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Sub Space 9206_C02
ATAX
Chapter 1
Captain's Log, Stardate 44469.2:
We've been ordered by Starfleet Command to intercept the Ferengi Trader
Avarice, commanded by a Daamon Mok. Our orders are to stop the Ferengi and
search for Atax crystals. The Federation has gotten a tip from smugglers that
the Ferengi may be carrying this highly illegal and addictive drug first found
on renegade worlds within and without the Federation.
* * * * * * * * * *
"Atax," said Doctor Beverly Crusher, "is an illegal crystalline narcotic.
It is taken by imbedding it into the fleshy part of the upper arm or thigh.
Once imbedded, it begins to be dissolved by the body and releases a strong
narcotic into the bloodstream. Depending upon the size of the crystal and the
metabolism of the user, a single crystal can last up to six months. Like all
narcotics it is addictive and some users must have several imbedded at once to
get the desired result once they have built up a resistance to it."
Captain Jean-Luc Picard nodded his head and motioned for Commander Data,
the android science officer, to pick up the lecture. "The Federation has
found out through various channels," began Data, "that the Ferengi Alliance
produces and smuggles Atax. We are currently enroute and should intercept the
Ferengi ship Avarice in three hours and sixteen minutes. They are suspected
of carrying a supply of Atax crystals. We are to search their ship and
confiscate the drug if we find any. They will most likely not take kindly to
this as Atax cost thousands of credits per crystal."
"Great," muttered Lieutenant Commander Geordi LaForge. "That's all we
need; a ship full of Ferengi mad at us."
Data cocked his head and turned to his friend. "Why do we need a ship
full of Ferengi, Geordi? And why is it great that they are mad at us?"
A soft chuckle ran around the conference room. Everybody except
Lieutenant Worf, the Klingon security officer, and Data himself apparently
found Data's occasional naivety endearing.
"That's called sarcasm, Data," remarked Deanna Troi. "He meant the
opposite of what he said."
Picard, always serious, tried to steer the conversation back on track.
"What can we expect from the Ferengi militarily?" he directed at Worf.
"Nothing we can't handle," Worf answered immediately with more than a
trace of pride in his deep voice.
"How will the Ferengi react to our request, Counselor?"
The delicate half Betazoid considered before answering. "We don't really
know much about the Ferengi, apart from their love of wealth and drive to get
it. They will not be pleased, but I don't see what they can do to stop us.
They will undoubtedly demand reimbursement, or want revenge."
"Something that we can't let them have," commented First Officer William
Riker.
"Agreed," said Picard. "How should we approach them?" he asked the room
at large.
"With a show of strength," answered Worf. "They will recognize that we
mean business and we may not even have to fight." He seemed disappointed at
his own suggestion.
"With caution," suggested Riker. "They will probably react better if we
ask them and not demand anything, at least for the time being."
"A little bit of both?" thought LaForge. "If we have our shields up but
make pleasant sounds they'll be thrown off balance. That can only help us."
Slow nods around the table told Picard that all of his senior officers
seemed to accept that option as the best one, at least for the time being.
Picard nodded his head to dismiss them and bring the meeting to an end.
As they filed past him and out the conference room door, he contemplated what
to do. What he hadn't told his officers and friends was that the Starfleet
dispatch he had received that morning gave him the authority to use any
military force that he deemed necessary.
Picard was by nature a peaceful man, and so despite Worf's reassurances,
he still felt uneasy fighting a Ferengi ship, no matter the reason.
* * * * * * * *
Will Riker and Deanna Troi left the conference room at the same time and
rode the turbolift to the bridge at the same time. Ensign Wesley Crusher at
Conn was very interested to find out what they had talked about at the
meeting, but too tactful to ask.
Riker noticed the covert glances that Wesley was giving him and Deanna,
and decided to tell Wesley a little something. He casually stood and walked
toward the Conn. He leaned over Wesley's shoulder and said quietly, "We're
going after smugglers, Wes. This may get rough. A word of advice, don't let
them take you alive." He looked solemnly at Wesley, turned around, and walked
away. Will made his way back to Deanna and sat down in the captain's chair.
"You shouldn't have done that to him, Will," chided Deanna with a smile on
her face. "He is still young and has an impressionable mind. Besides, do you
really want that rumor floating around the ship?"
Will half smiled at her and responded, "He won't start any rumors, Deanna.
He's too good an officer."
Riker was almost right. Wesley wouldn't start any rumors, but for a
different reason. He was too confused by Riker's statements to start any.
* * * * * * * *
Since he was still technically off duty, Geordi LaForge wondered what to
do with his next three hours before they caught up with the Ferengi. He could
go to Ten-Forward, one of his personal favorite places to spend a little time,
but he decided that he'd rather do something than just sit around and talk.
The best place for that, he decided, was the holodeck.
He was headed in that direction when he heard his name called out behind
him. Noticed that Data was coming up to him. He stopped and allowed his
friend to join him. "I was just on my way to the holodeck for a little time
off, Data," he said as the android caught up to him. "Would you care to join
me?"
The question pleased Data immensely, Geordi noticed. Data had one of
his half smiles on his face as he accepted the offer with a little nod of his
head. The two friends entered the turbolift and made their way to Holodeck One.
As they arrived at the doors, Data turned to Geordi, "I believe that I
have something that you would enjoy trying." He turned to the holodeck
computer and started typing in instructions at a rate faster than Geordi could
follow.
"What have you got in mind?" asked Geordi.
"I have been studying human interrelations," replied Data without
turning. "I simply thought that attending a human social function will make
me more able to fully understand humans."
"Which social function?" asked Geordi, mildly concerned.
"If you would care to step inside then you can see for yourself,"
answered Data as he finished his programming.
Geordi put a smile on his face, turned toward the holodeck doors, and
walked into chaos. A large, well-dressed but very drunk man stumbled past
them being hustled out the door by an even larger man wearing an old-fashioned
suit, similar to the one the drunk was wearing. The second man firmly closed
the door behind the drunk, turned toward Data and LaForge, and apologized for
this unseemly display. He then offered the two men free drinks for the evening
if they would dismiss this entire affair from their minds.
Geordi had had a fleeting question in his mind about what Data considered
to be a "human social function". Now he knew. He had just walked into a fancy
restaurant that could have been found in any major spaceport in the Federation.
There were about a dozen couples on the floor doing some sort of slow
dance step. Several more people, some singles, but mostly couples, were
scattered among the tables and a bar over on one side of the room.
"What is this?" questioned Geordi.
"I believe that it was called a night club. I had thought that you would
enjoy something like this," answered Data.
Geordi looked around again and noticed two gorgeous women at the bar were
conspicuously without companions. A slow smile spread across his face.
