For the fifth time that day, Lucille wiped her child's cheek with her 
finger.  The child squirmed at the touch of the mother's finger.  "Mom!" 
he protested, throwing up his hands.  The mother simply stared at him.
	"Randolph, you know today is an important day for all of Zenarus.  We 
must look our best."  Even during scolding, Lucille had the comforting 
tone inherent to all mothers.  She licked her finger and wiped the cheek 
once again, the child still squirming.
	"But Mom!" he said, as if that were a sufficient argument.
	"Come, now, Randolph," Lucille began.  "Your sister does not give me 
such trouble."
	Randolph was clearly disgusted at the mention of his sister, and he 
made no attempt to hide it.  "She's only two years old!"
	Lucille looked dissaprovingly at her child.  "Believe it or not, young 
man, you were two years old once."
	Randolph couldn't contradict that, so he retreated to his old style of 
argument.  "So?!"
	Lucille sighed and shook her head.  She wiped her finger on her blouse 
as to make it dry, and proceded to reach for her bag of belongings.  
"Are you ready?"
	Randolph stared at his mother a moment before answering, then he said 
"Why does Lily get to stay home?"
	Lucille shook her head yet again.  "You're never satisfied."  She took 
Randolph by the arm and dragged him to their repulsorlift vehicle.  She 
took out a plastic card-like device from her bag and inserted it in the 
door.  It whooshed open a moment later.  She put Randolph in the back 
seat, and then climbed in herself.  She shut the door and put the card 
into a slot by the piloting controls flashed to life.  She pushed a 
small orange button and the roof opened.  Sunlight shone through.  It 
was indeed a beautiful day.
	"Maybe some sun will help," Lucille said.  Randolph did not respond.  
He simply sat in the back with his arms crossed across his chest.  
	"Fine.  Don't talk," Lucille said, trying reverse psychology.  It was 
the last thing Lucille said.  From the air, like a bolt of lightening, a 
huge metallic foot crashed down upon the repulsorcraft.  The last thing 
Lucille heard was a deep voice saying "No matter where we go, those 
flesh creatures always seem to get underfoot...."

"I see.  So tell me again why we're here."
	Kirk stood on the bridge of the Enterprise, gaze fixed on the 
viewscreen, on which was a representative from the planet Zenarus.  He 
was a short, stocky man by the name of Tellarus.  He was balding on the 
right side of his head, and he looked quite unprofessional.  Well, that 
was the nice way to put it.  Kirk also noticed with amusement that the 
man had lost all composure when faced with the Captain of Starfleet's 
flagship.  In fact, Kirk almost felt sorry for the man.  Almost.
	Tellarus tried to get up enough courage to tell Kirk yet again why the 
Enterprise was here.  Although he was getting frustrated with Kirk, he 
didn't let it show.  "Captain, there have been reported sightings of 
huge metallic creatures all over Zenarus for the past  three days!"
	Kirk nodded mockingly.  "I think I understand now.  You brought us 
here...the Federation flagship, may I remind you (Kirk knew damn well he 
needed no reminding).... to search for toys that may not even exist!"
	From the corner of his eye, Kirk saw Spock raise an eyebrow.  
"Captain," Spock began, "I do not believe the Chancellor said anything 
about toys."
	Kirk cursed inwardly.  Damn Spock and his logic.  If there was one 
problem with Vulcans, it was that they had no idea of trickery.  But 
still, Kirk continued, as if Spock never spoke.  "I do not believe that 
warrants use of a priority signal."
	The Chancellor was flustered, to say the least.  But he still argued 
his case.  "Captain, the Klingon counsil to negotiate peace will arrive 
within the day.  We cannot have giant robots running amuck!"
	Klingons.  They were going to negotiate an alliance with the Zenarians.  
And they were coming to do so in less than six hours.  Damn the 
Klingons.  Klingons were always interfering.
	"Chancellor Tellarus, I understand your position, but keep in mind the 
Klingons are enemies of the Federation; we really have no desire to 
assist in getting them allies."
	All the bridge crew were taken aback by this statement.  It was a huge 
breach of the Prime Directive.  They were required to assist Zenarus if 
they needed it.  However, only one crew member would dare state this 
fact in front of the Chancellor.
	And he did.
	"Captain, the Prime Directive states...."
	Kirk turned around to cut off Spock from saying the rest.  He gave 
Spock an icy glare.  Even a Vulcan understood that.  Or maybe it was his 
human half.  Whatever it was, he shut up.
	But Kirk knew when he was losing a battle.  He sighed and dropped his 
shoulders.  "Chancellor Tellarus, I will send down a Security Team..... 
a single team..... to investigate these 'metallic beings' of yours.  If 
they do not come up with anything in two hours, the Enterprise will 
leave this sector.  Understood?"
	Tellarus looked happy, but it was a faked sort of happy.  The kind of 
happy that was used so he would at least get part of what he wanted.  
"Captain, that's very generous of you."
	Kirk nodded.  He had a mocking half smile.  "I'm glad you approve.  
Enterprise out."
	And Kirk did keep his word.  He did send down a Security team of four 
men.  But he had no idea that he would find what he did.

