Foreign Foes Part 35

The frequency closed.

Thirty minutes. Why? They were stalling for some purpose. In most hostage situations Riker had dealt with hed had to beg for time. It was being given here.

Riker considered his options.Enterprise couldnt be reachedand no one knew why. That meant the security complement on the planet, a total of twenty including Barbaras guards, was all he had. It should be enough ... would have been if there werent such an important hostage being held. This type of danger was why Riker objected to Picard leading Away missions. Unfortunately, there were still certain things that only Picard could handle, and hewas the captainif he told Riker to belay his protective att.i.tude, Riker would have to do so.

Deanna?

Riker nudged her. She looked better than she had an hour agomore rested. Maybe it was the grain, but Riker doubted it. Deanna was quite the trouper. Shed even given him a rea.s.suring smile when he and Barbara had embraced.

Im not sure if Urosk means what he says, Deanna said, her eyes etched with the pain of feeling such anger and hate.

I dont have to tell you theyre furious enough to kill. They always have been.

Riker nodded.

Suggestions, Mr. Worf?

he asked, absently smoothing a tattered uniform that needed sewing rather than primping.

Aside, of course, from serving you up to the Hidran with an apple in your mouth.

Thatwould ensure the captains safety, sir, Worf said.

Maybe, maybe not.

It is our only alternative, Worf said gravely.

Rikers eyes narrowed and he glared at the hatch across the corridor. Beyond that door was the captain.

He knew Picard well.

Ours maybe ... but not the captains. He may have something to say about his own fate.

We cannot a.s.sume that, Worf said.

We can, Riker countered, for at least the next thirty minutes.

Will!

Riker swung around toward Beverlys voice as she jogged up the corridor from the main hall. Barbara was with her, and Riker smiled a bit, then looked back to Deanna, who smiled in return.

Weve found something, Beverly said, joining Riker and Worf. Barbara came up alongside and stood opposite Deanna.

Dr. Hollitts grain here is very special.

With thirty minutes ticking quickly by, Riker grew irritated and let them all know it.

Whats so special, Doctor?

he snapped.

Tell me something Idont know.

Barbara, her eyes dazzling with ... well, what looked like cheer, spoke up.

Wed never tried anything as sophisticated as your medical equipment on the grain. We didnt think it necessaryandwe didnt have it. We would use a simple tricorder on those who had eaten it, but didnt treat the grain itself with anything other than bio-agricultural scanners.

Another case of not rethinking a.s.sumptions. At least Riker wasnt the only one who made that mistake.

I.

understand, he said shortly, if only a bit sympathetically.

Butwhat did you find ?

Pulling her hand from her pocket, Barbara held out a palm filled with the small kernels of wheat.

This isnt grain, she said, almost giddy.

Then what is it?

Riker demanded.

Its the best inorganic molecular representation of an organic construct Ive ever seen, Beverly said.

I do not understand, Worf huffed.

I do, Riker said, sharing a look with Deanna and holding his stomach with one hand.

It means I just ate a lot of Rovers cousins.

Computer.

Ready.

Data tapped a command into the battle-bridge Ops console.

Estimated duration of unconsciousness provided by anesthizine gas?

Twenty-three hours, seventeen minutes.

He nodded approval. It was a drastic matter, but there appeared no one left to trust. It was difficult to fathom that Geordi may be a Klingon collaborator. But he was also friends with Worf. And once before Geordi had unwittingly become a p.a.w.n in a Romulan plot. Perhaps something similar was happening here.

There was nothing that could be done about that now, however. Ending the captains duress was more pressing.

Of course, without a security team he could hardly beam aboard the Klingon vessel to search for Commander Riker and Counselor Troi, and he could hardly beam down to free the captain when the Klingon vessel needed to be watched. Data would have to deal with the Klingon vessel firstthreaten to damage their vessel unless they released their captives.

He hoped the destruction of their vessel would not be necessary. Such a waste was terribleso illogical.