"You're right, Data. I will like this." They entered the scene and the doors
closed behind them to completely enclose them within the illusion.
As the two men walked over toward the ladies, Data said to Geordi, "I
programmed them into the scenario. Please do not be surprised at anything
that happens."
"It's about time you showed up, Fredrick," scolded one of the girls as
they arrived at the bar. They were both of medium height, but one, the girl
who had spoken to Data, was brown eyed with auburn hair. The other, who eyed
Geordi appreciatively, was a red haired beauty that left Geordi breathless.
"I am sorry, Grace," replied Data with perfect calm. "Thomas and I were
detained." He turned to the red-head and pronounced politely, "Gloria, I
would like to introduce you to Thomas," he indicated Geordi. "Thomas, this is
Gloria, a friend of Grace."
Grace curled her arm around Data with perfect familiarity. Geordi tried
not to stare at her and decided to become better acquainted with his escort
for the evening. He offered his arm to her and led her off toward the dance
floor.
Grace turned toward Data, "I'm glad that you two could come tonight. I
had been wanting to set Gloria up with someone for some time now. Where did
you find him anyway?"
"He has been a friend of mine for many years. He has been trying to help
me understand humans better."
Grace laughed lightly and turned back toward her drink. "I think you
understand humans just fine right now, Fredrick."
Picard's voice interrupted their conversation. "Mr. Data, can you and
Mr. LaForge report to the bridge please."
Data taped his communicator and responded, "Yes, sir."
Grace was looking around in confusion when he turned back to her. "I'll
be back as soon as I can." He turned toward a seemingly blank wall and said,
"Computer, pause, save, and discontinue."
Everything in the room except Geordi and Data immediately disappeared.
They found themselves in the middle of a bare room with a golden grid over the
walls and floor. Geordi was in a middle of a dance step and looked around in
confusion when his partner vanished.
"Captain Picard requires our presence on the bridge," said Data by way of
an explanation. Geordi nodded and they exited through the doors that appeared
upon command.
Chapter 2
Data and Geordi emerged onto the bridge and moved toward their separate
stations, Data at Ops and Geordi to the bridge Engineering station.
Picard turned at the sound of the turbolift doors. "Sorry to interrupt
your fun, gentlemen, but the Ferengi had other plans. They started coming
toward us when they picked us up on their sensors." He sounded relieved and
mildly surprised even as he said it.
"Captain," said Worf from above Picard, "the Ferengi are hailing us."
"Very well, lieutenant. Put it on the viewscreen." He stood and advanced
toward the viewscreen as Worf wordlessly complied.
A picture of a Ferengi appeared with a blank wall as background. Picard
almost preferred to look at the wall. He had never enjoyed the looks of
Ferengi and the specimen before him did nothing to change his mind. Ferengi
in general have a pair of huge ears protruding straight out from their
completely bald heads and two beady little black eyes. To add to their looks,
their noses were slightly upturned and they all had mouthes full of small,
sharp teeth. This Ferengi had a slightly more pointed face that the average,
but this did nothing to improve his looks. Picard privately thought that this
Ferengi looked like an ugly version of a weasel.
However, he put his personal considerations aside and said calmly, "This
is Jean-Luc Picard, captain of the USS Enterprise, representing the United
Federation of Planets." He paused, waiting for the Ferengi response in order
to know how to proceed.
"This is Daamon Mok of the Ferengi Trader Avarice. Why do you chase us,
human? Do you wish to buy something?" The greedy look on his face dissolved wh
en he spied Counselor Troi sitting next to Riker. His eyes slowly got
bigger around and his features took on the cast of someone who has just fallen
in love.
"No, Daamon. We wish only to talk." replied Picard, trying to ignore
the look on the Ferengi's face.
"Too bad," replied Mok. His attention was still focused on Troi, who
shifted uncomfortably under the scrutiny.
"We understand that you may be transporting a quantity of Atax," said
Picard carefully. No need in beating around the bush, thought Picard.
"Atax? We have no Atax here, Picard. Transporting it is against your
own laws. Why do you ask? Do you wish to purchase some for your own uses?"
Mok continued to stare at Deanna Troi and slowly licked his lips.
"No, Daamon. We have been ordered to check all ships in this sector for
the smuggling of Atax."
"Scan my ship then, human. If you like you may even make a visual
search, but be quick about it. I have better things to be doing than sitting
and talking to you."
Picard signaled Worf to cut the transmission. Once the Ferengi
disappeared from the viewscreen he ordered, "Mr. Worf, please conduct a sensor
search of the Ferengi ship. Look for any indications of Atax." Worf nodded
and bent over his controls. His long fingers efficiently carried out his
orders, as any good warrior would.
"Counselor," Picard turned toward Troi, "did you get any impressions?
Was he lying about the Atax?"
She considered the question before answering. "I'm not sure, Captain.
I'm sorry," she continued as Picard started to frown, "but even a full
Betazoid cannot read Ferengi. Their brains are just too different from ours.
Therefore, I must make any of my assessments on body language, and I was," she
hesitated, "reluctant to pay that much attention to the Daamon. He makes me
personally uncomfortable."
Riker had no trouble understanding that. It was rumored that Ferengi
treated their own females with so little respect and compassion that they were
not given clothing to wear. Troi was a beautiful woman indeed in Riker's
opinion, and he became angry just imagining what Mok may do to Deanna if the
Ferengi captain got his hands on her.
"Captain," called Worf after completing a scan of the ship. "The Ferengi
ship has had sensor blocks installed over their cargo hold. The sensors cannot
penetrate that block and can give us no indication as to what may be inside."
He was not happy with the report, but he had to give it.
"Sir," Riker addressed Picard, "request permission to lead an away team
over to the Ferengi ship for a visual search. You will remember that they did
invite us."
"I don't like it, Number One," returned Picard. "They're acting too
docile and cooperative. Besides, how would we beam you back in case of an
emergency?"
"Chief O'Brien can interconnect two transporter rooms to keep a lock on
us even through the sensor block." He was clearly eager to inspect a Ferengi
ship from the inside.
"We are now in transporter range," interjected Worf from above them.
Picard frowned. "I still don't like it, Number One. However, I can't
think of any other way to do it. Very well. Assemble your away team."
Riker nodded, signaled to Geordi and Worf, and headed toward the
turbolift doors.
"Will, be careful," called Deanna from behind him.
He stopped and gave her one of his famous smiles. "As always,
Couselor." He turned and strode into the turbolift where Geordi and Worf were
waiting for him.
Picard signaled to the officer who had just replaced Worf to reestablish
the communications link to the Ferengi ship. He turned back just as Mok's
face reformed.
"We will take you up on your offer of a visual search. Three of my
officers are now beaming over to your ship."
