The Last Stand Part 10

"I am not moved by seeing s.h.i.+ps such as these, sir. The only impressive element to them is their number. I am merely vaguely alarmed by the Krann, Captain. I am not intimidated."

"The flags.h.i.+p looks about as elegant as a bologna sandwich," Troi observed.

"Eh?" Picard looked puzzled.

"Something my father used to say," the counselor told him. "There are very few things that are less elegant than a bologna sandwich, but it gets the job done. It may be that the Krann have a culture that breeds no love for grace and beauty."

"Or has no need for them," Picard said. "A civilization that exists entirely on s.p.a.ces.h.i.+ps in transit may seem very strange to us in many ways, Counselor." He looked out the window as they pa.s.sed over a series of what appeared to be tightly arrayed sensory receptors mounted on the flags.h.i.+p's battered hull. "Now look at those," he said, pointing. "They seem rather slapdash to me, but I'll bet you they 'get the job done.' Mr. Worf?"

Worf glanced briefly at the Tactical panel. "We are not detecting any scanning activity from those units, Captain," the Klingon reported.

"Interesting," Picard said thoughtfully. He watched as the receptors swung their pickups to follow the progress of the shuttlecraft as it neared a lighted area set into the hull farther on.

"Docking facility dead ahead, Captain," Worf reported. "It is a landing bay open to s.p.a.ce, sir."

"Evacuated," Picard said, nodding. "So. Well, that gives us more of an understanding about the level of technology possessed by the Krann. The condition of the hull and much of the equipment on it suggests that the Krann have no s.h.i.+elding technology at all. They fly their s.h.i.+ps completely exposed to the hazards of s.p.a.ce."

"That's why the hulls of the s.h.i.+ps look so abused," Troi realized. "I thought that perhaps they'd been in some sort of battle."

"They well may have been," Picard said, "but some of the damage I can see has clearly been caused by long-term travel erosion-micrometeoroid impacts, for example. If the Krann possessed s.h.i.+eld technology, they'd no doubt use it to protect their s.h.i.+ps from such." He scratched his chin. "Nevertheless, let's not underestimate these people," he continued. "From all appearances, they have completed an incredibly difficult interstellar journey and have not only survived it but, given the great number of these s.h.i.+ps, they appear to have prospered."

Justman entered the Krann dock. A lighted red square was obviously their designated landing zone, and Worf set the shuttlecraft precisely in the center of it, killing the engines just as the shuttle touched the deck. Behind them, a heavy set of doors rumbled closed, and soon they heard a loud rush of air all around the shuttle as the landing bay was repressurized.

"Breathable atmosphere in the bay, Captain," Worf reported. "Pressure nominal."

"And here comes a greeting party," Troi added, pointing out the window. A group of seven Krann, all dressed in the same kind of dark, unadorned clothing, had entered the bay and were approaching the shuttle. "The one in the middle of the group is the Presider."

"Yes," Picard said. "I recognize him well enough. By any chance, are you getting anything?"

Troi shook her head. "Only what I can see from body language. Curiosity, confidence. Several of them seem quite apprehensive."

"One more thing," Picard said. "How would you judge what you're seeing against the impression you got from the Lethanta when we first met them?"

"Even though I can't read them, I can tell it's not at all the same," Troi said firmly. "Not at all. These people here seem much more secure to me. Understandably, we're a curiosity to them, and they want to learn what they can about us, but it's not much more than that. The Lethanta met with us because they were without hope."

"I see," Picard said, rising. "Thank you, Counselor. Mr. Worf, they seem to be waiting for us. I think it's time we cracked the hatch and met those people out there."

"Aye, sir," Worf said, leaving his seat to take position just behind Picard and Troi. He reached over their heads and pushed the DOOR OPEN b.u.t.ton. As the hatch slid aside, the three Enterprise officers stepped down to the deck. The hatch closed behind them and locked itself as Justman automatically entered security mode.

Presider Hek was in the forefront of the reception party. "Greetings, Captain Picard," he said, smiling. He bowed very slightly from the waist. "It is good to meet you face-to-face-again."

Picard bowed in exactly the same way and to the same meager extent as had Hek. "And I, Presider, am very pleased to meet you. If I may, permit me to introduce Counselor Deanna Troi, my closest advisor, and Lieutenant Worf, our chief of security."

Picard noticed that most of the six Krann who had accompanied the Presider to the landing bay were trying very hard not to be caught staring at Worf, while the one who seemed to be the oldest of them was happily leering at Deanna Troi.

