Deep Shit 69 - Chapter 1-3

JST: Are you OK, Doctor?
BSH: I,...I'm just fine. Have we met before, um, ma'am?
JST: No, we haven't. I'm Lieutenant Justa Broad, the new Science Officer. You're Dr. Bashful, aren't you?
BSH: I...how did you know my name, Lieutenant?
JST: I checked the roster before I came to see the Commander. And you can skip the Academy protocol and call me Justa.
BSH: OK. If you'll excuse me,..Justa, I, uh, need to check into the medical center. I guess I'll catch you at the briefing?
JST: Sure thing, Julius.

She smiled as she watched the young officer walk away from her, seemingly on Cloud Nine. She turned and entered the command office. Krisko smiled as she entered, having watched the previous encounter with some amusement.

KRS: I take it you've met our new doctor, Broad?
JST: It's "Justa" now, Benjamin.
KRS: Decided on a change of scenery, hmm?
JST: Nah. Notta finally wore out, so I had to make a switch. This body was the next available one.
KRS: I wonder if the good doctor knows you're a Shrill?
JST: He'll find out in good time. Now, do you want to go over this place and make a plan of action?
KRS: I don't even know where to start. The Hardassians left this place as little more than a bare hull! It'll take Starfleet weeks to shuttle in the needed parts!
JST: What about the Majorans? Can they get anything here quicker?
KRS: O'Brother says they've been trying their damnedest, but they lack the resources, too.
JST (Sighing) Well, anytime you're ready, Benjamin.

The pair exited the command room and walked back into the chaos that was the Operations Center. After conferring with Major Keepyer, a decision was made to check out the Boardwalk, first. As they made their way past all sorts of Majorans, both civilian and military, they were confronted by an elderly Majoran cleric. He made the traditional Majoran greeting to Krisko and Justa before he spoke.

CLR: The Prophets greet you, Emissary.
KRS: Hello to you, too, sir.
CLR: Soon, your time will come. The Prophets have foreseen this.
KRS: I'm afraid I don't understand. My time will come?
CLR: You will go to the Hall of the Prophets. It will be soon.
KRS: I'm still confused.
CLR: (muttering) Prophets-be-damned stupid nigger! If you seek wisdom, seek out her Holiness, Kai Impala.

With that, the cleric walked away from the confused duo. Krisko stared at his Science Officer, who simply shrugged.

KRS: What was that all about?
JST: The Kai, Impala, is the spiritual leader of the Majorans. Their religion is based on the words of "the Prophets." As the story goes, these Prophets have been sending out crystal icons to the Majorans for millennia. They just "appear" out of nothingness. Those who make contact with these crystals experience some kind of ecstasy, filling them will all kinds of spiritual stuff. The Kai eventually became the only one permitted to contact these crystals and interpret the messages.
KRS: Uh,...yeah. Any truth to all this?
JST: Starfleet investigated some of the stories. The interesting part is this thing about "sudden appearances." Scientists think this may possibly be a spatial asshole manifesting itself.
KRS: You mean "wormhole," don't you?
JST: No. Actually, Starfleet categorizes this as an asshole because nothing but shit keeps coming out of it.

Krisko let the joke pass without comment. After a perfunctory inspection of the Boardwalk and a brief run-in with Quirk, the Ferengi who ran the local saloon, Krisko found himself still puzzled and disturbed by the Majoran clerics comments. Lieutenant Broad suggested he get this off his chest and follow the cleric's advice and visit the Kai. After making the appropriate arrangements, including returning command over to Major Keepyer, Krisko and Justa boarded a shuttlecraft and made for the Majoran homeworld,

What will Krisko find on Majora? Will he uncover the secrets of the galactic asshole? Tune in to Part II of this stirring saga for the answers.