"Very well," replied Mok. "We will take good care of them."
Now what did that mean? wondered Picard as the Ferengi abruptly cut off
the image.
* * * * * * * * * *
The trio from the Enterprise materialized in what passed for a
transporter room aboard the Ferengi ship. The room was built for Ferengi and
Geordi barely had room to stand upright; Riker and Worf had to hunch over to
keep from hitting their heads on the ceiling.
Geordi was looking around the room with great interest. As an engineer
he was very interested in how other species built their ships. The first thing
he noticed was that everything was made of shoddy material and poorly
installed. Everything would work, he concluded after a few moments thought and
inspection, but with little reserve strength and no extra radiation protection.
He idly wondered if he could tear into a wall with his bare hands.
"Everything is made at bare minimum safety requirements here, Commander,"
commented LaForge to Riker.
"The Ferengi don't like to spend any more than absolutely necessary on
building their ships," Riker replied. "As long as it gets them there, they're
happy with it." Worf grunted agreement as LaForge smiled.
Two Ferengi walked into the room just as Riker finished speaking. One of
them was immediately recognizable as Daamon Mok, and the other was introduced
as his second in command, Blak.
Blak put up with the introductions to Riker and Worf, but took an
immediate interest in Geordi's VISOR. "What is the price of this object?" he
demanded of Geordi, even before they were introduced.
"It's not for sale," replied Geordi, surprised at the question. What
would this Ferengi want with my VISOR? wondered Geordi.
"I'll give you your weight in gold for it," countered Blak.
"I said," replied Geordi with more force, bordering on annoyance, "that it
is not for sale. I need it." Blak seemed disappointed in Geordi's refusal to
even consider making a deal for it.
Riker headed off another attempt at purchase, "Daamon, please take us to
your cargo holds immediately so you may resume your activities as soon as
possible."
"Of course," Mok replied with a dismissive wave to Blak. Blak nodded
politely to Riker and Worf, and with another envious look at Geordi's VISOR,
walked off down the corridor.
Mok turned in the other direction and began to speed away. For all their
size, thought Geordi a couple of minutes later as he tried to keep pace,
they're fast little buggers.
Mok led them through a series of ladders, corridors, and doorways until
all three officers from the Enterprise were thoroughly lost.
I don't like this, thought Riker. Well, I did ask the captain if I could
go. I can hardly back down now. He continued to move on toward the retreating
back of Daamon Mok.
* * * * * * * * * *
Transporter Chief O'Brien was nervous. Just interconnect two of the
transporter rooms to keep track of us, Riker had suggested. That's dangerous,
replied O'Brien. Riker gave a half smile and said that he trusted him. It's
not that easy, O'Brien fumed to himself. Varying signals, interlocking
computer signals, setting priorities, controlling power fluctuations . . .
the list was almost endless. At least we can keep track of them through the
sensor block this way, he thought with some glimmer of hope.
The transporter chief set to work on his self imposed list of things to do
and kept a wary eye on the transporter lock.
Chapter 3
Mok continued to lead the Enterprise officers through a seemingly endless
maze and eventually stopped, after what seemed like ten minutes, in front of a
door that had odd scribblings on it. Geordi guessed correctly that this was
Ferengi for something like Cargo Hold.
"We are here," announced Mok somewhat unnecessarily.
"Very well," said Riker pleasantly. "May we make a full inspection for
any illegal materials?"
"That's what you're here for, isn't it?" Mok replied impatiently, almost
exasperated with these dim-witted humans.
Riker nodded and turned toward the door. Mok politely opened it for him.
Riker walked in, followed closely by Worf and Geordi. They didn't even notice
that Mok hesitated at the threshold to the room.
Mok stopped just short of walking into the room and let the humans get in
front of him. He spun to the computer terminal and quickly punched in a
security code.
Riker whirled around at the sound of the door closing rapidly. His last
view of Mok was an evil grin plastered all over the ugly Ferengi visage.
"Worf, open that door. It's a trap!" shouted Riker.
Worf lunged at the door as Riker hit his communicator and called for an
emergency beam out. LaForge pulled his phaser, just as a precaution. Worf
frantically tugged, hit, and cursed the door for a few moments before he pulled
out his phaser and began to set it to cut through this khest door.
LaForge was watching him as he noticed two things simultaneously. One was
that he felt the beginnings of a Federation transporter get a hold of him. The
other thing was that the room was rapidly filling with a green gas. Those was
the last two things that Geordi remembered before a mental lethargy overtook
him and he lapsed into unconsciousness.
* * * * * * * * * *
O'Brien was very busy indeed. He received the emergency beam out signal
from Riker and immediately engaged the two transporter rooms, bringing to bear
a total of 12 pads. He was hoping that at least some of the pads would lock on
to his friends and then, and only then, would he worry about where he would
rematerialize them.
Almost at once he noticed that he had five locks, on two different
people. You're missing one, said the logical portion of his mind. I know, he
shouted at himself. O'Brien put all of his considerable effort and experiencein
to the next couple of minutes.
He first put the two captured patterns into stasis for temporary storage.
He then told the computer to engage the remaining crew transporter room and
also Transporter Pad D. It was the largest on the ship with the most power,
but designed to move material, not people. At the moment he needed much more
power to grab that other crew member.
He had no way of knowing who he had and who he didn't, but that didn't
matter. They were all his friends.
Once Transporter Pad D and Transporter Room 3 were on line, he engaged all
of the transporters on that area of the Ferengi ship, only to discover to his
horror that there was nothing there. The Ferengi had moved since the initial
beam out attempt. He re adjusted the transporters to the new coordinates.
They are almost out of range, he thought frantically. Engaging all of the
transporters on the ship at once, he hoped to get a hold of the last one. He
cursed fluently in his native Irish accent when he realized th at the sensor
blocks were stopping him at this range.
That was a major problem, but he had two more urgent matters to contend
with. He had two of the officers in the electronic innards of the transporter
circuits. Careful now not to make any mistakes, he noticed that two of the
locks on the same person were in the other transporter room, while two of the
three locks on the other where here. From this, he determined that he should
rematerialize one of them here and the other in Transporter Room 2. He called
Room 2 on the intercom and told the technician on duty to beg in
rematerialization of the one that was there. O'Brien then began to delicately
reassemble the one he had here. The figure slowly began to rematerialize after
what for O'Brien was a very trying and difficult two minutes working with the
transporter controls. From within patterns of transporter energies, a figure
began to form, much to Chief O'Brien' s relief.
The first thing that he noticed was that the person was lying on his side,
not standing as he should have been. As he called for medical aid to be sent
down from Sickbay, O'Brien noticed that the first distinctive feature he could
make out was a silver band a cross the person's face, covering his eyes. That
would be Engineer LaForge's VISOR, reasoned O'Brien.
