeping a firm hold on the rest of his clothing. The expression on his face was not one of mischief as he was normally prone to displaying on occasions like this for the man had no concept of shame or embarrassment, but rather concern as marked by the frown he was wearing. Some of the townsfolk had started to laugh in amusement, with women bowing their heads and tittering to themselves while the men did not bother with such subtlety and openly guffawed. They were shaking their heads and laughing, telling themselves this was just another Buck Wilmington moment.

"Chris," Buck fairly growled when he reached them. "I know you got a strange sense of humor but you mind warning me the next time you decide to pull one of your tricks?"

Chris, Vin, and Mary exchanged glances before looking at Buck.

"You didn't do this?" Chris asked, certain that this was Buck's ruse.

"No I didn't do this!" Buck retorted sharply, looking somewhat hurt they would even consider he would do something so stupid. "I was working on reports and the next thing I knew, I was lying in bed next to that." He shifted his gaze at the window the brunette had retreated into after she had made her impassioned plea for his return.

"And this is bad how?" Mary replied with a completely straight face. "I was under the impression finding yourself in the bed of a strange woman is not exactly a unique experience."

Despite the growing seriousness of the situation, Vin could not help but remark. "She got you there Buck."

"How would you like to be monitoring gaseous anomalies for the next month, lieutenant." Buck returned irately.

Vin shrugged off the threat, knowing that it was just Buck's way of venting but having done so, he started to feel a little anxious realizing the list of perpetrators who could carry out this ruse were starting to become uncomfortably short. JD simply did not have the nerve to transport them all here and program the computer to disregard Chris's authority. Aside from the fact Chris would most likely resume the practice of keelhauling, JD had too much adoration for his Captain to pull a prank like this.

Ezra on the other hand did have the expertise, not only in bypassing command recognition but also in transporting them here through the Maverick's formidable internal alarms preventing an enemy ship from simply beaming crew away. However, Ezra had neither the disposition nor the emotional frame of mind for such mischief these days. The security chief was still nursing a broken heart following his splintered relationship with Julia Pemberton.

It could be transporter chief Rain, who Vin was getting along with famously because she had his own absurd sense of humor but once again, it came down to the obstacle of removing Chris's authorization. Only a command level officer could get away with it and although Alex was quite capable, she did not have the patience for tricks and would have selected another simulation because she did not like this one and tolerated it only for his sake. Josiah and Nathan were too sensible for such nonsense and Julia Pemberton fell under the same category as Ezra, too wounded to be in the mood for jokes.

"Okay," Mary spoke up. "This is starting to get creepy. Buck, we can't get out."

Buck stared at Chris. "What do you mean we can't get out?"

"Like she says," Chris's scowl became deeper as his eyes moved across the town, wondering who among the townsfolk was responsible for the situation he and his crew found themselves. "The arch doesn't respond to voice commands."

"Even your override?" Buck's eyes widened the more he was told.

"Even mine." Chris nodded unhappily.

"Are we the only ones here?" Buck asked once more.

"It's a safe bet we aren't." Vin replied before Chris could. "Chris and I got taken at the same time and I'm pretty sure the same goes for Mary too. I think we all got swept out of where we were at the same time."

"Okay," Chris started to think about this a little more deeply. "Mary, where did you appear?" He turned to the blond and noted secretly to himself, he was issuing a standard order when they got out of here she was never to wear her hair up whilst on his bridge.

"In my newspaper office." Mary remarked. "Remember, I play the intrepid news editor who tries to set the town on the path to law and order."

"That's right." Vin nodded. "Buck, was with a lady which is usually in character since he's the scoundrel remember?"

"And since we're always in the saloon together," Chris added in full agreement with Vin's hypothesizing. "That's where we appeared."

"So Josiah who is something of a preacher, will be in his church?" Mary ventured a guess.

"I think so." Chris nodded, becoming more and more confident all his comrades were here, particularly those who indulged in the Magnificent Seven holodeck program. "Nathan ought to be at his infirmary, JD at his jailhouse since he's the greenhorn sheriff and Ezra should be at one of the hotels, trying to con the locals out of their money."

"What about Alex and Julia?" Mary asked. "They're not the seven but they are apart of the literature."

"True," Buck remarked and then pointed out. "But remember, they were add in characters who came in later. They were not apart of the original literature created with the seven."

"Does it matter?" Vin looked at the first officer. "Besides, I've only got Alex to come to this program one time."

"Hell nobody forgot that." Buck rolled his eyes in sarcasm, remembering how much fun that had been. The science officer made it clear the only reason she was participating was that she had allowed herself to be talked into it by Vin and spent most of the time, complaining about the clothes and the backseat women were forced to take during this time.

"It wasn't that bad." Vin retorted but could not deny even he had difficulty tolerating Alex's annoyance and learnt his lesson well and truly by then. She simply did not have the patience to be treated an anything less than an equal and thus whenever she joined him in this program, it was normally just the two of them and they spent it riding. In the end, Vin had to admit he liked it better that way.

"Yes, it was." Both Mary and Chris said in unison. Vin gave them a look only to be met with a triumphant smirk on Buck's face.

"Alright," Chris spoke up a moment later, reminding everyone that jokes aside, they were still in a very strange and tense situation. "Assuming Alex and Julia are here, where would they be?".

"Julia is the emporium owner," Mary answered automatically.

"And Alex was supposed to be the new doctor." Vin offered.

"Alright then," Chris nodded, having something of a plan of action for the short term. At the moment, he was more concerned with making sure all their number was complete before they attempted to figure out how they had come to be here and for that matter, how they were going to extricate themselves from their present situation. "Mary, you and Buck go find Alex and Julia. Vin and I will find Josiah, Nathan and JD. It shouldn't be that hard since this isn't a bustling metropolis and chances are, they will be just as determined to find us as we are."

"Good idea," Buck replied, pleased they had some kind of plan in motion since his confusion over their entire situation was mounting. "If we get Julia here, she should be able to find out how we can access the holodeck controls and get the exit back up."

"That's true," Mary said glancing at Chris before remembering something else. "Chris, we have to get out of here. We're expected by the Antarians in a day. If we do not get there in time, we could be the reason for the genocide of their species."

Chris had not forgotten that at all. In fact, it was one of the primary reasons why he was so intent on getting them out of here. The Antarian crisis was sitting at a razor's edge at the moment, with either side poised to take decisive action if mediation did not provide results. As it was, factions on either side, were itching for any reason to justify abandoning the peace process and the absence of the mediating team required to bring about that peace would serve their purpose well enough.

"I'm well aware of that Mary," Chris said with just a hint of tension in his voice for her to realize that despite their surroundings, he was still Captain and their relationship had boundaries she could never cross for it to work.

"I'm sorry Chris," she responded, feeling a little-ashamed thinking he might forget about the Antarians when they were relying on both of them to prevent planetary mass destruction.

"It's alright," he answered, hand on her cheek as a gesture of forgiveness. "I'm worried about what's going to happen to them too."

Buck and Vin pulled back a moment, allowing the couple a quiet instant alone. Like most of the ship, Vin and Buck heartily approved of the relationship between Chris and Mary even if it was for differing reasons. For Buck, he was happy to see Chris was starting to let go of Sarah and Adam. It had taken him a long time to put the past behind him and start living his life without them. Mary with her own losses in her life seemed perfect because Chris in his own way, could help her deal with her grief as Buck had once helped Chris with his.

Vin had more simplistic reasons being that he liked seeing the two people who meant so much to him, salve the wounds within each other. Chris Larabee was his best friend and he could read the Captain's moods better than anyone, even Buck Wilmington, and could see the sadness that pervaded his eyes at times. Vin had more idea of how much weight Chris carried on his shoulders as Captain and was happy Mary could make that burden somewhat easier to bear.

When the tender interlude had passed, Chris turned back to the others in his party with the expression on his face that said clearly he was ready to get back to working on their situation.

"Alright, people, let's move like we got a purpose."

*****

Transporter Chief Rain was unimpressed she was forced to be late for her appointment with Billy Travis at Holodeck 2. Although she had been running errands for the last hour, she was confident she would be able to keep her promise to Billy about teaching him how to surf. Unfortunately, at the eleventh hour, for these things only seemed to make their appearance then, she was called down to Transporter 3 which had been experiencing some strange power fluctuations. Since the nature of transporter travel was disassembling human atoms and reassembling them again, safety was of the utmost importance and a power fluctuation, though minor in its appearance, was not acceptable in any shape or form.

Thus she had spent the last half an hour beneath the transporter console, checking every wire, relay and diode required to find the problem, which in the end turned out to be a damaged coil that took no more than a second to repair. Rain barely enough time to replace the damaged section with a new part, before dashing back to her quarters in order to change before hurrying out again in order to reach Holo-deck 2. By the time she arrived at the place, she was out of breath and panting. On top of all the other problems Billy must be experiencing being a Vulcan Human hybrid that made him the object of derision by other children his age, she did not mean to add her inability to keep a promise as another.

Rain cared genuinely and deeply for Billy Travis because he seemed so fragile, like something that ought to be put on a shelf and kept away from the ills of the world. She supposed she always had a soft spot for things left abandoned and although Billy had people in his life and a mother who adored him, Rain could see his loneliness. She knew this gesture of holodeck time together was a stopgap measure but she could think of no other that would suffice for the moment.

She was about to reach for the panel activating the holodeck doors when suddenly; she heard red alert signals erupting all throughout the ship. Her heart leaped into her throat for a moment but the sudden burst of noise startled her into jumping a little.

"All hands," the computerized voice echoed through the ship as Rain collected herself. "We have unauthorized transport. Repeat, we have unauthorized transport."

Rain's mind struggled to cope with the enormity of the statement. Someone had evidently bypassed all their security measures in place to keep just such a happenstance from occurring, to spirit members of their crew away. She wondered who had been taken and found herself selfishly hoping it was not Nathan, even though she admonished herself for such thinking a split second later. Unfortunately, the emergence of this crisis meant she was going to have to break her promise to Billy after all, although he had lived on the Maverick long enough to know red alert was nothing to be taken lightly. Pushing the button on the access panel, the doors to the holodeck slid open and she stepped inside the room, expecting to find Billy.

