Part 4 (1/2)

”But I haven't been given a chance here. I'm willing to put in the hours. I'm willing to accept responsibility. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to become a captain myself one day. But I'm not going to get there by checking cargo day in and day out.”

”Cargo oversight is one of the duties a.s.signed to ensigns on this s.h.i.+p,” Picard reminded him.

”I understand that, sir. And I wouldn't mind doing it-if I also got the opportunity to do something more. Or, for that matter, if I was only being treated the same as everyone else. Out of all the ensigns on the Enterprise, I'm the only one who hasn't even gotten near the bridge level-until now. And with all due respect, Captain, your ready room isn't quite the part of the bridge I had in mind.”

Picard nodded. ”Have you discussed this with Commander Riker himself, Ensign?”

”Yes, sir,” Kane replied. ”On more than one occasion. And he's told me that the a.s.signments he gives his ensigns are his own business-not a matter that's open to discussion.”

”I see,” said the captain. He considered the ensign and could see no hint of duplicity in him. He appeared to be telling the truth.

But if that were so, then Riker was guilty of some sort of private vendetta. And that didn't seem very likely.

Abruptly, Kane got to his feet again. ”I didn't mean to take up so much of the captain's time,” he remarked.

”Don't apologize,” Picard told him. He stood as well. ”You can be sure I will look into the situation, Ensign.”

Kane looked grateful. ”That's all I ask, sir.”

Lt. Commander Data had come a long way toward understanding human beings in the handful of years he'd served aboard the Enterprise. And one of the human beings he had come to understand best was his commanding officer, Captain Picard.

Data had barely joined the crew of the Enterprise when he noticed that Picard was given to extensive use of his ready room. It was a matter of style; some captains preferred to spend most of their time in their command seats, while others sat there only when it was absolutely necessary. Picard leaned more toward the latter than the former.

But even among those who retreated to their sanctums at the drop of a communicator, there were stylistic differences. Some wished to be left alone as much as possible; others wanted to be alerted to every little detail of the s.h.i.+p's management, no matter how slight or inconsequential.

On this behavioral axis, Picard favored the former more than the latter. Nor was it a matter of reclusiveness, as the android had suspected early on. The captain simply felt that once he had selected the best people for the job, they should be allowed to do that job.

By the same token, he did not expect to be interrupted needlessly. After all, a s.h.i.+p's captain had a job to do as well, and much of it-too much, some would say-came in the form of correspondence, a.n.a.lysis and continuing education.

Unfortunately for Data, he'd had to learn Picard's foibles the hard way. In his first day on the bridge, he had found occasion to invade the sanct.i.ty of the captain's ready room half a dozen times-until Picard finally called him in for a one-on-one meeting.

”Mr. Data,” he'd said, his voice thick with what the android now recognized as irony, ”have you never heard of something called initiative? Do you intend to check with me before breathing?”

Data's answer had been ”Of course not, sir. Breathing is ah involuntary part of my program. The process requires no conscious decisions. However, if it ever becomes preferable not to breathe ...”

”You will make that choice on your own,” the captain had finished, in a carefully measured tone. He'd studied the android for a moment. ”Data, if I wanted to make all the decisions myself-or thought I needed to-I'd be out there on the bridge twenty-four hours a day. You were selected to be this s.h.i.+p's second officer because you are good at what you do. Because I trust you to be my surrogate. Is that clear?”

Data had nodded. ”Quite clear, sir.”

And ever since that juncture, he had made it his business to take care of all matters within his purview -leaving only the most important judgments to Captain Picard. Nor had the captain ever found it necessary to have that discussion with him again.

So it was that when Data discovered something unexpected in a routine sensor sweep, he initially made no mention of it to the captain. First, he isolated it. Then he recorded it. Then he verified that it was precisely what it seemed to be. And finally, he a.n.a.lyzed it.

Only then, when he was sure that he had come across something of genuine interest, did he decide it would be best to alert his commanding officer.

Darrin Kane was riding high. Higher, in fact, than Andy Sousa had ever seen him.

”I knew I could get somewhere if I talked to the captain,” said Kane. ”I knew he'd bring that spit-and-polish sonuvagun Riker down a peg.”

Sousa found it hard to believe that a word or two from his fellow ensign had been enough to sway the captain. From what he'd seen, Picard wasn't a man easily bamboozled.

”Are you sure he did bring him down a peg?”

Kane nodded. ”d.a.m.ned sure. The captain and my old man are buddies from way back. As far as Picard knows, I'm a real golden boy, a chip off the old block. There's no way he's going to let that bearded wonder off the hook.”

As they negotiated a bend in the corridor, a pair of female civilians pa.s.sed them going in the other direction. Kane flashed a grin at them; they grinned back.

Sousa wished he could do that. He wished he could be that confident, that sure of himself. It just wasn't in his makeup.

That's why Kane would probably be a captain before his thirtieth birthday, and Sousa would be lucky to be a captain at all. Ever.

Sure, he'd made a good start here on the Enterprise.

He was well-liked, even praised from time to time for his work at the conn. But as Kane had told him on more than one occasion, nice guys finished last-if they finished at all.

”Hey, helm-jockey. I think this is your stop.”

”Huh?”

Sousa turned to see that he'd left his fellow ensign behind, standing next to the turbolift. He'd been so lost in thought that he'd forgotten where he was going.

”This is where you wanted to go, isn't it?” Kane grinned. ”Or have you discovered some kind of secret pa.s.sage up to the bridge?”

”Very funny,” said Sousa. Feeling his cheeks grow hot, he avoided the other man's gaze as he headed for the lift.

”See you in the rec after hours, helm-jockey. I'll be the one with the big smile on his face,” Kane told him.

As the doors to the lift opened, Sousa turned back to look at his companion. ”Yeah,” he said. ”See you in the rec.”

Then the doors closed and Sousa was on his way up to the bridge, wis.h.i.+ng he'd been cut from the same cloth as Darrin Kane.

”Captain Picard?”

Picard was still pondering Ensign Kane's situation when he heard the android's voice come in over the intercom. ”Yes, Data?”

”Sir, there is something here you should see.”

The captain nodded. ”I'm on my way.” Rising, he rounded his desk and headed for the exit.

Kane's problem would have to wait. Mr. Data would not have summoned him unless this were a matter of some urgency.

As the ready room doors slid aside, he noted that the turbolift doors were parting as well. And as Picard crossed to Data's position at the aft science station, the lift discharged two figures his first officer and Ensign Sousa, both of whom were due to begin their s.h.i.+fts.

With a glance at the captain, Riker saw that something was up. ”Sir?” he said.

Picard didn't answer. He merely gestured for Riker to join him. With the two of them converging on the science station, the android turned to look over his shoulder at them.