Shadow Net

by Barnstormer101

This novella length story involves a spacial anomaly, a planet in peril, a dark secret and an artistic triumph!

'Where there is much light, the shadow is deep'

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Prologue

Chaos. Chaos and disorder. That's all Geordi was getting. He desperately tried to think of something constructive to say as he circled the large grey sculpture in Data's quarters. He came to a stop and scratched his head, stalling for time. It stood about two metres tall, and although the overall shape was of an upright cylinder, the surface was a random combination of peaks and troughs and the occasional gap which allowed glimpses of its hollow centre. However, it was the lack of any discernible pattern or order which grated the Engineers' sensibilities. Data, who was carefully watching Geordi's reaction, continued to wait patiently.

'It's…', Geordi began then seemed to change his mind. He moved his head to one side to look at it from another angle, then finally added, '…big.'

With a wary expression he looked across to gauge Data's reaction. Even the small movement of Data's eyebrows managed to convey a look of surprise.

'I was hoping for a more detailed critique, Geordi.' prompted Data.

Geordi shrugged his shoulders.

'Then, you're asking the wrong person Data because I'm no art critic. What did you make it with?' Geordi enquired as he steadied his VISOR to look more closely at one particular feature of the sculpture.

Data's head moved inquisitively.

'Is the process of construction important Geordi?'

'It is to me, but then I'm usually more interested in how something is made as opposed to how it looks.'

Geordi glanced at Data. 'You should know that by now, Data.'

The statement was acknowledged by a single nod from the android. Geordi leaned forward and extended a hand to touch one of the irregular forms that made up the outer structure.

'I made it with my hands,' Data replied innocently.

Geordi smiled to himself.

'Not exactly the answer I was looking for. I mean, what process did you use?'

A look of comprehension spread across Data's face.

'I started with a solid object then took away everything that was not required with a hand laser,' Data explained.

Geordi nodded his head in appreciation and stood upright again.

'It must have taken you some considerable time to complete,' he said, beginning to sound genuinely interested.

'Thirty-six hours, seventeen minutes and four seconds.'

Geordi smiled, unsurprised by Data's accuracy but still amused by it. 'Perhaps an alternative lighting arrangement would enhance your viewing experience?' suggested Data. 'The aesthetic of such a complex structure can alter dramatically when subjected to varying degrees and sources of light. In fact, I have already pre-programmed twenty-seven variations into the computer if you would like to view them?'

Before Geordi could think of a reason to excuse himself, Commander Riker's voice rang-out over the intercom.

'All senior officers report to the briefing room.'

Geordi breathed a sigh of relief.

'Perhaps another time Data?'

The android nodded in response as Geordie touched the communicator on his uniform. The familiar chirping sound informed him that a communication channel was now open.

'La Forge here. Data and I are on our way.'

'Acknowledged,' replied Riker curtly.

The two then exited the room and headed for the nearest turbo lift.

Chapter 1

By the time they arrived, the briefing room already held its regular compliment of senior officers. Commander Riker was talking Captain Picard through some schematics on his data pad while Lieutenant Worf was engaged in conversation with Doctor Crusher and Counsellor Troi. The Klingon had his hands positioned in front of him about two feet apart as if describing the size of some aquatic creature he had caught. Much to his discomfort, the two women seemed to find his actions amusing. With a subdued growl he folded his arms in disapproval. Geordie made a mental note to find out what the conversation was about at a more appropriate moment. On seeing Geordi and Data take their seats, Picard handed the data pad back to Riker.

'Thank you, Number One.'

Riker took the pad and nodded an acknowledgement. Picard adjusted his seating position before addressing his fellow officers. 'I've just received confirmation of new orders. It appears that our scientific mission to gather data from the Forlian Cloud will have to be cut short. Starfleet has received an urgent request for assistance from the inhabitants of Lesedi Prime.' The slight movement of Data's head suggested he was accessing his vast memory banks.

'The Itzahl Sir?' Data concluded.

Seemingly grateful for the interruption, the Captain nodded.

'Indeed Data.' Picard was about to continue when he noticed the nonplussed expressions of the faces around the table. 'Would you care to expand Data?'

With a nod, Data continued.

'The Itzahl are the dominant humanoid life form who reside on Lesedi Prime, a carbon-based M Class planet in the Karim'ay system.'

He seemed to stop abruptly and look around at the expectant faces. After an awkward silence, Riker spoke.

'Is that it?' he asked, voicing everyone's surprise.

'That is the extent of my knowledge, Sir.' Data replied almost apologetically.

Riker looked a question at the Captain. Picard acknowledged with slightest of nods.

'Albeit inadvertently,' he began, 'Commander Data has made a valid point. Our knowledge of the Itzahl, their culture, their history and planetary geology are limited to say the very least.'

'What exactly is the nature of their request for assistance?' enquired Geordi.

Picard continued, 'They sent out a general distress call which was intercepted by Star Base 19. The message lacks much in the way of detail but essentially, they appear to be facing an imminent and potentially catastrophic power failure.'

'Something on a localised level or–' Geordi's query was pre-empted as Picard shook his head and continued, 'No, from the little information they've provided, it appears this is a planet wide problem.'

Geordi's raised eyebrows were noticed by Riker and he immediately recognised the engineer's interest had been piqued.

Picard continued.

'Although they've provided precious little detailed information, their request has nevertheless been considered by the Federation Council and deemed worthy of action. Because we are the nearest available ship with the appropriate expertise, we have been ordered to liaise with them and place our resources at their disposal.'

'Captain?' rumbled Worf.

'Yes, Mr Worf.'

'As Chief of Security I am compelled to point out the potential difficulties involved in ensuring the safety of any mission where, so little is known about either the nature of the emergency or the planet and culture.'

Picard noticed Riker's almost instinctive nod of agreement.

'To a large extent I share your reticence Mr Worf. And, although I've voiced similar concerns to Starfleet, the orders remain unchanged apart from the additional advice to…' he paused, as if not wanting to continue, '…to proceed with extreme caution.'

At this comment, Worf was sure he saw his own concerns reflected in Riker's expression. However, before Riker had a chance to speak, Beverly Crusher interjected, clearly noting the Captain's unease.

'This all seems very negative. I for one am always willing and interested to learn more about a culture we know so little about.'

Deanna Troi nodded her agreement, and with her typically controlled yet empathic tone continued in the same vein.

'Let's not forget that our primary mission is to seek out new life and civilisations.'

This was Riker's cue.

'That's not really the point here Deanna. The security of the Enterprise and her crew must come first, and I can't say I'm comfortable with the situation we're going to be facing.'

Now it was Worf nodding his agreement. Picard held up a hand, stymieing any further comments.

'I appreciate all your contributions. On the positive side,' he began, addressing the Doctor's side of the table, 'this situation should allow us to learn a great deal more about the Itzahl. Perhaps even go some way to persuading them that they have nothing to fear and everything to gain from joining the Federation. Apparently, until now they have made a point to shun outside contact, sighting a fear of cultural contamination. 'However,' he continued, this time addressing the Security officer's side of the table, 'I too have grave concerns about this mission. The fact that the Itzahl appear to have been so secretive must give us some cause for concern. We'll therefore be taking every reasonable precaution in order to safely complete the mission.'

Somewhat appeased, those present appeared to relax a little and lean back in their chairs. Certain that he now had full control of the meeting, Picard continued. 'I have a contact name and a beam down point and they've requested that no more than two engineers be sent down.' He turned to address Geordi and Data. 'Mr La Forge and Mr Data, upon arrival at Lesedi Prime, you will beam down to assess the situation.' A barely audible rumble from Worf was cut short as Picard then addressed him directly. 'Mr Worf, I'd like you to personally oversee all security matters relating to this mission and liaise directly with Commander Riker regarding any precautions you deem necessary prior to our arrival'.

'Understood, Captain'. Worf's expression appeared to mellow even as the Captain spoke the words.

'Mr Data, assuming we can depart immediately, how long will it take us reach Lesedi Prime?'

The Captain already had a good idea of the time scale but felt extracting the information during the meeting would encourage a greater feeling of involvement for those present.

'Twelve hours and thirty-two minutes at warp five, Captain.'

'Good. That gives us time to prepare.' Picard appeared to be drawing the meeting to a close, so Data quickly interjected.

'Sir, the current study of the Forlian Cloud has several experiments that are at a critical stage.'

'That was to be my final point Mr Data. Given your involvement with Professor Meyer's studies, I would like you to discuss the situation with her and provide any assistance she might require. I appreciate that ending the study prematurely may cause some issues, but I'm sure with your help any data loss can be mitigated.'

'I will do my best, Sir. What is the time scale?' asked Data.

'Given the time dependent nature of the new assignment, I would like to leave the cloud area within two hours.'

Data raised an eyebrow.

'In that case I will speak to the Professor immediately.'

The Captain nodded in agreement and then added, 'If there are no further questions,' he paused but after receiving no replies continued, 'we'll adjourn this meeting. I'll of course keep you posted of any further developments.'

The various crew members quickly dispersed, and as they did so Picard couldn't fail to notice a tangible sense of renewed purpose in their chatter and footfall. An involuntary smile flickered across his face. With any other crew he may not have felt the same level of expectation and confidence. For, although talented individuals, he had experienced first-hand how they were able to combine, forming a more effectual team than its constituent parts might suggest possible. Moreover, it seemed to him that it was the hitherto unknown or unquantifiable challenges which brought out the very best in them. He stopped his mind from reflecting any further and returned to his own work with a renewed sense of purpose.

Chapter 2

As Data entered Science Lab Two he was struck by a faint chemical odour. His olfactory sensors swiftly analysed and concluded that it was due to a combination of methane and peroxide present in the room. He was aware that these were two of the chemicals which the Professor was using to analyse samples that had been taken from the Forlian Cloud. His first visual scan of the room seemed to reveal no sign of Professor Meyer. However, as his eyes swept back, the Professor, who had been under a lab bench poked her head up to see who had entered the room. As she did so her eyes lit up.

'Ah Data, just the person I wanted to see!' The Professor blurted out as her head darted back under the bench.

Data noted her flushed complexion which was a great contrast to her silver-grey hair. As usual, her hair was swept back into a large bun which always reminded Data of a silver dirigible. Unlike the aircraft, it appeared solid and unwavering no matter what the Professor happened to be doing. However, what struck Data most about the Professor was how sprightly she was both in outlook and action given that she was in her late eighties.

'How can I assist you, Professor?'

'I'm having trouble with the power unit for this element scanner.'

Data saw a hand appear briefly, point at the apparatus on the bench and promptly disappear again. Data made his way over and found the Professor crouched next to an open access panel under the workstation, both hands almost buried within a mass of electronic connections and wires.

'I would advise extreme caution Professor, there is a risk of you receiving a life-threatening shock if you inadvertently touch the wrong combination of connectors.'

Gingerly, the Professor removed her hands away from the open panel.

'Please, allow me,' he offered, gesturing towards the mass of wires.

With an expression of resignation, the Professor stood up, allowing Data to take her place crouching in front of the panel.

'I don't understand why they put these access points in such difficult places to reach,' the Professor commented as she placed a hand on her lower back, straightened and then grimaced.

'Indeed, Professor,' replied Data, attempted to placate her in what he believed was his most understanding tone.

Upon inspection of the connections he was almost immediately able to locate the problem.

'A simple fix, albeit temporary,' he added as he reconnected a cable to one of the illuminated routing panels.

Although she had witnessed the prosaic nature in which Data approached such seemingly complicated problems several times before, the Professor continued to be impressed and said so.

'Your electronic jiggery-pokery is nothing short of amazing.'

'Ah, Jiggery-pokery. A rhythmic English phrase dating from the late 1800s describing dishonest manipulation or nonsense, akin to hocus pocus, humbug, baloney–'

'Yes, yes.' The Professor had quickly learned to interrupt such encyclopaedic soliloquies as she referred to them, adding, 'I did mean it as a compliment.'

'Understood Professor, and it was taken as such,' Data clarified.

'You're an invaluable fellow to have around Data, what are you doing for the rest of the day?'

'If I understand the implication of you question, I would indeed be able to continue to assist you Professor. However, I do have some important information regarding your experiments.'

Noting the flicker of concern on her face, Data continued, 'The Enterprise has received new orders and as a result, there is very limited time in which to complete the Forlian Cloud study.'

The Professor immediately stopped what she was doing and frowned intently, apparently deep in thought. There was only one question on her mind, but she feared what the answer might be. After a few moments of weighing-up the possible ramifications, she relented and asked.

'Exactly how long?'

'Less than two hours.'

'Impossible!' She ejaculated. 'Apart from all the partially completed tests, there is no way the probes can be recalled without losing valuable data!' She paused to regain her composure. 'How long will we be away?' And before Data could respond she quickly added, 'Will we even be returning!'

Calmly, data responded.

'Both are unknowns at this stage, Professor.'

With a harrumph she continued.

'This is intolerable. I need to speak to the Captain as soon as possible.'

'I would not recommend doing so. Instead, I would use the remaining time to end any current experiments with a view to retaining as much useful data as possible. I advise this because the mission we are about to embark on involves a possible threat to the inhabitants of an entire planet.'