Kirk sat in his ready room staring at a computer screen.  It contained 
a map of Zenarus, including a monitor of where his security team was.  
Even now he regretted sending down that team.  The crew of the 
Enterprise was not meant for wild-goose chases.  They were meant for 
daring adventure.  They were meant to explore strange new worlds, to 
seek out new life and new civilization, to boldly go where no man has 
gone before.  Instead they were looking for tin cans.  How ironic.  The 
Klingons would just love to hear that the Federation put top priority on 
such garbage.  
	The door in his ready room chimed.  Kirk looked up from his monitor.  
"Come," he said.  The doors whooshed open and Spock entered, looking  
unemotional as ever.
	"You wanted to see me, sir?"  Spock asked, as if he had no idea what 
for.  Kirk nodded and gestured toward a chair in front of his desk.  
Spock sat.
	"Mr. Spock," Kirk began, choosing his words slowly, 
"Your.....performance on the bridge requires somewhat of an overhaul."
	Spock raised an eyebrow quizically.  "Captain?  I was under the 
impression my performance on the bridge conformed to regulations."
	Kirk sighed.  Spock really didn't get it.  "Your performance, Mr. 
Spock, is exactly regulation."
	Spock thought this was sensless, as there was no real need to be here 
now.  "Than what is the problem, Captain?"
	Kirk didn't know where to begin.  Still, he had to phrase it precisely, 
or it would go right over Spock's too damn logical head.  "Spock, 
sometimes...." Kirk paused a moment, then chastised himself.  It 
shouldn't be this hard, he thought.  After all, I'm the Captain.  
"Spock, sometimes you need to forget regulations.  I am well aware of 
the Prime Directive, I do not require nor do I enjoy being reminded of 
it in front of the crew or others."  Kirk heard an increasing note of 
tension in his own voice.  "I request next time you lodge a compliant 
with me formally, by the regulations.  Do you understand?"
	Spock nodded, unpreturbed by the Captain's anger.  Kirk saw the nod and 
stood up.  He gestured to the door.  "Dismissed, Luitenant," Kirk said.  
Spock stood up and left without any trace of emotion.  Damn it, Kirk 
thought, that didn't go as well as I planned.  "Oh well," Kirk said out 
loud.  "He'll forget about it."  At least, Kirk hoped he would.  Spcok 
was a damned fine officer, one his crew needed.  Still, he needs to 
learn the ropes, Kirk reminded himself.  Suddenly  Kirk through up his 
hands.  "Having an argument with myself?!  Am I getting old already?"
	Preferring not to think about it, Kirk sat down and studied the monitor 
some more.  

Chekov studied the tricorder for the umpteenth time now, and he 
couldn't believe what he was seeing.  He wished they had brought 
Luitenant Spock or Luitenant Scott along; seeing as how they were 
scientists they could decipher this tricorder reading.  Huge levels of 
energy, large traces of metal and metal alloys, immense brainwave 
activity, but....
	No lifeforms for 72 kilometers.
	The brainwave activity had to come from somewhere, and it came from 
about 7 kilometers north.  But there was no one 7 kilometers north.
	How?
	Chekov was frightened.  This was impossible, and just plain eerie.  Of 
course, the Enterprise had encountered many strange things before, but 
this was just odd.
	Chekov had considered contacting Captain Kirk, but Kirk had made it 
explicitly clear on the bridge he did not want to waste time on this 
situation.  Therefore Chekov kept to himself.  After all, he reasoned, 
it could just be an instrument malfunction. 
	So without fanfare Chekov continued leading the security team north, to 
see if there really was something worthy of Starfleet's attention down 
here.  And if there was, Chekov would be famous..... if he was alive.
	Chekov was lost in thought until one of the Crewmen interuppted.  
"Ensign Chekov?  Ensign Chekov?"
	Chekov silently chided himself for becoming so self-involved.  As he 
looked up at the Crewman, he saw he was fixated on his tricorder.  "Yes, 
Crewman?" Chekov asked calmly, silently regretting that he forgot the 
young man's name.  
	"Sir," the Crewman began, "I'm getting four objects coming this way at 
extreme speeds.... they have the mass of shuttlecrafts, but much more 
manueverabilty in atmosphere."
	Chekov checked his own tricorder.  What he saw was by far the most 
amazing thing so far.  He looked up to see if the three Crewmen with him 
saw what he saw.  They did.  "Those brainvave patterns..... are moving 
at the same velocity."
	Chekov took out his communicator and flipped open the top.  As he 
reached for the "On" button, he was prepared to say "Keptin, we've found 
our lifeforms".  He never got it out before they landed.