She did not find Billy or anyone else because Holodeck 2 was empty.

Despite the fact he was convinced everything in front of him was an illusion, Ezra Standish could not help but feel the reality of it even more potently than usual.

He had been in holodeck programs before and knew their ability to seem real was unquestionable but even he could not distinguish this place as being something conjured up by the make-believe abilities of the ship’s computer. As a security officer, he knew the extent of holographic programming. He could have focused on that field of expertise as a career choice in Starfleet if he didn't feel more comfortable specializing in security. Thus, it was not with the eye of a casual observer he marveled at the superior programming that fashioned this world around him. Whoever had been responsible for his presence here was no novice but rather someone with an inordinate amount of skill.

The last thing he remembered was preparing to replicate a dozen roses to present them to Julia Pemberton whom he had intended seeing immediately after their manufacture. For the past few weeks since the Accran invasion of the Maverick, his relationship with the Chief Engineer had almost ground to a complete halt. At first, he endured it, out of guilt and understanding what had transpired between them needed time to heal. However, the more time passed, the more evident it became nothing was being resolved. If anything their problem had placed such a sizeable gap between them that if he did not do something soon, he would lose her forever.

Ezra was too much in love with the titian hair beauty to let it happen. He knew from the minute he laid eyes on her, Julia was the one for him. Such clarity regarding matters of the heart was rare for him so he recognized the significance when visited by the epiphany that was seeing her the first time. The Accrans, who were disembodied alien entities, had inhabited the bodies of the female members of the Maverick’s crew when the receptacle of their consciousness had been brought on board the ship. In order to return to their homeworld, they were forced to take the ship and the creature inhabiting Julia’s body was chosen to deal with the security officer. She seduced him into believing he was making love to the woman who meant everything to him when in truth, she was an alien entity assigned to keep him busy while the others of her kind invaded his ship.

After she was freed of her captivity, Julia saw what he did as an act of betrayal even though she did not come out and say it. Although she assured him she did not blame him for he could not have possibly known, Ezra was certain she did blame him. After weeks of hoping the time apart would mend the broken bridges between them, Ezra decided enough was enough. He refused to let their relationship end this way and had come to the conclusion decisive action was required. Ezra had planned to confront her because he could not stand being away from Julia anymore. The void she left in his existence was more than he could stand and Ezra was determined to make her understand he had not betrayed her. However, as luck would have it, the moment he summed up courage enough to act on that decision, he was spirited away from his quarters to find himself in this place.

Ezra knew where he was of course.

He visited the fictional town of Four Corners enough times to recognize its surroundings almost immediately. He materialized in the middle of a card game, in period costume and facing a group of holodeck opponents who looked at him with impatience as they waited for him to deal the cards in his hands. For a few seconds, the security officer simply sat before the group, trying to come to grips with what had just happened and accustom himself to his present circumstances. A sigh of relief finally escaped his companions at the table when he forced his fingers to work and began handing out the cards.

As a security officer trained in covert operations and tactical response, Ezra’s lapse was brief and his ability to settle into character was equally swift. Even though he was taken by surprise, the nature of his work and his role on the Maverick made him recover faster than most. As he dealt the cards wearing an expression on his face that appeared to be of perfect calm, no one would have guessed the flurry of thoughts moving through his head as he tried to understand how this had come to pass.

Ezra looked around the room, letting his eyes sweep across the hotel saloon where his character, the gambler who made up one of the Magnificent Seven was presently fleecing tourists to the town with games of chance. Although Ezra enjoyed the simulation as did the Captain and all the other members of the senior staff who joined him in these escapes from reality, he was not happy at being placed here with no idea how it had happened. He continued the charade as he continued playing the game of poker with his opponents, all the while noticing everything. Those at the felt-covered table took no offense at this since, in his fancy clothes of the fine tailored burgundy coat and crisp white shirt, there was no doubt he was a professional gambler and noticing everything was a tool of the trade.

It did not take long for Ezra to realize this program was not the program he and the senior staff enjoyed themselves in on so many occasions. It was a copy but there were textures and details in this version that claimed it to be the far superior of the two. From the old men across the street, taking shade underneath the awning of Gloria Potter’s store to the dog following a group of children down the street, the attention to the tiniest aspect of this town had not been ignored. He could see red ribbons in the braided hair of one of the young girls in the party. Even the scents were as realistic as the images before him. The smell of tobacco and whiskey, the dry heat against his cheek and even the way the wind blew outside, all looked so real.

"Computer," Ezra spoke out. "Halt program."

Nothing happened except the fact his companions were staring at him as if he had said something in Swahili.

"What are you talking about Standish?" A particularly grizzled prospector type demanded in question.

Ezra ignored him and tried again, refusing to give up without another try. "Computer, arch."

"What’s a computer?" Another opponent inquired, looking at his companions in bewilderment before facing Ezra again.

Once again, Ezra’s expression revealed he felt nothing odd about his statement even though inwardly, the security officer’s worst fears were confirmed. He was trapped in this simulation and could not escape. "I am merely thinking out loud," he responded clearing his throat. He knew that as an excuse, it was rather weak but had no time or explanation for something more elaborate or plausible. "I apologize for the distraction."

"Well," the prospector rumbled, stroking his graying beard as he answered. "You gotta try better than that to distract us into losing."

"I assure you," Ezra offered him a little smile. "Should I resort to those kinds of tactics in order to secure my victory, you would not be able to resist."

A small ripple of laughter swept through the table and Ezra maintained the persona required for the program even though silently, he was thinking fast and hard about the rising urgency of this situation. If the exit protocols were down, did that also mean the safety protocols were disabled? As entertaining as the Magnificent Seven program was, it was also extremely dangerous and not something that ought to be visited without safety protocols in place. Ezra knew the story of the seven men who defended a small town in the West during the 1800’s as well as the rest of his comrades who indulged in this program. The seven faced dangerous enemies and if the safety protocols were disengaged then Ezra would be facing those villains on equal footing. Simulation or not, they could die in here.

That was not a prospect he was looking forward to.

Fortunately, he did not have to face that uncomfortable possibility alone for no sooner than the realization crossed his mind, he saw the Captain and Vin Tanner making their appearance in the establishment. At least, he hoped it was them. In this make-believe world, it was not beyond the realm of possibility they could be holographic projections like everyone else in this place. Upon seeing Chris and Vin appear, Ezra found the perfect excuse to deal himself out of the game. Making polite apologies that were met with indifference because his opponents could not care less what he did, as long as it had nothing to do with their money, Ezra left the table to join the Captain and Vin who had taken up position next to the bar.

"What is going on?" Ezra asked gingerly as he took his place at their side. He was still uncertain whom he was dealing with an allowed Chris to speak first about their situation.

"I don’t know," Chris shook his head and answered. "But it's not just you. Mary’s here and so is Buck. Vin and I were on the bridge when we got taken."

"I see." Ezra let out a sigh of relief, not simply because he was not alone in his captivity, but because Chris’s mention of the bridge indicated he was talking to the Captain of the Maverick and not the gunslinger native to this program. "Do we have any idea how?"

"If it’s a transporter beam, it’s the fastest one I’ve ever seen," Vin remarked. "There was nothing to let us know it was coming, not even a hum or any shimmer. We blinked and we were here."

"That’s extremely disconcerting," Ezra remarked. "I had hoped it was one of our crewmen with a strange sense of humor and a monumental desire to spend some time in the brig."

"No, it wasn’t Buck." Chris deadpanned. "We’re operating under the assumption the primary cast of characters has been brought to the holodeck to take part in the program."

"That means, the entire cast of the seven." Ezra nodded in understanding. "I believe the newspaper editor was also a part of the original literature, which may explain why Lieutenant Travis is here as well."

"We’re not sure whether  Julia and Alex are here," Vin volunteered. "Buck and Mary have gone to look for them."

At the mention of Julia’s name, Ezra stiffened a little even though his professionalism forced him to maintain his neutral expression. Ezra and Julia had not been in the same room for longer than a few minutes since things had gone wrong between them. Ezra found himself praying she was not here as well because this was not the setting he wanted to make things right between them. If Chris and Vin noticed Ezra’s discomfort, neither said anything about it, perfectly aware of the situation between the security chief and the chief engineer as well.

"We should get to the rest of our number and assume whatever brought us here chooses not to make its move until then."

"Whatever brought us here?" Chris raised a brow at that idea. He assumed it was someone who had transported them to the holodeck, not a something, and yet he had come across species with extraordinary powers of teleportation before to know Ezra’s suggestion was not implausible. In fact, the truth was, Ezra was quite astute in assuming this entire situation could have been precipitated by something entirely unknown.

"I have bad feeling gentlemen," Ezra swept his gaze across the room and before turning back to the Captain. "I do not believe this is our program."

"If not ours, whose?" Vin inquired quizzically, feeling a knot in his stomach when he thought they might be in deep trouble rather than simply being trapped in a holodeck program with no visible means of escape.

"I do not know," Ezra shook his head. "However, since the exit commands do not work, I fear the same may apply for the safety protocols as well."

"Aw hell…." Chris started to groan. He forgot all about that.

With the possibility of what that might entail quickly sank in, a new voice suddenly entered the mix of his thoughts and was immediately identified as someone he did not know.

"It's been a long time Larabee." The man’s voice was a growl and Chris turned around to find himself facing a rather rotund behemoth with an eye patch wearing a beaten and worn top hat, like the kind favored with formal fashions of four hundred years ago. He approached with a cadre of similarly disgruntled companions who took flanking position next to him as they filed into the room. As they did, the patrons of the saloon chose to do the exact opposite and following the stampede, the Maverick officers found themselves facing the new arrivals in what was almost classic standoff pose.

"Who is this guy?" Vin whispered in Chris’s ear as the three stared at the group. There was no doubt in this mind the situation was about to go from worrying to downright ugly in a matter of seconds.