Picard burst into the room at a dead run just as Geordi gained full
substance. He shot a look at O'Brien as if to ask, Where are they?
"Chief O'Brien," called the technician in Transporter Room 2, "I just got
Lieutenant Worf."
"Where is Commander Riker?" shot Picard with barely contained fear.
Doctor Crusher came barreling in before O'Brien could answer and nearly
knocked Picard off of his feet in an attempt to get to her patient. She did a
quick tricorder scan over Geordi's body and immediately injected him with
something from the kit at her side, shaking her head from side to side with a
very concerned expression spread over her features. She then helped the nurses
load LaForge onto the antigrav stretcher that they had brought in with them.
She tapped her communicator, "Dr. Selar, Engineer LaForge had taken a
large dose of paralactin. What is Lieutenant Worf's condition?"
Crusher's communicator brought back the answer, "Lieutenant Worf has also
i ngested sufficient quantities of paralactin to render him unconscious. I
have administered a general stimulant and am taking him to Sickbay as we speak.
Selar out."
Crusher saw LaForge to the door and on the way to Sickbay before turning
to Picard and O'Brien.
"Commander Riker is still on the Ferengi ship," reported O'Brien glumly as
Crusher joined the group.
"If he is, he will need medical help immediately," said Crusher to Captain
Picard. "LaForge has gotten a large dose of a very powerful paralysis drug.
So powerful, in fact, that it would have stopped his heart and lungs in another
couple of seconds. Odd, though, this drug affects humans and Klingons, but not
Ferengi. It's as if they knew who they would be gassing. I got to it quickly
though. He should be fine in a day or so." She turned and followed her
patient to Sickbay.
"I'm sorry, sir," muttered O'Brien. He was remembering all of the
wonderful games of poker he had had with Commander Riker. Then there was that
bar on Alpha Centauri . . .
"That sensor block stopped me," he continued slowly. "Connecting all of
those transporters at once, controlling them, getting a lock," he stopped.
"What did I do wrong?"
O'Brien was very upset, realized Picard. "Don't blame yourself, Chief.
That block threw you off. We are chasing the Ferengi right now. I promise
you, we'll get Riker back, even if we have to chase them to the heart of the
Ferengi Alliance to catch them." Not only was he reassuring O'Brien, Picard
realized, he was also making a personal vow, to himself and to his absent
friend and first officer.
* * * * * * * * * *
Doctor Crusher had her hands full with her two patients. They both had
the same drug in them, but Klingons responded to this particular one a little
differently than humans did. On a human she could just inject a series of
stimulants and he would be fine. A Klingon, however, would go into a coma from
the reduced brain activity that resulted from the chemical interactions if she
just indiscriminantly began administering stimulants to his inert form. She
was trying to keep Worf from slipping any deeper when she heard someone enter
Sickbay behind her.
She didn't even turn around. She had to keep an eye on her patient's
chemical balance. If she didn't keep him within a very specific range, then he
would go into a coma that could last days until the body decided to wake up.
"How are they doing, Doctor?" Picard asked quietly from behind her.
"Worf will be fine if I can just keep him stable for the next couple of
minutes," she replied without looking away from the readout.
"How is Mr. LaForge?"
"I'm fine, sir," replied Geordi from the other side of the room on his
bed. He unsteadily began to sit up.
Crusher's head snapped around. "No you're not. Stay right there or I
will have to forcefully keep you on that bed. You're a very sick man, Mr.
LaForge. Do what I tell you and you may be able to leave tomorrow."
Geordi grinned and shook his head. "Sorry, Doc. I've got to get to my
station and get after those animals."
"Report, Mr. LaForge," said Picard to cut off Crusher's retort. She
frowned and turned back to Worf.
"They acted really nice and polite until they got us into the cargo hold.
The last thing I remember was Worf trying to tear a door off of its hinges and
a green smoke. I must have blacked out," he finished sheepishly.
Picard nodded and turned toward Crusher. "Do what you can for Worf,
Doctor."
He turned around and headed out the door. Geordi seemed likely to follow
him out before Doctor Selar, the Vulcan on Crusher's staff, stopped him. "You
are still ill, Engineer LaForge," she said in that neutral tone that Vulcans
used when discussing anything from the color of a bacteria culture to their
probabilities of surviving another three minutes
during a Romulan attack.
"No I'm not," he retorted rather ineffectively. He was swaying on his
feet. "Besides, we need to go after them."
"We are," answered Crusher without turning around. "Now lie down before I
have Doctor Selar there carry you to bed."
Geordi looked at the Vulcan doctor and recalled that she was perfectly
capable of doing just that. He recrossed the room and lay down on his bed with
a frown on his face. "Okay, but I don't have to like it," he muttered.
"No, you don't, but do it anyway." retorted Dr. Crusher.
* * * * * * * * * *
On the bridge Wesley Crusher sitting at Conn looked with hatred toward the
Ferengi ship that had just kidnapped one of the men he most respected.
They were already at maximum warp, barely gaining on the Ferengi ship. At
their present speed, he calculated, they would catch them in just about seven
hours.
He almost unconsciously leaned forward as if to urge the great Galaxy
class starship to greater speeds.
Chapter 4
Riker was in a dream like state where he couldn't feel anything. His mind
felt free, without any problems or worries. That was just fine with him. His
last coherent memory was of a green fog enveloping him and his friends. He
didn't think that he wanted to wake up and find out what happened, so he
waited.
After a time, (who knew how long?) he began to feel a pain in his right
shoulder. That slowly dragged him back to reality, even against his will.
Once he was fully awake he realized that he had no hope of going back to
sleep thanks to the pain in his shoulder. He lay still for a moment taking an
assessment of his situation. His head was filled with cobwebs, he had a
headache, and his right shoulder was aching, the kind of ache that promises to
become full blown pain if you try to move it. He also heard something, a soft,
almost subliminal hum coming from his right. He seemed to be lying on a flat
surface that was none too comfortable.
He slowly opened his eyes to look around and figure out where he was. The
hum to the right proved to be a glowing blue outline around an otherwise open
door. He didn't want to try to go through, however, because he knew that the
color and tone meant that there was a force field turned to full power covering
the portal.
The rest of the room looked like any standard brig with one very important
difference. He wasn't alone. Lying on a cot very similar to the one he was on
was another human. Riker noticed that this human was rather normal in
appearance save for a wicked looking scar that zigzagged down his left arm. He
was just shy of two meters tall and had brown hair that was just a shade
lighter than Riker's own hair. He was dressed in conservative colors in a
modern style, but with very fine material.
Riker next felt around his chest to an attempt to find his communicator.
