View source for Gridlock

{{EpiSidebox
| series   = [[Star Traks: Waystation]]
| ep_name  = Gridlock
| season   = Renovations
| ep_num   = 1  
| writer   = [[Alan Decker]], [[Anthony Butler]]
| year     = [[2374]] 
| stardate = Unknown
| image    = 
| prevse   = [[That Sinking Feeling]]
| nextse   = [[Gut Feelings]]
| prevti   = [[Dillon's Brain]] [VEX]
| nextti   = [[The Salad of Vengeance Pt. 1]] [VEX]
}}

[[Waystation]] is packed tighter than Bourbon Street on Mardi Gras, and the people are feeling a lot less friendly. Outside, ships are circling like last minutes Christmas shoppers looking for a parking place at the mall. Waystation's cramped, and tensions are running high. All it will take is one little spark to set off this bomb. In keeping with their usual luck, the crew has to deal with three sparks at once. Better duck.


==Summary==
As more colonists and travelers head toward the Beta Quadrant, [[Waystation]] is overwhelmed.  The tiny station cannot handle the crush of people.  Commander [[Lisa Beck]] is even having trouble getting a table at the [[Andorian Restaurant]].  In the Security office located in [[Starfleet Square Mall]], Lieutenant [[Sean Russell]] is dealing with a long line of people with complaints, crimes to report, and such.  A tug-of-war over one of [[Krilik]]'s dresses blossoms into a fight, which soon spreads to the others in line.  Another fight breaks out in [[Dillon's Supply Depot]], and on the mall concourse, Lieutenant [[Daniel O'Neal]] starts a fight with a Klingon.  The mall is soon engulfed in an all-out riot.  


Things aren't much better outside.  Ships are jostling for docking ports and positions around the station.  An overzealous Andorian freighter charges the station and forces a Pakled ship to move.  Colonel [[Martin Lazlo]] and [[Stephanie Hodges]] try to maintain order in the marines' ship, the [[USS Mongoose]].  They latch a tractor beam on the Andorian freighter, which pulls away, short-circuting the beam.  Free but out of control, the freighter slams into the docking port, the impact of which has the benefit of stopping the riot.  The freighter crew unloads its cargo and heads toward the Andorian restaurant as Beck, Dr. [[Amedon Nelson]], the restaurant's owner, [[Ih'mad]], and his head waiter, [[Baughb]], reach the freighter.  They board the deserted ship just before Lazlo, who is now royally upset, opens fire on it.  The resulting blasts dislodge the freighter from Waystation and send it drifting away with Beck and the others on board.  Lazlo continues firing, accidentally hitting Ops in the process and damaging its rotational control, which sends Ops spinning wildly.  


Beck and company are able to get the freighter's engines and shields online and flee the Mongoose as other ships around Waystation begin fighting each other.  Before Lazlo opens fire on the freighter again, Beck drops the shields and beams everyone onto the station.  Lazlo destroys the frighter, but slices through Waystation's connecting tube in the process, severing the upper and lower saucers from each other.  Waystation is effectively destroyed.


==Featuring==
*Commander [[Lisa Beck]]
*Lieutenant Commander [[Walter Morales]]
*Yeoman [[Tina Jones]]
*Lieutenant [[Craig Porter]]
*Lieutenant [[Sean Russell]]
*Dr. [[Amedon Nelson]]
*Colonel [[Martin Lazlo]]
*[[Bradley Dillon]]
*[[Leximas]]


==Also Featuring==
*[[Stephanie Hodges]]
*Lieutenant Colonel [[Daniel O'Neal]]
*[[Ih'mad]]
*[[Baughb]]

==Author's Comments==
The "Renovations" series came about to give Waystation a bit more heft.  Originally the station was just two Enterprise-class (or Constitution refit.  Pick your favorite name.) saucers joined by a connecting tube.  Up against a Galaxy-class starship...or even an Excelsior-class, the station just looked silly.  Since it was put out there as a temporary measure, though, it made sense to have things move to something more permanent.  That led Anthony and I to the idea of a mini-series surrounding the construction of a new station, which would be a far more reasonable size.  We just needed a precipitating event to kick things off.  In the case of "Gridlock," it's extreme overcrowding, which causes loads of chaos and destruction.  The story also introduces Ih'mad and Baughb and kicks off one of my favorite running gags: Andorians and their love of flamethrowers.

==Links==
[https://www.star-traks.com//waystation/stories/renovations/9_WAYREN1_WAYGRID/ Gridlock]