"A pleasure to meet you all, Captain," Hek said. "These men here with me are the leaders of the six nations of Krann that comprise the fleet." As if on cue, all six national heads bowed somewhat more deeply than Hek had. The oldest Krann slyly added a wink for Troi.

Diplomatically, the counselor ignored it as she and Worf bowed from the waist precisely as the national chiefs had. Picard noticed that Hek seemed surprised and a touch irritated at that.

"The counselor and the lieutenant are my most trusted department heads," Picard said smoothly.

"Ah," Hek said, apparently mollified. The six Krann chieftains formed an impromptu reception line as Hek took Picard in hand. "Jean-Luc Captain Stars.h.i.+p Enterprise," the Presider began in a more formal tone, "allow me to introduce Drappa Fuel Filter Examiner, Leader of the North Nation of Krann; Grek Heat Conductor Tester, Leader of the South Nation; Larkna Starboard Thruster Engine Wiper, Leader of the East Nation; Pwett Crop Grower, Leader of the West Nation; Scrodd Air Quality Boss, Leader of the High Nation; and Reckkel Metal Purity Guarantor, Leader of the Low Nation."

"I am honored to meet you all," Picard said. "Let me a.s.sure you that we have come here in friends.h.i.+p and amity, and we intend to form the basis of an enduring, rewarding, and peaceful relations.h.i.+p between the United Federation of Planets and the Krann Fleet as we meet here aboard your magnificent flags.h.i.+p."

"Quite gracious of you, Captain," Hek replied for them all. "We look forward to the creation of a lasting and rewarding friends.h.i.+p with your people as well. Now, we have a car waiting for us just outside the landing bay." He turned and gestured toward the open door ten meters away. "If you'll permit me-?"

"Of course," Picard said. "Thank you, Presider Hek. I must admit I'm looking forward to taking a look around your very impressive flags.h.i.+p. It makes ours seem quite small in comparison."

"That it does," Hek said, not without a certain pride. "Our flags.h.i.+p has grown quite a bit over the centuries, Captain. That's true of most of our older s.h.i.+ps. The flags.h.i.+p is one of the oldest craft in the entire fleet, and one of the most revered. Many of her modules can be traced directly back to the Exodus."

"The Exodus?" Troi asked.

Hek smiled at her. "Part of our history, Commander-one might say the whole of it, up to now. We'll discuss it later, perhaps at our initial round of talks. Ah, here we are. Please step inside."

There was a wide hatch open in the wall directly across the narrow gangway just outside the landing bay. Interior lights clicked on to reveal about a dozen comfortable-looking seats set inside the s.h.i.+ny, windowless sh.e.l.l of some sort of conveyance.

"This is the car?" Picard asked.

"Yes," Hek replied. "We get around inside the flags.h.i.+p using these, when moving walkways and hanger lifts won't do-as in this case. We'll be going quite a distance. Please take a seat, everyone." He gestured around as they entered the car. "Anywhere at all, anywhere at all."

Worf held out his tricorder.

"Is that thing a weapon of some sort?" Hek asked pleasantly as the other Krann suddenly grew wary.

"No, Presider," Worf said. The Klingon looked at Picard, who nodded briefly. Worf handed the tricorder to Hek. "This is a tool we use for environmental a.n.a.lysis," he said.

The Presider turned the tricorder over and over in his hands. "Would you really feel better if you used it, Lieutenant?" he asked condescendingly.

"Yes," Worf replied, ignoring the Presider's tone.

"Then go right on ahead," Hek said, handing it back to him.

"Thank you," said Worf, and he did. He was quite thorough about it.

"I don't see a pilot anywhere," Troi said, looking around. She saw that the old man was still winking and smiling vapidly at her, and she tried to keep her expression blank.

"The car drives itself, Commander," Hek said. "We'll be traveling through a series of tubes to our destination."

"Like the old Paris Metro or the London Underground," Picard said, understanding. "I mean to say, this is a 'rapid transit' system of sorts."

The access door of the car closed and, after a moment, the vehicle began to move forward. Since there was nothing to look at, and no one was willing to risk starting what might prove to be an undiplomatic conversation, everyone aboard quickly settled into that special state of vaguely aware somnolence found among ma.s.s transit riders far and wide. Even Troi's superannuated admirer seemed to have surrendered love for sleep.

The acceleration was gentle enough to make Picard think for a moment that he had erred and that the Krann were technologically advanced enough after all to possess inertial dampeners. Then he felt the increasing vibration of their pa.s.sage through the soles of his shoes, and he knew better. They were gaining speed slowly, and it was perceptible. From the clues his body was giving him, Picard guessed that the car was accelerating at about a twentieth of a gee. That was a minor amount, not enough to trouble those riding inside, but it was more than sufficient to build up an appreciable amount of speed in a relatively short time.