It wasn't there. Well, he thought, the Enterprise won't be coming to my rescue
quite that easily. He slowly tried to move into a sitting position only to be
rewarded with a nauseating pain in his shoulder. That wasn't any good at all.
"Don't try to move that shoulder."
Riker looked over at the other human to discover that he was sitting up
and looking at him. "Thanks for telling me. Hurts like hell."
"I'm not surprised. It's broken. Sorry, I've forgotten my manners. My
name is Mark Krosby. And you are Commander . . ." He trailed off, waiting
for Riker to answer.
"William Riker, USS Enterprise." He hesitated, "This may sound like a
stupid question, but where am I?"
Mark laughed. "You are a guest on the illustrious Ferengi Trader Avarice.
Since you're wearing a Starfleet uniform, I can assume that you're not here for
the same reason I am."
"I was sent by my captain to check the ship for Atax crystals," answered
Riker. He was wondering whether or not to trust this man, but he figured that
it didn't really matter one way or the other. Besides, he was a prisoner too.
"We received a report that they may be carrying some. We were supposed to
confiscate them and arrest Daamon Mok. Now why are you here?"
"I'm what you could call a free trader," a smuggler translated Riker to
himself. "I came to this ship with the same Atax that you were searching for.
I had a deal with the Ferengi, a thousand credits per crystal. But I got
greedy and demanded fifteen hundred each. Needless to say, they were not
amused. They simply hit me with one of their energy whips and tossed me in
here. I have no idea what happened to my ship. Probably destroyed by those
monsters. Anyway, now you know my story."
Riker tried to sit up again, this time being very gentle with his
shoulder. He made it up and leaned back against the wall, gasping for breath.
He spent the next five minutes fighting pain and dizziness.
Mark never moved during this time. He just sat and watched Riker fight
his own body.
Something suddenly occurred to Riker, "How did you know my rank?"
Mark smiled, "I quit Starfleet ten years ago. Not enough money in it.
Anyway I didn't like all of the rules. My commanding officers controlled my
life. I don't like anybody who makes decisions for me. I need my freedom, and
these Ferengi have taken it away from me. I intend to kill every one of them
when I bust out of here."
Riker looked on him appreciatively. This was the kind of ally that he
needed right now. Will looked around their cell once more, searching for a way
to break out. The door was obviously out. Unless the ship had a power failure
they didn't have a prayer of making it through there. He looked over the walls
until he spied a panel that was flush with the wall. He considered his chances
of walking over there, about two meters distant, without passing out on the
way.
Before Riker could move, however, he heard a sound over by the door. He
turned and saw Blak leering at him.
"I see that you are awake. Good. You'll be gratified to know that we
gave you the antidote to the gas before any brain damage occurred."
"What do you want with me?" Riker demanded.
"And what will you do with me?" Krosby queried.
Blak turned to Krosby. "You will eventually be taken to one of our bases
and tried for the crimes that you have committed against us."
"But I didn't do anything," protested Krosby.
"You reneged on a contract," thundered Blak. The way he said that made it
sound as if it were a death warrant.
"And me?" asked Riker calmly.
"You will be taken to the Romulan Neutral Zone," answered Blak with a leer
on his face, "and sold to the first Romulan ship that will buy you at our
price. I should think that many would want to buy a Starfleet commander. You p
robably have all sorts of military secrets that the Romulans can use." The
evil smile on Blak's face made Riker instantly nervous.
Blak's laughter could be heard all the way down the corridor.
* * * * * * * * * *
"But, Doc," protested Geordi to an exasperated Beverly Crusher, "I feel
fine. Why do you have me cooped up in here when I could be doing some real
work? Besides, you know that I will keep pestering you until you release me."
Geordi gave her a crooked smile.
Beverly frowned back. "You're fine, Geordi. It's just that I want to
keep you here for some observation to make sure you don't suffer any long term
effects."
"So I can observe myself," protested LaForge. "Listen, Doc, I'll try and
take it easy for a while, okay? I promise to be a good little boy." He added
solemnly, waiting for her response.
She looked at him with something resembling resignation. "Fine. Get out
of here."
Geordi was halfway to the door before she said, "Just take it easy and
don't hesitate to come back of you don't feel well."
He was in the corridor before she heard a distant, "Okay."
She turned around and grumbled something to herself about how all of the
officers on this ship were stubborn.
* * * * * * * * * *
Geordi made straight for Engineering. Once there, he tracked down his
assistant, Lieutenant Cohran. "What's the scoop?" he asked as soon as he found
his subordinate.
"We're running at warp 9.7, chasing after the Ferengi who tried to turn you
r brains to pudding, sir," answered Cohran. Geordi winced. Cohran always
had graphic, though odd, descriptions for everything.
Cohran himself was a little odd. He was a Horta, one of the many races
that the legendary Admiral James T Kirk had discovered. Cohran himself
appeared to be nothing more than an animated boulder. The Horta were a
silicon-based life form that could move through solid rock as easily has humans
moved through air. This was accomplished through the use of the strongest
natural acid found anywhere in the galaxy. If they were moving through rock
using this acid, then they would in essence be eating their way along.
The Horta were a very long lived race, measuring their life spans in the
centuries. Despite his odd shape, Cohran was one of the best engineers that
Geordi had ever seen. He managed this because he could plug his nervous system
straight into the machine that he was working on and literally feel where the
problem was.
"Have there been any problems with the engines or ship's integrity? This
is a pretty fast speed to be holding for very long," commented Geordi.
"No problems. She's been behaving herself like a virgin, sir. There's
nothing much for anybody to do right now. Why don't you go get some rest?"
"What, you too? Doctor Crusher just told me the same thing," exclaimed
Geordi.
"I know." If it were possible for a rock to appear embarrassed, Cohran
did. "She called down just before you arrived and threatened to turn me into
an asteroid if I let you do any work." He trailed off, clearly scared at the
threat.
Geordi sighed. "I should have known. Thanks, Cohran. If anything
happens, give me a call. I'll probably be in Holodeck 1." Geordi turned to
go.
"Don't you worry about anything, sir. We'll keep things ship shape around
here, even if we have to clean the deckplates with our toothbrushes."
Geordi was smiling on his way out of Engineering. Nothing like a Horta
telling jokes to lift your spirits, he mused.
Chapter 5
"We've got to get out of here," said Mark as soon as Blak was out of
earshot.
"No kidding. If I can just get to that panel over there," he indicated
the darker panel he had spotted earlier, "I'll see if I can do something about
that."
Mark jerked his head around and smiled when he saw what Riker was talking
about. Muttering something about being blind, he stood up and pulled off his
cloth belt. He expertly folded it over and tied the end into a knot. Krosby
then looped the knot over Riker's neck and then let the other half drop over
his chest.
