Inside the holodeck once more, Peter Parker decided to test his skills. There was a lecture for all cadets on board in an hour, and Peter had this time to himself. Sitting through a lecture was alright with him, since he cared very much about his duties and even found the scientific aspect of his position fascinating. Yet, he was an acting ensign, and Spider-Man to boot. It took far more than a lecture about things he already knew to excite him. Tomorrow night’s date with Liz, on the other hand…he put it out of his head in order to focus on the current order of business.
On his way to the holodeck there was yet another bulletin from Captain Picard on the wall screens, denouncing Spider-Man and asking all crewmembers to be on the lookout for him. Peter took this to be a further sign that he needed to stay sharp. Thus his holodeck recreation of the ship…
He was perched outside of the door to engineering when he saw three men sneak inside. They appeared to be unsavory types, so he clung to the opposite wall and snared them all with webbing. They were pulled toward him with little effort and dispatched with a single punch each, and then he disappeared into the Jeffries tubes before security arrived. It was far too easy.
He watched through the hatch as the team picked up the three would-be criminals and hauled them to the brig, looking around in an attempt to catch a glimpse of the man behind the webbing. And then someone else marched past…someone on a mission.
He wore a green shirt with black stripes, brown pants and had a large, squarish head. His hair was brown and bore an odd pattern akin to cornrows. Whoever he was, he wasn’t a part of the program. Peter stalked him down the corridor from above and watched him with interest, wondering just where in the hell he came from.
“Aw, forget it. Computer, where did that man come from?”
“Unknown,” was all the computer offered in reply.
“Delete him,” Peter demanded.
“Unable to comply. He is not a hologram.”
“What?” Peter jumped down into the hall and faced this new adversary, shining his new toy on him to give him a scare--it was a spider-signal, essentially a colored light which resembled his facemask. Whoever it was turned on him with anger, his teeth clenched and his body tense.
“Who are you?!” Peter asked.
“I didn’t expect a welcoming committee, but, since you asked…I call myself…The Sandman! Now then, any other dumb questions?”
“The Sandman! I heard of you--but I thought the reports were just a joke! If what they say about you is true, you’re wanted by Starfleet from Risa to Vulcan!”
The newcomer pushed past him as if to leave. “Very interestin’! Now get lost! I got me a couple of parts to steal and I don’t wanna work overtime!”
But Spider-Man grabbed him from behind. “Hold it, gruesome! Nobody gives Spider-Man the bum’s rush!”
“You’re gonna get worse than that if you don’t leggo! Think I’m kiddin’, huh?” Sandman said as he struggled to move forward. “Okay, let’s see how you hold onto me now!”
With that, his entire body seemed to reshape itself.
He…he’s slipping through my fingers…just like soft sand!
“I don’t know how you managed to do that, but--”
“That? That’s kid stuff! You ain’t seen nothin’ yet!” The Sandman was reforming, free of Spider-Man’s grasp and smiling with satisfaction.
Spider-Man stubbornly threw a punch at him, only to have his fist penetrate right through Sandman’s back without doing him any harm.
“Now do you see why they call me Sandman?”
“It’s unbelievable! Your body isn’t flesh and blood…my fist goes right through you…without hurting you!”
“But I can hurt you, pal! All I do is harden any part of me that I want to…like this!”
He stood as if posing, his chin outthrust, and Spider-Man naively took the cue and punched him in the jaw.
“Ugh! Your jaw is like iron!”
“And how’s this?” The Sandman smiled, knocking him down by extending his stomach. “No hands!”
“Oof!” He can change his body as easily as Mister Fantastic…only Sandman isn’t on our side!
Spider-Man tumbled over a console and took a moment to right himself.
“Don’t go ‘way, chum!” Sandman heckled. “The party’s only startin’!”
But Peter sat up and noticed, to his dismay…
Oh no! I tore my face mask! Can’t let anyone see me like this! It’ll be the end of my secret identity! Even if I could, I don’t dare capture him now! He would reveal my identity to Captain Picard just to get back at me! If I’m locked up, experimented on, whatever happens to me…what will happen to Aunt May?
He made a quick decision, the only one he could under the circumstances, and ran like hell for the arch.
“Come back here, ya blamed coward! The Amazing Spider-Man, bah!”
I’ve got to get away! Can’t take a chance of him recognizing me! The risks are too great!
“He’s gone! Now I’ll just get back to business!” The Sandman slipped the door to the holodeck open only partway and then went through the crack a few grains at a time, so as to avoid attracting the attention of passersby. Don’t know how I ended up in the blamed holodeck, but this time I’ll get it right. Got me a date with engineering. Gonna grab me some dilithium crystals and be rich!
It was no mean feat for him to get into engineering right under the noses of the officers on duty, moving through the carpet fibers and spread out over a wide area. He then formed in front of the warp core and went right through the protective shielding without a problem. He opened the hatch, ignored the alarm and snatched the crystals, then carried them off the same way he’d entered, only this time he went for the Jeffries tubes. By the time the engineering night shift noticed exactly what had happened, Sandman was long gone.
Meanwhile, in the quarters of Peter Parker, Enterprise acting Ensign…we find Peter, alias Spider-Man, wrestling with an unusual problem for a superhero…
“If this doesn’t take the cake…! I can’t go out in public as Spider-Man until my mask is sewn up, and when it comes to sewing, I’m all thumbs! This is ridiculous! I’m no seamstress! But I’ve got to do it myself!”
Just then, the computer chimed with the result of an important search he’d been running. He wandered over to it with his mask, needle and thread and sat down to read what had appeared on the screen.