"Beats me," Chris responded with a slight shrug.

"Well he certainly remembers you," Ezra declared, wishing he had a phaser but had to be content with the weapon of his choice for his character, the six-shooter resting comfortably in its holster and the small derringer beneath his sleeve.

"Can I do something for you?" Chris asked coolly, even though the man’s glare left no mistaking what he wanted.

"You can die Larabee." The man answered, almost spitting out the words when they left his lips. "I’ve waited for this day for a long time and now I aim to have my revenge."

"Mister, I don’t even have a clue who you are." Chris returned, not really in the mood for this. He was more interested in getting his people out of this holodeck simulation, not become actively involved in its programming.

"You say you don’t even remember Top Hat, Bob?" He hissed, almost outraged by the notion that the object of his hatred and vengeance did not even have the courtesy to remember who he was or how he had been wronged.

"Top Hat," Ezra nodded in understanding. "I see that is why you wear that..." He gestured to the man’s hat. "Very clever."

His sarcasm was obvious.

"Top Hat, is it?" Chris looked at the man with clear disinterest. "I don’t know who you are and if I did anything to you, I’m sorry but I don’t want to fight you."

"That ain’t what I heard," Top Hat seemed to smile, his lips pulled back to show rotten teeth beneath his mustache. "I heard you’re a killer and after all these years, I ain’t about to fade away now that I got you in my sights. So whether you remember me or not is really your problem cause I’m aiming to get my pound of flesh one way or another."

"I am quite amazed," Ezra spoke up and everyone turned to him for a moment. The tension, following those sharp and intense words, dwindled somewhat as Top Hat regarded the southerner in his fancy clothes. "That you would even be able to quote Shylock."

Vin rolled his eyes and gave Ezra a look, which was about the only thing he could do because no more than a second later, Top Hat Bob went for his gun. All three men dove for cover behind the bar as a hail of bullets exploded from the discharge of several weapons at once. The projectiles lodged themselves into the wood of the counter and shattered the glasses stack neatly on the shelves behind it. Bottles shattered under the onslaught, sending glass shards in all directions and rained liquor around their ears.

"Smooth Ezra!" Vin shouted as he reached for his Winchester to fire back. The helm officer rolled onto his knees and poked his head over the edge of the counter to see Top Hat Bob and his men spreading out to varying points in the room. He used the edge to brace the rifle and pulled the trigger. An audible click followed but nothing else.

"What the hell!" He swore.

"You have to prime that thing first!" The security chief shouted with exasperation. "It’s a lever action Winchester rifle!"

"But it always worked before!" Vin returned just as vehemently and had to drop back under the cover of the bar when another bullet whizzed past his ear at such close proximity, he was certain he felt its heat singe his hair.

"Just get down!" Chris barked and unsheathed his own weapon, glad he was not using anything as complicated as a rifle and prepared to return fire. The peacemaker felt good in his hand and fitted easily into his palm as if he had used it all his life. Bullets were exploding in all directions, the lamps overhead had been obliterated by stray fire and Chris wondered momentarily which idiot was trying to shoot them by aiming at the ceiling. The floor was covered with fragments of glass, some having been shot at while others broke when Top Hat Bob’s gang had upended tables in order to use them for cover.

He pulled the trigger of his gun, spinning the chamber around in order to achieve some sort of rapid firing action when suddenly, instead of discharging, the entire mechanism dropped onto the bar counter and rolled across its length before falling down on the floor and disappearing amongst the debris. From behind the bar where Ezra was presently showing Vin how to prime his weapon, Chris heard a litany of words from the chief of security that was enough to make him blush.

He did not think Ezra knew how to swear like that.

"Get your rear end back down here, Sir," Ezra grumbled and yanked Chris back to safety behind their hiding place.

"What just happened?" Chris said mystified, staring at the gun in a mixture of embarrassment and disbelief.

"Give me that!" Ezra snatched the gun away from his captain and pushed his own weapon into the man’s hand. "You do not spin the chamber of these weapons like a spinning wheel Captain, they had a tendency to fall out!"

"It always worked in the program!" Chris returned, feeling even more foolish because he felt like a grandstanding teenager. This was the kind of thing JD was caught doing, not him!

"This isn’t the program!" Ezra returned. "This is real..."

Even as he said those words, the anger in his voice disconnected and it drifted into revelation. Inadvertently in his anger, the security chief stumbled upon the unbelievable truth. For a moment, all three men stared at each other because they knew he was right. They knew the reason they were unable to call up the exit in order to escape the program, or why the computer did not respond to anything, not even an authorization code from the commander of the ship, the one person whose voice it could deny nothing. It explained quite clearly why their weapons were behaving as they were and why the safety protocols had been disengaged.

Knowing what they faced made things simpler to deal with as far as Chris was concerned. They had to get out of here and regroup. Somehow, they needed to understand how this could have happened. Chris stopped thinking of this situation as annoying because it was not that at all, any one of them could die in this place if he did not start remembering he was a starship captain. Chris looked around and decided he was not going to waste their time shooting this out with Top Hat Bob, not at least until he understood why they had been brought here.

"Vin get me that bottle!" He ordered the helmsman.

The bottle in question was one of the few that had not been damaged during the shooting. The Vulcan scrambled across the floor, trying to avoid cutting his hands to ribbons over the spray of glass from the resulting damage to the shelves and the liquor bottles housed on them. Vin grabbed the bottle, removing his hand just as a bullet slammed into the place where his arm would have been. Wishing he could go over there and tear Top Hat Bob a new one, Vin reminded himself he was given an order by the Captain.

Handing the bottle to Chris, the Captain reached into his pocket and found a handkerchief, wondering momentarily what a gunslinger was doing with a piece of linen but shook the thought out of his head because he was grateful for its presence. Stuffing the length of material through the mouth of the long-necked bottle, Chris then retrieved the matches he knew was inside his coat because in his holodeck guise he always carried a cheroot with him.

"Captain," Ezra said with a smile. "I had no idea that you were so well versed with ancient weaponry, with the exception of six-shooters."

If looks could kill, the glare Chris gave the security officer would have turned the man to dust.

Once the Molotov Cocktail Chris concocted was well and truly on its way to becoming their only means of escaping this place without killing anyone, Chris flung it over the counter and heard it crash with a piercing explosion of sound.

"Now!" Chris ordered as they emerged from their hiding place and saw the cocktail had done its work, spreading fire across the floor, finding fuel in the debris and giving Top Hat and his cohorts something else to occupy their time as the three men made for the display window. They did not stop for one moment, barely ahead of the bullets Top Hat and his comrades managed to send at them despite the fire keeping them from doing more. Ezra allowed the derringer escape from his sleeve and using it as if he had been born to it, fired one bullet into the center of the glass pane. It shattered spectacularly and immediately came down with a deafening roar as Chris, Vin and Ezra smashed through whatever minor fragments still remained after the small bullet from the derringer was done with it.

Their sudden appearance caused a cry of surprise and shock from those outside and deciding he was in no mood for facing Top Hat Bob again, at least for the moment, Chris decided it was probably best if they made themselves scarce for the moment. The villain was probably right behind them and that did not leave much time for decision making.

"Get to the jailhouse!"

No one argued and immediately made strides towards the center of the local constabulary for the town of Four Corners.

Ezra glanced back long enough to see what effect their gunfight with Top Hat Bob and his gang had upon the saloon. The place was ablaze and almost every piece of furniture was destroyed. Everything glass was broken and what liquor bottles remained intact would not do so when the fire reached them. Ezra let out a sigh as they made their way to the jailhouse, praying they could escape this place.

Or else they were never letting him back in there again.

It did not take Mary or Buck very long to find Alexandra Styles.

The simulation provided Alex’s character with a clinic on the far side of town on the rare instances she chose to take part in the program. Alex had made it abundantly clear on numerous occasions she was an unwilling participant and mostly found herself here because Vin Tanner was the one person she did not have the ability to say no to. Mary smiled inwardly as she thought about the abrasive science officer attempting to blend in with this environment. Even though Alex was more than capable of surviving in the rough and tumble existence of the Old West, she was incapable of doing so while constrained in the protocols of behavior expected of women during the period.

Corsets and women with Klingon upbringings did not mix well, Mary thought with another little smile.

They continued across town, marveling at the amount of detail in the program, so absent from the one they visited in the holodeck during their recreation hours. At first, they had assumed they were in the same program Chris loved so much but as they moved through the town, it became increasingly clear this was not the same. There was the definition in what they were seeing was far superior to anything capable of being produced in their holodeck and yet it was impossible it could not be anything but a product of a simulation. Mary found her senses being bombarded with smells and textures, of dry wind against her skin and the unmistakable feel of hot air that came with summer heat.

As she and Buck walked down the boardwalk, it felt odd to have so many different characters waving and saying hello to them as if they were truly apart of the town. Although Mary had seen some of the faces before, there was more to it now. Holodeck simulations were enhanced to such a point that its characters were amazingly real but Mary was getting a sense of them that was absent before and though she knew it was impossible, it was disconcerting. The possibility she could be wrong lingered in her mind because her psychic ability was weak at best. While she had impressions, there was nothing decisive she could place her finger on to allege that there was some mischief at a foot, other than the obvious of course. Mary resolved herself to ask Vin if he could confirm what she suspected when they met at the rendezvous point. As a full Vulcan, Vin's telepathic abilities would be able to detect abnormalities if he were to attempt a meld with any one of the characters in the simulation.

"Is it me or is this program a lot bigger than we remember?" Buck asked as they neared the outskirts of town. The collection of dusty buildings had thinned out the further they went and in the near horizon, they could see the onset of the dry New Mexican terrain of which Four Corners was a part.

"It's a lot bigger," Mary confirmed. "I don't remember seeing a blacksmith or a schoolhouse and the Emporium looks way bigger than what was in our program."