"This is going to hurt," he said just as he grabbed Riker's wrist and
shoved it into the makeshift sling. Riker didn't actually cry out, but he d
id break into a cold sweat.
Imzadi, his mind cried. His arm was finally secured next to his body after
what seemed like an eternity of raw pain. Once there, he found that it was
much more comfortable this way than hanging down his side.
"Thanks," he grunted, sweat running down his face.
"Don't mention it," replied Krosby. "Now to that panel." He pulled Riker
up by his good shoulder and then hung on to him as Will nearly fell over from
the wave of dizziness that threatened to engulf him. Once the wave passed,
however, he could stand up with out any help. Riker slowly made his way over
to the panel and examined it carefully.
It was made of the same material as the rest of the wall, but was a
slightly darker shade of gray. The most promising aspect that he noticed was a
visible
crack where the panel met the rest of the wall. Riker tried to hook
his fingernails in it and pull, but the crack was just barely too narrow for
him to get a good grip on.
"Let me try," said Krosby.
Riker stood aside and looked over the room again as Krosby had a go at
prying open the panel. Save for the panel, their bunks, and the two of them,
the room was absolutely bare. Riker began to worry about how they would be fed
and other necessities of life cared for.
"No good," grumbled Mark after a full minute of trying.
Riker went back over to his bunk and sat down. He slumped over as he ran
through the options in his head. As far as he could see, there weren't any.
Krosby was probably thinking similar thoughts across the room. With a
muttered, "Damn," he hit the bunk with his fist.
Riker saw the action and thought for a moment. Didn't Geordi say
something about the ship? he thought.
"That's it," he said excitedly after a moment of thought.
"What's it?" grumbled Mark without looking up.
"This entire ship is made of cheap materials. I bet that we could just
break that panel and be home free in no time."
"Just break it? Think that it could be that easy?" asked Krosby with
skepticism, though he did look up.
"Worth a try," said Riker. He examined his bed more closely to see if he
could pry a piece off to pound on the panel. No good. The bed was made of one
piece and he sure as hell couldn't lift it up as a whole to use as a club.
Well, have to do it the hard way, he thought as he stood up. He went over to
the panel again and thumped it a couple of times with the heel of his left hand.
Well, next step, he thought. He took a step back and pivoted on his left
foot to ram the heel of his right boot into the panel. The first kick only
succeeded in jarring his bad shoulder. His second try produced a sharp clang,
but this third attempt brought a crack. Riker stopped and looked at the panel
again. There was a barely visible hairline fracture down the middle of it. He
smiled and stepped back again. Two more kicks later the entire panel cracked
apart and parts of it fell into the cell and most of the rest fell into the
wall. Riker peered in and got a good look at what was inside. After a moment
he turned around to find a very interested look on Mark's face.
"The Ferengi never have been very smart have they?" asked Will.
"Why? What did you find?"
"Power circuits. I assume that at least one of them will be for the
door."
"You know, this escape may be easier than I originally thought," said
Krosby.
Riker smiled and got to work.
* * * * * * * * * *
"Captain," called Wesley Crusher from Conn.
"Yes, Ensign, what is it?"
"The Ferengi are changing course. They are no longer heading toward
Ferengi Alliance space. They are now heading to," Wesley did a quick
calculation and gulped when he saw the result, "the Romulan Neutral Zone."
It took a moment for that to sink in. "Follow them. How long until we
reach the Neutral Zone?" Picard asked.
Wesley tapped the command into his computer and read out the result, "Five
and a half hours at present speed. Sir, we won't catch the Ferengi for another
five hours."
The meaning of that was clear to all on the bridge. They would only have
a half an hour after they catch the Ferengi to free Commander Riker before they
entered the Romulan Neutral Zone and possibly started interstellar war.
Picard turned to Counselor Troi seated on his left. "Counselor, why would
the Ferengi," was all the further that he got before being cut short by Troi's
scream.
"Imzadi," screamed Deanna, mentally and vocally.
Every head on the bridge snapped around at the noise to see that Troi had
screamed, clutched at her shoulder, and collapsed onto Picard. Wesley jumped
up and came back to them in order to lift her off of Captain Picard who was
momentarily shocked into immobility. Worf, meanwhile, did the only sensible
thing that he could under the circumstances. He called Doctor Crusher to the
bridge. Wesley finally managed to lift Troi off of Picard by grabbing her
around her waist and essentially lifting her straight up in a bear hug. This
had the desired effect, but it made Wesley blush furiously. He laid her
down flat in front of the command chairs.
Picard meanwhile had managed to get his muscles to respond to commands
again. He knelt down beside Deanna and put two fingers on her throat to check h
er pulse. It was rapid and thready.
Crusher burst into the bridge at that moment and demanded, "What
happened?" She began running her medical tricorder over Troi's body without
waiting for an answer.
"She just screamed and fainted," answered Picard.
"It was Will, Captain," said Deanna, barely audible. "He was in intense
pain. We must help him." She struggled to get up.
"We'll get to him, Deanna," soothed Beverly. "Right now I need to get you
to Sickbay. Can you walk or do I need to call for a stretcher?"
"I can make it," responded Troi, slightly embarrassed as she stood up
under her own power.
Crusher smiled at her, "Good. Let's go then." They headed to the
turbolift doors, Deanna holding her head and Crusher with her arm around Troi,
offering support.
"Why are all of my senior officers getting themselves hurt?" asked Picard f
rom no one in particular.
* * * * * * * * * *
Doctor Crusher had no sooner finished calling Engineering and threatening
Cohran than she got an emergency summons to the bridge from Worf.
As she stood in the turbolift on her way to the bridge, she wondered if it
could be Worf himself. She hadn't wanted to release him yet, but that stubborn
Klingon just stood up and walked out. It was getting to the point that she
couldn't keep her patients in Sickbay anymore.
As soon as the turbolift stopped, she jumped out onto the bridge and found
that Deanna was the one who needed her help. She quickly learned what had
happened and that there would be no long term effects. She finally coaxed
Deanna into coming to Sickbay with her and maneuvered her into the turbolift.
"What happened?" asked Crusher as soon as the lift doors closed.
"I'm not sure," came the confused reply. "Captain Picard was asking me a
question and the next thing that I knew I was receiving wave after wave of pain
from Commander Riker. I don't know why, but I did."
"Are you sure that it was Will?" asked Beverly as the turbolift slowed to
a stop and the doors opened.
A small smile played at the corners of Deanna's mouth. "Yes, Beverly, I'm
sure it was Will. He is very identifiable, emotionally. At least to me he
is." She added as the pair walked into Sickbay.
The smile on Crusher's face melted into a frown of concern and then shock
as Deanna turned pale and passed out again.