The Sandman’s dossier, at least the parts which had been declassified, described him as an inmate in the Starfleet prison in New Zealand. Known as Flint Marko, he was the most incorrigible inmate in the facility. One night he escaped through what used to be a drainage tunnel. Vowing never to be recaptured alive, he headed Starfleet’s most wanted list and managed to remain one step ahead of Starfleet security. But, as their dragnet drew ever tighter, he hid in the one place where no one would imagine a man would hide--a weapons testing center. Realizing it was the only place where he could have a measure of safety, he remained on the lonely, terraformed, forbidden-area asteroid until the fateful day that a radiation leak caught him unawares. By some incredible accident, the molecules of his body merged at that radioactive instant with molecules of sand under his feet, and his body took on the qualities of the sand itself--becoming virtually indestructible.
Much more interesting than the lecture earlier, which Peter had sat through in a sort of dreamlike trance, this was immediately relevant. He stored the information away, despite the fact that he really couldn’t see what good it was going to do him, and then he discovered the report that the ship’s dilithium crystals had been snatched.
“Great.”
“What do you mean, your Dilithium Crystals were stolen?!” Jameson wailed at Picard through the computer screen.
Picard inwardly groaned and shifted in his seat. “As far as we can tell, a being which is perhaps silicon-based has made off with them, but we do not believe he has had the capacity to depart the ship. I am engaged in the search for him and will not rest until this being is detained.”
Jameson leaned forward. “Did you not hear what happened the other day? By God, Picard, keep your ears open to the news, will you?! The Sandman escaped! This isn’t a damned Horta you’ve got running around on your ship! It’s the honest-to-God Sandman! What’s more, he’s probably working in cahoots with that Spider-Man! What an awful ship you run, Picard. What an awful ship. That cadet…Parker…”
“He’s been promoted, sir,” Picard interjected, and lived to regret it.
“Promot--of all the ludicrous--he hasn’t taken a SINGLE PICTURE yet!! He’s supposed to be actively seeking out Spider-Man and capturing his image so we can study it! Picard, I want you to assign a cadet to the bridge on the double, to serve as Parker’s liason. This cadet will follow and collate all incidents in which Spider-Man takes part. They will assist in coordinating efforts to take him down once and for all--and they’ll make sure Parker does his damn job!”
“Understood, sir.”
“Good. Now shut the hell up and get busy.”
Peter passed by Flash and their mutual friend Liz in the corridor. On his approach, they were saying, “Hey, you’re not serious about having a date with Puny Parker tonight, are you?”
“Well, the poor guy has asked me so many times I just didn’t have the heart to refuse him again, Flash!”
I’ll have to find a way to pick up the trail of Sandman again after my shift today, Peter idly thought.
“Hello, Peter! What time will you pick me up tonight?”
Liz brought him up short. I forgot all about my date with Liz tonight! I’ll have to break it!
“Jeez, Liz, I’m sorry! I can’t make it! Something kinda important came up!”
“Lucky for you, Liz!” Flash butted in. “Now you can go out with a real man--namely, me!”
The pair started to walk away from Peter, who stammered, “Gee, don’t be angry, Liz! You see, I--I have to work on a project for Doctor Connors, and--”
“PETER PARKER! You’re the best at what you do in that lab. If you can’t spare one evening for a date then I’m sorry for you. Goodbye!”
Sometimes I think I oughta have my head examined for stickin’ to this Spider-Man bit! I’m beginning to think a secret identity is for the birds! I wonder if my spider power is affecting my brain also. Nothing I do seems to turn out right!
Betty Brant shuffled nervously from foot to foot as the lift ascended toward the bridge. No, she chided herself, prematurely embarrassed. This is space, remember? Oh, you’ll get used to it. No up and down in space, not really, it’s all just relative motion with regard to--
The turbolift doors whooshed open and her breath caught briefly before she inhaled deeply and stepped lightly onto the bridge. The place was deathly quiet as officers went about their normal tasks with diligence. She had heard just like most of the other cadets about the missing dilithium crystals, so she knew that the ship was in the midst of a crisis. You wouldn’t have known that from looking around the bridge, at the seasoned professionals going about their tasks. She looked from one person to the other. Here was the large, intimidating Klingon, Mr. Worf, engaged in some task at the security console which furrowed his immense brow. There was Tasha Yar, his boss, looking over his shoulder with scrutiny. Up front sat Commander Riker. He occupied the Captain’s chair, and at the sound of the turbolift he casually glanced back at Cadet Brant.
“You must be the new Spider-Man liason,” Riker said without preamble, getting up to stride her way. Her breath caught in her throat when he got close, his hard but sensitive eyes taking her in within a moment.
“Um…yeah, yes. Yes, sir.”
“You sure about that?” His voice was stern, but there was the glimmer of amusement in his eyes.
“Absolutely, sir, sorry, sir.”
“Very good. Let me show you to your console. You’ll occupy computer terminal three, here at the back of the bridge.” He led her over to the console and activated it for her. “All you need to do is act as a secondary monitor for security, but focused specifically on Spider-Man’s activities. Work with Cadet Parker on capturing images and relaying them to Admiral Jameson.” He paused.
“I understand,” Brant nodded.
“Good.” Now, leaning on the console with one hand, Riker leaned forward to whisper, “Now just do me one other favor, Cadet. Do your best to stay out of the Captain’s way. In other words, Spider-Man’s not the priority that he and Jameson make him out to be. As far as I can tell, the guy’s helped us out a couple times and we owe him one.” Then he straightened up and smoothed his uniform, and spoke loudly and sharply once again. “Is that clear, Cadet?”
This time her nod was significantly less crisp, as was her verbal response. “It is, sir.”
As the time approached for the date that wasn’t going to happen, Peter wondered what in the world he would do instead. There was always plenty to study and there were always plenty of holodeck scenarios to run, but his mind was on the capture of the elusive Sandman. The Sandman was presumably still aboard the ship, unless of course he had some way of transporting off of it, and somewhere close to transport to. Peter mulled this over as he and other Cadets were led into one of the ship’s many transporter rooms.
“This, Cadets, is an important place,” Lieutenant Connors was explaining. “The transporters are as delicate as they are effective. One wrong move and you could scatter someone across the vacuum of space.”