Appearing to comprehend the priority-centric tack that Data was pursuing, the Professor relented and looked more thoughtful.

'Data, is there any way I could stay in the area and continue to monitor the probes and ongoing tests?' Again, before Data could respond she added, 'I may never get another opportunity like this again'.

Data thought for a moment.

'It could be a possibility Professor. With your permission I will contact the Captain immediately.'

The Professor nodded enthusiastically and gestured for him to do so. Data touched the communicator on his uniform.

'Data to Captain Picard'.

'Yes Data?' the Captain responded curtly.

'I am currently with the Professor and she is extremely concerned about the potential loss of data if the Forlian Cloud probes are recalled and her current experiments ended prematurely.'

'It's certainly unfortunate timing Data but I don't think we have any choice in the matter. You've made her aware of our new orders is assume?'

'Yes, Captain–' but before he could continue the Professor tugged at his tunic and quietly but dramatically mouthed the words, 'Tell him I'll stay'. This caused Data to pause for a moment, but he soon regained his composure and continued, 'The Professor is proposing that she stay to continue the work while we attend to the Lesedi Prime situation.'

After a long pause the Captain responded.

'I really don't think it would be appropriate to leave the Professor here without the resources of the Enterprise.'

Clearly disgruntled at the implication, the Professor spoke indignantly.

'I can assure you I'm perfectly capable of looking after myself. Just leave me with a well-equipped runabout and I'll have everything I need to continue for several days!'

Now realising that the Professor was with Data, the Captain addressed her directly.

'I appreciate your dedication and enthusiasm Professor, but I would not feel comfortable leaving you alone, I am, after all, responsible for your safety.'

'I could stay with the Professor if that would make the difference,' suggested Data.

The Captain's reply was unequivocal.

'Impossible Data, I'm positive we'll need all your considerable skills for the mission ahead'.

The Professor's look of dismay was quickly replaced by a flash of hope.

'What about science officer Anthony O'Hanzee?' she said excitedly. 'He seems a very capable chap and along with Data, he's also been assisting me with much of the testing and experiments!'

After a short moment which seemed intolerably long to the Professor, the Captain responded.

'What are your thoughts on this suggestion Data?'

'O'Hanzee is a very capable scientist and he also has some command experience, serving as First Officer aboard the exploration vessel Icarus II whose mission was to map several solar systems in the–'

'Yes, yes, that's fine Data, I get the idea. Do you think he would be a good candidate to stay on with the Professor?'

'I believe so, Captain.'

'Hmmm. Alright, assuming Mr O'Hanzee has no objection and that you can make the necessary arrangements before our scheduled departure time, make it so.'

The Professor clapped her hands together and couldn't contain a small yelp of joy.

'I will ensure that everything is prepared Captain. Data out.'

Chapter 3

Shuttle Bay One was a hive of activity. In the middle of the bay stood the SS Cezanne, a runabout class vessel whose size and capabilities were a clear step-up from the standard shuttle design. Although a good size for just two people it began to look a lot less spacious as the Professor watched all the necessary cargo being loaded. Amidst all this movement and almost unnoticed, Science Officer Anthony O'Hanzee entered the bay with a holdall bag and approached the Professor.

'It looks like we'll be living and working very closely.' He said light heartedly.

It had the desired effect as the distracted look on the Professor's face was replaced by a warm smile.

'You could say that!' she responded in kind.

She watched the science officer put his holdall down and then stretch his neck from side to side. Noticing her gaze, he offered an explanation.

'I decided to enrol in Commander Worf's martial arts class last night and I'm now beginning to feel the… a… benefit.'

'Ahhh, yes, I've noticed our Chief of Security is not one to approach such things half-heartedly.'

As he continued to stretch she realised that although they'd worked closely for several weeks now she'd never really noticed the underlying strength of the man which was now apparent in the dense corded nature of his neck muscles. For, although clearly lean and strong, it was his dark Native American colour and features which had fascinated her, probably because it was such a vast contrast to her own pale complexion and silver hair. At that moment they both saw Data enter the bay. He made his way over to greet the pair.

'Professor, Mr O'Hanzee. We will be ready to launch in ten minutes; do you have all the necessary personal belongings with you?' O'Hanzee gestured to his holdall and the Professor replied.

'Already on-board, Data.'

'Good.'

Data turned to examine the runabout and as he did so, two officers were exiting the ship.

'That's the last of the cargo, Commander Data.' the nearest one said as the pair turned and headed towards the exit.

'Understood,' replied Data as he gestured the Professor and O'Hanzee towards the runabout.

The Bridge turbo lift doors swished open to reveal Data who walked over to relieve Ensign Philippa Bow at the seated ops and conn station. After signing in to the console with what appeared to be a delicate flourish, he swivelled in his chair to face the command section which had Commander Riker and Counsellor Troi in their usual positions flanking Captain Picard.

'Captain, runabout Cezanne prepped and ready for launch.'

'Very good Mr Data. Proceed and on screen.'

Immediately an overview of Shuttle Bay One appeared on the main screen. The very large and now empty bay seemed to dwarf the runabout making it appear somewhat toy-like. Returning to face his console, Data's fingers worked as he spoke.

'Opening Shuttle Bay One doors. Mr O'Hanzee you now have control of the craft, please exit when ready.'

Triggered by the communication, the main screen flicked to an internal view of the runabout showing O'Hanzee and the Professor occupying the two cockpit positions.

'Good luck Professor,' proffered the Captain.

'Thank you, Captain but given the extra time we now have, luck shouldn't be a factor.'

Riker then interjected.

'And Mr O'Hanzee, as agreed we'll expect an update from you every twelve hours.'

'Understood Commander, O'Hanzee out.'

Following the end of the communication, the main screen flicked back to the Shuttle Bay overview just in time to see the runabout gracefully lift, float forward and then through the open Shuttle Bay doors. The main screen then switched to an external view and the bridge crew watched the small craft swiftly foreshorten and eventually disappear as it headed directly towards the spectacular Forlian Cloud formation.

'Mr Data, set course for Lesedi Prime, Warp Factor five.'

'Aye, Sir.'

'Engage.'

Chapter 4

Picard was in his ready room listening to a twenty-third century rendition of Sherwin's 4th Symphony in A Minor, a piece which had been recommended to him by Doctor Crusher. He was trying to keep an open mind but so far, he remained unconvinced of its efficacy. It seemed to have several musical elements which grated his sensibilities. Thus far he'd picked out; overblown crescendos, dissonant chording and percussion which seemed to stifle what little melodic content he could make out. His mind began to discount the music in favour of establishing exactly how he would explain his opinion of the piece to Beverly without hurting her feelings.

'Data to Captain Picard'.

Under the circumstances, he welcomed the interruption.

'Computer, stop the music. Yes, Mr Data?'

'We are approaching Lesedi Prime Sir.'

'I'll be right there,' he said, already out of his chair and half way to the door. A few moments later he was sitting in the Captain's chair on the bridge.

'On screen.'

'Aye, Sir.'

The main screen lit up showing a stunning bright planet swirling with soft blue- green hues.

'It looks like Earth on a beautiful day,' enthused Riker.

'Entering orbit… now,' said Data precisely.

Picard stood up and adjusted his tunic.

'Let's find out exactly what we're dealing with. Hail the Capital, Mr Data.'

Within a few seconds a figure appeared on the main screen. However, it was difficult to make out because the luminescence of the screen was so great.

'Fix that screen Mr Data.' The Captain ordered, partially shielding his eyes from the glare.

'Doing so now, Sir.'

And with a few deft taps of his console panel the screen returned to an acceptable brightness level.

'This is Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Federation Starship Enterprise. We understand you are in need of assistance?'

The elderly figure dressed in elaborate white robes bowed slightly, emphasising the length of his long grey beard.

'Praise the profits that you have arrived. My name is Thorenga-Wold and I am the Head Chancellor of Lesedi Prime. We are most grateful that you could make it so swiftly as our need is great.'

Out of interest, Riker glanced over to Deanna Troi to gauge her reaction if any. She responded with little more than a raised eyebrow, but Riker read this expression accurately. Clearly, she was as surprised as him at how welcoming this wizened faced representative of the Itzahl was being, given their legacy of shunning all previous contact.

'I understand that you have requested two engineers to assist with your problem. We have made arrangements for this, but I respectfully request that they be accompanied by two security officers.'

Standing directly behind the command console, Worf automatically nodded in agreement.

'Oh, that would be difficult. I was under the impression that this had all been agreed in advance?'

'Agreed with Starfleet Command but not with me.'

Picard was playing a risky hand, gauging how the Chancellor would react to such a statement.

'As a Captain in Starfleet, are you not bound by such an agreement?' Thorenga-Wold deftly parried.

After a pause he smiled and gestured submissively with his hands.

'Captain, I understand your concerns. Ours is a planet new to you and the unknown can sometimes be uncomfortable, frightening even. However, I can guarantee the safety of your engineers, they will be under my personal guidance and protection at all times.' Although able to shrug off the patronising overtones, Picard realised his hand had been trumped and he had no alternative but to fold and concede.

'Very well Chancellor. Chief Engineer Geordi La Forge and Commander Data will prepare to beam down.'

'You have the coordinates?' Asked Thorenga-Wold, now looking somewhat pleased with himself.

'Yes, we do. Picard out.'

And with this curt ending, the main view screen flicked back to a view of the planet.

'Data?'

'Yes, Captain?'

'Please join Mr La Forge in Transporter Room Two and beam down when ready.'

'Aye, Sir.' Data confirmed, already making his way to the turbo lift doors.

Riker caught a look from Worf, and in an attempt to assuage the Klingons glare he reminded Data of the agreed contact protocol.

'Mr Data, we'll expect updates every hour. If anything appears suspicious report back immediately.'

As Riker finished, Data was already standing in the lift.

'Aye, Sir.' He replied, and the turbo lift doors closed with a theatrical swish.

Chapter 5

The capital of Lesedi Prime, Tevis-Ovo, was a sprawling mega-city which spanned almost 100 miles from one side to the other. Although greatly industrialised, one of the biggest industries was devoted to keeping the city clean. This huge and continuous effort involved hundreds of teams of workers scouring the city with military-like precision keeping everything bright and shining. They generally worked at night, but the powerful artificial lighting allowed them to work as if by day.

Thorenga-Wold stood and stared out of his Chancellery office window. On any normal day he would be admiring the cityscape. Positioned at the top of the tallest building in the city his vista was beyond breath taking. Glistening towers, shining domes, sparking parks all linked by the dart-like silver transport ships which moved elegantly from one stop to another. But today the view was different. Where previously there had been only light as far as the eye could see, there were now what appeared to be small grey spots. As he watched them they would appear to pulse, sometimes becoming darker and sometimes lighter. Although these areas seemed to be a long way from the centre he was unable to prevent a slight shudder as the thought of what was happening in these zones flooded his thoughts.

He suddenly remembered that he was not alone and quickly exited his cityscape reverie. Waiting patiently was Feska-Wold, his second in command. He slowly turned away from the window preparing a smile he hoped would disguise his unsettled disposition. She returned the smile but like his it seemed to lack any genuine feeling. Although there was barely ten years age difference between the two, she could have passed for half his age. Her short dark hair perfectly framed her face emphasising the petite features and pale complexion.

'What news from the outer-lying districts,' he asked tentatively.

She produced a data pad which had previously been hidden by her white robes which although similar to his, were far less elaborate.

'The power failures are increasing in severity and frequency.' She paused to tap her pad delicately and make a few adjustments. 'It seems that as quickly as our engineers can reroute power to failing districts, further problems appear in other areas. Without enough overall power we are in affect chasing our tails. As you requested, we are drawing up plans to evacuate some of the more sparsely populated outer-lying districts should this become necessary.'

'Let's hope it doesn't come to that,' he said thoughtfully.

Attempting to sound more positive she continued, 'We are prioritising the central city area given that we can't afford to lose power to the main generators and power distribution hubs situated there.'

'Good, that is good, and necessary.' He said, sounding like he was trying to convince himself. 'And are there any further reports of the…' he hesitated, 'the Dark Ones?'

'Any details are very sketchy given the continued problems with communications but there are some reports of anomalies which could realistically be attributed to their increased activity.'

Thorenga-Wold nodded sagely then made another attempt at a smile.

'Let us hope that the engineers from the Federation vessel can provide the answers we seek before things go too far.'

'Of course,' she agreed. 'But aren't you concerned they'll uncover something they shouldn't? Something that could upset the balance of our–'

'No, no, no, their exposure will be extremely limited. I will be escorting them personally to the power plant and the small team they will be working with there have been fully briefed. All their work and discussion will be strictly limited to the resolving of the power crisis.'

Now it was Feska-Wold's turn to nod sagely or perhaps it was more in hope. Thorenga-Wold glanced at the time piece on his desk and what he saw started him to action.

'It is time. I must make my way to the Grand Chamber to greet the Starfleet engineers, they should be arriving very soon now.'

With this announcement he headed towards the office exit.

'Good luck, and I'll keep you posted of any developments.'

He stopped and turned around to face her.

'Thank you, but please do so discreetly'

'Understood,' she replied, just in time to see him leave the room.

