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Description
Star Trek: The Lost Stars
Chapter Four, Part Three (These events take place at the same time as those in Part Two).

Stardate 92020.02 (January 8th 2415. 4:08pm).
Location: Infinite Conversion Facility Twelve, 200 Light Years From The Galactic Centre, Andromeda Galaxy.

+INITIATE+
Captain Brando Cantos, commanding officer of the USS Dauntless, opened his eyes with a start, finding himself lying on his side on a cool surface. Pushing himself up into a sitting position, he looked around only to see nothing beyond the cone of light that shone from above.
+THE PROCESS HAS BEGUN+
++THE SUBJECT IS STRONG WILLED++
+AGREED, BUT HE WILL ACCEPT LIKE THE OTHERS+
The voices came from everywhere at once, but no-one could be seen.
"Who's there? Show yourself!" Getting to his feet, Cantos tapped his communicator. "Cantos to Dauntless!"
No one answered.
"Dauntless respond!"
"Your ship isn't there!"
Spinning, Cantos saw Philip Boyce standing at the edge of the light, arms behind his back. The captain of the Bellerophon looked like he was studying Cantos, like a scientist studied a specimen.
"It fact you aren't even here either!"
Pushing back the almost overwhelming desire to punch Boyce, Cantos clenched his fists tight. "Oh, and where exactly am I, Captain!" He all but spat the words.
"This is all in your mind," said Boyce, indicating the light and the surrounding darkness with a wave of his left hand. "Your physical body is on the Bellerophon, inside one of the cargo bays!"
"If this is in my mind, then why are you here? You sure as hell aren't my conscience!"
"To help you through the conversion process, I'm a guide of sorts!"
"Conversion process?" A feeling of dread filled Cantos.
Boyce smiled. "You and you're crew are to be the newest agents of The Infinite!"
With a cry, Cantos rushed at Boyce, only for his hands to flail at thin air. Boyce was gone, and his fingers touched the dark beyond the light. The burn of extreme cold hit them, and he yanked them back with a hiss of pain. Turning, he saw Boyce on the opposite side of the cone of light. Next to him stood a hulking auburn furred felinoid. Clad in rough looking leathers, the alien towered over Boyce and exuded an aura of undisguised menace. Noticing Cantos' gaze upon it the alien let out a deep throaty growl, it's hackles rising. A tail swished behind it.
"Now Hrrwwl," said Boyce, "be nice to our guest!"
Hrrwwl looked down at Boyce, and Cantos actually found himself hoping that it would tear him apart. Instead it bowed respectively, and stopped growling.
"That's better, now are you here to watch, or is there something you want to say?"
"The conversion process is proceeding smoothly Lord!" Hrrwwl's voice was a bass rumble. "The crew of the Dauntless will ready soon!"
"Leave my crew alone!" Cantos took a few steps towards Boyce, stopping only when the felinoid's golden eyes met his.
Boyce smiled. "It's far too late, for once the process begins it can't be stopped!"
"I can't believe you're doing this," Cantos pointed a finger at Boyce. "You're a Starfleet officer for Gods sake!"
"And I still am, but now I'm more!"
"More? What the hell're you talking about?"
"To put it simply, the Infinite are me, and I am the Infinite!" Boyce grinned. "My eyes have been opened!"
Cantos shook his head. "You're insane!"
The circle of light wavered and started to shrink. Cantos whirled around, remembering the icy touch of the darkness.
"What's happening?"
"I would believe that the conversion process is starting to take hold!" Turning to Hrrwwl, Boyce nodded, and the Voorpak shimmered into nothingness.
Pain stabbed into his head and Cantos staggered, going to one knee. "Aargh!"
Squatting, Boyce tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I guess I forgot to mention the pain didn't I!"
"You...bastard!"
The circle was now half its original size, and Boyce remained inside it, without seeming to move. Getting to his feet again, Cantos glared at the traitorous Commander of the Bellerophon. "You...won't win! The others will stop you!" The light flickered, and the icy burn lanced through him, dropping him the floor for a third time. This time Cantos stayed down.
Standing, Boyce straightened his uniform and looked down at his fellow captain. "Now, this next bit might sting a bit!"
With a final stutter, the light went out, and Cantos screamed in agony as pure unadulterated pain enveloped him.

Opening his eyes with a groan, Cantos saw the walls of a cargo bay facing him. He heard other groans from behind him, but he couldn't turn his head enough to see what was going on. A shimmering metallic harness held him suspended a foot above the deck, arms outstretched to either side.
"Release him."
A dark brown furred Voorpak stepped into view, it's green eyes watching him carefully. Pulling a device from it's belt, it tapped a control with a claw, and the harness unlocked with several clicks. Collapsing to the floor, Cantos felt the vibration of the Bellerophon's engines on standby. On his knees, he looked up as Boyce waved the Voorpak away. It departed with a low, throaty growl, and he watched it go, noticing for the first time the rest of his crew, hung up in harnesses like him through the vast cargo bay.
Standing, Cantos stretched his arms, pushing away the stiffness. Looking at Boyce, whose right hand was close to his phaser, Cantos smiled and nodded at the phaser.
"I don't think you'll be needing that, my friend!" he said. "Our mission is clear."
"And what mission is that?" The hand didn't waver.
Turning to look at his crew, who were being released from their harnesses by Voorpak attendants, Cantos cocked his head, as though listening to someone. He faced Boyce and folded his arms.
"Why, to help the Infinite prepare for the Transfer, and to convert or destroy any who stand in our way!"
+CONVERSION SUCCESSFUL+

To be continued....

Art by Jetfreak.