Outside the room, Sandman was on the run from security officers. He was going to take them out until they spotted him and leveled their phasers at him. Phasers on the right setting were still dangerous enough to hurt even him. So he turned tail and made a beeline straight for one of the transporter rooms. With the device he’d laid his hands on he would be able to amplify the transporter and get back to where he’d come from. Except…
Uh oh…the blamed room is packed!
He let the doors shut behind him as one instructor and several stunned students stood staring at him in shock, and then he opened the panel next to the door and locked it.
“It’s the Sandman!” Connors cried. He immediately tapped his combadge. “Connors to--”
Sandman reached out and slapped the badge off of his chest. “Howzabout we just do this between us? No need for security or anyone else to get in the way. I want you to let me outta this tin can. Show me how to get around your transporter console and maybe I’ll let you and the kids out in one piece!”
Connors held his head up in the face of the supervillain’s threats. “I’ll not betray my trust or my duties. If you want to get out of here, it’s going to be on a prison ship!”
“Wow,” one of the Cadets exclaimed to the others, “listen to him stand up to the Sandman!”
Sandman wasn’t having it. “That’s what you think, mister!” He grabbed the collar of Connors’ uniform and drew his fist back. “I’m gonna teach you a little lesson right now!”
But behind the transporter console, Peter Parker stripped down to his Spider-Man costume and emerged to join the fray! He leapt at Sandman and landed a full-force blow to his face, sending the man of sand sprawling.
“You’ve got that backwards, loudmouth!” He declared. “You’re the one who’s got a lot to learn!”
“This sure has studying physics beat!” Flash Thompson cheered. “Go get ‘im, Spider-Man!”
“Give ‘im one for us, pal!” Another Cadet chimed in.
Wonder if they’d cheer so loud if they knew it was “Puny” Peter Parker they’re cheering, Peter thought.
“That was a real dramatic entrance, Spider-Man,” Sandman told him. “But enjoy it while you can--because this time you ain’t gettin’ away from me so easy!”
I’ve got to get him away from here! Can’t take a chance on any of these kids getting hurt while we’re fighting! But maybe I can quickly floor him with one punch…uh oh! Not a chance! My spider-sense is telling me he’s making his body rock-hard again! I’d just bust my hand trying! Instead I’ll do the unexpected! I’ll grab him in a wrestler’s hold before he can change the structure of his physical makeup…and flip him over my head--like this!
“Happy landings, braggart!” was all Spider-Man said as he tossed The Sandman at the doors to the room like a sandbag. At that moment, Connors had overridden the lock and gotten them to open, and Sandman flew straight through.
Perfect! I got him out of the room. Now to find a way to stop him so that security can--
His spider-sense went into overdrive as three phaser blasts erupted in their direction. He leapt away and clung to one wall, then the other, desperate to get out of the line of fire. There were security personnel on both sides firing at them, and Sandman was losing cohesion as he was struck again and again.
“This is your fault, Spider-Man!”
Tasha Yar led the assault with Worf in charge of the team on the opposite side of the corridor.
“Change your phaser settings!” she commanded her team. “Set them to kill and take out The Sandman, it’s the only way! He won’t die!”
Spider-Man took that as his cue to bug out. He sprang for the open transporter room door and dove back inside.
“Where’d Parker go?” Flash Thompson asked the assemblage. None of them knew where Peter had disappeared to in the tumult. Liz simply huffed and continued to stare resolutely out into the corridor, where she watched Sandman felled by a barrage of phaser blasts which reduced his body piece by agonizing piece. He didn’t die, but he dropped the dilithium crystals and was too weak to escape.
While the security detail closed in on Sandman, Peter regained his uniform and concealed his mask. It was none too soon, also, because…
“Ensign Parker?”
Peter tapped his badge. “Parker here.”
“This is Cadet Brant, on the bridge. I understand there’s a firefight going on down there. Has Spider-Man been involved?”
The others were staring at him now, both wondering where he came from and wondering what this was all about.
“Um…why, yes, he was involved in the fight until the security team neutralized Sandman, and then he…he left.”
“I see. And did you happen to get any pictures of him?”
“I’m afraid I didn’t. I’m uh, I’m sorry. It was way too dangerous and it all happened so suddenly that I…”
“Not a problem, Ensign. Just my duty to ask, is all.”
With that, the communication was over. Peter frowned in confusion along with the rest of the room, and then Sandman was collected by placing him inside a stasis field and beaming him to the brig.
It was all too simple, and as the class left the transporter room after the tour was resumed, Peter sulked. How could he have let The Sandman go twice? Sure, the first time he didn’t know what he was dealing with. And the second time he only failed because security had shown up to apprehend him. Sure, okay. But it was all so damned frustrating! He wasn’t practicing in the holodeck for the eventuality that Starfleet officers would be shooting at him! No, he was brushing up on his skills mainly so that he could be of assistance to the ship and her captain.
Hell’s bells, he thought ruefully. It’s gonna be one heck of a hard road for me.
But he caught sight of Liz and all his worries evaporated. With Sandman dealt with, I can take her out after all!
“Wait up, Liz!” He held up his hand for her attention. Seeing as she was in the company of Flash Thompson and his pack of cronies, however, he estimated that he had little chance of garnering favor.
She folded her arms and scowled back at him. A female friend smiled and said, “Well, well, look who’s here. Mr. Bookworm of 2364.”
“Now that the fighting’s over you finally come out of hiding, eh?” Flash taunted him.
“What is it, Peter?” Liz asked him scornfully. “I happen to be quite busy.”
“Don’t be angry, Liz! I just wanted to tell you that I can take you out tonight after all!”
“Really? Perhaps we should declare this a national holiday! Sorry, Mr. Parker, but I have made other plans!”
“Meaning yours truly, punk!” Flash laughed. “Now run along and find your umbrella!”
Peter lost it. He stepped forcefully toward Flash and put his hand on the bully’s arm, ready to pounce. “You brainless loudmouth! You’ve insulted me for the last time! I’m gonna wipe that stupid leer off your face right now!”
