THE PLAGUE
                             By  Adam Leigh

Prologue: Host
---------------

August 1st, 3065
Induction Case: 001
Starship Delita
Skipper Class
Registry Number: CT02031
Location: ---*Uncharted*---

	Second Officer Jacob Blight stumbled across the dimly lit bridge of
his drifting ship, struggling against the aching pain in his legs to
get to the main console.  Nearly tripping over the body of the
communications officer, he slumped against the kiosk and raised his
hand to activate it.  The sensor diode scanned his hand several times,
attempting to find the palm print beneath the blood and dirt his hand
was covered in, before finally giving a green light to authorize his
actions.  Jacob sighed in relief as it did, even after the corrosion of
the main crystalline computer core, the backup silicon chips kept major
system functions online enough to be used.

	He slid his hand across the smooth console activating the main system
schematics of the Delita, the only thing currently keeping him from
sudden decompression in the vacuum of space.  The holographic image of
the ship's exterior came up with a green hue, the improvements that
were made to the ship were outlined in red signifying 'untested.' 
Jacob had little time to worry about untested equipment, if he didn't
get back to Earth for some medical attention, he and every other
surviving member of his crew could die.  The two bodies on the bridge
were just a sampling of the thirty-eight dead or incapacitated crew
members currently scattered across the decks.  It was a bloody
massacre, except the murderer wasn't a human, or a computer, or some
other creature or race.

	It was a virus.  A very *deadly* kind of virus.

	The computer asked for a final verification before beginning the power
cycle of the untested equipment currently lashed to the outer hull. 
Moving his hand over the proper button, Jacob gave the computer his
authorization to continue.  Now only one final thing remained, sending
out the message for the welcoming party.

	As the computer began counting down to the firing of the large,
globular engines attached to the aft section of the Delita, Jacob slid
his finger across another section of the console activating a
holographic control system for the main communications array.  Slowly
tapping in the coordinates of Earth, leaving a slimy bloody residue
with each tap, he reconfigured the array to send out a priority one
distress signal.  When the hologram gave him the ready signal he began
speaking.

	"Attention all within the sound of my voice," Jacob said, surprised at
how hoarse his voice sounded now that he had been affected by the
virus.  He used to be a singer, something he did part time but still a
favorite hobby, now he would never sing again, if he survived long
enough to get into another Kareoke bar.

	"This is the Crystal Tokyo exploratory ship Delita, en route from
Praxis nine to Alpha Centauri.  We have come down with an unknown
biological hazard and are in need of serious medical attention.  Our
own medical facilities cannot handle the type of destructive viral
sickness we have been stricken with and require the advanced medical
care available on Earth."  He swallowed.  His throat was now dry, hours
of blood draining down his throat and now it was dry.

	"We are weeks off of Earth with our current propulsion means and have
been faced with the challenge of increasing our speed to the Sol
system.  We had discovered a drifting ship a few days ago, with dates
going back billions of years, where we salvaged several advanced
devices including a rather complex looking and large Warp Drive device.
 It is from this ship that we suspect we contracted this deadly virus,
but it's Warp Drive shows the ability to go much faster than our
current means.  In tests, speed increase was exponential with the time
in warp.  We hope to use this Warp Drive to get us to Earth in a
relative short period of time.  Please prepare for our arrival.  Second
Officer Jacob Blight signing off."

	Jacob breathed and slid down the side of the kiosk in order to listen
to the final countdown to activate the engine.  The sound of rattling
metal was heard as the countdown was reaching zero, but it was quickly
ignored by the Second Officer who was starting to drift away, like the
rest of his crew did over time, succumbing to the will of the virus.

	By the time the timer hit zero, the officer couldn't have cared less
if the universe had exploded before him.  In fact, that's just what
happened.


                          TO BE CONTINUED ...



	"Sailor Moon" was created by Naoko Takeuchi and was translated and
brought to North America by DiC and Mixx Entertainment Inc.  This work
is Copyright 1998 by Adam Leigh.  All Rights Reserved.

Tempest Creations - http://dogbert.simplenet.com/Tempest