Paramount Global owns the Star Trek franchise. This is a piece of fan fiction based on Star Trek the Next Generation.

The zoo

    They followed the Emperor to large doors in the side of a mountain. Guards opened the heavy doors for everyone to enter. They saw animals that they had never seen before.

    “This looks like a zoo.” Deanna commented.

    “A zoo?” The Emperor asked.

    “Yes, a zoo. It is a place where animals live in captivity so that people can study them. Even enjoy them without getting hurt.”

    “A zoo. I like that. Write that down, Urent.”

    He bowed and did as he was told.

    They walked through what seemed miles of caged animals. “Oh, look at him. He looks so sad.” Deanna exclaimed. She had stopped in front of a cage with a white Tiger in it. He wasn’t moving. It was hard to tell if he was breathing. There was a dish of food in the corner of the cage that looked untouched. 

    “That is why we don’t let women in the field of science. They tend to let emotions interfere with their work. We tried it once. It was a total failure.”

    “Failure for whom father?” Sera asked. He gave her a stern look.

    Data walked over to the cage, sitting down in the floor in front of it. A little bunny rabbit started jumping all around the tiger.  But the tiger still never moved. This bunny looked like the one that had hopped across his shoe in the holodeck. It hopped out of the cage as if the bars weren’t even there. “Do you have a name?” Data asked. 

    “Yes, Pandora.” The rabbit seemed to sing 

    “Pandora?” He thought for a moment.

     “It speaks.” Sera said breathlessly. “Pandora?”

      Data explained, “in Greek mythology, Pandora was the first woman on Earth. She opened a jar letting all the evil escape and spread over the Earth.”  

     

     “Why would you choose to name an animal Pandora?” Sera questioned. “That sounds horrible.”

    “Who said she chose it?” The rabbit replied. 

    Data voiced, “what are you saying? That you are the Greek’s Pandora?” The rabbit just watched Data as he talked, trying to figure out what she was. “Then that would make the myths true.”

    “Data, there is always truth or at least a moral in myths and rumors.” Deanna suggested. 

    “So, why is Pandora a rabbit?” Data questioned. 

    She was still watching Data. “Ask her.” Sera offered.

    “Okay,” he picked her up. “Pandora, why are you a rabbit?”

   She wiggled her nose. “If you had the power to be anything you wanted to be, what would you become?”

    “I have never thought about being anything but me?” He answered. 

     “You lie.” 

     “Yes,” he agreed. “I have always wanted to be human.”

    “I have been everything. I live their life span then I change into something else. I experience all there is to experience.” He sat her back down on the ground and she hopped off. “Hecate,” she wiggled her nose before hopping out of sight. 

     Mesa gave a side eye to Urent. He motioned to a guard. Data scoffed, “you will not catch her.”

    He looked at the cage. “Open the cage please.” He asked the Emperor. The Emperor walked over to a button on the wall.

    “What are you doing?” Deanna asked.

    “Unlocking the cage.” Mesa replied, looking at her as if she had lost all of her common sense.

    “That is a tiger.”

    “It is alright, Counselor.” Data reassured her.

    “Just because you have a house cat for a pet doesn’t mean you can tame a tiger.”

    Mesa continued to open the cage. 

     Deanna stood next to Worf. The tiger didn’t move. “Hecate?” Data called to her. “Come on girl. Come out. No one is going to hurt you.” She looked at him. “Hecate, do you remember me?”

    She stood up on all fours, shaking her body. She growled softly, slowly stepping out of the cage, walking up the Data, sniffing him. He carefully reached out to pet her. She allowed it before stepping away. In a bright flash of light, she changed into a bird. Everyone was afraid to say anything. She flew into Westerfield’s face. “The road ahead is full of danger. Obtuse souls will come loose. Be warned.” She flew away singing.             

    “Pandora’s Box, Pandora’s Box, someone opened Pandora’s Box.”

    “Data?” Picard asked.

   “Sir?” 

    “Was that a Phoenix that just flew away?”

    “Yes sir.” They continued walking, coming upon a cage that was covered.

    “What is in this cage?” Worf asked.

    “Nothing special.” Urent answered.

    A curiosity swept over Deanna. Data was watching her. “There is something alive there.” She closed her eyes concentrating.

    “Alive?” Mesa asked.

    “Yes, I can feel a faint flicker of life.”

    “What is back there?” Picard asked.

    “Nothing at all.” Urent reassured them.

    Sera, engrossed in her book, leaned against the wall triggering the lock that held the panels in place. The panels slid to either side of the cage exposing a blob, surrounded by gold bars. The gelatinous mass, peach in color. Approximately 6 feet long and 6 feet wide, and looked to be about 4 feet thick.

    “What is that?” Picard asked.

    “I told you it was nothing.” Urent went on.

    Sera bumped into the button again, still appearing to be lost in her book. The bars retracted into the ceiling.

    “That is something.” Deanna stepped closer to it.

    Data stepped up to what he thought was the bottom of it. The blob was laying on a gold slab. “Imprisoned in gold.” He said more to himself than anyone.

    Picard cleared his throat, “Lieutenant Commander Worf will make arrangements for your deceased to be returned to you.”

    “I would like to stay here for a while sir.” Data was still bent over the mass.

    “I will stay with him sir,” Deanna offered.

    “What an excellent idea.” Sera agreed.  

    She received another stern look from her father. However, they left the zoo.