However, the illogic was on their part, and if they did not comply, there was little choice. The Klingon threat had to be stopped now. If not, the Federation would be as weakened as the Hidran. How many other peaceful cultures had fallen to the Klingon threat? That was perhaps something to investigate if he could get control of their memory banks.

Data tapped another command into his console, opening a channel to the Klingon vessel. They had been hailing sinceEnterprise separated, and now they would be answered.

Enterpriseto Klingon vesselhIV SuH .

The main viewer flashed on. The obviously angry face of the Klingon in command of the enemy vessel appeared.

This is Lieutenant Chakba. What is the meaning of not answering our hails? Why have you prepared your s.h.i.+p for battle?

Commander Data, in command of theEnterprise Where is your captain?

demanded the Klingon.

Such subterfuge.

I believe you know the answer to that, Data said.

I am formally demanding that you return to us your captives, or risk retaliation.

Have you gone insane? We are allies, not enemies! We have no captives!

I have evidence to the contrary. Surrender your vessel.

You areinsane !

May I take that as a confirmation that you do not wish to comply with my request?

The Klingon motioned to someone off screen, then said, You may take that as your epitaph!

Very well, Data said as he closed the channel and moved theEnterprise into a higher orbit.

I regret it has come to this.

Chapter Fifteen.

PICARD MOPPED HIS BROWwith a sleeve and tried to breathe through his mouth. The room had filled with warm, stifling steam. The Hidran, of course, enjoyed the moist air, basked in it, and went about their work quickly. Too quickly.

On the lab table was a line of communicatorsthe Starfleet comm badges as well as the Hidran hand units.

They were all open and exposed, yet still functioning since Riker was able to get through.

Rikeralive, just as Worf was. Fortune was being favorable. Would Data know all this? Could they get through to him? Perhaps no one could. If Data was as damaged as La Forge said, Rikers obvious safety might not even register with the android. If Data had lost his rational faculty ... well, no fact would matter. The dank air now carried the Hidrans musty odor straight to Picards nose and eyes, and made them burn. Perhaps this hadnt been the best of ideas.

Glancing up to the ceiling, he watched small beads of water condense and s.h.i.+mmer in the light. The moisture darkened the cold stone, spreading until the rock was saturated. He looked down at the Hidrans worksmall and delicate ... and quite in-suited to their long, sticky fingers.

They needed tools, had few, but were making do disturbingly well. So far three communicators had been linked together, soldered with bits of wire and thin phaser beams. Their own disrupter-phasers were of little use herethose were for killing. Starfleet phasers could kill when necessary, but were also tools, and the Hidran took advantage of such utility. Razor thin phaser beams and microwire were their only real instruments, that and the few microscopes left in the lab.

Picard needed a distraction ... something to slow them down until his plan could stop them cold. Cold and wet.

Urosk, he called.

What if Commander Riker refuses to give you what you want?

The Hidran leader looked up.

You know he will. And you know that your Klingon is no longer all I want.

Yes, Picard said gravely.

You also want to destroy every other Klingon.

His weapon still in hand, Urosk stalked toward him.

Not every Klingon. That would be too much to hope for. At this point I wish only to kill enough of them thatQonoS will think twice before breaching war again.

How can you know that is what they want?

Urosk shook his head and his tone took on a pitying quality.

I know it, as surely as I know my own soul. It is in their nature.

No!

Picard snapped.

It is not in their nature.

The Hidran tensed, but did not bring his weapon up. Instead he spoke in a rather calm voice.

The Klingons themselves admit its bred into them.

Captain Jean-Luc Picard, who had traveled the known galaxy, met life-form after life-form, intelligent being after intelligent being, who had himself taken in part in Klingon politics, and who perhaps knew Lieutenant Worf better than anyone, knew what a lie that was.

No, he insisted.

It may be their culture, ingrained into their society, but those are decisionsacts.

. . of volitionwhich any Klingon, any conscious being, may choose to embrace or deny.Your society and culture had been ravaged by what their society once was Still is.

Picard pressed on.

Thepoint is that your culture changed because of an influence, the influence oftheir culture, and now you both hold similar customs.