Solnesta-Wold's mind wondered as he made his way from the education centre to his home. It was a walk he had completed countless times and its familiarity invariably caused his thoughts to wander. He was approaching the end of his studies and would soon be applying for an apprenticeship at the nearest industrial complex, Ven-Ovo. Whenever his thoughts turned to leaving the home he grew-up in along with his family, friends and familiar surroundings, he felt a little sick, so he forced his mind to think about other, less worrisome things. Invariably, this involved thinking of one of his favourite songs and attempting to sing it to himself from start to finish. This he did and after a few moments it had the desired affect and he felt far more settled.

Although the Sun had now set, the ever-present overhead lighting system continued to illuminate his route as if it were a bright summer's day. With his attention elsewhere, he failed to notice a slight flicker of the light. However, a piercing scream, some distance behind him forced him back to reality in an instant. Turning around he saw his worst nightmare. The lights were dimming. No, the lights were turning off! From his current elevated position, he could see several streets distant, and as he watched he could clearly see the lights dimming and then turning off like someone pinching out a long line of candles. His jaw dropped, he heard more screams in the distance and struck by a pure and terrifying instinct, turned and ran. He ran away from the dimming lights towards his home. Out of the corner of his eye he caught glimpses of other residents desperately making for their homes, but he had no time to consider their predicament, and so he continued to run as fast as possible. Rounding the final corner, he was relieved to see the lights on his street working at full power. A dozen furious strides later he was at his door. His heart was now racing, and he prayed that the door was unlocked as in his panic he couldn't recall where he had put his keys. He snatched at the door catch and with a huge sense of relief found it unlocked. In one swift movement he pushed open the door, jumped inside then lent back against it, his weight forcing the door to close with an almighty slam.

Hearing this loud but familiar sound, his mother quickly appeared in the hallway and was about to launch in to her well-worn 'don't slam the door' routine when she saw the state of her son. So out of breath that he was unable to form any meaningful words he took one of his hands and pointed back towards the front door. As he did so the transparent portion of the door was plunged in to darkness and his mother let out a stifled scream.

Chapter 6

The Grand Chamber was aptly named. A vast semi-circular hall, cathedral-like in scale, surrounded an ornate seated area designed for full council gatherings. Thorenga-Wold stood just inside the main entrance to the chamber which was lined with several larger than life statues representing previous Chancellors. As he waited for the officers to arrive he wondered if he had made the right decision. Initially, he had considered having them transport directly to the main power plant but after further consideration he thought that allowing them a small taste of the Itzahl culture may provide them with a greater incentive or even a degree of emotional investment in the work they would be tasked with. Either way, he was certain that the impact of the Grand Chamber would instil a certain awe, admiration even, on behalf of the visitors.

However, as the two Starfleet officers materialised they were not immediately struck by the scale of the room or the lavish nature of the decoration. No, it was the intensity of the lighting within the room that was their first concern. Geordi immediately

Raised his hand to adjust his VISOR.

'Data, are you seeing this?'

'Yes, Geordi. Assuming you are referring to the intensity of the light, I have already made the necessary adjustments to my photometry sensors.

Hearing their conversation, Thorenga-Wold quickly approached and greeted them.

'Welcome, welcome, and apologies. I should have perhaps mentioned that you may not be used to the lighting regime we have here.

'That's okay Chancellor, both Data and I are somewhat flexible when it comes to these matters,' Geordi said pointing at his VISOR. 'But why is the lighting quite so bright?'

'This has been much discussed by our scientists and it appears that the majority of our population suffer from a genetic macular desensitisation and it's this which has led to the need for such intense lighting.' The response sounded a little rehearsed to Geordi, with his vision now adjusted, his attention was taken by the magnificent chamber. Thorenga-Wold 's expectations were met when he saw the unmistakable signs of wonderment on Geordi's face. In contrast, he noticed no such reaction from Data and this confused him. In fact, now he looked more closely he could see that Data was something other than a normal person. His skin had an odd metallic hue and his eyes had an animal-like quality. Catching the Chancellor's stare, Data explained.

'If I read your look correctly Chancellor, I should probably explain. I am what you would call an android; an artificial lifeform in a humanoid form.'

The Chancellor frowned confusedly, and Data quickly added, 'In many ways far superior to a genetic humanoid.'

Geordi raised a slight smile realising that Data was not boasting but simply attempting to assuage any concerns the Chancellor might be harbouring about his capabilities.

'Well,' said the Chancellor, appearing to gather himself together, 'I suppose we should make our way to the power plant. Time is against us and we have much to show you.'

'Please, lead the way Chancellor,' Data gestured with what he calculated to be his most unthreatening and humanlike manner.

Someone had clearly decided to expose the two visitors to as few of the native population as possible, thought Geordi as they followed their guide through the deserted rooms and corridors. Either that or very few staff were required to run the huge power plant and distribution centre that Thorenga-Wold was leading them through. He also wasn't sure if this lack of interaction was for their benefit or the Itzahl. As they entered what appeared to be the main control room, the two workers that were present quickly and unobtrusively exited. The large room was brightly lit and consisted of several individually seated control panel stations surrounding a slightly raised section with what appeared to be large oblong desk.

'Well, here we are.' said Thorenga-Wold, gesturing towards the desk in the centre of the room.

As they approached, Geordi could see it was not in fact a desk but a horizontal display screen large enough for several people to view at once. Thorenga-Wold touched a couple of buttons on its edge and screen came to life.

'Interactive mode,' requested the Chancellor followed by, 'show me the main power generator'.

Instantly, a sophisticated 3D holographic image appeared to hover just above the screen. Attracted by the word interactive, Geordi stepped up next to the Chancellor.

'May I?' Geordi asked pointing to the hologram.

'Of Course.'

Geordi placed his hands on the hologram, tentatively at first, but to his surprise it felt semi-solid. He found that with a small movement of his hands he was able to change the angle of the image and after a little practice he could zoom in and out by spreading and closing his fingers.

'A most useful apparatus,' interjected Data.

'You're not kidding Data!' Exclaimed Geordi excitedly.

Data did not respond to Geordi's odd choice of words and instead turned to the Chancellor.

'Chancellor, I would like to access any manuals you have on all aspects of your power generation system.'

Thorenga-Wold nodded.

'You can access all the information you require from any of the control panels. Let me show you.'

And they moved to the nearest work station where Data took the seat and Thorenga-Wold showed him how to operate the panel. Within minutes Data had learnt the basic controls. A few minutes more and he had completed an Itzahlian written language tutorial and was now examining complex looking diagrams relating to the power generation and distribution system. The Chancellor could not believe the rate Data was scanning through the screens. Geordi caught his look of bemusement.

'Data can assimilate information hundreds of times quicker than us mere mortals Chancellor. It's all thanks to that positronic brain of his.' Explained Geordi with a mixture of amusement and perhaps just a hint of jealousy.

'Remarkable,' said the Chancellor, stroking his long grey beard.

Clearly involved in what he was doing, Data simply nodded his acknowledgement and continued to explore the system.

'Interesting,' Data finally commented, 'your computer seems to be using a relatively simple binary codec in combination with a more complex, quantum-based system. It's a synergism I've not encountered before.'

Keen to learn as always, Geordi pulled himself away from the holographic system and moved over to see more closely what Data was doing. Without looking up from his panel, Data began to show Geordi some of the basic functions. Seeing the rate at which Data assimilated information, the Chancellor began to feel surplus to requirements. He also thought he should stay visible to his staff, given the current crisis.

'Well, it appears you have everything under control, so I will leave you to your work,' he said. 'If you need me for anything you can reach me via your communicators.'

'Understood Chancellor. If we make any progress we'll let you know,' replied Geordi, only briefly looking up from Data's control panel screen.

The Chancellor bowed slightly and exited through the door they had entered.

Following an hour or so of intense tuition, Geordi had the basics of the Itzahl's computer system and decided to return to the holographic installation in the centre of the room. As he became more fluent in the use of the system he discovered he could not only manipulate images, but he could also generate detailed descriptions of the materials and their properties by pressing his forefinger and thumb together at key points.

'I'm going to work my way through the power system and pay particular attention to the design and materials used,' Geordi informed Data as he continued to make sweeping movements with his hands.

'An excellent idea Geordi, I'm currently examining the power demand pressures to see if they can be more evenly distributed between the various output substations.'

Geordi began to work his way through the entire system making a mental note of any potential weak points as he progressed. It was a long process and at several points he vocalised his appreciation of the design. However, he wasn't seeing any obvious issues with the architecture or materials. That was until he reached the distribution hub of the system. This section he spent some time analysing from all possible angles. He did some rough calculations in his head and then did them again just to be reassure himself before proceeding.

'Data, I think I've got something.'

Data's chair swivelled 180 degrees, so he could see Geordi and the image he was currently examining.

'This is a close-up of the output distribution module,' said Geordi, pointing at the appropriate section of the image and then zooming-in. 'I estimate that by simply replacing these neodium coils with dilithium infused coils we could increase efficiency by at least, say, twenty percent.'

Data quickly digested the information, immediately turned back to his control panel, made a few quick calculations and read the result from his screen.

'Twenty-one point three-five percent by my calculation.'

'I knew it!' blurted Geordi, snapping his finger and thumb with excitement.

The movement inadvertently caused the holographic image to spin, twist and then freeze at an odd angle. The resulting cylindrical image looked somewhat similar to the sculpture in Data's quarters. They glanced at each other and immediately saw the recognition reflected back. Data was the first to respond.

'As the artist Marc Chagall is quoted as saying; The fingers must be educated, but the thumb is born knowing.'

Geordi examined his fingers and thumb and laughed.

'Very clever Data, very clever.'

'Thank you,' he replied and appeared to be genuinely pleased.

Geordi deftly worked the holographic image back to its original position.

'Right, so we're agreed that upgrading these output coils will provide a significant increase in efficiency?'

'Yes, Geordi,' Data replied concisely.

'Okay, if you update the Chancellor, I'll contact the Enterprise and arrange for the coils to replicated and beamed down.'

'Agreed.'

Geordi touched the intercom on his tunic. 'Geordi to Enterprise.'

'Yes, Geordi,' responded Riker, the ranking officer currently on the bridge.

'We've made some progress down here Commander. We've identified a way of increasing the efficiency of their power system by about twenty percent.'

'That sounds positive, is there anything we can do to assist?'

'Well, we're going to need a few components replicated to a unique specification and then sent down here.'

'That shouldn't be a problem. I suggest you contact Spassky in engineering, she should be able to provide whatever you need.'

'My thoughts exactly, I'll send her the specifications and ask her to make it a priority. Geordi out.'

Chapter 7

On board the Cezanne, Officer O'Hanzee had just finished entering his latest data-log entry from the pilot's seat. He took the opportunity to relax back into the chair for a moment and take in the impressive Forlian Cloud formation which lay directly ahead of the ships stationary position. There was something almost ethereal about it's dark centre from which blue and purple cloud-like hues reached outwards. It reminded him of a watercolour painting he'd once seen and like the painting, it was a majestic view that he thought he would never tire of. At that point his appreciation was interrupted by Professor Meyer. It sounded like she was having trouble with the food replicator. Distracted from his reverie he decided to see if he could assist and entered the aft section living quarters. The Professor was indeed standing in front of the replicator, frowning at an empty dispensing hatch.

'Can I help you with that Professor?'

'Please, call me Grace, and yes you can, this thing just won't give me what I want!'

'It's possible you're not being specific enough. This replicator is not as sophisticated as the ones you've been using on the Enterprise.'

'All I wanted was a hot chocolate.'

'Hmmm,' he said thoughtfully. 'It may not understand that you want a drink. May I?' He asked, approaching the replicator.

'Please,' said the Professor stepping to the side.

O'Hanzee pressed the reset button and spoke the request.

'Sweet chocolate drink, 80 degrees centigrade.' Within a few seconds a clear mug full of steaming brown liquid materialised in the hatch.

'Ah, looks promising,' said the Professor as she picked up the cup and took a tentative sip. 'Wonderful,' she blurted.

The smell of the beverage had piqued O'Hanzee's interest and he immediately ordered another for himself.

'Shall we?' O'Hanzee suggested and gestured towards the seating area.

They both sat down around the main table. After a couple of sips, O'Hanzee decided to ask the question he'd put to the Professor when they first started working together on the project. Her response then was that there was not enough evidence and that he should ask again in a few weeks. Those weeks had now passed.

'Professor, sorry, I mean Grace, given the results we've seen thus far, have you come to any conclusions regarding the origins of the Forlian Cloud?'

She smiled, as she also remembered the question from their first meeting.

'Ahhh, I thought you might ask me that, especially given the results from the tachyon probe we processed earlier today.' She smiled almost cheekily and took another sip before continuing. 'I now believe there is enough evidence to propose a hypothesis. The weight of evidence clearly suggests to me that the Clouds are not naturally occurring and have, in fact, been artificially created.'

O'Hanzee nodded in agreement.

'That's what I was beginning to surmise. But I can't help wondering for what purpose?'

'Ahhh, yes, yes indeed. That's the next imponderable!' She lent slightly closer to the Science Officer as if she were concerned someone else might be listening. 'I do have a theory. Both the tachyon and neutrino readings suggest a certain period of dormancy, perhaps hundreds of years. But, there is evidence of a great deal of activity in the past. I suggest, and remember this purely theoretical, that this cloud-like formation is related to space travel.'

