Dr. Egan, after retrieving some items from the pharmacy, was walking through the ship, taking random turns, though not sure as to whether there was really anything random about the universe.
Hence, when his communicator began squawking, he dove to the ground for fear of being yanked from his feet by a swarm of winged monkeys, and taken to their secret lair.
Realizing he may have been overreacted, he studied the mechanism on his wrist as it chirped repeatedly. The flashing red light on the side caught his attention, and he depressed the button in order to summon
the genie.
"Dr. Egan", an unremarkable, though vaguely familiar voice sounded from the device, "you are needed in the Detention Unit at once."
The bewildered physician scrambled to his feet, desperate to put some distance between himself and the possessed device, and began running down the hall, careening off of imaginary obstacles along the way.
"Do you copy, Dr. Egan", the voice came again, sending him further into his delusional abyss, as leprechauns danced lazily around his head, chanting "dradle-dradl-dradle". And then. ..all was
still.
"Dr. Egan! Do you copy", Schultz virtually shouted over his communicator.
"What?!?", Egan spat back, wondering what the uppity Huckster had stuck in his craw this time.
"Report to the Detention Unit!!"
"Alright, alright", the doctor acknowledged, "get a grip." He looked around to orient himself, and noted with pleasure that he was only a few compartments from his prescribed destination.
He pulled a pharmaceutical guide from his lab coat and began thumbing through it as he strode casually through the Escort's corridors. Coming to a page he'd dog-eared earlier, he drew four stars next to one
of the unpronounceable names.