Flash couldn’t help but be amused by the proceedings, even as he braced himself. “Well, well! So the worm finally turned, eh? Okay, worm, I’ve been waiting for this!”
Unfortunately, Peter’s conscience kicked in. Wait! What am I doing?! I can’t afford to lose my temper like this! With the strength of Spider-Man, if I get into a fight with a normal guy, I could pulverize him!
“Aww, forget it! You’re not even worth the trouble! I’ve got more important things to do!” Though he was still trembling with rage, he appeared more dejected than anything, slumping his shoulders and looking for all the world like he might cry.
“Sure, things like chickening out of fights and hiding whenever there’s trouble! Things like that can keep a fella real busy, can’t they, Petey boy?”
“Would you like us to give you a security escort back to your quarters?” One of Flash’s cronies crooned, grabbing Peter by the arm. “Mebbe we could--hey! What gives? You oughta feel his arm under this uniform, Flash! Parker’s got muscles like a weightlifter!”
Flash and Liz were already walking away, unconcerned. Liz turned up her nose and said, “Hmmph! Too bad he doesn’t have courage to match!”
“You said it, Liz!” Flash added. “Come on, let’s go! This company’s borin’ me!”
Now even Liz thinks I’m a coward. That sure is pretty hard to take!
“So long, brainwave!” Flash continued to tease him from a short distance. “Don’t let any kindergarten kids run away with your books!”
“That’s enough, Flash!” Liz finally piped up in Peter’s defense. “You don’t have to be that cruel to Peter!”
“Women! I thought you were mad at ‘im!”
Peter retired to Ten-Forward to drown his sorrows in a root beer, and all around him he could hear commentary about Spider-Man. He caught snippets of random conversations all around him.
“Well, it looks like Spider-Man helped catch The Sandman!”
“According to Captain Picard, Spider-Man is just as bad as he is!”
“The Captain says that Spider-Man has no business trying to catch criminals by himself!”
“If you ask me, that’s right! Who knows when Spider-Man may turn against society!”
“What would make a guy wear a goofy costume and run around chasin’ bad guys?”
“I dunno! He must be a neurotic of some sort! Probably has delusions of grandeur!”
Could they be right? Am I really some sort of crackpot, wasting my time seeking fame and glory? Am I more interested in the adventure of being Spider-Man than I am in helping people? Why do I do it? Why don’t I give the whole thing up? And yet I can’t! I must have been given this great power for a reason! No matter how difficult it is, I must remain as Spider-Man! And I pray that someday the world will understand!
“You know you can’t get drunk on root beer,” Wesley joked as he sat down across from Peter. “What’s with you, Pete? You seem so depressed all the time. Let me know if I can help, okay?”
Peter forced a smile for his friend. “It’s this day-in, day-out struggle to be greater than I am. I’m part of Starfleet, and Starfleet demands so much that I barely have time for anything else.” It was a half-lie, but it was necessary for now.
“Look, at least the Captain recognizes how hard you’re working.”
“No, he doesn’t have the slightest idea. I was supposed to get pictures of Spider-Man in action. I’m supposed to be the one person on the entire ship who can do that, and I chickened out today. They’ve even got some cadet up on the bridge who’s been in contact with me. She’s there just to filter the pics and information I provide and pass it all on to Admiral Jameson.”
Wesley couldn’t hide his grin. “A girl, huh?”
Peter rolled his eyes. “Please. Don’t talk to me about girls.”
“Oh, what? You’re gonna give up without even trying? Have you seen her yet?”
“Not yet.”
“Well you can get onto the bridge now, so I think you should go talk to her in person.”
“What’s the point?”
“The point is that you’ve got nothing to lose. Look, think of it as making sure that you’re familiar with the details of your duty. You should know the person you’re working with. Just go up there, say hi and get to know her.”
It didn’t take long from there to convince Peter that he had nothing better to do for the remainder of his evening. His date was worse than cancelled, and he could either spend all his time regretting it or he could move on. Move on he did.
“Um, hi,” he began, and then cleared his throat. Cadet Brant glanced up from her console and then smiled warmly at Peter.
“Hello. Can I help you? Um…sir?” She was chagrined when she noticed that he was an acting ensign, but he paid it no mind. He was more embarrassed than she was, with absolutely nothing in mind to say. “I, um, I’m sorry, it’s just that there’s not really a lot for me to do here, so I was…” she looked at her hands, folded in her lap, and then glanced back up just with her eyes. “I was playing a game?”
“That’s okay…” Peter began, fumbling for words. “I’m Peter Par--Acting Ensign Parker. I just thought I should come up here and introduce myself.”
Now she seemed a little more at ease. “Oh! Yeah. Yes. Hello. Sir.”
He stopped himself short of telling her that she didn’t have to call him “sir”. That kind of talk in Starfleet could get one in trouble, at least prior to one’s ascent to captaincy. Instead he simply said, “So…uh, thanks. Thanks for being here and for…monitoring things.”
What he really wanted to say was “Please don’t get Spider-Man into any trouble if you can help it,” but that would land them both in hot water.
“Not a problem, sir.”
He turned and walked away, and boarded the turbolift feeling more apprehensive than he had when he’d come. This was unprecedented in Starfleet. An officer on the bridge just to deal with him? Where was the Q liason officer, for crying out loud? Things were going to be very different in the days and months ahead. He hoped that Spider-Man would be able to remain in secret, to come out when needed and save the ship from whatever menace came calling next. The Doc Ocks and Sandmans of the galaxy would not rest, and neither should he. If Captain Picard had his way, Spider-Man would be neutralized, and then what would happen? What would happen to Peter, to his Starfleet career, to his Aunt May? Would a supervillain come and destroy the ship, kill the crew? Tasha Yar was an excellent security chief, but she was only human and vulnerable as a result.
