Part 2 (1/2)
Data looked around the table that served as the communal eating place for the scientists. In every locale on the Enterprise that was designed for group consumption of food, Data had always been struck by the steady stream of chatter that had accompanied the act. Indeed, eating a meal seemed as much a social occasion as anything else. Such socializing did not appear to augment the replenis.h.i.+ng of the body's stores of nutrition. It was, however, customary. Or so Data had been led to believe.
It was not the case here however. The six scientists who were grouped around the table ate quietly. Talk was at a minimum, and anything said was merely along the lines of some functional request such as ”Pa.s.s the salt.”
Seated next to Data was science officer Blair. Blair was tough to miss in any situation-a head taller than Data, and covered from head to toe with thick, brown fur. His jaw jutted out and his eyes were so small that they were almost impossible to spot. His Starfleet uniform was specially tailored to accommodate his height and bulk. The others at the table had to crowd a bit closer to each other in order to provide room for Blair.
Thus far there had only been one entr?e into conversation. Data had glanced around and said, ”My records indicated there were seven of you.”
Mary Mac pursed her lips and then sighed. ”There were. Recent defection-Mar Loc. He took off the other day-haven't seen him since. You'll have to update your records. To be honest... we lose people all the time.”
”Why?”
”It's not easy to take this place, Commodore,” said Harry as he put food out on the table. Around the table, heads bobbed up and down in agreement. ”You have the constant wind. You have the solitude. And with the Guardian out there...” He paused, trying to find the words. ”You feel... you feel like you're staring into a mirror from h.e.l.l. And it's only so long before you see something staring back out at you. Some reflection that you don't necessarily like. At which point... it's time to get out. Or you can lose your mind.”
”We've had that happen from time to time as well,” said Mary Mac darkly. Again there were nods.
The scientists volunteered no further conversation, and once the food was put out, from then on the only sounds that could be heard were the clinking of eating utensils on plates, soft noises of mastication, and of course, the wind... the everpresent, everhaunting wind.
”Is it always this quiet?” Blair finally asked.
The sound of his hushed question was almost deafening in the relative stillness. The scientists stopped and looked at each other with an air of polite puzzlement.
Mary Mac, who was seated next to Blair, leaned forward on one arm. ”It's not just quiet. We're working.”
Blair looked at Data. ”Working on what?” asked the commodore.
”Our thoughts,” said Harry. ”Our observations. Every night we record our conclusions in our logs, and every morning we group together and discuss them.”
”As part of the Federation's annual evaluation of your work,” said Data politely, ”I'd be very interested in reading them. If, that is, you wouldn't consider that an intrusion.”
The scientists looked at each other and there seemed to be an unspoken, uniform shrug. ”No problem with that, Commodore,” said Mary Mac.
”What sort of observations do you make?” Blair asked.
Mary Mac glanced around the table. Clearly, both through Federation designation and natural ability, she was the spokesperson for the group. ”We make observations on society. On history. Most of us here are social scientists, Commodore... Lieutenant,” she added, with a polite nod to Blair. ”We make studies of the histories of different societies and from that draw conclusions about not only that society's past, but the circ.u.mstances that brought them to their present and, most likely, are aiming them toward their future.”
Harry now spoke up. ”Just an example. Two planets, Gamma Delta and Gamma Origii, had been at war off and on for hundreds of years. Even though they, as a society, had evolved in their perceptions and att.i.tudes, there was still a centuries-old tradition of hatred between the two. Our studies here at the Forever World uncovered the real origins, long forgotten, of the anger between the two worlds.”
”That being?” prompted Blair.
Harry endeavored to keep a straight face as he said, ”A d'clat belonging to the emperor of Gamma Delta consumed a markill that was much beloved by the empress of Gamma Origii.
Blair looked in confusion from Harry to Data. Data, with just the faintest hint of a smile, said. ”A d'clat is a large, caninelike animal, known to be quite fierce and to reach lengths of three meters. A markill is small, somewhat feline, and usually very docile.”
Understanding spread across Blair's face. ”You mean the guy's dog ate her pet cat?”