Description
Star Trek: The Lost Stars
Chapter Four, Part Three (These events take place at the same time as those in Part Two).

Stardate 92020.02 (January 8th 2415. 4:08pm).
Location: Infinite Conversion Facility Twelve, 200 Light Years From The Galactic Centre, Andromeda Galaxy.

+INITIATE+
Captain Brando Cantos, commanding officer of the USS Dauntless, opened his eyes with a start, finding himself lying on his side on a cool surface. Pushing himself up into a sitting position, he looked around only to see nothing beyond the cone of light that shone from above.
+THE PROCESS HAS BEGUN+
++THE SUBJECT IS STRONG WILLED++
+AGREED, BUT HE WILL ACCEPT LIKE THE OTHERS+
The voices came from everywhere at once, but no-one could be seen.
"Who's there? Show yourself!" Getting to his feet, Cantos tapped his communicator. "Cantos to Dauntless!"
No one answered.
"Dauntless respond!"
"Your ship isn't there!"
Spinning, Cantos saw Philip Boyce standing at the edge of the light, arms behind his back. The captain of the Bellerophon looked like he was studying Cantos, like a scientist studied a specimen.
"It fact you aren't even here either!"
Pushing back the almost overwhelming desire to punch Boyce, Cantos clenched his fists tight. "Oh, and where exactly am I, Captain!" He all but spat the words.
"This is all in your mind," said Boyce, indicating the light and the surrounding darkness with a wave of his left hand. "Your physical body is on the Bellerophon, inside one of the cargo bays!"
"If this is in my mind, then why are you here? You sure as hell aren't my conscience!"
"To help you through the conversion process, I'm a guide of sorts!"
"Conversion process?" A feeling of dread filled Cantos.
Boyce smiled. "You and you're crew are to be the newest agents of The Infinite!"
With a cry, Cantos rushed at Boyce, only for his hands to flail at thin air. Boyce was gone, and his fingers touched the dark beyond the light. The burn of extreme cold hit them, and he yanked them back with a hiss of pain. Turning, he saw Boyce on the opposite side of the cone of light. Next to him stood a hulking auburn furred felinoid. Clad in rough looking leathers, the alien towered over Boyce and exuded an aura of undisguised menace. Noticing Cantos' gaze upon it the alien let out a deep throaty growl, it's hackles rising. A tail swished behind it.
"Now Hrrwwl," said Boyce, "be nice to our guest!"
Hrrwwl looked down at Boyce, and Cantos actually found himself hoping that it would tear him apart. Instead it bowed respectively, and stopped growling.
"That's better, now are you here to watch, or is there something you want to say?"
"The conversion process is proceeding smoothly Lord!" Hrrwwl's voice was a bass rumble. "The crew of the Dauntless will ready soon!"
"Leave my crew alone!" Cantos took a few steps towards Boyce, stopping only when the felinoid's golden eyes met his.
Boyce smiled. "It's far too late, for once the process begins it can't be stopped!"
"I can't believe you're doing this," Cantos pointed a finger at Boyce. "You're a Starfleet officer for Gods sake!"
"And I still am, but now I'm more!"
"More? What the hell're you talking about?"
"To put it simply, the Infinite are me, and I am the Infinite!" Boyce grinned. "My eyes have been opened!"
Cantos shook his head. "You're insane!"
The circle of light wavered and started to shrink. Cantos whirled around, remembering the icy touch of the darkness.
"What's happening?"
"I would believe that the conversion process is starting to take hold!" Turning to Hrrwwl, Boyce nodded, and the Voorpak shimmered into nothingness.
Pain stabbed into his head and Cantos staggered, going to one knee. "Aargh!"
Squatting, Boyce tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I guess I forgot to mention the pain didn't I!"
"You...bastard!"
The circle was now half its original size, and Boyce remained inside it, without seeming to move. Getting to his feet again, Cantos glared at the traitorous Commander of the Bellerophon. "You...won't win! The others will stop you!" The light flickered, and the icy burn lanced through him, dropping him the floor for a third time. This time Cantos stayed down.
Standing, Boyce straightened his uniform and looked down at his fellow captain. "Now, this next bit might sting a bit!"
With a final stutter, the light went out, and Cantos screamed in agony as pure unadulterated pain enveloped him.

Opening his eyes with a groan, Cantos saw the walls of a cargo bay facing him. He heard other groans from behind him, but he couldn't turn his head enough to see what was going on. A shimmering metallic harness held him suspended a foot above the deck, arms outstretched to either side.
"Release him."
A dark brown furred Voorpak stepped into view, it's green eyes watching him carefully. Pulling a device from it's belt, it tapped a control with a claw, and the harness unlocked with several clicks. Collapsing to the floor, Cantos felt the vibration of the Bellerophon's engines on standby. On his knees, he looked up as Boyce waved the Voorpak away. It departed with a low, throaty growl, and he watched it go, noticing for the first time the rest of his crew, hung up in harnesses like him through the vast cargo bay.
Standing, Cantos stretched his arms, pushing away the stiffness. Looking at Boyce, whose right hand was close to his phaser, Cantos smiled and nodded at the phaser.
"I don't think you'll be needing that, my friend!" he said. "Our mission is clear."
"And what mission is that?" The hand didn't waver.
Turning to look at his crew, who were being released from their harnesses by Voorpak attendants, Cantos cocked his head, as though listening to someone. He faced Boyce and folded his arms.
"Why, to help the Infinite prepare for the Transfer, and to convert or destroy any who stand in our way!"
+CONVERSION SUCCESSFUL+

To be continued....

Art by Jetfreak.