Peter shook his head. The crew had dealt with these threats as effectively as he had. He’d simply gotten there first. When the security team came around, or someone like Data found a means to save the day, well, Spider-Man was a bit redundant, wasn’t he? But Peter denied this. He had power and he was meant to use it. Nonetheless, tensions were rising and things were changing. The dance between Spider-Man and the law of the land was about to become far more intimate…
On his way to the holodeck there was yet another bulletin from Captain Picard on the wall screens, denouncing Spider-Man and asking all crewmembers to be on the lookout for him. Peter took this to be a further sign that he needed to stay sharp. Thus his holodeck recreation of the ship…
He was perched outside of the door to engineering when he saw three men sneak inside. They appeared to be unsavory types, so he clung to the opposite wall and snared them all with webbing. They were pulled toward him with little effort and dispatched with a single punch each, and then he disappeared into the Jeffries tubes before security arrived. It was far too easy.
He watched through the hatch as the team picked up the three would-be criminals and hauled them to the brig, looking around in an attempt to catch a glimpse of the man behind the webbing. And then someone else marched past…someone on a mission.
He wore a green shirt with black stripes, brown pants and had a large, squarish head. His hair was brown and bore an odd pattern akin to cornrows. Whoever he was, he wasn’t a part of the program. Peter stalked him down the corridor from above and watched him with interest, wondering just where in the hell he came from.
“Aw, forget it. Computer, where did that man come from?”
“Unknown,” was all the computer offered in reply.
“Delete him,” Peter demanded.
“Unable to comply. He is not a hologram.”
“What?” Peter jumped down into the hall and faced this new adversary, shining his new toy on him to give him a scare--it was a spider-signal, essentially a colored light which resembled his facemask. Whoever it was turned on him with anger, his teeth clenched and his body tense.
“Who are you?!” Peter asked.
“I didn’t expect a welcoming committee, but, since you asked…I call myself…The Sandman! Now then, any other dumb questions?”
“The Sandman! I heard of you--but I thought the reports were just a joke! If what they say about you is true, you’re wanted by Starfleet from Risa to Vulcan!”
The newcomer pushed past him as if to leave. “Very interestin’! Now get lost! I got me a couple of parts to steal and I don’t wanna work overtime!”
But Spider-Man grabbed him from behind. “Hold it, gruesome! Nobody gives Spider-Man the bum’s rush!”
“You’re gonna get worse than that if you don’t leggo! Think I’m kiddin’, huh?” Sandman said as he struggled to move forward. “Okay, let’s see how you hold onto me now!”
With that, his entire body seemed to reshape itself.
He…he’s slipping through my fingers…just like soft sand!
“I don’t know how you managed to do that, but--”
“That? That’s kid stuff! You ain’t seen nothin’ yet!” The Sandman was reforming, free of Spider-Man’s grasp and smiling with satisfaction.
Spider-Man stubbornly threw a punch at him, only to have his fist penetrate right through Sandman’s back without doing him any harm.
“Now do you see why they call me Sandman?”
“It’s unbelievable! Your body isn’t flesh and blood…my fist goes right through you…without hurting you!”
“But I can hurt you, pal! All I do is harden any part of me that I want to…like this!”
He stood as if posing, his chin outthrust, and Spider-Man naively took the cue and punched him in the jaw.
“Ugh! Your jaw is like iron!”
“And how’s this?” The Sandman smiled, knocking him down by extending his stomach. “No hands!”
“Oof!” He can change his body as easily as Mister Fantastic…only Sandman isn’t on our side!
Spider-Man tumbled over a console and took a moment to right himself.
“Don’t go ‘way, chum!” Sandman heckled. “The party’s only startin’!”
But Peter sat up and noticed, to his dismay…
Oh no! I tore my face mask! Can’t let anyone see me like this! It’ll be the end of my secret identity! Even if I could, I don’t dare capture him now! He would reveal my identity to Captain Picard just to get back at me! If I’m locked up, experimented on, whatever happens to me…what will happen to Aunt May?
He made a quick decision, the only one he could under the circumstances, and ran like hell for the arch.
“Come back here, ya blamed coward! The Amazing Spider-Man, bah!”
I’ve got to get away! Can’t take a chance of him recognizing me! The risks are too great!
“He’s gone! Now I’ll just get back to business!” The Sandman slipped the door to the holodeck open only partway and then went through the crack a few grains at a time, so as to avoid attracting the attention of passersby. Don’t know how I ended up in the blamed holodeck, but this time I’ll get it right. Got me a date with engineering. Gonna grab me some dilithium crystals and be rich!
It was no mean feat for him to get into engineering right under the noses of the officers on duty, moving through the carpet fibers and spread out over a wide area. He then formed in front of the warp core and went right through the protective shielding without a problem. He opened the hatch, ignored the alarm and snatched the crystals, then carried them off the same way he’d entered, only this time he went for the Jeffries tubes. By the time the engineering night shift noticed exactly what had happened, Sandman was long gone.
Meanwhile, in the quarters of Peter Parker, Enterprise acting Ensign…we find Peter, alias Spider-Man, wrestling with an unusual problem for a superhero…
“If this doesn’t take the cake…! I can’t go out in public as Spider-Man until my mask is sewn up, and when it comes to sewing, I’m all thumbs! This is ridiculous! I’m no seamstress! But I’ve got to do it myself!”
Just then, the computer chimed with the result of an important search he’d been running. He wandered over to it with his mask, needle and thread and sat down to read what had appeared on the screen.
The Sandman’s dossier, at least the parts which had been declassified, described him as an inmate in the Starfleet prison in New Zealand. Known as Flint Marko, he was the most incorrigible inmate in the facility. One night he escaped through what used to be a drainage tunnel. Vowing never to be recaptured alive, he headed Starfleet’s most wanted list and managed to remain one step ahead of Starfleet security. But, as their dragnet drew ever tighter, he hid in the one place where no one would imagine a man would hide--a weapons testing center. Realizing it was the only place where he could have a measure of safety, he remained on the lonely, terraformed, forbidden-area asteroid until the fateful day that a radiation leak caught him unawares. By some incredible accident, the molecules of his body merged at that radioactive instant with molecules of sand under his feet, and his body took on the qualities of the sand itself--becoming virtually indestructible.
