Part 17 (2/2)
One s.h.i.+eld down was bad enough. Three s.h.i.+elds would lose them almost a fifth of their cover. The remaining s.h.i.+elds would never be able to maintain the phase guarding against the polarized gravity waves. Geordi listened helplessly as Worf counted down to disaster.
And then- ”We're through!” Van Popering yelled. It was a breach of bridge etiquette, but Geordi couldn't fault him for it. The juddering in the decks fell away.
”s.h.i.+elds have held,” Worf reported. ”We need an immediate repair team on s.h.i.+eld four.”
”Okay.” Geordi tapped the communications panel. ”La Forge to Engineering. What's it like down there?”
”You don't want to know,” came the reply. ”But the fields held. It's getting closer to disruption every time, though. I can't guarantee we'll survive another attack. The engines are overheating as it is, and I've lost five technicians to burns and other injuries.”
”Can you get a repair team onto forward s.h.i.+eld four?” Geordi asked.
”I've n.o.body left to spare. There's a hundred repairs we should be doing right here, but there's no one to do them.”
”Okay. Do your best.” Geordi flicked off the intercom. ”d.a.m.n. There's n.o.body to do the repairs.”
”Without s.h.i.+eld four,” Worf pointed out, ”we place too great a strain on three and five. If there is another attack, they will not hold.”
Geordi didn't need to be told; he knew it better than anyone here. But if there were no techs to spare, he couldn't make one sprout up out of thin air. Now what could he do?
Barclay groaned as he levered himself to his feet. His broken ankle was in a brace to complete the strengthening. Dr. Crusher had warned him not to move for two days, or it wouldn't set correctly. He hated to ignore her instructions, but if things went on like this, the Enterprise didn't have two hours left, let alone two days. Trying to ignore the pain, he limped out of the ward, hoping he wouldn't be spotted. There were, after all, over fifty other patients in here, and Crusher and her staff were working like lunatics to attend to them all.
Naturally, she glanced up just in time to see him. ”Reg!” she yelled, irritated. ”I told you to stay off that foot.”
”Right,” he agreed, wincing in pain. ”And I will, later. Right now I've got too much to do.” Dr. Crusher finished using the hypospray on the technician on the diagnostic bed. The technician had blisters that were already suppurating from the scalds she had received repairing a fractured coolant line. ”I'm not arguing,” Beverly snapped.
”Then don't.” Barclay hobbled up to her. ”Geordi's got more than he can handle on the bridge. And there's n.o.body to spare to repair forward s.h.i.+eld four. If that fails us, then you may as well kiss this life good-bye. I'm the only one who can possibly get it up again, so I'm going. See ya.” He was past her and out the door with an amazing speed considering his condition.
Beverly swore under her breath. She was tempted to go after him and sedate him-except this girl needed her help. And, d.a.m.n it, he was right: If that s.h.i.+eld failed, all of this was pointless, anyway.
”Stop!”
The blade at Picard's throat eased away slightly. He could feel a slight trickle where it had penetrated his skin, but he was safe from immediate execution, it appeared.
Volker marched into the main hall, his face clouded with anger. ”What are you doing?” he demanded.
The guard's leader glanced at him uncertainly. ”We were just executing these three-”
”n.o.body told you to execute anyone!” snarled Volker. ”Release them immediately.”
Picard straightened up, shaking the guard's hands from him. ”Thank you, sir,” he said. ”I appreciate the a.s.sistance.”
”You may not,” replied Volker. ”I can still have them kill you. Now-who in Hades are you, what are you doing here, and where is Randolph?”
”My name is Lukas,” Picard replied. ”This is Dieter, and that is Michael Kirsch, a scholar.”
Volker studied Kirsch. ”Didn't the duke send you into slavery?” he asked. ”I recall something about heresy.”
Kirsch managed a wan smile. ”You have an exceptional memory, Captain. Fortunately, Lukas and Dieter saved me when the slave train was attacked by a dragon. They slew the beast.”
”Really?” Volker snorted in disbelief. ”Then they're more exceptional than they appear to be. They don't look capable of slaying a fly, let alone a dragon.”
”They are not what they seem to be,” Kirsch a.s.sured him. ”Lukas is a sorcerer of mighty powers, and Dieter is his homunculus.”
Volker threw himself into the duke's chair and looked at Picard. ”You appear to have made a singular impression on the heretic here. Is what he says true?”
Picard was caught in a serious dilemma here. He was forbidden to tell these people the truth, and yet it was quite plain that he would be murdered casually if he didn't have some kind of story to offer them. ”The truth?” he repeated, stalling for time. Then an idea came to him. ”In a sense, I suppose what he says is quite correct, yes.”
Volker looked slightly amused. ”Would you care to perhaps demonstrate some magic for me? Or is it a private act?”
”If I may have a minute to confer with my-ah, Dieter?” Picard requested. When Volker nodded, he took the android aside a few paces. ”Data,” he said in a low voice. ”I think I have a way to get out of this without breaching the Prime Directive. These people sincerely believe in the power of magic, don't they?”
Data nodded. ”It is ingrained within their culture, Captain.”
”Then if we explain everything in terms of magic, we will only be conforming to their cultural norms, won't we?”
”Indeed, Captain.”
”I'm glad that you agree.” Turning back to the Guard Captain, Picard said: ”Kirsch does indeed speak the truth about us, sir. I am a powerful magician.”
”But powerless against cold steel, I'll wager. My man almost killed you moments ago.”
”It only appeared that way, Captain,” Picard replied. ”But-we are reasonable men, you and I. I could prattle on all day, and it would prove nothing. Let me instead offer you proof for your eyes and mind.”
”Now we seem to be getting somewhere.” Volker settled back, wondering what trickery this smooth-talking humbug was going to trump up.
Picard turned back to Data and said: ”Open your chest access panel.”
Data raised an eyebrow. Then he reached up and pulled at his tunic. It tore across his chest, revealing his golden skin below. The guards gasped but stood firm. Data then unclipped his panel, swinging it down. It revealed the circuitry, hydraulics, and motors within.
Volker leapt to his feet and hastily made the sign of the cross. ”What witchery is this?” he whispered.
”As Kirsch said, my companion is not a human but an animation,” Pieard answered. ”You can see here that he has no human heart beating in his chest. He is powered by my magic.”
Volker stared suspiciously at Data. ”And you control him? Is he safe?”
”He won't hurt you,” Picard a.s.sured him. ”But I wouldn't get too close to him. The-ah-magic might affect you. It renders the inanimate living, and I wouldn't want to take a chance that it would render the living inanimate.”
”Very well.” Volker moved warily back to the seat. ”For the moment I will accept your claims. But why are you here? And what have you done with Randolph?”
”I came here specifically to find him and his accomplices,” Picard answered. ”They have broken our laws and tried to interfere in your village life. They caused corruption and greed, seeking to influence the grand duke with their evil ways. I have sent them magically back to my s.h.i.+p, which is moored a good distance out to sea. We come from ... another continent and must return there. We will punish Randolph for what he has done here.”
Volker considered the matter. ”Very well,” he agreed. ”You can do what you want with him, as long as he never returns here again.” It didn't matter what happened to the man, as long as he didn't interfere with Volker's own plans. ”Meanwhile, the duke is dead. I am going to appoint myself in his place, I think.”
”My condolences on your loss,” Picard said dryly. ”And congratulations on your promotion.”
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