The Enterprise was on route to a dead system to survey some of the ruins on one of the five planets. The system had long been dead and the federation had taken an interest on learning about the system and to why it had died. Jean-luc Picard was preparing to go down and study the ruins of the smaller of the planets. He was going to take Data with him to help record what he found.

"Captain, what sort of things are you hoping to learn on the planet?" Data asked

"Not sure yet but that is what is so interesting about it. We could learn that they were farmers that raised food or that they died from war. Data when you're the first people to set foot on a new site anything is possible." Picard said as he finished packing the tools that he might need.

"From the knowledge known of the system, this one was the last to die out. The race of people was very unique that they never had a cemetery or anything that would look like a place to bury their dead. So where is this new dig site?"

"It's on a mountain a few miles from the main village. We are to judge if there is anything in the caves that could help us more with learning about these people." Data nodded and the two men left Picard's quarters and headed to the transporter room to beam to the surface. When they arrived they were met by councilor Troi who looked like she had been waiting for hours.

"Councilor is there something you need?" Picard asked

"Yes I would like to come with you to the surface. I felt something, which I can only say as a presence, on the surface. It was very sad and lonely so I'm not sure if it was someone on the planet or a past feeling."

"Well you're welcome to come. Having you might help shed light on the planet." With that the three boarded the transporter platform and where beamed directly to the mouth of the cave. Troi felt the feeling again only a little bit stronger but it changed from a feeling of sadness to a feeling of happiness and relief.

The three journeyed into the cave and started translating the walls. They found that the people used these caves as a ceremonial haven and that marriage and births took place in the caves. Troi kept getting the feelings but they would leave her as soon as she felt them. It was like someone or something was trying to learn if they were enemies or friends.

Data multitasked with helping translate known symbols and writing for Picard and watching Deanna with what she was doing. Even though he couldn't sense what Deanna was feeling he could tell she was feeling something. The cave itself wasn't dangerous or harmful but a couple of times he lost his sight in one eye for a few minutes. He would do diagnostics of his sight but nothing had registered as a malfunction or problem. He was nervous that something was going to happen and he would be left useless.

"Captain" Data said "I'm going to return to the ship. Some of my programs are not working right and I don't know what is wrong."

"Sure Data, we will be back shortly as well." Data nodded and beamed back up to the ship. Deanna had noticed that the feelings she had gotten earlier had stopped which was a different feeling for her for there had only been a few times that she hadn't felt anyone or that her powers stopped working. Picard had come across to another wall which sparked his interest in archaeology.

"Councilor takes a look at this wall. It shows a ceremony I believe." Deanna looked at it and noticed something a little before it on the wall.

"Captain, I don't think these people are gone they were either reborn into a different race or that they changed into spirits. That also might explain why I have been feeling a presence and not an entire being" Deanna was explaining all of this while looking at the walls detailed pictures of people jumping into women, then the women turned and birthed the people into new children. She tripped on a stone and her hand landed on a hidden door that led deeper into the cave.

"What do we have here?" Picard said aloud before descending into the new area of the cave. It got darker and darker as the two continued to travel down. Suddenly a light appeared at what could be the bottom of the stairs. Picard and Deanna followed the light as it turned a corner and down a hall way and into a large chamber covered in more cave drawings and history.

Deanna started feeling the presence again, but this time there was more of them. She felt a difference between most them. Half of the presences felt angry and spiteful and the other half were in hopeful and rejoicing. She shook the thoughts out of her head and looked at the walls and tried to translate the meanings when it suddenly came to her.

"Captain, I believe that I have found something." Picard came over and was confused. "These people are not dead they have been changed into spirits. Earlier I you saw that ceremony wall well this was where it took place. It also explains why the planet looks the way it does."

"Explain councilor." Picard asked intrigued that Deanna had the answers that none of the federations best archeologist could find.

"Well when the federation found this system they found in it a state of hibernation. I don't any more than that." Deanna said

"Well councilor it would seem that you have solved one problem and opened another. But let's return to the ship and collect our thoughts on the matter." Deanna nodded and they returned to the mouth of the cave and called to be brought home.

What the travelers didn't know was that the spirits of the people could hear everything.

"See I told you that they wouldn't help us. Why give our people false hope of returning." One spirit said in anger

"It wasn't and I communicated through the woman. I am now linked with her and I will talk to her and ask for their help." A cheerful spirit said

"That's not going to help our situation, what if they have left for good. You know that you have limits to your connection." Another angry voice said.

"At least I am trying to do something about it."

Data had returned from engineering and help from Le forge about his eye. It didn't make sense that one of his eyes would malfunction but not register in the computer. It wasn't something that he was going to worry about. So on his way back to his quarters and he noticed the same eye twitch as he neared Deanna's quarters. Though it was a little unsettling he continued on.

As Data rounded the corner to his quarters, he saw Picard waiting at his door.

"Good evening captain" Data said

"Good evening, I was wondering if you were able to look over the history or over the cave we were in."

"I haven't yet. I was running different programs to figure out what happened to my eye."

"Do you have time now to go over them with me?"

"Sure." The two went into Data's quarters and pulled up the pictures and again data's eye started to blur and fidget. Having translated most of the cave drawings they stopped for the night. They planned to go back to the plant with the information that they had figured out. They had no way of knowing that a friend was about to learn more about the people.

Deanna was settling into bed for the night and finishing her chocolate Sunday. She was over whelmed of what happened earlier in the day and Deanna just wanted to sleep. She pulled the soft covers over her and she lulled herself into a world of dreams.

Deanna walked along a beach and that had white sand and the waves were lapping at the beach softly as a whisper. She bent down to pick up a shell when she heard someone call out to her.

"Momma there you are." It was a child that was calling out to her.

"I'm sorry but you must be mistaken I have no children." She said

The child grew into a young woman "I am sorry. You see my planet is in desperate need of your help."

"Why do you need my help?" Deanna asked

"Only a woman can help us and you are our only hope. Listen carefully because I don't have much time to get this to you. My planet has a long history of death and rebirth and there has never been a major problem like this before. My people grew weak and changed to spirits but there were very few women left to give back the thing we lost so we have waited for someone to help us. Will you help us?"

"I understand that I can help but what is it that you lost."

"Our bodies"

"Then she left and I awoke with the knowledge she had told me." Deanna said to Picard, Data, Riker and Crusher.

"So they need a body and how can a woman give them that?" Riker asked

"Through birth they are able to gain a body and continue to live on." Deanna explained.

"So how do they gain the new body?" Data asked

"I have no idea but I think going to the planet and finding more information." Deanna said

"Agreed, let us meet in fifteen minutes" Riker said as the group got up and headed out of the room. Deanna was getting a feeling that she was needed on the planet. It was one of those feelings that she could not shake off no matter how hard she tried.

"Chief can you transport me to the planet" Deanna asked as she entered the transporter room.

"Aren't you going with the rest of the away team?" O'brian asked

"I am but I have this feeling I can't shake. I was hoping that I could shake it once down there. I can't explain it." she hopped on to the pad and beamed down and that was the last she would remember.