Part 17 (1/2)
”Here, sir.”
”Put guards at all transporters and shuttle bays. We don't want anyone leaving the s.h.i.+p on a d'Ort'd whim.”
”Aye, sir. Bridge out.”
”What should I do?” Shubunkin said.
”Come with me,” Picard said. ”We're going to sickbay.”
Chapter Twelve.
GETTING TO SICKBAY was an adventure. First the turbolift went very fast. Then it went very slowly. Then it rattled along, shaking from side to side like a car in an old-fas.h.i.+oned steam-powered train.
The turbolift stopped first at deck eleven, and a Boogeyman said, ”All ash.o.r.e that's going ash.o.r.e! We won!”
”Deck twelve,” Picard said in what he hoped was a convincing way. The doors closed, and the lift dropped a floor as if the cables had been cut. The turbolift had no cables, but that was what it felt like. The doors opened and then shut quickly, almost pinching Picard in half as he exited into the corridor.
Sickbay was nearly empty by the time he and Shubunkin got there. Dr. Crusher, Counselor Troi, and a few orderlies were moving among those still in bed, mostly children, giving comfort where they could. When Picard approached Troi, see was hugging a small blond girl, rocking with her, telling her that everything would be all right. Troi saw the captain and Shubunkin and said to the little girl, ”There. You'll be fine now. Why don't you lie down until you feel ready to go home?”
The little girl sniffed and nodded and did as she was told.
Picard and Shubunkin spoke with Troi near an empty bed where they would be out of the way. ”What's wrong with them?” Picard said, a little more gruffly than he had planned.
”Nothing, physically, as far as Dr. Crusher can determine. But if this little girl's dreams were anything like mine, she has a right to be frightened.”
”Tell me about the dreams,” Shubunkin said.
Troi looked off and frowned. She shook her head and said, ”Very alien. Mostly swirling colors. The perspective seemed all wrong, somehow.”
”Wrong?” Shubunkin said.
”It would be like explaining sight to a blind person.” Troi almost smiled and then shook her head. ”Part of the dream was a powerful longing for home.”
”Home?” said Picard. ”Betazed?”
”Nothing so specific, Captain. But we all felt a definite desire to return to a place that is far away in time and s.p.a.ce.”
Picard said, ”Perhaps that's why you and the others were pus.h.i.+ng Enterprise at warp eight.”
”I thought that was just a rumor,” Troi said unhappily.
”It is all too real, I a.s.sure you. We need to know how it was done, not only because in itself it is a tremendous scientific discovery, but because we want to prevent the d'Ort'd from doing it to us again.”
Troi thought for a few moments, then shook her head. ”I'm sorry, Captain. It's all very vague.”
”Try,” Picard said.
”Try,” Shubunkin said.
Troi sighed and said, ”We changed the way we looked at the universe and imposed that new perspective on the s.h.i.+p.”
”Explain this new perspective,” Picard and Shubunkin said together.
”I'm sorry,” Troi said, looking as if she meant it. ”I cannot.” Her hands moved restlessly. ”Details fade like a dream even while I try to remember.”
”Perhaps some of the others-” Picard said.
Dr. Crusher interrupted. ”I've been asking every one of them I can catch.” Picard and Shubunkin turned to look at her. She said, ”They don't remember any more than Counselor Troi does, and many of them remember even less. Fortunately, the longing for home fades as quickly as the new perspective. Fortunately also”-she aimed her medical tricorder at Troi and when it warbled, she checked the reading-”the activity in everyone's Martinez node is normal again, which is to say almost nonexistent.”
Picard said, ”Can you keep it that way?”
”Not yet,” Dr. Crusher said, ”but we're working on it.” She looked somewhat doubtful.
”Very well, Doctor. Flank speed if you please. What do you make of all this, Lieutenant Shubunkin?”
”Nothing useful, Captain. But I am as new to d'Ort'd psychology and technology as you are. I can only hope that Baldwin's infowafer holds some answers.”
”I believe you have just defined your mission, Lieutenant.”
”Aye, sir,” Shubunkin said and left sickbay at a nice clip.
”Speaking of which,” Picard said, ”where is Professor Baldwin?”
”He said he was going to see you in your ready room.”
That surprised him. The last time he'd seen Baldwin, Picard had accused him of sabotaging the Enterprise. ”Did he say why?”
”No. But he was most insistent.”
Picard touched a companel and said, ”Professor Baldwin, this is Picard.”
The sound of Boogeymen singing the Hallelujah Chorus poured briefly from the companel. With disgust, Picard said, ”Do all you can, Doctor,” and strode from sickbay.
As he walked along the corridor to the turbolift, the light bars began to blink. Boogeyman laughter rolled along the corridor like bowling b.a.l.l.s, and the s.h.i.+p shuddered. Picard ran to a companel. On his way he moved through a very cold area no larger than a transporter plate. He stepped back into it briefly and saw his breath fog, curl, and dissipate. This was maddening.
He touched the companel and called, ”La Forge? What's going on down there?”
”Right offhand, sir, I'd say we have a bad case of Boogeymen.”
”Sir, this is Wesley. I think it's going to get worse. I had Data design the Boogeymen to become more aggressive with time.”
”Is there no way to go around them?”
”That becomes more and more difficult as the contamination spreads,” La Forge said. ”We don't have many options left.”
”Make use of those we do have. Picard out.”