"Yeah," Buck nodded in agreement as he looked at the building in question. Their Emporium was no larger than Gloria Potter's store, but the structure that was erected in its place was two to three stories high with bright red awnings and looked like something one would find in the big city, not in a small town. " I noticed." He frowned deeply because Buck was getting one of those feelings that made him suspect they had grossly underestimated the urgency of their situation.

"Maybe we can figure this out when we put all our heads together," Mary remarked. After all, did not the old adage say there was strength in numbers? Mary could not remember for certain but she hated the fact they were at the mercy of this program with no discernible way to escape it. What was happening to the world outside while they were languishing here?

"Maybe," Buck sighed as the clinic came into sight. He was not so certain their combined efforts would yield an answer to the situation they now found themselves embroiled. Like the one in the original Magnificent Seven program, Alexandra Style's clinic was a dual storied building with the practice of the new doctor located on the lower floor and her residence above.

They were about to approach the clinic when suddenly; the front door swung open and Alex strode through the passage before stopping short at the sight of them. Mary and Buck had to pause and look too because Alex did not at all appear like her medical counterpart in this program was meant to. Unlike Mary who was dressed in more clothes than she could tolerate in this hot, stifling environment, Alex was clad in a blouse that could have been of the period and a pair of figure-hugging dark pants. Judging by the cut of them, it appeared to be a garment made for a man but it fitted Alex anyway and the boots she wore were the kind of work worn by farmers, male and female alike.

"Just couldn't stand looking so pretty huh?" Buck said with a smirk as she reached them.

"Very funny," she retorted. "What the hell is going on here? Is this some kind of a joke! I'm in the middle of cataloging a month's work in stellar cartography and the next thing I know, I'm beamed into this holodeck and trapped in this program of all things, unable to get out!"

Mary and Buck exchanged a look before Mary remarked. "Didn't we do this already?" She asked with a little smile.

Buck grinned and turned back to Alex, "Alex, we're stuck too and we don't know what's going on any more than you do. The Captain is here and so is Vin. We're operating under the assumption every one of the senior bridge staff is in the holodeck at the moment. The computer won't even acknowledge the Captain's authorization code."

"That's impossible," Alex said calming down immediately once she realized this was not just someone's twisted idea of a joke but a rather serious problem. "Do you know the kind of programming expertise required to lock out the Captain's codes?"

"Yeah," Buck nodded. "We're talking about a Class 1- Advance here."

"You have a Class 1 don't you?" Mary said staring at Alex.

"Ezra and I are the only ones on board who do." The science officer nodded. "However, to reprogram the computer to let us out of here, we'd have to reach it and we can't while the program is still running."

"Alright," Buck spoke up deciding nothing could be done for the moment and the most prudent course of action was to find the others and meet at the rendezvous point. Whoever brought them here must have a reason and Buck would prefer to have everyone in their line of sight when their abductors chose to escalate the parameters of their captivity. "Let's go find the others and get back to the Captain. I don't like the idea of us being separated like this."

"I don't blame you," Alex agreed as they started moving towards the Emporium which would be their next port of call. Undoubtedly, they were placed in the natural settings of the characters they were playing and thus they would find Julia Pemberton, the owner of the only Emporium in Four Corners at her premises. "It the exits are disabled, it might mean the same for the safety protocols."

Mary looked at the duo sharply. "You mean we could die in here?"

"Yes," Buck said grimly. "If the safety protocols have been disabled and there is no reason to assume that they haven't been if we get hurt, we're going to feel it."

"Oh wonderful," the protocol officer grumbled, becoming less impressed by this whole situation by the minute. "In that case when we get to the Emporium, I'm getting out of these stupid clothes. This dress is too restricting. If trouble comes I'm going to have to move quickly without being hindered by what I'm wearing. Honestly, I have no idea how women in this time survive under all these layers, in this heat."

"Tell me about it," Alex agreed, glancing instinctively at the pants she was wearing. "I can't even imagine how they moved."

"Oh come now," Buck found himself unable to keep from teasing just a little. "I think you ladies look mighty lovely in dresses." He gave Mary a long, appreciating look before turning to Alex and offering the same innuendo filled gesture.

"Spoken like a man," Mary rolled her eyes while Alex smirked in his direction.

"Spoken like a chauvinist pig, more like it."

Buck started to chuckle, enjoying their annoyance and feeling a little bit of the devil surfacing inside him. Slipping his arms around both their waists and pulling them close for a moment, he gave them both a satisfied smile and remarked, "you girls know you're just loving this!"

"Oh give me a break!"

"Drop dead!"

Came two simultaneous replies as they broke free and swatted him across the head and jabbed him in the ribs in the same spirit of mischief he was having at their expense. Buck could not help himself and started to guffaw as they shook their heads, descending into the same mire of laughter after a few seconds because sometimes the only way to look at a bad situation was with a good dose of humor. The momentary bout of playfulness passed with the trio feeling a little more at ease with things as they stood.

However, it was not a moment to last.

The man was big and he was rotund but the cruelty in his eyes and the leer he gave Alex and Mary when he and his cronies appeared out of nowhere (literally) in front of them and blocking their path forward was unmistakable. He had a beard and mustache and had a stink about him that could have been whiskey and tobacco. There were rings on his fingers, the kind that left marks against the skin when employed in the action of battery and as he and his men stood before them, Buck knew instinctively that they were in trouble.

"Hello, Wilmington." He announced himself as his men spread out around the three Starfleet officers.

"Do I know you?" Buck asked, even though he was certain that this creature before him believed so because of his programming.

"You trying to be funny boy?" The man took a step forward in his long tuxedo coat, dust covering the dark fabric, even the tails that hung behind him. His eyes widened and he stared at Buck with something that could only be described as half-crazed mania.

"Listen pard..." Buck felt himself starting to lose patience with all this posturing. They had more important things to do than to attempt to play along with the fantasies of this world and in particular this odious man he was quickly losing patience with.

"That's Mister Wickes to you!" He roared and lashed out, his hand flying towards Buck who stopped it easily by catching the approaching fist in his own and halting its progress any further, not even allowing to connect with skin.

"I don't have time for this," Buck warned in a low voice. "Go away."

Wickes started to laugh and pull back his fist. "I didn't think you had that much balls Wilmington." He retreated a step back and cast his gaze at Alex and Mary consecutively. "Maybe you better start considering you ain't the one who's liable to know what it is to make an enemy of me as much as these whores you have here." Wickes turned his gaze at Mary. "What do you think darling?" He asked derisively. "Think you might like to work off Wilmington's debt to me?'

"What debt?" Alex found her impatience escalating as much as Buck's, despite the man standing behind her with a gun.

"He took some whores from me, made ‘em think they were real women who had a right to go where they pleased. Don't worry," he looked at Buck once again. "I found where you sent them and had my men take care of it. Don't look like anyone will be getting two bits worth from them again."

Buck's jaw clenched, reminding himself this was a holodeck program. No matter how repulsive this creature might be, none of the words he spoke had any true weight because the characters of the Magnificent Seven program were fictional. Even if it were not, the events he was describing were four hundred years in the past and beyond Buck's ability to change no matter how loathsome Mr. Wickes might be and how provocative his words were to the first officer of the Maverick.

"Well in that case," Buck said preparing to walk past. "I guess we're even."

"You cost me four whores," Wickes returned sharply, taking another step towards Mary. The protocol officer held her ground not prepared to be frightened by this repulsive specimen and prayed he was merely a caricature of villains in the Old West. She hated to think this animal actually had human shape in the past.

"I'm taking this one here," he gave Mary a menacing smile. "And your nigger." He said glancing at Alex. "With both of them on their backs, I might get my money back."

"Go to hell." Mary hissed in response before Buck could.

Wickes reacted swiftly with more speed than either Mary or Buck gave him credit and his ring-laden fist connected with her cheek with hard impact. Mary tumbled to the dirt, feeling her face flare in pain as she tasted blood in her mouth where she had involuntarily bitten the inside of her cheek. The side of her face stung and she was half-aware of Buck moving forward before someone jammed a gun in his back and kept him from moving any further.

"You bastard!" Buck swore angrily, finding nothing that affronted him more than seeing a woman hit.

"Buck!" Mary managed to say before he did something they would all regret. "I'm okay!" She said quickly, aware he would act and in doing so would get himself killed. Wickes was waiting for an excuse to kill him but at this moment, seemed content with posturing and toying with his victims first. She had seen men who craved power with such bloodthirsty delight during her years as a protocol officer in the diplomatic corps to know that Wickes was a sadistic brute. He wanted to torture Buck, not just physically but emotionally and hurting her and Alex was the way to do it.

"Listen to the gal," Wickes chuckled, exultant in his power at the subjugation of the enemy. "You're a smart one ain't ya honey?" He took another step towards Mary, who pulled back this time. "I'm looking forward to getting to know you a whole lot better." The glint in his eyes left no mistaking what were his intentions towards Mary if he was allowed to work his twisted will upon her.

Alex who had been quietly watching everything transpiring in the last few minutes was revisited with images from her own past that were simply too close to home. Like Buck, Alex kept telling herself this was simply an illusion of light and magnetic containment, that as repulsive as Mr. Wickes might appear, he was not real. He was a figment of their imaginations given life by the holodeck and thus hating him would be an expenditure of emotion pointless for he was not alive to appreciate it.

However, as she stood there watching Mary's face cut and bleeding from where he had struck her, watched his eyes take on that sinister expression Alex recognized all too well, she knew none of what was logical mattered at the moment. The blood Mary had on her face was real. The memory of what this animal intended to do to her would be real and the agony she would endure for the rest of her life despite the fact Mr. Wickes was a hologram would also be real. She knew personally what it was like to go through that kind of hell and now the effects upon her psyche were starting to dissipate, she would spare herself reliving the nightmare by seeing Mary endure it.

"Okay," Alex let out a deep sigh. "I've just about had as much of this shit as I'm going to take."