Picard spent a happy thirty seconds doing the math in his head. The car would be traveling at more than one hundred kilometers per hour just one minute after departure. No trip would last very long, since the length of the flags.h.i.+p was just a bit over four kilometers, stem to stern. Thus, the longest possible trip in this car should take about five minutes at a top speed of something like two hundred fifty kilometers per hour. Given the level of technology available to the Krann, Picard found those numbers quite impressive.

"Magnetic, is it?" Picard suddenly asked into the silence, and everyone's head spun around.

"What's that, Captain?" Hek asked.

"I was wondering if this car was magnetically propelled," he said, ignoring Worf's nod. "It gives a smooth and quite agreeable ride, and it certainly runs very quietly."

Hek nodded. "You're right, Captain," he said. "The car is driven by a series of electromagnetic rings set into the tube. The rings are turned off and on in series to draw the car forward, shunt it into a branching tube, or slow it down-which we should be doing about now, come to think of it." He paused for just a second. "I worked on building this portion of the system when I was a boy," he said, again with a quiet pride. "My first apprentices.h.i.+p was on the ring joiner crew."

"You remember those days quite fondly," Troi remarked.

"Yes, Commander. Yes, I do."

The car came to a gentle halt and the door opened onto the platform of a small, unremarkable terminal nearly bare of ornamentation. There was a scattering of directional signs and nothing more. A few Krann, dressed in the same kind of dark clothing as Hek and the others, were standing around, idly waiting for a car to arrive so that they might begin their own journeys. They seemed curious when the national chiefs stepped out of the car, and they were startled by the presence of Picard and the other strangers from the Enterprise, but their reaction was altogether different when Presider Hek exited the car, the last to leave it. They were visibly frightened by him.

If Hek noticed the apprehension of the Krann pa.s.sengers in the terminal, he gave no sign. "Captain Picard," the Presider said as he quickened his pace to take the lead, "this is the station that serves the inner government complex. Our ultimate destination, the hospitality module, is only a short distance from here. There is a pa.s.sageway just outside this facility that will take us directly to it. There are facilities provided there for your comfort, if you should care to rest or refresh yourselves before we begin our formal meeting."

"That will be fine," Picard said agreeably as they walked toward a specially marked door. "I must say I'm looking forward to seeing something of your flags.h.i.+p on the way to the hospitality module, Presider Hek."

"I know you are, Captain. This way, please."

The pa.s.sageway they came to was as narrow, bare, and clueless as the area outside the landing bay had been. No one was around. Closed and dogged hatches were set every few meters on either side of the pa.s.sageway, with no indication as to where the pa.s.sages behind them-if any-might lead. There was another closed door at the far end of the pa.s.sageway, some fifty meters away. Half the breadth of the corridor was given over to a moving walkway that clicked on at their approach and was soon jogging along at about a meter and a half per second, a brisk walking pace.

"Please step onto the walkway, everyone," Hek said, and they did so. "We'll be at the hospitality module in no time."

"Oh!" Troi cried, spinning around. She saw that Drappa, the oldest of the Krann, was standing right behind her. He was smiling insipidly.

"Sir," she told him, carefully keeping the anger from her voice, "please do not do that again." Drappa cackled at her and shook his head.

Picard frowned darkly. "Presider Hek-" he began.

"I'll have a word with him later, Captain," Hek said, holding up a hand. "My deepest apologies, Deanna Advisor to Captain. Drappa Fuel Filter Examiner has grown a bit-outlandish, let us say-as a result of his great age. Let me a.s.sure you that we do not regard this kind of behavior as proper conduct."

"Neither do we," Worf grated. "I believe the commander might appreciate a little more s.p.a.ce in which to walk." His eyes narrowed as he looked straight at Drappa. "She would not want to tread on anyone's toes."

The old man blinked nervously and moved hastily away from Troi to the back of the group. Troi glanced at Worf and smiled her thanks.

The door at the end of the pa.s.sage opened as they approached, and they slid on through, the door closing silently behind them. Picard, Troi, and Worf found themselves in a large, warmly lit room decorated with wall fabrics and medallions of precious metals and etched gla.s.s.

"This is quite nice," Picard said approvingly. "Quite nice, indeed."

"What is this place, please?" Worf asked bluntly as he consulted his tricorder again.