Much more interesting than the lecture earlier, which Peter had sat through in a sort of dreamlike trance, this was immediately relevant. He stored the information away, despite the fact that he really couldn’t see what good it was going to do him, and then he discovered the report that the ship’s dilithium crystals had been snatched.
“Great.”
“What do you mean, your Dilithium Crystals were stolen?!” Jameson wailed at Picard through the computer screen.
Picard inwardly groaned and shifted in his seat. “As far as we can tell, a being which is perhaps silicon-based has made off with them, but we do not believe he has had the capacity to depart the ship. I am engaged in the search for him and will not rest until this being is detained.”
Jameson leaned forward. “Did you not hear what happened the other day? By God, Picard, keep your ears open to the news, will you?! The Sandman escaped! This isn’t a damned Horta you’ve got running around on your ship! It’s the honest-to-God Sandman! What’s more, he’s probably working in cahoots with that Spider-Man! What an awful ship you run, Picard. What an awful ship. That cadet…Parker…”
“He’s been promoted, sir,” Picard interjected, and lived to regret it.
“Promot--of all the ludicrous--he hasn’t taken a SINGLE PICTURE yet!! He’s supposed to be actively seeking out Spider-Man and capturing his image so we can study it! Picard, I want you to assign a cadet to the bridge on the double, to serve as Parker’s liason. This cadet will follow and collate all incidents in which Spider-Man takes part. They will assist in coordinating efforts to take him down once and for all--and they’ll make sure Parker does his damn job!”
“Understood, sir.”
“Good. Now shut the hell up and get busy.”
Peter passed by Flash and their mutual friend Liz in the corridor. On his approach, they were saying, “Hey, you’re not serious about having a date with Puny Parker tonight, are you?”
“Well, the poor guy has asked me so many times I just didn’t have the heart to refuse him again, Flash!”
I’ll have to find a way to pick up the trail of Sandman again after my shift today, Peter idly thought.
“Hello, Peter! What time will you pick me up tonight?”
Liz brought him up short. I forgot all about my date with Liz tonight! I’ll have to break it!
“Jeez, Liz, I’m sorry! I can’t make it! Something kinda important came up!”
“Lucky for you, Liz!” Flash butted in. “Now you can go out with a real man--namely, me!”
The pair started to walk away from Peter, who stammered, “Gee, don’t be angry, Liz! You see, I--I have to work on a project for Doctor Connors, and--”
“PETER PARKER! You’re the best at what you do in that lab. If you can’t spare one evening for a date then I’m sorry for you. Goodbye!”
Sometimes I think I oughta have my head examined for stickin’ to this Spider-Man bit! I’m beginning to think a secret identity is for the birds! I wonder if my spider power is affecting my brain also. Nothing I do seems to turn out right!
Betty Brant shuffled nervously from foot to foot as the lift ascended toward the bridge. No, she chided herself, prematurely embarrassed. This is space, remember? Oh, you’ll get used to it. No up and down in space, not really, it’s all just relative motion with regard to--
The turbolift doors whooshed open and her breath caught briefly before she inhaled deeply and stepped lightly onto the bridge. The place was deathly quiet as officers went about their normal tasks with diligence. She had heard just like most of the other cadets about the missing dilithium crystals, so she knew that the ship was in the midst of a crisis. You wouldn’t have known that from looking around the bridge, at the seasoned professionals going about their tasks. She looked from one person to the other. Here was the large, intimidating Klingon, Mr. Worf, engaged in some task at the security console which furrowed his immense brow. There was Tasha Yar, his boss, looking over his shoulder with scrutiny. Up front sat Commander Riker. He occupied the Captain’s chair, and at the sound of the turbolift he casually glanced back at Cadet Brant.
“You must be the new Spider-Man liason,” Riker said without preamble, getting up to stride her way. Her breath caught in her throat when he got close, his hard but sensitive eyes taking her in within a moment.
“Um…yeah, yes. Yes, sir.”
“You sure about that?” His voice was stern, but there was the glimmer of amusement in his eyes.
“Absolutely, sir, sorry, sir.”
“Very good. Let me show you to your console. You’ll occupy computer terminal three, here at the back of the bridge.” He led her over to the console and activated it for her. “All you need to do is act as a secondary monitor for security, but focused specifically on Spider-Man’s activities. Work with Cadet Parker on capturing images and relaying them to Admiral Jameson.” He paused.
“I understand,” Brant nodded.
“Good.” Now, leaning on the console with one hand, Riker leaned forward to whisper, “Now just do me one other favor, Cadet. Do your best to stay out of the Captain’s way. In other words, Spider-Man’s not the priority that he and Jameson make him out to be. As far as I can tell, the guy’s helped us out a couple times and we owe him one.” Then he straightened up and smoothed his uniform, and spoke loudly and sharply once again. “Is that clear, Cadet?”
This time her nod was significantly less crisp, as was her verbal response. “It is, sir.”
As the time approached for the date that wasn’t going to happen, Peter wondered what in the world he would do instead. There was always plenty to study and there were always plenty of holodeck scenarios to run, but his mind was on the capture of the elusive Sandman. The Sandman was presumably still aboard the ship, unless of course he had some way of transporting off of it, and somewhere close to transport to. Peter mulled this over as he and other Cadets were led into one of the ship’s many transporter rooms.
“This, Cadets, is an important place,” Lieutenant Connors was explaining. “The transporters are as delicate as they are effective. One wrong move and you could scatter someone across the vacuum of space.”
Outside the room, Sandman was on the run from security officers. He was going to take them out until they spotted him and leveled their phasers at him. Phasers on the right setting were still dangerous enough to hurt even him. So he turned tail and made a beeline straight for one of the transporter rooms. With the device he’d laid his hands on he would be able to amplify the transporter and get back to where he’d come from. Except…
Uh oh…the blamed room is packed!