Wickes started to turn towards her when Alex spun around so quickly the cohort holding a gun to her did not pull the trigger, stunned that a woman could move that fast. He raised his hand to fire and when he did, Alex caught his arm and aimed it in the direction of the man closest to them. Without missing a beat, she forced him to pull the trigger and a single bullet escaped the barrel to slam hard into his companion's sternum. The man let out a short scream as he went down but Alex was far from done. Without pausing to catch a breath, she repeated the maneuver twice in a flurry of movement no one had expected.

Realizing his comrades were in danger, the man holding the gun on Buck became momentarily distracted, giving Buck the opening he needed. The first officer turned around and threw his fist into the man's face, while his other hand snatched the gun away. His would be killer staggered to the ground and Buck dropped onto his knee to shove the weapon into the man's throat as he struggled to shake off the disorientation of Buck's punch. The feel of cold metal against his skin did that more effectively than any disjointed effort on his part.

Meanwhile, Alex had downed two of Wickes's men and was contending with the one she had been using as a shield and her shooter. He was struggling to break out of her grip when she slammed an elbow into the crook of his arm. A loud sickening crack ripped through the air as the sound of breaking bone sent shudders through those who heard it. The gun in his hand fell to the ground and the breakage was followed by a high piercing scream, cut short when Alex sent her palm into his throat and brought him down like a sack of potatoes.

Realizing he would soon be in a position of weakness, Wickes immediately went for Mary but while he had caught the protocol officer unawares earlier, this time he had no such advantage. Although Mary was not a combat specialist like Alex, Vulcan tenets required all members of their race even by marriage, to learn how to protect themselves. Her husband, a former starship captain, absolutely insisted on it. She had more than enough skill to stop his advance.

Kicking out her leg, she connected first with his knee and took pleasure in the howl of pain he emitted when he was brought down. Mary got to her feet quickly enough and threw a high kick that connected with his chin and sent him sprawling. She could see a trail of blood in mid-air as he fell backward and was certain some teeth were loosened. Mary did not intend to let him recover and let him remain in the dirt long enough for her to press the heel of her boot in the hard rise of his Adam's apple. Wickes started to choke as Mary glared down at him and the man's eyes widened as he stared back at the protocol officer, trying to swallow when he realized he had seen killers with kinder eyes.

"Nothing to say, Mr. Wickes?" Mary wiped the blood from her lips and her cheek, pushing her heel down harder against the man's throat and elicited a raspy cough when she asked her question. "I guess it's not so easy when we can fight back is it?"

"Fuck you!" He gasped hoarsely. "I'll...kill...you!"

Mary pushed down her heel even further until his ability to speak dwindled to more bouts of gasping and choking.

"Mary...." Buck wondered whether she would kill him. It was not after all inconceivable, because Wickes was not really alive to begin with, but her committing the act was another thing entirely.

"For the duration of our stay in this place," Mary ignored the first officer and let the pressure of her heel so Mr. Wickes would be in the mind to pay attention to her words. "Stay away from us Mr. Wickes. Do not assume we are as helpless as we look because I assure you we are not. Come after us again and you'll wish you had died at birth." She punctuated the seriousness of that threat by pushing down sharply, making him scream before pulling her foot away as he was reduced to a violent fit of coughing. He was too engaged in trying to regain his breath he did not notice Buck motioning to the two women under his command it was time they vacated the area.

Behind them, two of Wickes' men lay dead in the dirt. Their blood oozing into the streets, creating saturated puddles in the ground as they lay there motionlessly. The fourth was clutching his injured arm and scrambling towards his employers, having no wish to face the three on his own and unprepared to leave his master who was in a state himself. Wickes was trying to sit up, his round face was red from the lack of air, with tears rolling down his cheeks as he gasped loudly. For the moment at least, he was neither in the position or the health to be of any inconvenience to them.

"That looks bad." Buck winced at Mary's bruised face. Chris was going to have a fit when he saw this, the first officer thought to himself.

"Its okay," she grumbled, flinching a little when she attempted to examine the injury herself. The side of her face where she had been hit was still tender and instinctively, she looked over her shoulder and saw Wickes was still where he was and felt a certain amount of satisfaction knowing she was responsible for his present state. "I'll live."

"I guess that answers our question about the holodeck's safety protocols," Buck said unhappily, knowing Wickes would be back. The hatred Buck saw in his eyes, even though programmed by a computer, was real and no less dangerous. Buck had no doubt Wickes would have killed them all if Alex had not acted when she had. He supposed he was not surprised she would, considering her past dealt with men like Wickes and his treatment of Mary would have undoubtedly opened up a number of old wounds.

"Yes," Alex replied. "Mary, take this." She handed the protocol officer one of the guns she retrieved from Wickes' men in the aftermath of their confrontation.

Mary took the weapon without question as Alex tucked hers into her pants since she did not possess a holster as Buck did. "Thanks." She studied the weapon closely. "I have a feeling that son of a bitch isn't done with us yet." She replied as they neared the steps of the Emporium.

She had seen enough men like Wickes in her time to know that he would not let the matter rest and injury to his pride was a crime he would not forgive unless those responsible were dead. "He'll be back, one way or another."

Unfortunately, neither Alex nor Buck could disagree with her on this point.

Josiah Sanchez was very confused.

The last thing he remembered was trying to deal with Lieutenant Anderson's issues with insecurity and grimaced at how her therapist disappearing before her eyes while unburdening herself to him was going to play with her treatment. When he appeared within the walls of the church that was the natural environment of the preacher he played in the Magnificent Seven program, Josiah thought this was someone's idea of a joke. Although he loved spontaneity like the next man, the Counselor did not appreciate it when he was in session with a patient.

He materialized before the pulpit and stood there for a few moments, trying to come to grips with the change in his situation, not at all happy by the fact he was removed from his patient and placed in this holodeck simulation without consent. At first, Josiah attributed this bout of mischief-making to the first officer, since practical jokes seemed to be his habit. However, Josiah knew despite the considered opinions of most, Buck did have limits and spiriting someone away without their consent fell under that category. Josiah elected to postpone the debate at who was responsible for his presence here for the moment since he was eager to get back to Lieutenant Anderson who was probably deciding never to trust a Counselor again.

Unfortunately, when he asked the computer to produce the doorway allowing him the escape from this world of shadow and light, nothing had happened. Outside he could still hear the sound of hoofs against gravel surfaces, people talking and going about their business and all the sounds and smells that came with existence in a town of the Old West. Josiah tried several times to coax the uncooperative computer into letting him out of here before he realized he was going nowhere. For a few minutes, he sat down on one of the pews inside the holy sanctuary to consider his thoughts.

There was no way he was getting out of here on his own. He was a Counselor and the science behind holographic projections was so beyond him Josiah could not even put it into words. Yet, he was painfully aware if he did not understand it, he would be going nowhere. He also considered whether he was alone here because if he was sent to the place occupied by the character he played in the simulation, it would be logical to assume the others would have been subject to the same displacement. If that were the case, then Julia Pemberton would also be here because she was also played one of the characters in the Magnificent Seven myth. If anyone could get themselves out from this fantasy world, it was the Chief Engineer of the Maverick, thus Josiah decided he ought to go find her,

The Emporium her character owned was not far from his church and Josiah knew Julia was probably as disorientated as he was. If she was looking to find her way out of this simulated world, he had better find her quickly. He did not want her to leave without him. Josiah stood up to depart when suddenly he saw a man standing at the main doors of the church. His sudden appearance made Josiah jump a little and the Counselor wondered how long he had been standing there.

"May I help you?" Josiah asked, wishing the computer recognized his commands so he could make the character disappear without his requiring to interact with it.

"Mr. Sanchez." The man said slowly. He was a young man, not much older than Vin, Josiah estimated. He was handsome but there was something in his face inherently unappealing to look at for any length of time. His eyes, which were the most telling thing about him, were uncertain, yet calculating. Josiah knew he was only a holographic recreation but whoever designed the character was a genius because Josiah could see a dozen neuroses simmering under those watery colored eyes.

"Yes." Josiah nodded, studying him closely now, tendrils of caution sneaking up his spine.

His visitor was dressed in a suit of tweed and cut in the style of the day. He appeared neatly dressed despite the dust that coated everything in this place with a perennial layer of dust. He watched Josiah closely; placing him under almost as deep scrutiny as Josiah was observing him. For a moment, they appeared like two lions circling each other, waiting for the optimum moment to attack.

"My name is Silas Poplar. I am a Pinkerton detective."

Josiah thought quickly, trying to remember what that name was supposed to mean. "What can I do for a Pinkerton detective?" Josiah answered evasively, hiding the fact he had no idea what Poplar meant by the introduction.

"You travel to Vesta City two days ago," Poplar responded smoothly, his voice was syrupy but seemed to drag across the ground like glass when he spoke.

Josiah supposed Poplar must have been referring to the exploits of his character. "I did."

"May I inquire what you were doing there?" Poplar asked once again and suddenly a flash of insight told Josiah he was being interrogated. He had the tone Ezra Standish used when the personality of the happy go lucky gambler was wiped away for the needlepoint acuity of the security chief.

"Nothing that is any of your concern unless you wish to tell me what this is all about." Josiah countered, suddenly realizing he ought to be careful with what he said around this man. Until he could escape the program, Josiah was at the mercy of the scenario and the characters within it.

Poplar smiled but it was devoid of humor or pleasure. Instead, it looked rather like the expression of an animal bearing its teeth before it lunged in for the kill.

"Of course," Poplar replied politely. "There were two murders in Vesta City at the time of your stay, I believe you were involved."

Josiah showed no reaction. "Really?"

"You seemed unsurprised by the accusation," Poplar declared, his eyes narrowing in calculation. "How is that Mr. Sanchez? Most men would react on some level."

"Are you a student of psychoanalytic behavior?" Josiah looked at him with equal intensity.

"I cannot say that I am." The man gave him a look that showed his surprise at Josiah even knowing that field of study to be able to ask him the question.

"Than you are in no position to interpret human response are you?" The counselor returned. "I am, fortunately, an interested observer of human responses and my reaction is usually indicative of someone who has not committed the crime or have on any level one attached to him. That would explain my detachment would it not?"

