It was Ensign Dreke's night shift. Captain Lataro was in command, Dreke was at tactical fidgeting with a rubber band, and Jenara was at the science console scanning happily, Patrick Matthews was at engineering checking things over and over again, David McAllister was at the helm pressing buttons. Another typical day on the bridge. In orbit around Nipron II, the ship was vibrating slightly with the propulsion engines pushing the ship along.
The ship started shaking. "Sir, propulsion is malfunctioning for some reason," Patrick said.
"I'm reading extra life signs in engineering," Dreke said, dropping his rubber band.
"Dreke, Patrick, check it out," Lataro said.
"Aye sir," they said just like twins.
"Nothing here. Start looking for life signs," Patrick said.
"Wait a second. I will not take orders from a warrant officer."
"Okay, lets just look," Patrick said.
Dreke was looking and scanning when he heard Patrick say, "Dreke. Check this out. What are they?"
Dreke walked around the corner and gasped. "Oh my, sto'vo'kor guardians!"
"What?" Patrick asked.
"There is no time to waste! They are tribbles!" Dreke feared few things and tribbles was one of them. "Engineering to bridge." [Beep beep.] "Captain Lataro, have science bring a containment box to engineering, we have tribbles! Oh no! They are multiplying!" Dreke moaned.
Before the containment arrived, the tribbles took over the ship. Dreke was wedged between two legions of tribbles. He could barely breathe. "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"
"Ahhhhhh!" Dreke woke up sweating in his bed. "Oh thank God, it was only a dream." He realized that he was late and ran to the bridge. He started flicking a rubber band and noticed rumbling....