He let the doors shut behind him as one instructor and several stunned students stood staring at him in shock, and then he opened the panel next to the door and locked it.
“It’s the Sandman!” Connors cried. He immediately tapped his combadge. “Connors to--”
Sandman reached out and slapped the badge off of his chest. “Howzabout we just do this between us? No need for security or anyone else to get in the way. I want you to let me outta this tin can. Show me how to get around your transporter console and maybe I’ll let you and the kids out in one piece!”
Connors held his head up in the face of the supervillain’s threats. “I’ll not betray my trust or my duties. If you want to get out of here, it’s going to be on a prison ship!”
“Wow,” one of the Cadets exclaimed to the others, “listen to him stand up to the Sandman!”
Sandman wasn’t having it. “That’s what you think, mister!” He grabbed the collar of Connors’ uniform and drew his fist back. “I’m gonna teach you a little lesson right now!”
But behind the transporter console, Peter Parker stripped down to his Spider-Man costume and emerged to join the fray! He leapt at Sandman and landed a full-force blow to his face, sending the man of sand sprawling.
“You’ve got that backwards, loudmouth!” He declared. “You’re the one who’s got a lot to learn!”
“This sure has studying physics beat!” Flash Thompson cheered. “Go get ‘im, Spider-Man!”
“Give ‘im one for us, pal!” Another Cadet chimed in.
Wonder if they’d cheer so loud if they knew it was “Puny” Peter Parker they’re cheering, Peter thought.
“That was a real dramatic entrance, Spider-Man,” Sandman told him. “But enjoy it while you can--because this time you ain’t gettin’ away from me so easy!”
I’ve got to get him away from here! Can’t take a chance on any of these kids getting hurt while we’re fighting! But maybe I can quickly floor him with one punch…uh oh! Not a chance! My spider-sense is telling me he’s making his body rock-hard again! I’d just bust my hand trying! Instead I’ll do the unexpected! I’ll grab him in a wrestler’s hold before he can change the structure of his physical makeup…and flip him over my head--like this!
“Happy landings, braggart!” was all Spider-Man said as he tossed The Sandman at the doors to the room like a sandbag. At that moment, Connors had overridden the lock and gotten them to open, and Sandman flew straight through.
Perfect! I got him out of the room. Now to find a way to stop him so that security can--
His spider-sense went into overdrive as three phaser blasts erupted in their direction. He leapt away and clung to one wall, then the other, desperate to get out of the line of fire. There were security personnel on both sides firing at them, and Sandman was losing cohesion as he was struck again and again.
“This is your fault, Spider-Man!”
Tasha Yar led the assault with Worf in charge of the team on the opposite side of the corridor.
“Change your phaser settings!” she commanded her team. “Set them to kill and take out The Sandman, it’s the only way! He won’t die!”
Spider-Man took that as his cue to bug out. He sprang for the open transporter room door and dove back inside.
“Where’d Parker go?” Flash Thompson asked the assemblage. None of them knew where Peter had disappeared to in the tumult. Liz simply huffed and continued to stare resolutely out into the corridor, where she watched Sandman felled by a barrage of phaser blasts which reduced his body piece by agonizing piece. He didn’t die, but he dropped the dilithium crystals and was too weak to escape.
While the security detail closed in on Sandman, Peter regained his uniform and concealed his mask. It was none too soon, also, because…
“Ensign Parker?”
Peter tapped his badge. “Parker here.”
“This is Cadet Brant, on the bridge. I understand there’s a firefight going on down there. Has Spider-Man been involved?”
The others were staring at him now, both wondering where he came from and wondering what this was all about.
“Um…why, yes, he was involved in the fight until the security team neutralized Sandman, and then he…he left.”
“I see. And did you happen to get any pictures of him?”
“I’m afraid I didn’t. I’m uh, I’m sorry. It was way too dangerous and it all happened so suddenly that I…”
“Not a problem, Ensign. Just my duty to ask, is all.”
With that, the communication was over. Peter frowned in confusion along with the rest of the room, and then Sandman was collected by placing him inside a stasis field and beaming him to the brig.
It was all too simple, and as the class left the transporter room after the tour was resumed, Peter sulked. How could he have let The Sandman go twice? Sure, the first time he didn’t know what he was dealing with. And the second time he only failed because security had shown up to apprehend him. Sure, okay. But it was all so damned frustrating! He wasn’t practicing in the holodeck for the eventuality that Starfleet officers would be shooting at him! No, he was brushing up on his skills mainly so that he could be of assistance to the ship and her captain.
Hell’s bells, he thought ruefully. It’s gonna be one heck of a hard road for me.
But he caught sight of Liz and all his worries evaporated. With Sandman dealt with, I can take her out after all!
“Wait up, Liz!” He held up his hand for her attention. Seeing as she was in the company of Flash Thompson and his pack of cronies, however, he estimated that he had little chance of garnering favor.
She folded her arms and scowled back at him. A female friend smiled and said, “Well, well, look who’s here. Mr. Bookworm of 2364.”
“Now that the fighting’s over you finally come out of hiding, eh?” Flash taunted him.
“What is it, Peter?” Liz asked him scornfully. “I happen to be quite busy.”
“Don’t be angry, Liz! I just wanted to tell you that I can take you out tonight after all!”
“Really? Perhaps we should declare this a national holiday! Sorry, Mr. Parker, but I have made other plans!”
“Meaning yours truly, punk!” Flash laughed. “Now run along and find your umbrella!”
Peter lost it. He stepped forcefully toward Flash and put his hand on the bully’s arm, ready to pounce. “You brainless loudmouth! You’ve insulted me for the last time! I’m gonna wipe that stupid leer off your face right now!”
Flash couldn’t help but be amused by the proceedings, even as he braced himself. “Well, well! So the worm finally turned, eh? Okay, worm, I’ve been waiting for this!”