"It could mean you are a good actor." Poplar returned, unprepared to be outdone by this preacher in this forgotten town, collecting dust with each breath of wind that happened by.

"And the same could be said of you," Josiah answered, in perfect control of the game they were playing and it was a game they were currently engaged in, there was no doubt in his mind. Poplar was a man who got by on intimidation and Josiah had been in the business of psychoanalysis far too long to not recognize the classic pattern of behavior the man was displaying.

"You've played a lot of games in your life have you, not Mr. Poplar?" The counselor asked softly, using the voice that lulled many patients into complacency. He began to circle Poplar as the man held still, somewhat trapped by the consistency of his words like all those who were supremely arrogant and felt some insular need to hear themselves spoken about as an object under glass. "I wager you are very good at games involving power and subjugation. You enjoy using your authority as a way to keep those you wish to dominate pinned down and unable to fight, perhaps fulfilling some inner need to be strong when you were once not so and were the one trapped in amber, unable to move or scream."

Poplar's eyes flew open and he glared at Josiah with nothing less than hatred as the words bounced off his skin like rain. His breathing had become shallow and when he finally spoke, it was soft and uncertain, not at all like the strong, clear voice that had accused Josiah of murder a few minutes ago. "You're very good at fabrication Mr. Sanchez," Poplar replied. "Perhaps that is how you lured your victims to you."

"Do you have any proof I killed those women?" Josiah stared at him pointedly.

Poplar's bobbing Adam's apple answered for him before the words escaped his lips. "I will find some."

"Then until you do," the counselor started walking towards the door, "I'll be on my way."

He left Poplar in his church without waiting for a response. The man said nothing as Josiah made his departure. The Counselor was certain as long as he remained in this simulation in its present scenario, with no means to alter its programming, his troubles with Mr. Poplar were just beginning.

*****

Josiah did not get very far towards the Emporium when he found himself pausing to join a crowd of people gathered in a side alley, rumbling with discontent as they stared at something he could not see. Although he knew he had no time for such lingering, Josiah could not keep himself from investigating. Whatever was happening, this fantasy world seemed to be the epicenter of it and he ought to be aware of everything if he was to navigate it safely. His approach immediately caused a swell of relief from the townsfolk who saw him not as the counselor he was but rather as one of the seven peacekeepers charged to protect their community.

He was met part way by Mr. Wallis, owner of the hardware store and one of Four Corner's town leaders. The man's expression was grim and appeared as if his last meal had left a bad taste in his mouth. As Josiah and Wallis approached the thick of the crowd, they stepped away for him. Josiah knew immediately whatever they saw had left its mark upon them and braced himself for the worst. Unfortunately, as they parted away and revealed what it was they were gawking at so intensely, Josiah realized he was wise to take such precautions.

Nathan Jackson was leaning over her and when Nathan looked over his shoulder at his fellow crew mate, Josiah knew immediately it did not matter whether or not the creature before him was a hologram or flesh and blood, the doctor felt the death just as deeply. The woman over whom Nathan was kneeling was young and pretty, with light strands of blond hair splayed gently around her head as if the killer who placed her in this resting place, did not wish her to appear disheveled.

She was no more than thirty, Josiah estimated, wearing a red dress with dainty white flowers printed against its crimson backdrop. There were ribbons in her hair and Josiah ached wondering if they were holding those lovely locks in place for expediency or because she wanted to look becoming for someone. However, his observation of her appearance was soon forgotten when he saw how she had been placed in the middle of the street. Laid to rest by someone, who seemed almost reverent in his actions, she looked like she was sleeping rather than dead. Where her eyes should have been staring lifelessly back at him, were two silver dollars, gleaming under the sun. Josiah swallowed thickly and searched for the cause of death.

It was soon made obvious by the ligature marks he spied around her throat.

"How long Nathan?" Josiah asked maintaining the charade before the onlookers, to whom she was someone they knew, someone they saw everyday. Holograms or not, their grief deserved to be respected.

"I can't say," Nathan shook his head. "A few hours."

The doctor made a few more quick examinations of the young woman before pushing himself to his feet. His postures was hunched and disturbed. It was the same manner he displayed when he had to inform someone a loved one was dead. The undertaker and his assistant soon arrived on the scene to take the body away for preparation and eventually burial.

"You've got to catch this man." Wallis turned to Josiah. "You've got to catch him! Our women won't feel safe until you do!"

Josiah cast a gaze at the ladies in the crowd who saw the body, who knew the girl by the sorrow and fear in their eyes. Yes, they would indeed feel that way and rightly so. Everything Josiah could see about this crime indicated this was not the action of someone who had just learnt to murder but rather someone who had honed his craft, probably through a process of trial and error and would hunt his fellow man like a hunter on safari. This would happen again and again until the perpetrator was stopped. For it was an obsession that could end no other way.

"We'll do what we can." Josiah assured him and then cast his gaze to the people around them. "Come on now, you've all seen enough. Let these good men here do what's proper for her." He gestured towards the undertakers who were trying to make their way through the bystanders to take the young woman away.

The crowd withdrew further as the undertakers prepared to remove the body. Some stayed a little longer, wishing to see the entire drama of the body being placed on the stretcher and being removed while others started to go shortly after Josiah finished his speech, realizing he was right. The sideshow was over. Josiah and Nathan looked at each other and waited until Wallis and everyone else had gone from the street before they would discuss the other matter at hand. Wallis returned to his hardware store while the undertakers, solemn in their duty and practiced after so many years of doing the same task over and over again, ferried the young woman away from the street where she was left so heedlessly after her premature death.

Nathan's expression was particularly grey and Josiah wondered what reason was there for such hollowness in the man's eyes. As much as he hated seeing that girl dead, the truth of the matter was simply she was not alive to begin with. She was a creation of the holodeck and if she died here, there would be no soul lost, just the termination of one character from the program.

"What the hell is going on here?" Nathan asked venomously once they were completely alone and could not be heard. "Who thinks its funny to drag me out of a delivery to be placed here, looking over that poor child."

"I don't know," Josiah retorted. "I had the same problem. One minute I was talking to Lieutenant Anderson, the next minute I'm here and the holodeck controls aren't working. I was on my way to find Julia when I saw you."

"Yeah," Nathan nodded having the same idea himself although he had not managed to act on his desire since he materialized in front of a dead body. "Josiah," Nathan paused a moment trying to speak of something bothering him ever since he examined the dead girl. "Do you remember much about the Magnificent Seven legend?"

"No," Josiah shook his head and answered. "Not really. I knew they were seven gunfighters protecting a small frontier town and that there were varying characters, you know obligatory love interests of the day, that sort of thing but none of the specifics."

"Oh." Nathan frowned as they resumed walking towards the Emporium since there was nothing to be done now the young lady was removed. "It's just that I do know something of the legend and I don't remember this story being apart of it."

"What about a Pinkerton detective named Poplar?" Josiah inquired, remembering his encounter with the odious man a short time ago who gave him some form of warning about these murders. Josiah supposed the discovery of a body in Four Corners would give fuel to the fire of Poplar's belief he was somehow responsible for the deaths. The counselor sighed, realizing he would soon get another visit from Poplar, making more wild accusations.

Nathan thought for a moment, seeking for the name in his memory and shook his head when he could not. "I've never heard of him, why?"

"Well," Josiah frowned as he let his gaze sweep across the town. He noticed the summer's day had disappeared behind thick grey clouds and in the distance, the wind was being stirred into frenz, as a dust storm appeared on the horizon preparing to put Four Corners in its path. "I had a visit from him when I showed up here and let me tell you, he thinks I did these murders."

"What?" Nathan looked at him with astonishment, unable to even imagine such a thing. Josiah was one of the kindest men he knew, not only in deeds but also in nature. Even though Josiah appeared burly and rather formidable if taken at face value, the truth was, the counselor was a gentle giant who only engendered trust and respect from every person he ever met. "That's crazy!" Nathan exclaimed in nothing less than outrage and disgust.

"I know that but I also think he is something to be worried about." Josiah commented recalling quite clearly what he had seen in Poplar's eyes. Josiah had been a counselor for a long time and he had seen enough patients in his career to recognize the seeds or aberrant behavior. Poplar had all the symptoms of such a dangerous condition.  "He thinks he's on a crusade and such men have to be watched carefully. No doubt Torquemada probably thought he was really acting on God's word when he tortured all those people, interpreting the voices in his head which were probably his neuroses as the Almighty speaking to him.

"You think he'll come after you even if he can't prove it?" Nathan looked at Josiah with growing concern.

"He looks the kind that's about to slip over the edge. I believe he has sociopathic tendencies and if we are trapped in this simulation with no way out, then we have to deal with him in this environment."

"God." The doctor groaned, realizing at this point how people of his racial distinction were regarded in this day and age. The idea of a doctor being black was almost unheard of and there were people and factions who were prepared to kill to make that a reality. "We better find Julia, quickly."

No sooner than Nathan had made that statement; Julia Pemberton appeared out of the front door of the Pemberton Emporium. The lady was dressed in lavender and looked every much the beauty she was meant to be. Wearing the most expensive clothes in the fashion of the day, Julia breezed down the door and widened her emerald colored eyes with relief when she saw the two men before her. Raising her skirts in order to descend the steps, Julia took dainty steps down the painted wooden steps before stepping onto the street with them. She was clearly glad to see them by the smile on her face.

"Thank God, you guys are here!" Julia gushed. "I thought I was going crazy!"

"You got taken from where you were too?" Josiah asked, his theory that all the members of the bridge crew undergoing this same experience confirmed even more assuredly by the presence of Julia.

"Yes," she nodded. "I was in a maintenance shaft fixing a relay when I came here!"

"Have you also noticed we can't access the holodeck controls?" Nathan remarked, praying the reason for her concern and relief at seeing them was not because she could find no way to escape their prison.

"Yes," Julia nodded with a frown. "I can't get anything to work. The computer won't accept any kind of voice command at all."

