Foreign Foes Part 20

You dont look so great either, he said, noticing that the room was hot.

The machines ... they were giving off heat.

These are all working at something, he said, gesturing with the phaser as he returned it to his holster.

Doing what?

She shrugged and sighed, clasping her hands anxiously in front of herself.

No way to tell. Propulsion, maybe?

Riker bit the inside of his lip and looked around the room. Machines. Working, busy, bustling ...

What if they break down? Someone must be here to repair them, right?

The heat was getting to him and he s.h.i.+fted back toward the door way to brace himself against the wall.

He didnt wait to hear an answer from Deanna.

Someone, he repeated, has to fix these machines if they break.

He pulled the phaser from his holster.

And Im going to break them.

Computer.

Ready.

Locate and list all Federation vessels capable of warp speed, this quadrant.

Located.

Datas desk screen filled: U.S.S. CHARLESTON,STARFLEET REGISTRY, NCC-42285.

U.S.S. HOOD,STARFLEET REGISTRY, NCC-42296.

U.S.S. EXCALIBUR,STARFLEET REGISTRY, NCC-42252.

S.S. EAGLE,EARTH REGISTRY, USA-3197BL-9.

S.S. TAN-SHRA,TELLAR REGISTRY, FLN-633136052SIE.

Computer, which is the closest s.h.i.+p to our position?

The S.S. Eagle is in sector seven.

Specifics onEagle.

S.S. Eagle,privately owned exploratory craft. Registry: Lansing, Michigan, United States of America, Earth. Crew of thirty-three. Current owners.h.i.+p Discontinue. Which Starfleet vessel is the closest?

The U.S.S. Excaliburis in sector four.

Twelve days distant at maximum warp, Data said, more to himself than to the computer.

Correct.

The door chime to Datas quarters rang and the android quickly tapped the computer off.

Come.

Geordi felt the door whisper open before him. He stepped through hesitantly, unsure of Datas location.

Hope Im not disturbing you, Data, he said, looking for a response to place the android. He probably should have just asked the mans location, but Geordi was playing the Im not really blind game and that would be against the ruleslike being wakened in the middle of the night and refusing to admit you were sleeping.

Geordi, Data said, just a hint of surprise etched into his voice.

Should you be ambulatory?

Geordi walked toward the androids voice.

Im blind, Data, not sick.

He tapped his stomach and the dark vest that lay over his uniform tunic.

Proximity detector, so I dont bang into people. And I think I should know the layout of the s.h.i.+p by now.

Geordi used the detector to sense thingsthe sensor net in the vest would react on his skin, pus.h.i.+ng his flesh as he would near an object. Itwould keep him from embarra.s.sing himself.

There was silence.

Geordi frowned.

Youre nodding again, Data.

The android shouldnt have forgotten. Such thingsanythingdidnt slip Datas mind. This was the first outward sign that something was wrongreally wrongwith Data.

I am sorry, the android said.

Can you guide yourself to a chair?

Yeah.

Geordi took one more step into the room. He turned toward where he believed the chair to be, felt the electrical twinge from the proximity sensor that told him he was correct, and lowered himself into the seat.

He heard Datas chair swivel toward him, and he sat back.

We have to talk about this thing with Worf.

Bridge to Commander Data.

Certainly, Data said to him, possibly holding an index finger up.

One moment, please.

Geordi heard the tap of the androids fingers against his comm badge and imagined hed seen it. Hed been doing a lot of thatseeing in his mind what he fancied might be happening. He wondered if he was correct about such things, but hadnt worked up the courage to ask anyone. And who knows if theyd be honest. It was human nature to be sympathetic to those who had come upon a loss. Already three crewmen had tried to escort him wherever he needed to go.

Despite being off duty, that had prompted him to wear his uniform. He wouldnt be pitied. That was a cliche hed promised himself hed never indulge in because he understood the impulseintended kindnessbut it was just different when he was on the receiving end. He was having trouble pus.h.i.+ng away the self-pity in his own thoughts ... it didnt help to have others pus.h.i.+ng back.

Data here. Go ahead, Mr. DePotter.

Sorry to disturb you, sir, but since re-engaging, theres been a fluctuation in the drain on the white noise blanket.

Restless, Geordi rose and walked toward the dresser that Data rarely used. There was a mirror there . .

. of little use to either man right now.

Ensign, Data said, what was the percent of flux, and was it positive or negative?

Data, Geordi interrupted, anxiously knocking a fist on his thigh, is this really important right now?

Just one more moment please, Geordi. This may indeed be important. Continue, Mr. DePotter.

DePotter chanted on with his scientific findingsa drone of techno-babble that was irritating Geordi right now, and he wondered if thatd irritated anyone when it came from his own lips.

A moment ago, DePotter said, I registered a point zero-zero-two percent decrease in the drain. It may be insignificant, sir, except that this is the first drop or surge since weve been monitoring.

There was a pause, then from Data: Intriguing. What is the status of the Klingon vessel?

Sir?

Scan the Klingon vessel for any activity, Ensign, and keep me informed of anything you find, no matter how unremarkable you believe it to be.

Aye aye, sir.

Data out.

Geordi heard the communicator chirp off.

Now, Data said, what would you like to know?

Geordi shook his head. Something was wrong here.

Different. He couldnt put his finger on what exactly, and maybe there was really nothing. Maybe he was just disoriented from his newfound blindness. Maybe.

Or maybe when something feels wrong, it is.

Data, you keep saying that Commander Riker and Deannamay have been abducted or killed by the Klingons, and youre scanning their s.h.i.+p as if theyre already there, but theres no evidence One need not have conclusive evidence to form a hypothesis.

Theyd had this conversation three times since Geordi had awakened, and Data had indulged him each time.

Unfortunately, every discussion was the same: Data with a logical argument and a shaky premise. That was the problemsince when did Data have shaky premises?

The Klingons do have a history of such covert operations, my friend.

Geordi shot past the desk and began to pace the room. Hopefully Data hadnt moved anything since the last time hed been here.

This is nuts, Data, he said angrily.

Theres nothing to base it on. What motive would they have to do anything like this?

As if antic.i.p.ating the question, perhaps because Geordi had asked before, Data began, If they are hiding something on the planet, which may be the cause of the drain on our white noise blanket, then they would have motive to a.s.sure that no one finds whatever they wish to conceal. Commander Riker and Counselor Troi may have stumbled upon whatever that may be.

Geordi huffed out an angry breath.

What if theyre not hiding anything?

Then, Data said, they have nothing to fear by answering my questions and submitting to an inspection.

The headache that was now absent, Geordi would have gladly accepted back in exchange for this warped twist of events.

Data, none of that suggests why Worf would have anything to do with the Klingons plans.

He is a Klingon.

So?

Geordi snapped angrily.

There was another pause from Data, and the silence sounded like the androids version of frustration. He was obviously searching for a way to get his point across.

Geordi, he began, every race has specific traits that are often unique. The Klingons do not value life in the same manner as you and I and the Hidran.

If Geordi could have gored Data with a glare he would haveand who knows, maybe he did.

The Hidran?

What do they have to do with Klingon values? Or Worfs for that matter? Worf was raised on Earth, Data.

About seven thousand kilometers from where I was raised.

He crooked a thumb at his own chest.

Our personalities are differentour values are not. Worf would defend the philosophy of the Federation to his death.

Or to the death of another, yes? Perhaps that is what he thought he was doing. In any case, Data said, and it sounded so detached he also has loyalties to the Klingons, and he is not to be trusted.

There was no other term for this ... it was just plain insane.