She let that sink in and after a short pause he duly responded.

'Something like a navigation point you mean? Like the ships of old Earth would use the North Star to find their way across the oceans.'

'Hmmm, not exactly.' Her cheeky smile returned. 'I think…' she said, pausing for a moment and then repeating, '…I think, it's some sort of travel portal or at least what's left of one.'

O'Hanzee considered for a moment.

'I see. So, it's possible there could be others and whoever created them was able to travel between them, bypassing vast swathes of space.'

'Exactly! Rather like a worm hole I think. However, this theory will be difficult to prove or disprove until we find another Forlian Cloud formation and compare all the readings we've taken.'

'Agreed. But we still have much more information to gather from this one and that could shed further light on your theory.'

'Good man! Positive thinking, I like it! You're right of course, we'll keep gathering and analysing and see where it leads us.'

Chapter 8

Engineer Jordon Spassky was so focused on the distribution coil specifications Geordi had sent through, that she appeared to be ignoring his question.

'Spassky?'

'Sorry Commander, what was the question again?'

Geordi, sighed and repeated the question, 'How long do think it will take to get a dozen of these coils down here?'

'Oh, yes,' she stalled for time whilst scanning the rest of the specifications. 'About an hour?'

It sounded a bit like a question to Geordi, but he was satisfied with the answer, so he left it at that. He had worked closely with Spassky on many previous occasions and was used to the odd lapse in her concentration. He did wonder if these apparent lapses were her thinking several steps ahead because she often reached the logical conclusion to any problem before anyone else. However, it was still an unnerving habit which didn't inspire confidence.

'That will be fine. I'll contact Transport Chief O'Brien with the coordinates so let him know when you're ready.

'Aye, Sir.'

Geordi signed off and turned to Data.

'How did you get on with the Chancellor?' He asked.

'He seemed very pleased with our progress and will be here in a few minutes to escort us to the distribution centre.'

'Good, we should have the new coils very soon.

The power distribution centre, like everywhere else Data and Geordi had been was brightly lit and a picture of order and efficiency. Like the control room, there were a few seated control panel stations and desks in the centre of the room, however, where it differed was that these all faced an imposing section of curved wall which housed the main distribution panel. It consisted of countless cables and tubes split into twelve sections. Each section had its own large monitoring screen which displayed constantly updated data regarding the status of each of the distribution coils. Geordi couldn't help but be impressed as the semi-wraparound construction allowed a clear view of all twelve sections when standing in the middle of the room.

As planned, the Chancellor had escorted them from the main control room to the distribution centre but had quickly made his excuses and left. Before doing so had introduced them to Chief Engineer Hendra-Wold who would assist them with the procedure of upgrading the coils. Unlike the Chancellor with his flowing robes, Hendra-Wold wore a more practical uniform akin to a boiler suit. The off-white shade of the clothing emphasised his ruddy complexion and his short cropped grey hair sat awkwardly with his dark brown eyebrows. Geordi estimated his age at around sixty although he still appeared wiry and strong. Apparently reluctant to volunteer any information, Geordi took the initiative.

'We're expecting to receive the new coils very soon so how would you like to proceed once they arrive?'

'I recommend we replace the coils one at a time, this will allow us to temporarily redirect power flow away from each router as we work.'

'Makes perfect sense to me,' said Geordi and Data nodded in agreement.

'O'Brien to Commander La Forge.'

'Go ahead O'Brien.'

'Commander we have a crate to beam down, shall we use your current coordinates?'

'Acknowledged, please go ahead.'

Almost instantly, a sprinkle of silver and gold particles began to appear a couple of metres away from Geordi. Within a few seconds the crate had fully formed and solidified. Geordi wasted no time and removed the lid. After checking the contents his face was a vision of puzzlement.

'I don't believe this!' he said indignantly, his hands still buried in the small transportation crate. I provided the exact specifications so how can they have got it so wrong?' He pushed the crate away in disgust and it slid partly under the nearest desk.

'La Forge to O'Brien.'

'Yes, Commander La Forge?'

'I think there's been some mistake, these aren't the coils we need for this job. Where exactly did this crate come from?'

'Just a second Commander,' said O'Brien, quickly checking his manifest on the control panel in front of him. 'It came from storage section Q in Cargo Bay Four.'

'That can't be right. The coils we need are a special order and wouldn't have come from storage. Someone must have got their wires crossed.'

'I'm really sorry Commander but that's all the information I have on the manifest.'

'I'm not blaming you O'Brien,' Geordi added, attempting to sound less annoyed and more resigned. 'Just contact Engineer Spassky, she should know where the coils we need have got to.'

'Aye, Sir.'

'Oh, and you can beam this crate back to where it came from please,' added Geordi as he pulled the crate back from under the table, placing it back in its original position.

'Aye, Sir. And I'll get the expected consignment to you as soon as I can.'

'Thanks O'Brien.'

Chapter 9

Although the transporter crate had only been in the partial shadow cast by the desk for little more than a minute, it was enough time. Enough time for something to enter and take refuge. This, the entity thought instinctively, could be the opportunity they had been waiting for such a long time. As the crate dematerialised from the planet and then rematerialized in section Q of Cargo Bay Four, the entity felt it's luck was holding as the complete darkness of the storage area felt like a home from home and it began to separate and explore.

'Finally!' said Geordi as he checked the contents of the replacement transporter crate.

He picked out one of the individually sealed coils to examine it more closely. About the diameter of a small dinner plate and not much deeper, Geordi marvelled at the size and how the metallic finish caught the light in the brightly lit room. 'Hard to believe something this size can process so much power,' he said, apparently more to himself than anyone else. He then replaced the coil, picked up the crate and carried it over towards the first section of the main distribution panel. 'Shall we make a start, gentlemen?' he asked in a light-hearted tone, clearly pleased to have the correct coils and be able to finally start the upgrade process. Data simply nodded while Hendra-Wold followed Geordi to the first section of twelve and began entering what appeared to be codes into the control panel directly below the monitor screen.

'I'm just rerouting power away from this section,' said the Itzahlian Engineer, feeling he ought to explain his actions. 'We can then discharge the existing coil and safely replace it with the new one. Once fully discharged this panel door will automatically open allowing us access to make the exchange,' he said pointing at a small panel below the screen.

'Understood,' acknowledged Geordi.

'It looks like it will not take long,' added Data, gesturing towards the monitor screen.

The display clearly showed a rapid drop in the coil's operating capacity and as the figures quickly reached zero the panel front slid to one side to reveal the distribution coil. It appeared to be securely held in place by four small grapple hooks. As Geordi moved in for a closer look these automatically retracted leaving the coil resting solely on a spindle which protruded through its small central hole.

'Is it safe?' asked Geordi.

'Of course,' Hendra-Wold replied confidently.

Geordi tentatively placed both hands on either side of the coil and gently pulled it away from the spindle. It came free easily enough and he examined it more closely, if only to assure himself that it was a visual match for its replacement.

'It's a great piece of engineering design.' Geordi said admiringly.

'Thank you,' said Hendra-Wold abruptly.

Geordi looked at the Engineer.

'Your work?' he asked, holding up the coil.

'I headed the design team,' he replied coolly. It was only then that it occurred to Geordi just how difficult this situation must be for this very capable Engineer. He quickly thought on how he could alleviate any tension.

'Yes, very impressive wouldn't you agree Data?'

'Indeed,' confirmed Data looking slightly perplexed.

He then caught the subtle gesture in Geordi's face, directing him towards Hendra-Wold. He got the hint and turned to address the Engineer.

'Indeed, we were not able to improve on the basic design of the coil. Any increase in efficiency directly relates to changes in the materials used rather than the design.'

Hendra-Wold was not oblivious to their attempt at tact and diplomacy.

'Thank you,' he said again but this time it sounded more genuine and it was accompanied by the hint of an appreciative smile.

After a slightly awkward pause, Hendra-Wold gestured towards the crate of new coils.

'Shall we continue?'

The two Starfleet officers nodded in agreement and Geordi delved into the transporter crate to retrieve the first replacement coil. After a quick visual check, he placed it carefully on the spindle, exactly where the original had been. As soon as he withdrew his hands the four small grapple hooks reappeared, grabbed the coil and held it securely in place. Hendra-Wold pressed a couple of controls and the panel closed, obscuring the coil from view. The Itzahlian Engineer paused for a moment and appeared to be gathering himself together. His complexion had become a little paler and Geordi wondered if he was genuinely concerned about the consequences of starting the mechanism with this untested object inside.

'Let's see how this new coil performs,' said Geordi as positively as he could.

He himself was confident in the new design and keen to see the results. Hendra-Wold nodded, took a deep breath and started to enter the appropriate start-up codes into the control panel. Almost immediately, the three felt a disconcerting vibration and Hendra-Wold's hand instinctively moved towards the control panel.

'Wait!' Geordi exclaimed, 'it will settle, I'm sure.'

They all froze with anticipation. The vibration continued for a few seconds and then abated, resolving into a low-level hum, commensurate with the other online coils. With great relief, Hendra-Wold drew his hand across his forehead wiping away some perspiration and Geordi breathed his own sigh of relief. Data, as usual, appeared completely calm and was carefully watching the monitor.

'The new coil appears to be performing well,' he said gesturing towards the quickly changing figures and graphs on the screen. 'Very well, in fact.'

As usual, he wasn't exaggerating. The new coil was already out performing the old coil and its power handling and efficiency were still increasing. As their initial calculations had predicted, the efficiency eventually settled at a level of twenty-one percent higher than the old coil.

'If we can replicate this success across all twelve coils, the increased output gains will be considerable,' said Hendra-Wold excitedly.

'Indeed,' confirmed Data.

Geordi, reached into the transporter crate and retrieved another new coil.

'One down, eleven to go!' he chimed positively as he gestured towards the next distribution panel.

Chapter 10

The mood in Ten-Forward seemed particularly cheerful thought Riker as he made his way over to the table where Counsellor Troi and Doctor Crusher were seated.

'There you are, Will,' said Deana as he took a seat at their table. 'We've bought you a drink to try,' she added, pushing a tall glass filled to the brim with a dark green liquid towards him.

'That's very thoughtful of you both,' he said with more than a hint of suspicion.

He picked up the glass to examine its contents and even in the low-level lighting of Ten-Forward he could clearly see small bits floating in the liquid. 'What exactly is it?'

'Well,' said Beverly, pausing for effect, 'it's a new concoction.'

'I think she means, cocktail,' interjected Deana.

'Sorry, cocktail, created by Guinan.'

By now, Riker was smelling the drink but still appeared hesitant to taste it.

'So? What's in it?' He asked somewhat impatiently.

'We were hoping you could tell us,' countered Deanna with a slight giggle.

Seeing the amusement on their faces, Riker realised he wasn't entering in to the spirit of the occasion.

'Okay, I'll bite,' he said jovially and then quickly took a couple of large gulps of the liquid.

Seeing the anticipation on their faces he took his time mulling over his reaction.

'Interesting, and certainly not unpleasant,' he finally said, wiping some green coloured froth from his beard. 'I can definitely taste Suarian Brandy, and something sweet… Vulcan Tono'Pak Berries perhaps?'

The two women seemed slightly deflated, perhaps hoping for a more dramatic reaction.

'Guinan calls it a G-Force,' said Deanna still appearing disappointed in his reaction.

'Well, it certainly is strong,' he said with a slight cough, and then took another much smaller sip from the glass. This seemed to appease the two officers who were now smiling again.

At that moment their attention was drawn to the bar area where a small group of people had gathered. From what they could make out, Ensign Michael Jones had propositioned Ensign Bonita Derling to a dance, only he had done so in an overly dramatic way, bowing and twirling his hand. Excitedly, Deanna turned to Beverly and said, 'I told you they were perfect for each other!'

'Looks like you were right again,' said Beverly raising her glass in respect.

'Maybe not,' added Riker nodding back towards the bar where Ensign Derling appeared to be refusing to partake, much to the chagrin of their gathered friends and colleagues. Deanna briefly turned back to the scene and shook her head dismissively.

'Oh, Will, that's psychology 101, playing hard to get. You can see by her body language how much she likes him.'

'I'm sure you're right,' he replied in what she took to be a slightly condescending tone.

A ripple of applause drew their attention back to the bar where Ensign Derling had relented and the couple started a theatrical Tango style dance clearly playing to the crowd. Deanna turned back to Riker but before she could speak he nodded his head in acknowledgement and added, 'I should've known better than to question your wisdom when it comes to relationships Deanna.'

Clearly pleased with the apology from the man at the table, the two women smiled at each other with some satisfaction. However, they didn't have long to enjoy the moment because it was interrupted by a piercing female scream which shattered the atmosphere in Ten-Forward. Riker was the first out of his seat and within a few strides was at the bar area surveying the scene. The small group of onlookers had spread out and Riker could see Ensign Derling lying awkwardly on the floor holding her arm, a couple of officers kneeling next to her checking she was okay. A few feet away stood Ensign Jones being held on either side by two officers. He looked dazed and confused.