”That is essentially correct.”
”And that led to centuries of hostilities?”
”The incident led to bad feelings,” corrected Mary Mac, sounding a bit pedantic. ”The bad feelings led to the hostilities. By the time the modern era was reached, the reasons for the hostilities had long been forgotten; only the anger remained.”
”How did the two planets react when they learned of the root cause for their antagonism?” asked Data.
Mary Mac could not hide her amus.e.m.e.nt. ”The heads of the two worlds met and with great pomp and circ.u.mstance signed into law new, strict regulations about leas.h.i.+ng d'clats. A newborn markill was then presented to the present leader of Gamma Origii. Frankly, they were all a bit embarra.s.sed about it and were happy for the opportunity to put it all behind them.”
”Well, that's excellent,” said Blair. ”That's just excellent.”
Then he paused, and Mary Mac picked up on the fact that something else was on his mind. ”Yes, Lieutenant?” she asked.
”I was just wondering... are you ever tempted? To go back, I mean?”
”No,” said Mary Mac with such speed and firmness that it was a bit startling.
”What, never?”
”No. Nor are any of us.” She looked at her companions for confirmation, and almost as one, they nodded.
”Why wouldn't you want to?”
”Because that is not a responsibility that we would want. It's... it's too much. You'd have to be... I don't know... bigger than life to take on that challenge. I'll pa.s.s, thanks.”
”If you shun the responsibility, why does anyone have access to the Guardian at all?” asked Data.
”We need access when we want to talk to it,” said Mary Mac. ”For some reason it won't address us if we speak from outside the force field. The Guardian doesn't acknowledge us unless there're no barriers between us. When we do converse with it directly, we do so with the utmost caution.” She put down her eating utensil. ”Your conversation was fairly interesting, Commodore. What did you make of it?”
”It would seem to confirm, on the face of it, that which we had always known. That time is fluid. Although”he paused only a moment, considering the possibilities-”there is another interpretation. And that is that all times coexist.”
”You mean parallel universes,” said Mary Mac. It was clear from the speed with which she picked up on what he was saying that it was something she'd already given thought.
”It's something that has been considered,” said Data. ”That parallel universes are, in fact, alternative time tracks. There was a fascinating paper done recently, expanding upon a notion expressed in, of all things, a newly recovered twentieth-century piece of fiction.”
”The Niven Doctrine,” Blair said. ”I was in the audience when it was presented. Shook up quite a few people.”
”Alternative time lines,” said Mary Mac, nodding. ”The scene you were watching, Commodore-the experiences of Captain Kirk-certainly is one of the better-known instances.”
”There have been others doc.u.mented,” said Data. ”There was Captain Kirk's experience with an alternative time line that resulted in a parallel universe with an aggressive, warlike Federation. There was another situation that I myself was involved with, the full details of which I didn't learn until some years after the fact.”
”You, Commodore?” asked Mary Mac. ”What was it?”
”It involved a... memorable young woman. her name was Natasha Yar, although she was more popularly known as Tasha.” Data's face, as always, was the picture of composure. But Blair, from his long experience with his commanding officer, could tell that the memory being pulled up was something of great meaning to the android. ”it was a... unique situation. One of the few instances where an individual or individuals actually crossed over from one parallel universe to another-one being where Captain Kirk and several crewmen, as mentioned earlier, crossed into a parallel universe/time line with a militaristic Federation. Tasha's experience was another. Unfortunately it... did not work out quite as positively as Captain Kirk's did.”
Data lapsed into silence and Mary Mac understood immediately that he had said everything he felt needed to be said on the subject. But Data picked up on her expression.
”if you wish to question me further on the incident,” Data said quietly, ”you may feel free to do so. I won't feel imposed upon.”
”Maybe not, but I'll feel like I'm imposing anyway. So I guess I won't.” Then Mary Mac paused. ”Actually, Commodore... I have something of interest to show you. Something along the lines of our discussion. A very intriguing turn of events that our monitoring of the Guardian's playbacks has revealed. And I think”-her green lips drew back into a broad smile-”I think you will find it very interesting.”