Unfortunately, Peter’s conscience kicked in. Wait! What am I doing?! I can’t afford to lose my temper like this! With the strength of Spider-Man, if I get into a fight with a normal guy, I could pulverize him!
“Aww, forget it! You’re not even worth the trouble! I’ve got more important things to do!” Though he was still trembling with rage, he appeared more dejected than anything, slumping his shoulders and looking for all the world like he might cry.
“Sure, things like chickening out of fights and hiding whenever there’s trouble! Things like that can keep a fella real busy, can’t they, Petey boy?”
“Would you like us to give you a security escort back to your quarters?” One of Flash’s cronies crooned, grabbing Peter by the arm. “Mebbe we could--hey! What gives? You oughta feel his arm under this uniform, Flash! Parker’s got muscles like a weightlifter!”
Flash and Liz were already walking away, unconcerned. Liz turned up her nose and said, “Hmmph! Too bad he doesn’t have courage to match!”
“You said it, Liz!” Flash added. “Come on, let’s go! This company’s borin’ me!”
Now even Liz thinks I’m a coward. That sure is pretty hard to take!
“So long, brainwave!” Flash continued to tease him from a short distance. “Don’t let any kindergarten kids run away with your books!”
“That’s enough, Flash!” Liz finally piped up in Peter’s defense. “You don’t have to be that cruel to Peter!”
“Women! I thought you were mad at ‘im!”
Peter retired to Ten-Forward to drown his sorrows in a root beer, and all around him he could hear commentary about Spider-Man. He caught snippets of random conversations all around him.
“Well, it looks like Spider-Man helped catch The Sandman!”
“According to Captain Picard, Spider-Man is just as bad as he is!”
“The Captain says that Spider-Man has no business trying to catch criminals by himself!”
“If you ask me, that’s right! Who knows when Spider-Man may turn against society!”
“What would make a guy wear a goofy costume and run around chasin’ bad guys?”
“I dunno! He must be a neurotic of some sort! Probably has delusions of grandeur!”
Could they be right? Am I really some sort of crackpot, wasting my time seeking fame and glory? Am I more interested in the adventure of being Spider-Man than I am in helping people? Why do I do it? Why don’t I give the whole thing up? And yet I can’t! I must have been given this great power for a reason! No matter how difficult it is, I must remain as Spider-Man! And I pray that someday the world will understand!
“You know you can’t get drunk on root beer,” Wesley joked as he sat down across from Peter. “What’s with you, Pete? You seem so depressed all the time. Let me know if I can help, okay?”
Peter forced a smile for his friend. “It’s this day-in, day-out struggle to be greater than I am. I’m part of Starfleet, and Starfleet demands so much that I barely have time for anything else.” It was a half-lie, but it was necessary for now.
“Look, at least the Captain recognizes how hard you’re working.”
“No, he doesn’t have the slightest idea. I was supposed to get pictures of Spider-Man in action. I’m supposed to be the one person on the entire ship who can do that, and I chickened out today. They’ve even got some cadet up on the bridge who’s been in contact with me. She’s there just to filter the pics and information I provide and pass it all on to Admiral Jameson.”
Wesley couldn’t hide his grin. “A girl, huh?”
Peter rolled his eyes. “Please. Don’t talk to me about girls.”
“Oh, what? You’re gonna give up without even trying? Have you seen her yet?”
“Not yet.”
“Well you can get onto the bridge now, so I think you should go talk to her in person.”
“What’s the point?”
“The point is that you’ve got nothing to lose. Look, think of it as making sure that you’re familiar with the details of your duty. You should know the person you’re working with. Just go up there, say hi and get to know her.”
It didn’t take long from there to convince Peter that he had nothing better to do for the remainder of his evening. His date was worse than cancelled, and he could either spend all his time regretting it or he could move on. Move on he did.
“Um, hi,” he began, and then cleared his throat. Cadet Brant glanced up from her console and then smiled warmly at Peter.
“Hello. Can I help you? Um…sir?” She was chagrined when she noticed that he was an acting ensign, but he paid it no mind. He was more embarrassed than she was, with absolutely nothing in mind to say. “I, um, I’m sorry, it’s just that there’s not really a lot for me to do here, so I was…” she looked at her hands, folded in her lap, and then glanced back up just with her eyes. “I was playing a game?”
“That’s okay…” Peter began, fumbling for words. “I’m Peter Par--Acting Ensign Parker. I just thought I should come up here and introduce myself.”
Now she seemed a little more at ease. “Oh! Yeah. Yes. Hello. Sir.”
He stopped himself short of telling her that she didn’t have to call him “sir”. That kind of talk in Starfleet could get one in trouble, at least prior to one’s ascent to captaincy. Instead he simply said, “So…uh, thanks. Thanks for being here and for…monitoring things.”
What he really wanted to say was “Please don’t get Spider-Man into any trouble if you can help it,” but that would land them both in hot water.
“Not a problem, sir.”
He turned and walked away, and boarded the turbolift feeling more apprehensive than he had when he’d come. This was unprecedented in Starfleet. An officer on the bridge just to deal with him? Where was the Q liason officer, for crying out loud? Things were going to be very different in the days and months ahead. He hoped that Spider-Man would be able to remain in secret, to come out when needed and save the ship from whatever menace came calling next. The Doc Ocks and Sandmans of the galaxy would not rest, and neither should he. If Captain Picard had his way, Spider-Man would be neutralized, and then what would happen? What would happen to Peter, to his Starfleet career, to his Aunt May? Would a supervillain come and destroy the ship, kill the crew? Tasha Yar was an excellent security chief, but she was only human and vulnerable as a result.
Peter shook his head. The crew had dealt with these threats as effectively as he had. He’d simply gotten there first. When the security team came around, or someone like Data found a means to save the day, well, Spider-Man was a bit redundant, wasn’t he? But Peter denied this. He had power and he was meant to use it. Nonetheless, tensions were rising and things were changing. The dance between Spider-Man and the law of the land was about to become far more intimate…