Beverly's shock lasted less than a second, however. Her doctor's
instincts took over and caught Deanna before she hit the deck. It took her
only moments to lift Troi up and deposit her onto the nearest medical
diagnostic bed. The readout immediately began showing the patient's vital
signs. They were wavering radically.
Crusher's face puckered into a frown as she tried to tell what was wrong.
All of her medical experience seemed useless as she frantically searched her
memory for what was causing her friend's condition. No matter. Treat the
symptoms and then go after the cause, she thought.
She first injected a mild sedative to ease the wild heart rate and then beg
an picking selective drugs to help the other major organs fight whatever it
was.
"What was wrong with Counselor Troi, Doctor?" queried Picard from the
bridge.
She slapped her communicator without slowing down her ministrations to
Troi and began to speak rapidly, "She originally fainted from a wave of pain
that Commander Riker was apparently broadcasting, Captain. However, that is
not the problem right now. She has collapsed again."
"From what?" came the concerned reply.
"I'm sorry, Captain, but I have no idea. Crusher out." She slapped her
communicator again to close the link to the bridge and set about saving Deanna
Troi's life.
Chapter 6
Completely oblivious to what was happening to Counselor Troi, Geordi
LaForge went looking for Data. While he was lying in Sickbay he had decided to
go back to the Holodeck with his android friend and work on that program some
more. He figured that Doctor Crusher would let him do something like that
since it wasn't actually work.
Finding Data wasn't nearly as difficult as it sounds because the
Enterprise's main computer could find anybody on the ship in a matter of
seconds. Geordi asked the computer and learned that Data was in the Ten-
Forward Lounge. Odd, thought Geordi, he usually doesn't go there. But who am
I to tell him where he can and can't go? I'll just stop by and talk to him
there, he concluded.
* * * * * * * * * *
"Guinan, could you help me with a problem?"
Guinan, the hostess of the Ten-Forward Lounge, looked up and saw Commander
Data looking at her with a mixture of embarrassment and apprehension on a face
that usually gave no emotional response at all. She was very surprised to see
him in here at all. When he did come it was with a group of other officers and
even then he rarely talked to her.
Recovering her composure quickly, she said, "Sure, Data. Have a seat.
What can I do for you?"
Data sat down and considered the hostess. The first thing that he noticed
was the outfit she was wearing. It consisted of a dark blue outfit that almost
resembled a robe, with a hat of the same shade. The hat was so large that it
was almost the same size as the robe itself. Data recalled that she preferred
clothing of this type, so he dismissed the fact that the hat was several times
the size of her head.
He then looked at her and realized, not for the first time, that it was
hard to tell what species she came from. She exhibited a little bit of many
diverse cultures and physical attributes. Data knew that Captain Picard had
argued long and hard for her to be allowed to run the Ten-Fore Lounge on the
Enterprise, but nobody else, including Data and the ship's computer, knew much
else about her or why Captain Picard lobbied to Starfleet Command on her
behalf.
However, she had the uncanny knack of knowing when people needed a drink
refilled, a shoulder to cry on, or if they just wanted to be left alone. These
things made her the perfect hostess for the social center of a moving city.
"Yesterday Geordi and I started a holodeck simulation," began Data with
some hesitation. "In it I had programed in a formal party scenario and gave
each of us an escort for the evening. He seemed very happy with the setup, but
I am confused as to what I should say to Grace, my escort. Should I ask her to
dance, should I just talk to her, should I let her guide the conversation,
should I . . ." He trailed off as he realized that Guinan was on the verge of
laughing out loud at him. "What did I say that was humorous?"
"Nothing, Data," she managed, stifling another laugh. "It's just that
some people have asked me some very odd questions since I came to the
Enterprise, but this is the first time that I've had an android with women
troubles. To answer your question, you should do whatever seems natural. Let
her guide you a little if you must, but the computer will go along with just
about anything you decide to do. Data, you're a unique individual and you
should just be yourself." She spotted Geordi as he walked in and started to
look around. "There's Geordi now. Why don't you two go back to that program
right now and have some fun. From what I've heard, we won't be doing much for
a few hours at least. Go on and have some fun."
"Thank you, Guinan," said Data as Geordi joined them.
"Hi, Guinan," greeted Geordi. "Data, do you want to go back to that
holodeck program we were in earlier? You know the one with Gloria and Grace?"
He seemed rather eager to be going.
Geordi could hear Guinan give a small laugh as she went to tend to some of
her other customers. "What was that about?" he asked Data.
"Guinan and I were discussing just that program before you arrived. To
answer your question, yes. I would like to go back and try that scenario some
more."
"Great," said Geordi as he moved toward the doors.
* * * * * * * * * *
The program was quickly resumed once they arrived at the doors to Holodeck
One. The only modification that they had to make was Grace's memory of Picard's
voice. Other than that, they continued where they had left off, Data talking
to Grace and Geordi dancing with Gloria.
"What were we talking about?" asked Grace.
"You were saying that I know humans very well right now," said Data with
his usual accuracy.
Grace laughed lightly. "That's what I like about you, Fredrick, you make
me laugh. It's just some of the little things you do and the serious way you
say them." She paused and turned toward Geordi and his date on the dance
floor. They were currently doing a slow waltz. "I'm glad that Gloria and
Thomas are getting along so well."
Geordi seems to be very happy, thought Data to himself.
He continued watching them for a few more seconds. How can they be so
close together without stepping on each other's feet? he wondered.
Grace turned back to him. "Anyway, I still say that you understand
humans very well indeed. After all, how could we be engaged to be married if I
didn't think that I understood you and you understood me?"
Data, who had programed the simulation, knew that this was coming. It was
a part of the learning experience for him. How better to understand humans
than to experience their relationships in their full complexities? he reasoned.
Grace continued, "I love you, Fredrick, and I always will. I'm glad that
you asked me to marry you. You made me the happiest girl alive." With that,
she threw her arms around Data's neck and proceeded to give him a kiss that
would have sent even Riker spinning.
He responded as well as he was able, but his lack of real experience
detracted from the intended effect. Grace didn't seem to notice or if she did,
she didn't care.
Once the kiss finished she leaned against him and sighed contentedly.
Data wondered what to do next. He had a woman who seemed to be in love with
him practically lying on top of him and he felt that he really should do
something.
Emulation seems to be in order, he thought. Therefore, what would
Commander Riker do in this situation? He didn't know for sure. He had never
quite figured out how Riker treated ladies in this kind of situation. Very
well, what would Captain Picard do? That too drew a blank. How about Geordi?
He looked over at his friend just in time to see them kissing in a manner that
he himself had just experienced. Good start, he thought.