'What happened here?' Riker demanded.

One of the officers attending Derling looked up, 'He threw her to the ground,' she said flashing a look of accusation at Ensign Jones.

The gravity of the situation naturally summoned Riker's most stentorian tone.

'Mr Jones, what's the meaning of this?'

The Ensign looked genuinely shaken and frightened and struggled to form his words. Eventually he managed, 'Her shadow… it, it came at me!' Now looking directly at Riker with wild eyes he added 'I felt it grab me!'

Beverly and Deanna were now on the scene and instinctively, the Counsellor gravitated to Ensign Jones and the Doctor attended to Ensign Derling who was now sitting up but still cradling her injured arm.

'Her arm is broken,' Beverly informed Riker. 'I'll need to see her in Sick Bay.'

'I think they both need to be examined,' added Deanna, who had only been able to get a few words from the still confused-looking Ensign Jones.

Riker addressed the two officers still holding Jones, 'Please escort Mr Jones to Sick Bay.'

'Aye, Sir,' said the taller of the two and they walked the Ensign to the exit giving the injured party a wide berth.

'Can you walk?' Beverly asked Derling.

With a nod from the Ensign, the Doctor and another officer helped her to her feet. Once she was steady, they also made their way to the exit.

Riker touched the communicator on this tunic, 'Security, I'd like two officers posted to Sick Bay as soon as possible. Doctor Crusher will provide you with further details.'

'Aye, Sir,' came the prompt response.

'Will,' Deanna spoke quietly as she approached the first officer, 'any idea what this is about?'

'No, but I'm damned sure going to find out.'

Chapter 11

The jazz musings of J.J. Johnson proved a suitable soundtrack to Commander William Riker's post duty relaxation. His quarters, which he considered something of a haven from the from pressures of command, were sparsely furnished but had everything he required. There were a few keepsakes dotted around the place, reminders of important events, people or places visited, but generally he preferred to keep his surroundings simple, uncluttered. He sat in an easy chair cleaning his prize possession, a Getzen tenor brass trombone, which thanks to his hard work was now shining opulently, even in the low light of his quarters. Pleased with the results of his labours, he carefully placed the instrument on the table next to him and walked over to the food replicator.

'Surprise me,' he said confidently to the machine.

Of course, he knew exactly what he would receive. It was a running joke between himself and Commander Worf which started during a poker game he had hosted in these very quarters. He knew Worf disliked surprises so had pre-programmed his replicator to produce certain beverages following random sounding requests such, take a guess, choose for me, and his personal favourite, something special for the Klingon. He'd saved this one for the end of the evening and Worf had appeared suitably annoyed but then somewhat appeased when the replicator produced his favourite prune juice-based drink. Just the thought of it made Riker smile to himself again.

Just as the order began to materialize he caught the slightest of movements from the corner of his eye. He quickly turned his head towards the table because he could swear he saw the trombone move. He froze, eyes fixed on the instrument. Nothing. The sheen on the polished curved brass drew strange complex reflections from all around the room and he continued to watch intently. Were some of the reflections moving slightly or was he imagining it? He quickly turned his head to the far corner of the room. There, in the dim light he thought he saw a dark shape move and then disappear into the corner of the room. Enough of this he thought. 'Computer, daylight,' he barked impatiently. Instantly, the computer followed the pre-programmed command and the room was flooded with bright light. As he scanned the room he could see nothing out of the ordinary. Not sure whether he should be relieved or concerned that he might be seeing things, he immediately thought of the incident in Ten-Forward and made his way directly to Sick Bay.

The two security officers positioned outside acknowledged the First Officer as he entered Sick Bay. It wasn't a place he relished spending any time, there was something about the faint chemical odour which turned his stomach. However, he did enjoy the company of the Doctor, so he often made the effort to call in whenever he was passing and had the time. He scanned the room and located Doctor Crusher busy placing items in one of the storage cabinets. At the sound of the doors swishing, she turned to see who had entered.

'Will, good to see you.'

'Beverly.'

'Anything in particular I can do for you?' Beverly asked, noting the unusual look of concern on his face.

'Actually, yes, a couple of things I wanted to discuss.'

'Sure, no problem.'

She placed the remaining items in the cabinet and then gestured towards her private office. After closing the door to the room, Beverly sat in her own chair behind the desk. Riker considered sitting on one of visitor chairs but on reflection decided on something a little less formal, so he perched himself on the side of the desk.

'So, tell me, how is Jones doing? Have you discovered anything out of the ordinary that might explain his behaviour?

Upon sitting at her desk, Beverly had automatically picked up her data pad to check for any updates. However, following the question she put it down again and slowly ran a hand though her red hair, possibly an unconscious delaying tactic as she knew he wouldn't like her answer.

'We've completed every test we can think of but they all come back negative. Physically and mentally he appears to be in good health. No discrepancies in his perception nerves or his apparent state of mind.'

Riker considered for a moment and then asked, 'And he's still sticking to his story about a… moving shadow?'

'No change there. He insists the experience was really threatening, he seems sure he was about to be attacked.'

Another pause from Riker.

'Beverly… I'm beginning to think I may need a similar check-up.'

'Wait, you too?'

'What do you mean?'

'I mean you're the third person who's asked for my professional opinion in the last couple of hours!'

'That can't be a coincidence,' said Riker thoughtfully, now standing as he preferred thinking quickly when on his feet.

'What happened Will, did you see something?'

Riker grimaced uncertainly.

'I don't know exactly but I'm convinced I saw something out of the ordinary.'

He was already opening the office door. 'Thanks Beverly, I'd better inform the Captain. Although it seems a bit vague at the moment, it could still be significant,' he added, more to himself than to the Doctor as he headed towards the exit.

'Let me know if I can do anything!' She called out, not sure if he caught the response before the doors closed automatically behind him.

Chapter 12

'I've called this meeting to discuss the current situation,' announced Picard to the senior officers in the briefing room.

The normal dynamic of the room was somewhat skewed because Geordi and Data were present only via a video link to the planet surface. The officers in the room, Riker, Worf, Troi and Crusher were all taking in the impressive power distribution centre which made up the backdrop for the two officers on the screen.

'I understand there have been several reports of unexplained… phenomena amongst the crew.' Picard paused and then continued, 'under normal circumstances this would hardly seem reason enough to call a meeting of the senior officers but as some of these incidents have involved injuries to crew, I thought we should investigate further.'

'Can you be a little more specific, Captain?' Enquired Geordi via the video link.

Picard nodded to Riker who appeared primed to respond.

'Well, reports seem to involve people or objects appearing to move or perhaps more accurately, their shadows appearing to move unexpectedly. Geordi, have you or Data experienced anything like that during your visit?'

Geordi looked at Data who shook his head.

'No, nothing like that Commander. But then,' he gestured at their brightly lit surroundings, 'we've not seen any sort of shadow since we arrived.'

Picard looked thoughtful for a moment, considering whether this information was significant or simply a coincidence. He then initiated a new train of thought.

'Counsellor, have you sensed anything unusual recently? Something or someone on board the Enterprise that's out of place?'

With a reluctant look Deanna shook her head.

'No, nothing of any substance and I was present during the incident in Ten-Forward involving Jones and Derling.'

'Substance, is an interesting term in this case.' Picard said, more to himself than those present. 'Let's face it, there's nothing substantial about a shadow,' he added thoughtfully.

'What does this ship's computer say on the matter?' Data interjected.

'The computer registers no unusual activity and no sign of unregistered lifeforms aboard,' Riker replied efficiently, clearly having investigated this angle personally.

'And yet I'm regularly dealing with patients who claim to have seen something out of the ordinary,' added Beverly.

'Hmmm, it's a quandary,' said Picard thoughtfully then added, 'what we need is a completely objective pair of eyes…'

Immediately, all heads turned to the image of Data on the video screen. Riker smiled at the uniform response and took the baton.

'Mr Data, how is your work progressing?'

'Satisfactorily, Commander. We have almost completed the upgrade of all twelve coils.'

'And we're already seeing a significant increase in efficiency,' chimed in Georgi.

'That's good news,' acknowledged Riker. 'Mr Data. As soon as you've finished we'd like you to return to the ship to assist in investigating these anomalies.'

'Understood, Commander. It should take no more than an hour,' Data replied, glancing at Geordi for confirmation, which he provided with a simple nod.

'Captain,' added Geordi quickly, 'I'd really like to stay on a bit longer. I'm just beginning to get familiar with their systems and I've already got some further ideas for improvements that I'd like to investigate.'

Before Picard could respond to the request, Worf entered the conversation with his usual intensity.

'Sir, I'd question the prudence of leaving Commander La Forge as the only crew member on the planet.'

'You make a good point Mr Worf,' responded Picard. 'Mr La Forge, do you have any reason to be concerned about your safety? I mean, have you experienced anything during your visit which gives you any cause for concern on this front?'

Now it was Geordi glancing a Data for confirmation before concluding.

'No, we've got no concerns with anything we've seen, in fact we've been well looked after.'

Picard could see Worf about to protest but he pre-empted any interruption with a quick raise of his hand.

'I agree with you Mr Worf and I will contact the Chancellor as soon as we're finished here to discuss another officer joining Mr La Forge.'

Reluctantly, the Klingon kept silent.

'Mr Data, we'll see you aboard very soon and Mr La Forge, please keep us posted of any developments.'

The two figures on the screen nodded and the video link ended leaving only the Star Fleet logo in the centre of the monitor. Picard turned his focus back to conference table.

'The rest of you, please be vigilant, I'm beginning to get an uncomfortable feeling about this whole situation'.

There was a general nod of agreement.

'Dismissed.'

Chapter 13

Thorenga-Wold appeared very relaxed as he lent back into his chair behind his office desk. Even on Picard's small monitor screen, he could see a grin of satisfaction behind the Chancellor's impressive flowing white beard.

'Captain!' He started enthusiastically, 'It's good to see you. I gather the two engineers have reported their success back to you?'

'Indeed, Chancellor, it's good news, although no less than I would expect from two of my best officers.'

'Of course, Captain, you must be very proud of them.'

Picard simply smiled his response, attempting to move the conversation forward on a more pertinent course.

'So, do I understand that your power requirements can now be matched due to the improvements made?'

Thorenga-Wold put down the pen he had been rolling between his fingers, picked up what looked like a data pad and tapped the screen.

'I'm looking at the real time figures now and our power capacity has increased by over twenty percent. In fact, we now have a power reserve, a luxury we've not experienced for well over a decade!' He dropped the data pad on the desk, clasped his hands together and with another grin added, 'I couldn't be more pleased with the results.'

'That is good.' Picard politely returned the smile and then paused briefly calculating the best way to pursue his real reasons for initiating the communication. 'Chancellor, we require Mr Data to return to the Enterprise. Mr La Forge, however, is keen to continue and pursue further possible efficiencies.

'Why, that's fine, Captain. We'll continue to provide Mr La Forge with any assistance he requires.'

'Understood, but my concern is with leaving a single officer planet-side.'

'Really? Surely you can have no concerns about safety, we've been nothing but open with you. Have your officers not felt welcomed and safe?'

'They have reported no concerns but–'

'–Well, there you are! Mr La Forge is welcome to leave at any time but while he's here his safety is our greatest concern.'

Picard felt the words of Starfleet Command resonating in his head, extend every courtesy, follow their rules, aim for better relations. The last thing he needed at this stage was to offend or isolate the Itzahl, so he reluctantly agreed.

'As you wish, Chancellor.'

'I thought you would understand, Captain.' Thorenga-Wold replied as the now familiar satisfied look spread across his features.

'We'll reassess the situation in twelve hours,' added Picard, wishing to retain some level of control of the situation.

'As youwish, Captain.'

'One more thing, Chancellor. We've been experiencing some anomalies on board the Enterprise, such as crew members appearing to see inanimate objects, or their shadows move unexpectedly.

'Really? That sounds very odd indeed.'

Picard, watched the Chancellor's reaction carefully, and although his grin dissipated somewhat, he appeared to give nothing away.

'Captain, I wonder, are your crew overdue for shore leave by any chance?'

Picard hoped the grimace he felt at this flippant remark did not show on screen and he continued in a forced diplomatic tone.

'Well, I thought I should check with you in case anything sounded familiar.'

Thorenga-Wold appeared to smile genuinely and reign in any remaining glibness.

'No, I'm sorry, not at all.'

'Understood, Picard out.'

Chapter 14

'Welcome back, Commander,' said O'Brien, his hands still on the transporter controls.

Data paused for a moment on the transporter platform, allowing his optics to readjust to the lower lighting conditions on the Enterprise as compared to the planet.

'Thank you, Mr O'Brien,' he replied as he stepped off the platform.

'How are things progressing down there?'

'Very well. We've managed to incorporate all the uprated coils and the overall power output has been increased significantly,' said Data matter-of-factly.

'Sounds like an impressive result in such a short space of time. Will Commander La Forge be returning anytime soon?'

'He's continuing to work with their chief engineer, attempting to identify further efficiencies. In the mean-time my return has been requested by Commander Riker to help investigate the reports of anomalies on board the Enterprise.'

'Hmmm, it's very strange. I've not personally seen anything unusual, but I've spoken to people who have.'

