Space... is cold... Not your mere cold, but a gut churning, bone 
freezing kind of cold that seems able to paralyze your very soul.  At 
least that's the way it looked to Captain Jamie Guinpen.  He had to 
smile to himself as he thought," Huh...Only 26 years old and I'm 
acting more the part of a philosopher than a Survey Pilot."  Well two 
months searching for habitable planets for the newly formed Federation 
of Planets could do that to you.
 



	A slight ding from the computer console alerted Jame that it was 
time to make his daily log entry.  He pushed off from the viewport and 
slowly floated across the cabin to the control center... If a chair 
and control panel that also served as bed, entertainment console, 
School, and library could be dignified with such a grandiose name.



Computer....   (Working)   Captain's Log...Stardate 4567.2


I am presently halfway through a 4 month survey of Gamma Quadrant Four 
searching for Intelligent life or at the very least, Habitable planets 
to join the Federation.  My luck so far has been {Jamie stops and 
stares back at the viewport, with such concentration that it is almost 
like he is trying to draw a response from the universe by sheer force 
of will.  After a few minutes he relaxes and continues}  My luck so 
far has been dismal.  I strongly recommend that future flights consist 
of at least two members... Man was not meant to be a solitary 
explorer...he needs companionship.  I would also highly recommend that 
the members of the team be of the opposite.... The clanging of an 
alarm bell cuts him off in mid thought....Computer....What is the 
alarm for?  (Working....Sensors detect an object traveling at warp 
speed...bearing...1.002 mark 4.  99.78% probability that it is not a 
natural object)   99.78%?  Gheeesh I really regret getting 
the computer system upgraded on Vulcan.  With growing excitement 
Captain Guinpen began to call up visuals on the screen.  I've never 
seen a ship like that before....Computer....Identify type, class, and 
origin of that ship.   (Working.... Type....Unknown.   Type.... Unknown.  
Origin.... Unknown.  The vessel does not match up with any known 
Federation or ally Vessel.)  This is it.  This is what I joined up for.
  First contact.  Imagine...Two ships  alone... far from the warmth of 
friends and love one.   Extending the hand of friendship ... Bringing  
a bright spot of warmth to a cold and  unfeeling space.

Computer...Hailing Frequencies...All Subspace 
channels...and all old type radio wave frequencies too.  The last was 
just a formality dating back to pre warp days.  At the speed they were 
traveling, Radio Waves would be left behind as soon as they left the 
Warp field.  




KVert Vestai-Kurkura Stared out the porthole of the Klingon Survey 
Craft, Rapture, and cursed his superiors, the Navy, The naked stars, 
and the Emperor himself for causing him to be stuck on this forsaken 
patrol.  Since he wished to continue living...he cursed to himself to 
avoid being picked up by the ever-present recording devices.  A shiver 
went through the ship....It must have been in the ship because no 
Klingon Warrior would shiver when looking out a porthole...even one so 
devoid of warmth and light as this one.  The Injustice of it...The 
dishonor...For him...Oldest son of one of the Empire's oldest and 
finest lines to be delegated to this deserted backwater patrol. {He 
conveniently over-looked the fact that he was the youngest of 3 males 
in a line that while it was honorable...had never done anything to 
raise it above the other lines.}  He looked out at the cold naked 
stars, devoid of any life and again...it must have been the ship 
shivering.  The Alarm that signaled incoming subspace waves caused him 
to pull himself back into the spartan control center.  Punching in the 
commands, he soon had the location and speed of the other ship locked 
in.  He called for identification of the intruder....The computer 
flashed back...Non Klingon ship....Non Klingon Ship.  He listened to 
the alien's voice coming out of the speaker and he reached deep within 
himself and responded.  Twin disruptor beams shot out and hit the 
Federation ship in the Warp engine pod....The Ship became a rapidly 
expanding ball of flame and gas.




KVert watching again from the viewport thought..."There...Now Space 
does not look quite so cold."




{Written by KVert Vestai Kurkura [Timothy J. Phelan]}