He leaned over and kissed Grace again. She responded just as
enthusiastically as the last time and snuggled further into his
shoulder. That was apparently pleasurable for her, but did not get us
anywhere, he thought. I have to think of something else.
Who else could I emulate? What would Worf do? He did a quick search of
Klingon mating rituals. Well, he thought, I could try that.
"bangwIj rur Doq," he started. He sounded as if his intestines and vocal
cords were being sucked through the matter-antimatter engines.
Grace interrupted with, "What was that, Fredrick?"
"Klingon poetry. I started to say 'My love is like a red, red rose, newly
sprung in June.'"
Grace giggled and looked up to him with an amused expression on her face.
"What am I supposed to do while you recite Klingon love poetry?"
"You are supposed to throw heavy objects at me until you can not find any
more and then throw yourself at me and make love to me," he replied with a
straight face.
Her face was stretching into a larger and larger smile until she heard
that last line. Data then began to wonder how red her face could become before
she began hemorrhaging.
"What kind of girl do you think I am, anyway? Just because you take me to
a fancy party you think you can take advantage of me." Her voice was rising
with every word. Several heads turned toward the sound.
"Well, buster, you've got it all wrong." She viciously tore a ring off of
her finger and threw it at him. Data reflexively caught it and looked at it.
It was a gold ring with a small diamond surrounded by rubies. By this time
everybody in the room was staring at them.
Geordi, who was still out on the dance floor with Gloria, considered
pausing the program, but he was genuinely interested in how his friend would
handle this display.
Grace, meanwhile, was continuing her tirade. "Get out of my life,
Fredrick. I never want to see you again." With that, she buried her face in
her hands and ran out the door. Much to Geordi's disappointment, Gloria
followed without even a good-bye.
"Pause program," Geordi called out. Everybody except Data and himself
immediately froze in their positions. Geordi slowly walked over to Data,
shaking his head. Data had a very confused look on his face.
"What was that all about?" Geordi asked his friend.
"I began to recite Klingon love poetry to her in an attempt to emulate
Lieutenant Worf. She did not understand Klingonaase, so I had to stop and
explain what I was saying and what she should do in such a situation." Data's
confused expression remained on his face throughout the synopsis of their
conversation.
Geordi shook his head again. He knew this Klingon custom. He had heard
about it in a Xenopsychology class in Starfleet Academy.
"That's a Klingon custom, Data. It doesn't work very well at all on
humans. You just insulted her by doing that. You may not have meant to, but
you did, just the same. See, girls want their dates to be tender and romantic.
Klingon mating customs are anything but tender."
"I am sorry," said Data, genuinely apologetic. He knew how much fun
Geordi was having with Gloria.
"I wonder how long we have before we catch the Ferengi," Geordi wondered,
changing the subject. He wanted to spend more time in here before things
really started to happen.
He tilted his head up and addressed the air, "Computer, how long until we
catch the Ferengi ship?"
"Four hours, twenty-eight minutes at present speed," replied the pleasant
female voice.
He turned back to Data, "Why don't we try this program again while we have
some spare time? Besides, Doctor Crusher doesn't want me to do any real work
for a while, and this is a good way for both of us to relax."
Data nodded his head and turned to the computer console to restart the
program for the second time in as many hours.
Geordi wondered how many more times Data would need to restart the
program. He hoped it would be quite a few. He was having a lot of fun getting
to know Gloria.
===========================================================================
Chapter 7
Riker had his back turned to the door when he heard footsteps running down
the hall. "Damn," he hissed venomously. "They heard the kicks. Get ready to
jump them," as he talked he left the shattered panel and moved to one of the
corners next to the door. Mark positioned himself on the other side. Whoever
came in was flanked even as they began the fight.
* * * * * * * * * *
Blak came running full tilt down the corridor toward the brig. Damn
these humans, he thought savagely. I didn't even want to pick them up, but no.
That bumbling Mok just had to take them and try to make a profit off of those
two. I told him that they could cause trouble. At least he has the brains to
be coming to back me up.
I wonder what those two meddlesome humans are up to? he thought as he
slowed to stop at the door.
Blak stopped in front of the door and peered in, energy whip drawn. No
sense in being jumped by those two. His hesitation vanished when he spotted
the shattered panel. Those fools destroyed Ferengi property, thought Blak with
a snarl. He jabbed in the security code to deactivate the force field and
marched straight into the cell without another thought as to where Riker and
Krosby were.
Blak's next impression was of the toe of a boot streaking toward his face.
His face was shortly making an impression on the floor.
* * * * * * * * * *
"Did you really have to do that?" asked Riker. "I could have knocked him
out without trying to kill him."
"I told you that I have a grudge against these monsters. I just made my
first payback for what they did to my ship and to my freedom." He considered
Blak's bleeding lip and broken nose. "Besides, I think I improved his looks."
The look on Riker's face was indecipherable. Krosby couldn't tell if Will
was upset or amused.
Will took the lead and walked out into the corridor. Mark paused only
long enough to pick up Blak's energy whip and then followed.
As soon as Riker got outside of his cell, the first thing he noticed was
that Mok was standing three meters in front of him with a drawn energy whip.
The Ferengi captain did not look pleased. His face appeared as if it would
explode at any moment.
Mok shrieked a truly hideous Ferengi curse (roughly translated as "May all
of your contracts fall through and you die penniless") and flipped the energy
whip at Riker.
Will saw a blast of white paralyzing energy coming at him. His reaction
was instinctive. He dodged to his right. The bolt sizzled past Riker's ear
and slammed straight into Krosby's chest. Mark flew five meters down the
corridor before he landed with a heavy thud and didn't move.
Riker noticed what had happened to his comrade, but he had his own
problems coming his way. He didn't think that the hard floor and his bad
shoulder would mix very well.
He quickly realized the veracity of his prediction as he landed in a roll
and his shoulder exploded into liquid pain. His next coherent thought was
that his roll didn't go as planned either. He had hit a wall.
Riker was now essentially standing on his head, leaned against the wall
with a very hostile Ferengi standing over him holding a dangerous weapon.
What did fearless Starfleet commanders do in situations such as this?
Riker didn't know either, so he didn't move until told to do so, not that he
could very quickly even if he wanted to.
"Get up," snarled Mok.
Riker gingerly rolled into a sitting position. His head was still reeling
from the pain in his shoulder and he felt as if he couldn't stand up without
antigrav support.
"Move it," screamed Mok.
He was at the mouth, noticed Riker. Maybe I should move more quickly, he
thought. He doesn't seem to be in a very forgiving mood right now. I just
hope I don't pass out.
Riker gritted his teeth and tried to stand upright. A combination of the
nauseating pain in his shoulder and the dizziness in his head from trying to
stand up too fast stopped him. Deanna, his mind cried as he fell.
* * * * * * * * * *