'Interesting. Exactly what have these people seen?'

'Well, you know…' O'Brien immediately wished he hadn't volunteered information on a subject he knew so little about and began to look flustered. But he continued as best he could, '…things casting strange shadows…' he attempted to embellish and add interest with hand gestures, '…things appearing to move when they shouldn't. That sort of thing.'

'Intriguing,' said Data appearing genuinely interested.

'Anyway, good luck Commander, I hope you get to the bottom of it,' added O'Brien quickly, hoping to draw a line under their exchange.

Data was about to leave when he followed the Transporter Chief's eyeline to his own uniform. Looking down at the front of his tunic he noticed several dirty marks which must have been collected during their work on the power distribution system.

'Do you think I should change before meeting with Commander Riker?' he asked innocently.

'Hmmm, it might be advisable, Sir,' said O'Brien, eyeing the dirty marks more closely, then adding, 'if you're not in a great hurry that is.'

Data considered for a moment.

'My quarters are on the way, so it should not unduly delay my arrival.'

O'Brien nodded his understanding.

'Thank you again, Mr O'Brien,' Data acknowledged politely and then briskly headed for the exit.

'Anytime, Sir.'

Upon arrival at his quarters, Data made his way past his sculpture and headed directly to the clothes store on the other side of the room. To save time he removed his tunic as he walked, revealing a white sleeveless vest underneath. He turned his head slightly in order to accurately throw the soiled garment into the laundry recycler, and as he did so, he noticed a small movement from the opposite side of the room. Although it was on the extreme edge of his ocular range, he did not turn his head or make any sudden movements, hoping not to alert whatever had moved. Instead, he stood perfectly still and quickly computed every possible course of action he might take. It took him less than a second to process the available data and decide.

'Computer, sculpture light pattern alpha-nine,' he spoke clearly and quickly, only then spinning around to see the results of his command.

Instantly, the outer edges of his sculpture were flooded with bright light, leaving the centre of the structure in semi-darkness.

The entity, suddenly caught within the centre of the sculpture bolted furiously around the cage of light, desperately exploring any possibility of escape. Data moved closer to see exactly what the sculpture's lighting configuration had caught. However, this provided little in the way of details. The entity appeared as an ill-defined small shadowy mass of dark grey. As It darted around it's impromptu enclosure, it left a slight trail which quickly dissipated. Keeping his eyes on the strange spectacle, Data touched the communicator on his tunic.

'Data to Captain Picard.'

'Yes, Mr Data?'

'Captain, I am currently in my quarters and believe I have apprehended some sort of lifeform.'

'You mean you've… captured something?'

'It appears so, at least for the moment.'

'Exactly how did you… never mind,' Picard's bemusement soon cleared, and he touched his communicator, 'Number One, Mr Worf and a Security detail, meet me in Data's quarters as soon as possible.'

'Understood,' both Riker and Worf responded almost in unison.

'We'll be there directly Data,' confirmed Picard.

'Understood Captain,' replied Data, his eyes still fixed on the activity within the sculpture.

Commander Worf, flanked by two security officers were the first to arrive on the scene, quickly followed by Riker and then Picard. They formed a circle of bodies around the sculpture, all fascinated by the furious shadowy activity within. Picard, standing next to Data was the first to speak.

'Is it the light holding it in?'

'I believe so, Captain. When I caught a glimpse of movement near the sculpture I took the opportunity to initiate a pre-programmed lighting routine. It was pure conjecture, but I thought that a strong light source might have a noticeable effect on a shadow-like object.'

'Good work Mr Data,' praised Picard. 'Computer, analyse alien lifeform and report.'

'Unable to detect any alien lifeform at current location,' replied the computer dispassionately. This caused several eyebrows to be raised in puzzlement.

'Captain,' rumbled Worf, 'I recommended we contain the lifeform more securely.'

'Any ideas Mr Worf.'

'We could generate a level one containment field to ensure it cannot escape.'

It was almost as if the entity had heard the suggestion because it immediately stopped moving and just hovered in the centre of the light cage. The officers present continued to look-on and exchanged a few cautious glances, uncertain of what their next move should be. Before any of them had time to confer, the entity, completely silent until now, began to let out a shrill sound. It also began to shimmer, its density appearing to fluctuate. As it did so, the emanating sound began to intensify, forcing some of the officers to take a few steps back and cover their ears.

Within moments, two further shadows became visible, appearing as if from nowhere from the darkest corners of the room. They hovered briefly around the sculpture as if assessing the situation and then quickly attached themselves to the nearest officer, Commander Worf. The first appeared to enter his mouth and the second changed its shape in order to wrap itself around his neck. The effect was instant and Worf began to choke. Riker quickly moved to assist but found all his efforts to remove the entity from the Klingon's neck useless.

'Intruder alert, intruder alert!' The voice of the computer suddenly rang out and was accompanied by a red flashing warning light, adding to the cacophony and confusion.

With an incredulous look, Picard shook his head, barely able to believe the timing of the computer's acknowledgement.

By now, Worf was on his knees, eyes bulging and gasping for breath.

'Data, release the entity!' Commanded Picard, a degree of desperation clearly present in his tone.

'Computer, end sculpture light pattern alpha-nine.'

The effect of the light surrounding the sculpture going out was immediate. The ear-piercing sound ceased, the entities removed themselves from Worf's person and the intruder alert warning fell silent. Riker and one of the security officers helped the recovering Klingon to his feet just in time to see the three previously separate entities appear to merge, pulse for a moment and then quickly disappear into a dark corner of the room.

Outwardly, Picard appeared to take a moment to compose himself and adjust his tunic, inwardly, his thoughts were quickly processing recent events and framing a plan of action.

'Mr Worf, please report to Sick Bay'

'But Captain, I'm–'

'–No arguments Mr Worf, I want you to have a full check-up before returning to duty.'

'Aye, Sir,' rumbled the Klingon reluctantly.

'Mr Data, I want to know why the intruder alarm was finally tripped given that these… Shadow entities have clearly been on board for some time.'

'Aye, Sir.'

He then turned to Riker.

'Number One, in Worf's absence, I'd like you to increase security and send out a ship-wide communication, informing the crew as to our current situation. My concern is that this incident may act as a catalyst for these entities to expediate their intentions, whatever they are. We've witnessed first-hand how dangerous they can be, so I'd like all the crew to be fully aware and vigilant.'

'Aye, Sir,'

With tasks assigned, they quickly dispersed leaving Data's cabin and his sculpture in darkness.

Chapter 15

'I think I have something, Captain.' Data left the statement hanging. It seemed to have the appropriate affect as both Picard and Riker made their way from their respective bridge seats to either side of Data who was sitting at the main science station on the bridge. When he could see both officers had a clear view of his screen he ran the video footage he had been analysing.

'As you can see,' he said, gesturing towards the screen, 'this shows a close angle on Worf just before he was attacked by the Shadow in my quarters. If I slow it down, you can see that the Shadow was translucent until it touches Worf's neck. If I slow down the frame rate at this point,' Data dabbed the appropriate control, 'it appears that in order generate a physical response, the Shadow quickly becomes opaque.'

The two officers, now watching intently both nodded their heads in agreement so Data continued, 'it is at this point exactly that the Computer acknowledges the presence of an intruder.'

Data's point was immediately backed up by the reflection of the red flashing light clearly visible on Worf's uniform. Before Data could draw his conclusion, Riker interjected.

'So, you're saying that these Shadows can… solidify at will?'

'I believe that is a valid assumption, Commander. And it appears that it is in this solid state that they are registered by the Computer.'

'Hmmm,' Picard added thoughtfully. 'So, we can assume that they have not, physically interacted with the ship or crew except for the one incident in your quarters?'

'I believe that is an equally valid assumption, Captain.'

'That's something I suppose,' said Picard hopefully, then added, 'Data, is there any way of modifying the internal sensors to search for these Shadows in their translucent state?'

'I have already begun to research this possibility, but with limited success so far.' Data started to work the control panel again, apparently keen to outline his progress on the matter. As he did so, another section of his workstation flashed up a warning message.

'Intruder alert, intruder alert!' The now all-too familiar voice of the computer suddenly rang out and was again accompanied by a red flashing warning light.

'Data?'

'Checking, Captain,' said Data quickly, both hands swiftly navigating the control panel.

'Captain, I'm picking up an unauthorised communication leaving the ship!'

'Can we hear it?' Asked Picard quickly.

'I believe so, Captain,' replied Data, his fingers rapidly moving over the console.

After a short moment, a loud screeching sound joined the intruder alert alarm, causing those present to visibly cringe. It took only a few moments for Picard to intervene.

'Stop it, Mr Data. Cut the noise and end the transmission.' He spoke loudly to ensure the order was clearly heard above the din. In response, Data simply nodded, appearing to dedicate his full attention to the task in hand, his fingers now a blur of activity.

'Attempting to Sir, however, it appears to have been routed through the main deflector array,' Data added calmly, belying his furiously moving digits.

A few seconds later the abhorrent sound ceased, closely followed by the intruder alert warning.

'I have managed to end the communication,' Data announced somewhat unnecessarily.

Picard took a moment to clear his thoughts after the cacophony and this allowed Riker an opportunity to pose the next question.

'Data, can you tell where it originated?'

'Engineering, Sir,' replied Data with no hesitation, having clearly anticipated this and the next question; 'And, there are no reports of Shadow activity from that area, so they probably accessed communications from an unmanned station, a Jeffries Tube or from behind a control panel perhaps.'

'So, to initiate a communication,' Riker appeared to be thinking out loud, 'they must have needed to solidify, hence the intruder alarm.'

'I think that's a safe bet, Number One.'

Something else was niggling Picard and it showed in his expression.

'Why the deflector array?' He asked, voicing his concern out loud.

Data took the question and appeared to consider it for a moment.

'It would provide additional signal strength of course, but other than that…' Data appeared to stall mid-sentence and then started to work the control panel again. '…Unless, they wished to project a strong signal in a specific direction.'

Picard and Riker waited with anticipation as Data worked the control panel in order to determine the direction. After a few moments, the android suddenly stopped and turned to Picard.

'A very specific direction,' emphasised Data, 'the Forlian Cloud.'

Picard immediately shot a question at Riker.

'What's the latest from the Cezanne?'

'As of their last update, everything was progressing as planned.'

'Get in contact with them immediately, I want them fully apprised of the situation.'

'Aye, Sir.'

Picard then turned his attention to the Data.

'Data, I'd like your full focus on deciphering that communication. We need to know the contents of that message and we need to open a dialogue with these Shadow lifeforms, we can't continue to allow them the run of the ship.

'Understood, Sir. I'll start right away.'

Chapter 16

The Cezanne was peaceful and quiet with a somewhat academic atmosphere. Both O'Hanzee and the Professor were examining results on their data pads as they sat around the living quarters table. O'Hanzee was scratching his head, clearly struggling to decipher the figures he was being presented with. The subtle two-tone beeping of an incoming ship communication came as a relief because it gave him a reason to break his already wavering concentration. He touched the communicator on his tunic which was linked to the ships main communication system.

'O'Hanzee here.'

'Mr O'Hanzee, Commander Riker here.'

'Yes, Commander, what can I do for you?'

'We have a situation on the Enterprise and it's just possible that it could affect you.'

The Professor, who had previously appeared completely engrossed with her work now put her data pad down on the table, giving her full attention to the conversation.

'Please go ahead, Grace..., I mean, the Professor and I are both listening,' O'Hanzee offered this information, not sure if it was relevant or not.

'That's fine.' Confirmed Riker. 'We have, acquired an unknown alien presence on the ship. We've so far been unable to communicate with them, but we have had a few unpleasant encounters. However, this may be relevant for you because we recently interrupted a communication instigated by them and this appears to have been directed precisely towards the Forlian Cloud.'

O'Hanzee saw the Professors' jaw drop

'The communication would have reached your position about 10 minutes ago,' Added Riker. 'Can I suggest you exerci–'

The communication was ended prematurely as if cut by a knife. A short moment of eerie silence was quickly followed by a bright flash of white light which suddenly engulfed the entire ship but was then gone as quickly as it arrived. Before either of them could react the 'Red Alert' signal pierced the air and the computer's voice spoke clearly and impassively.

'Brace for impact. Neutrino Wave will reach the ship in 3 seconds.'

Not knowing quite how to react they both instinctively gripped the table which was secured to the deck. What followed was short but violent shudder of the entire ship. The internal lights dimmed, went out and were automatically replaced by the subdued emergency power lighting. The ship seemed to settle. Somehow, they had both managed to hold on and were still sitting at the table. Shaken but in one piece.

'Are you okay Grace?' O'Hanzee asked as they both loosened their grip on the table and began to check themselves for any injuries.

'I… I think so,' she replied in a very unsteady voice.

'Computer, status.' He demanded.

'The wave caused severe damage to main propulsion system and power unit. Impulse engines and emergency power only.'

'What hit us?'

'A neutrino wave emanating from the cloud anomaly.'

'Cause?'

'Unknown at this time.'

'Speculate!'

'A significant change in the standard space-time value at the centre of the cloud anomaly caused a resonant neutrino shock wave.'