"So how do we get out?" Josiah asked gingerly, suddenly having this very bad feeling the reason for Julia's anxiety was because she had not found the solution to their predicament and was just as hopelessly caught in this simulation as they were.

"If I can't access the computer to give me manual control, we'll have to rely on the outside getting us out." Julia gave them both an apologetic expression, wishing she could offer them better news.

"You mean we're stuck here until someone from the outside discovers we're in here!" Nathan cried out with annoyance. "I can't be trapped in here indefinitely! I've got people to tend to! An entire ship who needs my help!"

"Hey," Julia snapped just as sharply, reminding him she was just as helpless as he in this situation. Understanding the technology of this place was something she was a master at and yet she could do nothing to aid their situation. "I am not thrilled about this either. The Maverick is as much your ship as it is mine and while you safeguard the crew, I do the same for the ship and I'm telling you we can't leave. The holodeck is a matter of perception and at the moment for me to find the manual control panel is impossible if the computer is compensating for my visual perception of the simulation. We could be standing right next to the thing but the computer will never let us near it because as far as its concerned, it has to maintain the illusion of Four Corners for us!"

"You know," Nathan threw his hand up in exasperation. "You hear about this stupid holodeck accidents and you think it's an exaggeration but its not! This is dangerous! Do we even know if the safety protocols are on?"

Julia shrugged her shoulders in an answer and shook her head.

"Oh great!" The healer swore. "We could die in here!"

"Alright," Josiah spoke up before tempers became any more frayed. "Let's just calm down. Nathan, Julia," he gave them both the 'Josiah Sanchez special' coined by Chris Larabee to be the expression of disapproval that made even the Captain embarrassed when he was being a pain in the ass, to those around him. "You're friends. We need to work together to get out of here and we are not going to do this by climbing up the walls, am I right?"

"Yes, Josiah." They both said in unison.

"Alright," Josiah sighed, using the same voice he used to use on his children when they were misbehaving. "Now, let's think about how we're going to get out of here."

*****

From a distance, Silas Poplar watched.

He did not know the content of Josiah's conversation with the tall, black man and in truth, he really did not care however; he did pay attention when she arrived. She was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen but then all the women he ever graced with his touch were spectacular in their own way. Poplar watched the lovely woman with the fiery colored hair and the glittering emerald eyes with growing certainty he simply had to have her. And it made it all the more convenient Josiah knew her too for when the deed was done, Poplar would be able to make use of the relationship to his own ends.

He turned away, not wishing to be seen by them and slipped his hand into his pocket, where he felt the comforting cool sensation against his fingertips of a shiny, silver dollar.

Chapter Five:

Alive

JD Dunne still had difficulty believing this was anything more than someone's idea of a practical joke. When he materialized here from inside the confines of his room, he was certain this was probably something cooked up by the first officer since only Buck would have the audacity and to a certain degree, the know how to perpetrate such an act of kidnapping. Not that JD minded of course. In truth, JD enjoyed the Magnificent Seven program. As a form of recreation, he could think of nothing more exciting than playing one of the seven gunfighters who protected the town of Four Corners.

Besides, the added bonus of the story meant he got to be sheriff.

Still, despite his lack of concern at being brought here so abruptly, he wished Buck could have at least asked him or given him some warning before transporting him out of his quarters. Although JD did not mind being here, he did not intend to stay for more than an hour because he was tired and wanted his sleep. However, he was somewhat confused he had been materialized in the jailhouse which seemed to be devoid of the others. For a few minutes, he waited, assuming the silence was due to the scenario Buck was playing out. However, when almost twenty minutes ticked by with nothing happening inside or out, JD decided perhaps it was time to investigate.

The office in which he was presently occupied was atypical of the jailhouses scattered throughout the west in this period of Earth history. There was the standard collection of jail cells, which at this time were vacant; each furnished with a bunk and little else. The sheriff did not fare much either, his bastion being merely his chair and his desk upon which were the obligatory wanted posters that needed hanging up on every surface permitting it. JD pushed himself from behind the desk where he had materialized and headed towards the door, hoping to locate Buck in order to see what the first officer had planned.

He pulled open the door to the premises and found Vin Tanner about to knock. Behind him were Chris Larabee and Ezra Standish, keeping a cautious eye on their surroundings. Their demeanor immediately put the young man on guard, even though he did not know why at the time. Still, if there was some kind of peril at a foot, he could not deny he was grateful to be in their company before it found him first. For their part, the three senior officers seemed just as relieved to see the young man was safe and sound before any of the insanity that found them in the saloon earlier, did the same to him.

"Captain," JD said with a nervous smile, hoping he was wrong about the danger and they were simply caught up in the drama of the simulation. "Buck brought you here too?"

"Buck didn't bring us here JD," Vin grumbled as Chris shut the door behind him and Ezra immediately took point at the window so he could have a clear and unobstructed view of the street.

"He didn't?" JD swallowed anxiously. Until now, it never occurred to him their being here could be anything more than Buck Wilmington's attempts to amuse himself at their expense. The first officer did have a very peculiar sense of humor but now JD considered things more deeply, he supposed even Buck had his limits, especially if it meant involving the Captain. While Chris was very accommodating as far as commanding officers went, JD did not think even his good-natured manner would tolerate being spirited off his bridge without permission, even if it were his oldest friend committing the act.

"I'm guessing you haven't tried getting out." Vin looked at JD in question as Chris sat down in the chair he previously occupied behind the sheriff's desk, examining the weapon Ezra had given him in the saloon. The Captain was trying to figure out exactly how the thing worked, having no wish to enter another round with Top Hat Bob so disadvantaged.

"No." JD shook his head. "I just figured Buck brought me here and everything going on was part of the simulation. I only started to think maybe I ought to find him when it was quiet for so long and nobody was turning up. But then I opened the door and there you were."

"For once, Mr. Wilmington is not responsible for this little jaunt into wonderland." Ezra drawled from where he was.

"No kidding," Vin remarked, recalling how annoyed Buck had been when they had last seen the man. " He was just as pissed off as we were at being taken off the bridge and sent here."

"I'm sorry Captain," JD started to apologize, feeling immensely foolish at not having realized the situation was this serious. "I should have realized that something was wrong."

"It's alright JD," Chris answered and gave him a little smile to think nothing of it. "None of us were any surer of things ourselves, even with the benefit of experience." Chris was not at all annoyed JD had not suspected there was more to this than simply Buck's idea of a joke. Had not Chris thought the same thing when he first materialized here? JD was younger and still too unfamiliar with Buck's antics for them to expect him to entirely sure Buck would not behave like a juvenile.

Hell, half the time even Chris wasn't sure.

Vin and Ezra exchanged a brief glimpse and a smile as they saw JD immediately swelling with pleasure at the Captain's kind words. Both men did not say what they were thinking, even though their eye contact spoke volumes at the admiration felt for the Captain. Part of the reason Chris engendered the loyalty he did from his crew, not simply from the senior staff, was his ability to make every single member of the Maverick feel like they mattered. No matter how small their contribution to the ship, no matter how seemingly insignificant it might seem to them, it was not to the captain. He treated every member of his crew, from the first officer to the stewards in the lower decks, like they were a vital component in the machinery of the Maverick.

"So we’re trapped in here?" JD asked, unable to hide his apprehension at the notion they could not escape from this simulated reality. Coming here for recreational purposes was one thing but to be trapped in here indefinitely was not a prospect he was particularly looking forward to. He was not afraid to admit he was a product of his time and did not crave for the nostalgic days of old.

"More or less," Ezra Standish responded, peeking out the window, ensuring they did not have a repeat of the incident with the individual called Top Hat Bob. At this time, Bob did not appear to be anywhere in the immediate vicinity of the jailhouse and the security chief decided it was more or less safe for them to attempt their rendezvous with the others. "Unfortunately, it also appears the safety protocols have been disabled."

"Disabled?" JD exclaimed. "Oh, this just gets better!" The young man retorted, forgetting he was an ensign surrounded by three command officers. However, it was very hard to remember that when they were in this place where the scenario had them playing equals.

"Not to mention," Vin added. "We're seeing some pretty interesting villains."

"How?" JD asked quizzically.

When he had first been invited to join this program, he studied everything available on the mythology of the Magnificent Seven. JD had been honored at being invited to join the Captain's private recreational world and had not wanted to make a fool of himself by appearing unprepared. Even though they treated him with respect and friendship, JD could not help feeling a little insecure at being an ensign surrounded by veteran officers who were all exceptional in one way or another. He could not deny he felt a little ordinary in their company and often tried twice as hard in order to be just as good. He took the Magnificent Seven program just as seriously, ensuring he was completely prepared to face anything the simulation had to throw at him, memorizing every legend and every villain the lawmen had faced during their amazing tenure in the town of Four Corners.

"We were accosted by a particularly odious specimen called Top Hat Bob," Ezra answered before Vin could. "The man seemed to be under the impression the Captain had wronged him in some way."

"Top Hat Bob," JD mused, aware the name sounded familiar and thought about it for a moment before he looked up again. "Does he have an eye patch?"

All three men raised their eyes to the youth but it was Chris who answered. "He has an eye patch."

"Well, that's Top Hat Bob!" JD exclaimed, pleased because he knew whom their adversary had been with that one bit of revelation.

"I thought we covered that already," Vin said impatiently.

"Sorry," JD gave the tracker an embarrassed smile and then continued. "Top Hat Bob is a Magnificent Seven villain but not a very big important one. He's mostly a hired gun but he does have a personal grudge against the gunfighter."

"Because?" Chris asked. While he enjoyed the program ever since Buck presented it to him as a birthday present shortly after coming on board the Maverick, Chris had to confess not knowing every aspect of the lore regarding the seven legendary gunmen.

"Something about a wood splitting contest or something," JD answered with a little bit of a frown because the facts were rather vague on the exact details of the character's vendetta. "I do know it was a contest he lost and apparently got into a brawl with the gunfighter, where he lost his eye."

"Terrific," Chris grumbled. "I wonder how many others are going to come out of the woodwork." The Captain let out a sigh before pushing himself to his feet once again.