"This is the core of our hospitality module," Hek replied. "You are standing in the reception area for arriving guests. We conduct our most important diplomatic business in other parts of this facility. Such talks have always involved agreements among our six nations. We've never had-others-here as our guests."

"We're the first?" Troi asked.

"That's right, Commander," Hek said, smiling again. "After all, whom would we have talked to? We've been in transit for generations. This module is the latest successor to a number of others we've constructed over the years. We pressurized it-when was that again, Reckkel? I believe you were a gang boss on the construction detail."

"Yes, Presider, I was," the Low Nation leader said. "We opened this facility thirty-two years ago. Nearly thirty-three now."

"Of course," Hek said. He looked around and sniffed. "Come to think of it, this kind of decor has long since gone out of favor. Perhaps we're due for a change. In any case-" Hek motioned to a group of half a dozen young Krann who were waiting patiently off to the side of the reception area.

"These people will take you to a place where you can rest and relax for a few moments," Hek said as the reception staff walked forward to join them. "I expect we'll begin our meeting in, say, an hour?"

"That will be fine," Picard agreed.

"I look forward to the beginning of our talks, then," Hek said, bowing perfunctorily along with the others. The Enterprise officers returned it and watched as the Krann officials turned and left the reception area through another door.

Picard turned to address the reception staff. "If you young people will lead on," he said, "we'll follow along."

"At your service, sir," one of the young Krann females said. The six reception staff workers were dressed in the same dark clothing that seemed to Picard to be de rigueur among all the Krann he had seen, and the oldest of them was no older than seventeen or so. The staffers all bowed very low and, without waiting for the obeisance to be returned, straightened and led Picard, Worf, and Troi through the reception area and down a short pa.s.sage to a comfortably large room that contained a good number of plush chairs and sofas. Four of the six Krann went behind a part.i.tion and soon emerged with prepared trays laden with food and drink. They began serving.

Troi sipped from a small cup of light orange liquid. It seemed faintly alcoholic and was very tasty. Captain Picard accepted a tumbler of light brown liquid and something that looked like a ham sandwich. Worf took the same.

"If any of you needs to lie down," the same young female told them, "we can adjust one or two of the sofas to allow for that." She pointed. "There are recycling units behind those doors there, there, and over there."

"What is your name?" Troi asked.

The young female blinked, and the young male standing next to her plainly looked scared. "My name?" she asked. She sounded worried. "Have we done something to offend you or these others, Deanna Advisor to Captain? If so, I certainly do most sincerely apologize on behalf-"

"No, of course not," Picard said, interrupting her. "You've been most courteous, all of you." He paused to think; he'd seen this kind of thing before somewhere in his travels. "The exchange of names among our people is a friendly gesture," he continued. "It shows an intention to be amiable, to be approachable. It is one of the first things we do when we meet each other."

"No matter what one's duty station is?" the young male asked, perplexed. "Upper to lower, rising to falling?"

"We treat each other all the same," Picard replied. "Deanna Advisor to Captain was being friendly, and that is all." He smiled. "What is your name, young lady?"

"h.e.l.lek," she replied after a second. "h.e.l.lek Pool is my name. Thank you for asking, Jean-Luc Captain Stars.h.i.+p Enterprise."

"You're not going to put us on report?" the young male asked suspiciously.

"Certainly not," Picard told him. "We would never do such a thing."

"Tell him your name, Pragges," h.e.l.lek said.

"No need to, now," he groused. "I'm in the worker pool, same as h.e.l.lek. We're all still unconscripted, you see."

"Any day now, Pragges," h.e.l.lek told him rea.s.suringly. "You just wait."

"These other four here are unconscripted, the same as yourselves?" Picard asked. "Do you mean to say that none of you has a permanently a.s.signed function aboard this s.h.i.+p?"

"Oh, hull, no!" h.e.l.lek said, suddenly putting her hand over her mouth, and the other five young people looked equally horrified. Picard wondered what he might have said.

"Pardon my profanity," h.e.l.lek said, "but we're not useless, Jean-Luc Captain Stars.h.i.+p Enterprise! We're among those who have been a.s.signed to hospitality work for this period while we're waiting to be given our career a.s.signments."

"We're pool workers, sir," Pragges said, looking insulted. "We work just as hard for the Fleet as any conscript."

"I'm sure that you do," Picard said placatingly. "I deeply apologize to all of you for my error. I intended no insult. We have a great deal to learn about each other's ways."

"Perhaps we were a bit quick to react," h.e.l.lek said diplomatically. "Well, then. You have the better part of an hour before Presider Hek will call the meeting. Are the refreshments satisfactory?"

"Quite," Worf said, working on his third sandwich.