They both looked at each other, their shock now giving way to puzzlement. Then the computer spoke again. 'Warning, vessel of unknown origin is exiting the cloud anomaly. Evasive action required to avoid collision course.'

O'Hanzee jumped to his feet and rushed to the pilot's seat closely followed by the Professor who gently lowered herself in to the co-pilot position with a wince of aching bones. As O'Hanzee quickly plotted a course on the control panel he quizzed the computer again.

'Time to impact?'

'Forty-five seconds.'

'Look!' blurted the Professor pointing at the main cabin screen.

Dead ahead, the centre of the cloud seemed to have disappeared into what looked like a black hole. However, upon closer inspection, O'Hanzee could see that it wasn't completely black and as he continued to stare he started to see the outline of black vessel. Pulling his eyes away he finished plotting the course and then engaged the impulse engines. Slowly, painfully slowly, the view on the screen shifted away from the approaching vessel.

'Are we going to avoid it?' asked the Professor, unable to take her eyes off the screen.

'It's going to be very close. Whatever that thing is, it's huge.'

He forced his attention back to the control panel and started to tab through various functions.

'If I can just reroute all available power to the engines, it may give us a fighting chance.' He explained.

Feeling somewhat helpless, the Professor simply nodded hoping this redoubling of effort would yield results. By now, the runabout was clearly moving away from the alien vessel but the sheer size of it, looming ever larger still began to fill the screen.

The computer's voice chimed through again;

'Impact in 10… 9… 8… 7… 6…'

'Come on, come on,' O'Hanzee said, desperately willing the runabout to move faster.

'5… 4… 3…' continued the computer. They took what they thought might be their final look at each other and saw the same tensed, wincing expression reflected back.

Silence.

'Collision avoided.' The computer said emotionlessly. Their relief was palpable and they both slumped back in their seats.

Chapter 17

'Keep trying to contact the Cezanne Mr Riley,' ordered Riker.

'Aye, Sir,' confirmed Jason Riley, the bridge Communications Officer.

Riker stood up from his bridge chair and headed over to the science station to join Picard and Data. The Captain had clearly heard the exchange between Riker and O'Hanzee and so was even more focused on getting a positive result from Data's efforts to decipher the Shadow's message. If Data had been capable of experiencing peer-pressure, he would surely have been feeling it now as the looming figure of Picard leant with one hand on the console next to him. Riker looked expectantly at Picard who in turn prompted Data.

'We could do with some good news, Data.'

'And…' the android began to respond without slowing his work rate, 'I believe I have some, Sir. With some assistance from the Universal Translator, I have an approximate version of the message.'

With a final press of the control panel, a harsh yet whispering voice emanated from the control station.

'Sssssend help, sssstranded, (inaudible) quadrant sssseven five (inaudible) Lessssedi too long (inaudible), remember, sssseek signal, help desssscide arrival…'

The message ended abruptly to some relief as the emphasis on the sibilant consonants made it an unpleasant listen.

'Definitely some sort of distress call,' said Riker.

'But to whom,' Picard countered thoughtfully. 'Data, prepare and transmit a ship wide message using your translation system. I want to invite our unexpected guests to discuss the current situation face to face.'

'Aye, Sir, I will do my best. Where and when would you like it to take place.'

'Let's say my Ready Room in one hour.'

Picard noted the look of surprise on Riker's face and pre-empted any objections.

'I think it's worth the risk, Number One. It's time we attempted to take control of the situation.'

'Understood, Captain. I'll arrange for an appropriate security presence in the absence of Commander Worf,' Riker confirmed.

'Cezanne to Enterprise,' the thin sounding voice of O'Hanzee rang out over the bridge intercom.

Riker spun round to face the communications offer.

'On screen Mr Riley,' requested Riker.

'Sorry, Sir, it's audio only.'

Riker acknowledged but still automatically turned to face the main view screen.

'Enterprise here, Riker speaking, what's your situation Mr O'Hanzee?'

'Commander, we're both fine, a little shaken but otherwise okay. However, we are experiencing a few issues with the runabout. We've lost our main drive and have been experiencing intermittent power failures, although, only on non-essential systems seem to be affected so far.

'Exactly what happened Mr O'Hanzee?' asked Riker, beginning to sound a little impatient.

'The runabout was hit by a neutrino shock wave which appeared to originate from the centre of the Forlian Cloud. You're not going to believe this, Sir, but this wave preceded a huge vessel which suddenly appeared at the centre of the Cloud.' O'Hanzee paused and this allowed many of the bridge crew to exchange some puzzled and concerned looks.

'We were lucky to get out of its path just in time.'

'There was no luck involved Commander,' the slightly shaky sounding voice of the Professor interrupted. 'This young man's quick reactions saved both of us, of that I'm sure!'

'That's good to hear, Professor,' acknowledged Riker. 'Mr O'Hanzee, can you determine the direction the vessel is heading?'

'Yes, it's trajectory appears to be towards you, that is, Lesedi Prime.' After a short pause he added, 'and Commander, this thing is huge, approximately one hundred times the size of the Enterprise.'

'Understood,' said Riker, making every effort to keep a calm and measured tone of voice. 'We believe that the incident you experienced was a direct result of an unauthorised communication sent from the Enterprise. We appear to have acquired some uninvited guests aboard the ship.'

'Sounds like you have your hands full, Sir.'

'You could say that. Mr O'Hanzee, while we deal with our situation, are you able to fend for yourself for the moment?'

'I believe so, Sir. Although we only have impulse power, all essential systems are functioning.'

'In that case, I suggest you put some distance between yourself and the Cloud and await further instructions. As soon as we've dealt with our situation, we'll come and pick you up. Just continue to keep us informed of any significant developments and send us any data you've been able to gather on this alien vessel. It could prove useful in whatever lies ahead.'

'Aye, Sir, will do, and we'll see you soon. O'Hanzee out.'

Chapter 18

'Computer, lower the lighting by fifty percent,' ordered Picard. 'We don't want them to feel uncomfortable before we even get started,' he explained to those present in the Ready Room.

It had been decided to keep the number of crew to a minimum, so the only personnel apart from the Captain were Riker, Data and Troi. Picard decided that the two security officers should be posted just outside the door in case their presence appeared too aggressive. Instinctively, those present had gathered behind Picard's desk. Whether this was for safety or just to allow the Shadows the centre of the room, no one seemed quite sure.

Picard was the only one sitting and had just decided to stand when he noticed some movement from underneath the sofa which stood against the wall directly in front of them. Picard decided to stay seated, not wishing to alarm the Shadows with any sudden movements. The activity soon became clear to everyone when a single Shadow about the size and shape of a torso began to emerge and stabilize to near opacity in the centre of the room, directly in front of them.

Picard and the others watched on with fascination as the form seemed to grow arms and legs. However, before a humanoid shape had fully formed, from its extending arms, two further humanoid forms began to emerge and take shape. Within a few moments all three Shadows had formed and stood as if a trinity, with the original Shadow, flanked by the two others who stood to the side and slightly behind. The silence with which this sequence took place appeared to make everyone feel a little uncomfortable. Their movement apparently ended, Picard decided to attempt a dialogue.

'Greetings, I am Jean Luc Picard, Captain of this vessel, the Federation Star ship Enterprise.'

Silence.

Picard looked at Data.

'Initially, there is likely to be a short time delay, but this should improve, the complexity of–'

Data was interrupted by the now familiar screeching sound which was quickly followed by the translators' efforts to decode the language.'

'Sssssshame, sssshame you for helping ssssuch devilsssss.'

'You mean the Itzahl?' said Picard.

This time there was very little delay.

'Yesssss! They have surpresssed and treated ussss with contempt for ssssso long.'

'How long?'

'Too long!'

Picard grimaced as this was clearly not the answer he wanted, so he attempted a different tack.

'How did you come to be on the planet?'

The pause that followed was clearly not translator related. The Shadow in front appeared to be communicating with his companion to his right.

'Our vessssel, incapassssitated. Abandon to surfassse, no choissse.'

'And you were not welcomed?'

A staccato noise preceded their response which those present interpreted as a bitter type of laughter.

'Treated like evil sssspirit, no attempt at communicassssion. Perssssecuted, left to fade in their light.'

'Sir, that would explain the Itzahl's reliance on somewhat extreme lighting conditions.' Data advised.

Picard nodded and looked a question at the Counsellor.

'Genuine anger, Captain, they feel completely betrayed,' she responded assuredly.

In this case, Picard thought, the value of the Counsellors input was limited because the translator appeared to be doing a sterling job of portraying the deep anger within the Shadow voice.

'We are aware that the communication you sent from the Enterprise appears to have signalled a vessel which is fast approaching this location. Is this a rescue ship?'

Again, the Shadow in front appeared to be communicating with his counterpart to his right.

'In part resssscue, in part jussssticccce.'

The last word caused a few glances of concern.

'Exactly what sort of justice are you referring to?'

'Do not be conssserned, Captain. We have no disssagreement with you. Punisssshhment will be resssserved for the desssserving only. The Itssssahl as you call them.'

'We cannot condone any violence in this matter. I understand that you have–'

'–You undersssstand nothing.' Interrupted the Shadow, making it clear that there was no longer any translator delay.'

'Let me put it another way,' clarified Picard, 'we will not stand by if you decide to inflict injury on the inhabitants of Lesedi Prime.'

Once again, the grating staccato noise which was interpreted as laughter rang out.

'Captain, we think you sssslightly overesssstimate our conccccern for your feelings on this matter and you possssitively overesssstimate your ability to do anything to sssstop ussss.'

Before Picard could respond, the three Shadows merged, lost some of their density and quickly exited the room the same way they had entered.

Chapter 19

Picard stood up with clear purpose.

'Everyone to their stations, it appears we could have a challenging situation ahead and I'll need you all at your best.'

As he said this, he was already heading for the door which connected his ready room to the bridge and was quickly followed by Riker, Data and Troi. He dismissed the two security officers as he walked past them to take the Captain's chair. Riker hadn't seen the Captain this focused for some time and as a result, he immediately felt his own resolve strengthen as he a Deanna took their seats either side of Picard.

Due in part to the intense atmosphere, the swish of the bridge turbo lift doors went largely unnoticed, that is, until the new arrival spoke.

'Reporting for duty, Captain,' came the deep familiar voice of Commander Worf.

Picard turned to acknowledge the request.

'Good to have you back Mr Worf,' He said said with genuine feeling and enthusiasm.

The Klingon relieved the security officer currently posted at the tactical and weapons console directly behind the three senior officers. In typical fashion he wasted no time in making his first recommendation.

'Captain, I've been apprised of the situation and recommend increasing ship-wide lighting levels. It might help subdue any possible movements of the Shadows we have on board.'

Picard carefully considered the ramifications of this action for a moment. On the one hand he didn't want to mimic the mistakes of the Itzahl, but on the other, they were clearly heading for a confrontation and any possible advantage should be exploited.

'Make it so Mr Worf,' he replied somewhat reluctantly.

With some gusto, the Klingon tapped his console a couple of times and the lighting intensity on the bridge, and the rest of the ship noticeably increased.

'Mr Data, how long until the Shadow vessel reaches our position?'

'I will check, Captain,' replied Data as he made his way over to the science station.

'Mr Riley, open a channel to the Chancellor…, no, belay that order, get me Mr La Forge first.'

'Aye, Sir' responded Riley, and then a moment later, 'on screen now, Sir.'

Picard did his best to stifle an involuntary grimace as he turned to the main view screen to see, not only Geordie, but also the Chancellor standing right next to him. They appeared to be in new location. The industrial power plant backdrop had been replaced by what looked like an office, probably the Chancellors office, Picard thought.

'Mr La Forge, Chancellor,' acknowledged Picard. 'How is your work progressing?'

'Very good, Captain,' said Geordie enthusiastically. 'We've managed to make some further small but significant improvements in efficiency.'

'I'm certainly more than happy with the results achieved in such a short time,' chimed the Chancellor, beaming with positive enthusiasm.

I'm about to wipe that self-satisfied look from your face thought Picard to himself but then immediately dismissed such an unhelpful and emotional reaction to the situation.

'That's good news indeed,' Picard began, 'however, I'm afraid we have a rapidly developing situation which could put us all in danger.' Picard was carefully monitoring the Chancellors reaction as he continued. 'We have confirmed the presence of an alien lifeform aboard the Enterprise. Furthermore, we now believe that this lifeform, we've been calling them Shadows, originated from your planet Chancellor.'

Geordie's face, a picture of bewilderment, turned to Thorenga-Wold just in time to see the Chancellors jaw drop. It was a reaction born of fear rather than surprise, his eyes alone described this clearly enough. Furthermore, it was exactly the response Picard had been looking for.

Picard continued.

'There has been another potentially serious development. It appears that these Shadows have hailed some support, and as a result a large vessel is rapidly approaching this location.'

'But, but, how could this have happened?' Came the shaky response of the Chancellor, the blood beginning to drain from his face.

'That's probably a question for another time. Our immediate concern is this Shadow vessel which is due to arrive–'

'–In approximately one hour, Sir.' Data neatly interjected.

'And, we gather that their intentions,' continued Picard, 'are not friendly. There is talk of retribution towards you and your people.'