"Others?" Vin looked at him.

"There is no reason to assume that there will not be," Ezra responded, in complete agreement with the Captain's foresight in this matter. "Someone is playing games with us and if you're a pawn in someone else's amusement, there is no doubt they will want to make the games as entertaining as possible."

Chris stared at Ezra for a moment, feeling something spark in his memory at the security chief's words. For a moment, he searched his mind for why he was overcome with such a feeling of familiarity but it was gone before he could grasp it wholly.

"Chris?" Vin who knew his expressions with almost intimate knowledge saw the uncertainty in his eyes even for the briefest of seconds. "What is it?"

Chris did not answer for a second as he tried to understand why Ezra's words struck him so. However, after seconds of rumination, it was obvious no such answer was forthcoming. "Nothing," Chris shook his head. "Come on," he raised his gaze to those with him. "Let's get to the rendezvous point."

However, the uneasiness still would not go away.

*****

Less than ten minutes after they collected JD at the jailhouse, Chris and the entire senior staff of the Maverick found themselves gathered around what was normally their table at the tavern owned by the gambler/con man who Ezra took such delight in playing. Although it was not at all the practice of the day they ought to be joined by the ladies of their group in such an establishment and appeared to arouse more than a few strange looks and disapproving glances, Chris decided decorum be damned. They had larger concerns on their hands at the moment. Judging by the experiences related by the rest of the Maverick's senior staff, it appeared the mysterious culprit who had placed them in this recreation of their holodeck fantasy was taking pleasure in pitting them against a full array of Magnificent Seven villains.

"It's like a Batman movie." Mary declared.

Chris stared at her. "A what?"

"Nevermind," Mary shrugged in response, not about to reveal her predilection for 20th-century comic books. "What are we going to do? The Antarians are less than a day away, we have to get out of here."

"One disaster at a time," Buck retorted, certain Chris was just as tired as he was about being reminded about this deadline. "At the moment, we need to figure out how we are going to get out of here."

"Alright, let's examine our situation," Chris said firmly, speaking with just enough authority to remind those present they were not in a holodeck fantasy despite their present situation. They were Starfleet officers in an alien and hostile environment and it was time they started behaving like it. "We were brought here to what I am fairly certain is not our holodeck program by persons unknown, who seem to have programmed every conceivable villain to throw at us for whatever reason."

"Chris," Mary spoke up. "I'm not so sure this is a holographic illusion."

"What else could it be?" Josiah inquired. "This can't exist anywhere in reality."

"Why do you think that Lieutenant?" Ezra asked, keeping his gaze fixed at one point and fighting the urge to let his eyes wander. Although he was mindful of their situation, he could not help being faced with his personal problems, especially when Julia was right across the table from him. She too,avoided meeting his eyes and Ezra wondered if she was just as uncomfortable about things between them as he was. Once again, Ezra cursed the circumstances that brought them to this and wished he apologized to her as he intended before this.

Mary glanced at Chris, always feeling uncomfortable when discussing this particular subject, rare as it was. She was human and thus her psi ability was weak at best and what she felt to be extrasensory powers did not manifest themselves as any more than a strong intuition most of the time.

"I get a sense of these people," she looked around the room at the barmaid who looked like Inez, the patrons at the tables, downing drinks and carousing with saloon girls before facing her friends again. "My mind tells me they're not real, that they're projections of light and magnetic containment but they feel real to me."

"I know what you mean," Nathan frowned, remembering the young woman he had stood over a short time ago. She with the ribbons in her hair, staring at him with silver coins in her eyes. She did not seem like a fake but rather flesh and blood. "They feel like real people."

"Look," Julia spoke up. "That's programming." The engineer in her refused to believe in something as intangible as a feeling. She dealt in numbers and facts she could see, in laws of physics and proven science. "They are supposed to look and feel real."

"But you don't know that it is." Vin countered. "We're all energy is some way, who knows what makes one thing alive and another an object. We live in a universe with android officers and holographic programs with recognised sentience. We don't know how to classify life, not really."

"Spoken like a true Starfleet officer." Buck grinned; remembering a dozen Starfleet lecturers making the same points at the Academy.

"Thanks." Vin returned after Buck's comment.

What Mary had said seemed to make a certain amount of sense. Chris knew her latent telepathic abilities were nothing to ignore or underestimate. On the C'Kaia ship, she used those powers to save both their lives and he was not about to disregard it because there was no irrefutable proof to back up her insights. "Mary, when you say you get some sense of them, what do you mean?"

"I don't know," she exclaimed with a hint of exasperation in her voice. "I feel them but not quite. Normally when I'm in the holodeck, the people we see don't register at all. They're not alive and it's like seeing a chair or any inanimate object. It doesn't register to me. But this is different," her expression melted into full-blown concern and Chris knew instantly she was more passionate about her belief than her declaration before them. "They're like shadows. Alive but not alive, I can't explain it."

"Maybe Mr.Tanner...." Ezra suddenly suggested.

"Me?" Vin stared back at the Security Chief perplexed.

Alex understood immediately. "Vin, you need to do a meld."

"A meld?" He almost shouted before a stern look from his Captain reminded him to lower his voice. As it was they were bringing enough attention to themselves by having the girls in here without causing any further undue fanfare. "Why?"

"You're Vulcan." Alex gave Ezra a brief glance that told him to let her handle this.

"Tell me something I don't know," he bit back impatiently. "I wasn't sure with the ears."

Alex bristled and was about to respond when Chris decided to intervene before they both said something they would regret later. If there was one thing that could make Vin lose his temper, even with Alex, it was bringing up the Vulcan part of himself he felt uncomfortable discussing with anyone, especially Alex in light of his feelings for her.

"Vin," Chris responded, placing a gentle hand on Alex's arm.

The science officer took the hint and immediately withdrew in favor of the captain. In truth, Alex hated discussing this subject with Vin as much as he hated talking about it in her presence. Mostly because he was so sensitive about his Vulcan background and usually reacted heatedly. Inspiring Vin's temper would also inspire hers and since she could not have her way with him, it was a passion she rather not ignite.

Completely unaware of what was running through her mind, though he would have been most grateful had he known, Chris continued where she had left off. "You're telepathic and far more capable of telling us if these people in here are more than what they seem. Now we need to know for sure these people are what they appear to be, holograms that is, before we can figure out what to do next."

"Its insane." Julia interjected. "It's a program, I'm telling you!"

"We cannot make that determination simply because appears to look like a hologram." Ezra retorted.

"Something appearing to be something else did not seem to bother you before." She returned caustically.

"What is that supposed to mean?" He met her gaze sharply.

"I think you know," she declared.

"I think I don't give a goddamn hell what either of you know!" Chris hissed with la ow snarl and immediately silenced both of them. Julia's cheek flushed red and Ezra did not have to brave a glance in Chris's direction, to feel the Larabee glare burning into him from where he was seated. The others found it the perfect time to clear their throats, avert their gaze or generally do anything that kept them from making eye contact with each other.

Chris stared at both of them and said firmly. "Now you listen to me Commander Standish and Lieutenant Pemberton," his temper though vast was not infinite and the bickering and snide remarks traded between these two since the incident with the Accrans was just plain pissing him off. He waited for the duo to settle this like adults but if they were not going to do that, it was their business. However, the minute it started to interfere with their duty as officers, it became his. "We are in a life and death situation here and I don't care if you are having relationship troubles and can barely stomach the sight of each other but while you are under my command, you will behave accordingly."

"I apologize Sir," the security chief said properly mortified by his lack of professionalism.

"Likewise Captain." Julia answered a second later, just as equally embarrassed.

"Don't apologize," Chris said abruptly. "Just get over it. For our sake and your own."

A silence fell over the room for a few seconds as everyone tried to regain their train of thought immediately preceding Ezra and Julia's spat. Vin considered what the others said about his meld abilities and decided the Captain was right. They did need to know the truth and as he let his gaze sweep across the room to the people that frequented the tavern, he had to admit he wanted to know as well. Besides, this was something no one else could do.

Taking a deep breath, Vin rose to his feet.

"Vin?" Alex asked.

"Its okay," he met Chris' eyes and the Captain immediately understood. Chris nodded slightly in his direction and Vin knew that was enough. Chris had given his permission in that one look. "It's time to bite the bullet."

"I wish you would use another vernacular." Ezra frowned. "In this place..."

"Shut up Ezra," Alex groaned and turned to Vin with a smile of encouragement. "You can do it."

Vin returned her smile with one of his own, hoping it allowed her to appreciate he had not meant to snap at her. The helmsman went to the bar, where the barmaid was pouring drinks for more waiting customers. Buck had programmed her to look like Inez and Vin had to confess the likeness was amazing. He was rather surprised Inez had not been offended at her image being used but then these days, Inez did not waste her time on such thoughts when she still had to contend with her grief at losing her fiancé.

"How about drink darling?" Vin asked silkily.

"Of course Senor." She smiled radiantly and suddenly Vin had an idea what Buck found so alluring. She really was pretty and the real Inez was even lovelier.

She poured him whiskey, straight up in a little shot glass and slid the receptacle towards him when Vin caught her hand in his and lingered just enough to run his fingers over the smooth skin. The woman became somewhat offended when he did not let go and his expression became odd, almost as if he was deriving some kind of strange pleasure from the contact. Barmaid or not, such behavior was not to be tolerated and she pulled her hand away, almost knocking over the shot glass in her grip.

"I think that is enough Senor." She retorted, more than a little ire in her voice as she glared at him angrily.

"I'm sorry ma'am," Vin quickly apologized but those who knew him could see that he was unsettled. He barely noticed her gaze burning into his back as he turned away and returned to the table where the rest of the senior staff was waiting for him.

"Jesus Vin," Buck declared immediately, seeing the expression on his face that soon struck alarm into all of theirs. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Not a ghost," Vin shook his head, glancing over his shoulder at the barmaid once more. "Ghosts are dead." He stated when he turned his attention to his comrades once again. "That woman was alive."

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