Thorenga-Wold now looked horrified and began nervously stroking his beard, but Picard continued, 'Mr La Forge, we'd like you to return to the Enterprise as we foresee your expertise will be required here.'

'Of course, Cap–'

Geordie was cut off by the increasingly panic-stricken voice of the Chancellor.

'–I, I, think it best if Mr La Forge stay with us for the moment,' said the Chancellor as he gestured to someone or something off screen.

'Captain, a tachyon forcefield has just been raised around the Capital building, the transporter will not be able to penetrate,' advised Data.

Clearly annoyed but not entirely surprised Picard responded

'That's a bad decision, Chancellor. Whatever you have or have not done to these beings we will protect you as best we can.'

'I appreciate your intentions, I really do,' said the Chancellor now appearing more in control of his emotions, 'but a guarantee, is far more reliable in my experience,' he said, gesturing towards Geordie.

'Captain, I–' began Geordie.

'–Stand down Mr La Forge. Don't worry, we'll work this out.'

'Now, if you'll excuse me Captain, I must inform my staff of this development.' Said the Chancellor, looking distracted.

'Chancellor–' Picard's response, although quick came too late as the transmission was abruptly ended.

Chapter 20

There was no mistaking the arrival of the Shadow vessel. Not even the mighty Borg had anything to rival the sheer scale of it. Due to its very dark exterior, anyone on the Enterprise with a starboard view would have observed the surrounding stars winking out as they appeared to be replaced by a vast dark blanket. Closer inspection did reveal some details on the otherwise plain hull, but these were difficult to pin-down because they appeared to evolve and shift in an organic way, not unlike the Shadows themselves. However, the overall shape was difficult to discern, especially at such close quarters.

'Hailing frequencies, Mr Riley,' requested Picard as he stood up from his bridge chair, hoping to discern some detail from the section of the alien vessel which appeared on the main view screen.

'Aye, Sir. No response so far.'

'Keep trying.'

'Aye, Sir.'

'Captain, the vessel appears to be locating and beaming up any Shadow lifeforms directly from the planet surface,' said Data, still occupying the bridge science station.

Before Picard could respond the booming voice of the Klingon, standing behind him at the tactical station now vied for his attention.

'Captain, recommend raising shields.'

Picard considered the request and as he did so, his eyes caught Riker's. The First Officer was not sure if the Captain was looking for opinions, but he decided to offer his anyway.

'I concur, Captain,' He said, 'we still have uninvited guests on board and raising shields should allow us to retain them as a bargaining chip should we run out of other options.'

'Agreed,' confirmed Picard, 'make it so Mr Worf.'

'Aye, Sir, raising shields.'

'What's your analysis of the Shadow vessel Mr Data? Is there anything we can use to our advantage?' Picard enquired as he sat back down.

'Intriguing, Captain. The overall shape is ovoid, and the hull appears to be fluxing from a combination of semi-liquid state alloys and what appears to be organic matter. The only material I've been able to…'

'Captain, the Shadow vessel has started to fire on the planet,' Worf interrupted.

'On screen,' ordered Picard, then added 'they must have retrieved all the Shadows from the planet.'

The closeup of the alien vessel on the main view screen was immediately replaced by a wide-angle view of the alien hull and the section of the planet it was firing on below. It showed a steady stream of strange looking grey-blue bolts of energy being directed to the planet surface.

'Exactly what type of ordinance is that, Mr Worf?'

Worf worked his console, analysing all the available data. He hesitated for a moment then replied, clearly unsatisfied with the response, 'It appears to be some sort of plasma pulse canon, Sir.'

Picard stood up again and glanced round at the communications offer.

'Still no response from the Shadow vessel, Sir,' pre-empted Riley. 'Wait! incoming communication, oh, it's from the planet, Sir.'

'On screen.'

The panicked features of the Chancellor almost filled the view screen. He had one hand tightly gripping his beard, the knuckles white with tension.

'Please, Captain, please, you must do something!' he pleaded as his eyes darted around the room desperately assessing the damage. The room appeared to shake around him. 'We have no weapons and we can't take much more of this!'

'We're working on it Chancellor,' Picard replied calmly and then noticed Geordie bracing himself against a desk in the background. 'Hold on, Mr La Forge, we'll–'

'–Incoming message from the Shadow vessel,' Riley did not hesitate interrupting, understanding the importance of the event.

'I'll get back to you Chancellor, Picard Out.'

'On screen, Mr Riley.'

'Audio only, Sir.'

'Of course, it is,' Picard said sarcastically under his breath. 'Go ahead.'

The universal translator burst into life with the now familiar, harsh tone of the Shadows.

'You will lower ssssheilds sssso we can reclaim our comradessss. Do thissss immediately or we will punissssh your vessssel.'

'Stop your attack on the planet and we will discuss how to resolve this dispute peacefully,' Picard quickly replied, half expecting to be cut off at any second.'

Again, the grating staccato sound that was assumed to signify amusement or laughter rang out.

'You are not in a possssition to dictate termssss.'

'Transmission ended, Sir,' said Riley.

Initially, there was a moment of hope when everyone watching the view screen saw the energy pulses directed towards the planet diminish. It was, however, short lived as a few moments later, pulses began to be directed to both the planet and the Enterprise.

'All decks, brace for impact,' Riker got the ship-wide message out moments before the first energy pulse hit, rocking the ship.

'Now would be a good time, Mr Data,' barked Picard as another impact caused him to sit back down and grip the arms of his chair.

'I believe I may have something, Captain. I've identified one of the alloys in their hull as Melian. This alloy has several interesting properties–'

The bridge was rocked by yet another plasma pulse.

'–Let's make this a highlight reel Mr Data, we're short on time.'

Looking somewhat put-out, Data continued, 'Melian is sensitive to certain light frequencies and can lose its integrity when subjected to an intense light source. I suggest reconfiguring the forward array to emit an intense beam of these specific light frequencies and aim it at the Shadow vessel.'

Riker vocalised what he saw as the flaw in the plan, 'Won't we need to lower the shields in order to fire this light beam?'

'No, Sir, it is just light, albeit very intense, so it will simply pass through our shields.'

'In that case, make it so, Mr Data.'

'One thing I should mention, Sir.'

'Yes, Data?' Picard asked, clearly frustrated with any delay.

'It will require an inordinate amount of power to produce such an intense beam. All key systems including life-support will be reduced to minimum for the duration. This includes lighting,' he explicitly added.

'Understood, we'll have to take our chances, make it so.'

'Damage report, Mr Worf?'

'Shields holding, currently at to seventy one percent. Minor damage reported on decks seven and twelve.'

'We'll stand our ground, for the moment,' said Picard, more to himself than the crew.

Chapter 21

Two further impacts rocked the ship before Data confirmed he was ready to proceed.

'Target their weapons array and fire!' Ordered Picard over the increasing tumult.

The view screen lit-up as a narrow but incredibly intense beam of white appeared to split the space between the Enterprise and the Shadow vessel. Simultaneously, as indexed by Data, the lighting on the bridge dimmed to about ten percent of normal.

The rate of the energy pulses did not appear to slow, prompting Picard to enquire.

'How long before we know if it's working, Mr Data?'

'It could take several minutes, Captain.'

As Data was replying, three Shadows slowly materialised from the darkest corners of the bridge. Due to the commotion and poor lighting they moved unnoticed, carefully searching out their targets. Soon poised, they initiated their plan of action and Riker and Deanna suddenly felt their throats begin to tighten. Automatically reaching for their necks they felt something solid but were unable to call for assistance as the airflow was already too restricted.

'Intruder alert, intruder alert!' The voice of the computer prompted Picard to stand up again to survey the bridge and it was only then that he could see the two officers either side of him were in distress. It was difficult to see in the semi-darkness, but both had something tightly wrapped around their necks.

'Mr Worf, some assistance please,' said Picard pointing at Riker as he moved to assist Deanna. Worf swiftly moved from his station to assist Riker. However, as he reached him, a Shadow voice from behind Picard spoke.

'Dessisssst!'

Picard whirled round to see a third Shadow standing in the middle of the deck. He held up a hand to Worf who immediately ceased any effort to assist Riker. The Shadow had taken a humanoid shape again and stood between the officer's seats and the two ops and conn consoles at the front of the deck. The operators, Ensign's Bow and Garner spun in their seats to see the Shadow standing less than two metres away.

'Computer, intruder alarm off!' ordered the frustrated voice of Picard. 'Release my officers immediately!'

'They will not be terminated if you lower your sssshieldssss,' was the unnerving calm reply from the lead Shadow.

Riker and Deanna were now both gasping as they clawed at the dark grey matter enveloping their necks. Picard risked a quick look behind him and could just make out the Shadows around their throats, shifting and pulsing allowing them just enough air to keep them from suffocating.

'Stop your attack on the planet and my ship and I'm sure we can come to a mutually agreeable arrangement,' said Picard, hoping his voice did not betray just how desperate he was beginning to feel.

Even in the low light, Picard caught a look from Ensign Bow and instinctively knew she was about to attempt something. Before he could stop her, she leaped out of her seat and with a cry of effort, brought a hammer fist down across the shoulder of the Shadow. Unfortunately, the effort was wasted because the blow simply passed through the lifeform and Bow's fist came to rest with a thump on the floor. Clearly unconcerned, the Shadow simply swept its arm forward and then back towards Bow's head who had ended up kneeling on the floor. A moment before the inevitable contact, it solidified its arm and the resulting impact sent the Ensign tumbling across the deck.

'That's enough.' Said Picard, instinctively taking a step towards the Shadow.

'Kill them, we have many more to choosssse from,' said the Shadow gesturing to the remaining crew on the bridge.

'No!' Shouted Picard.

The eerie quiet that followed was mere seconds but felt much longer to those present. It was eventually broken by Data.

'The weapons system of the Shadow vessel has been disabled, Sir.' He said it with such an unemotional tone that it was almost comical, given the level of tension on the bridge.

Picard let this statement hang in the air, waiting for the translation to sink in.

'Disengage light beam.' He finally ordered.

'Aye, Sir.'

The lighting on the bridge immediately returned to normal levels and with an ear-piercing screech of distress, the three Shadows quickly dissipated out of the room. With great relief this allowed Riker and Deanna to take some much-needed gulps of air. They both indicated that they were okay, just a bit short of breath, so Picard turned his attention to Ensign Bow who was sitting on the floor still looking a little dazed.

'Are you okay?' Asked Picard as he helped her up.

She had a significant cut across the side of her head.

'I, I think so, Captain.'

'That was very brave, Ensign,' he complimented, 'but it was also very reckless.' He added in a harsher tone. 'However, it was a worthy effort because it did gain us some precious seconds.'

'Thank you, Captain.' She said.

'Can you make your way to Sick Bay?'

'Yes, if you think it's necessary, Sir.'

He nodded with a smile of admiration and she headed for the exit.

'A worthy effort indeed,' commented Worf, more to himself, but it was loud enough for the Ensign to hear as she walked past his station. Bow smiled and appeared to hold her head a little higher as she entered the turbo lift.

'Captain, incoming communication from the Shadow vessel.'

Picard allowed himself a brief smile and took his time returning to his chair.

'Open a channel, Mr Riley, one way.'

'Pleasssse. If you will lower your sssshields, we will reclaim our comrades and return to our home world.'

There was a pause and then the repeated word, 'pleasssse.'

Riker raised his eyebrows with surprise at the conciliatory tone and Picard turned to Deanna who was still massaging her neck.

'I sense only genuine feeling and they appear resigned to conceding,' she confirmed.

Picard nodded and then gestured to Riley to open a return channel.

'Agreed,' He said simply. 'Mr Worf, lower the shields.'

'Aye, Sir, lowering shields.'

Within a few seconds, Data provided and update

'All the Shadow beings have now been transported off the Enterprise.'

'Is the channel still open, Mr Riley?' Asked Picard.

'Aye, Sir.'

The Captain stood up and straightened his tunic. He appeared to be preparing to speak.

'We hope this inauspicious start will not taint any future relationship between our races,' he began in his most ambassadorial tone. 'As part of the Federation we encourage–'

'–The Shadow vessel is leaving the system, Captain,' Data carefully interrupted.

Picard attempted to re-compose himself.

'Normal service is resumed,' Riker said, attempting to lighten the awkward moment.

He glanced across to Deanna who was barley disguising her amusement.

'Indeed,' agreed Picard, sitting back down and folding his arms as nonchalantly as possible.

Chapter 22

Feeling somewhat helpless, Geordi continued to look out of the chancellery office window at the sprawling cityscape. With the help of his VISOR he could just make out signs of activity in the streets below. As he did so, the signs of panic he'd so far witnessed, vehicles being abandoned and people fleeing in all directions, seemed to gradually subside. He waited a couple more moments, anticipating yet another energy pulse, but it never came. He spun round to see the Chancellor sat behind his desk, head in his hands, apparently trying to block out or ignore the situation.

'It's stopped!' Exclaimed Geordi.

At the same moment the Chancellor looked up, his colleague, Feska-Wold entered the room and glanced at Geordi as she quickly approached the Chancellor. Her expression, Geordi thought, suggested she did not feel as comfortable as the Chancellor about detaining the Enterprise officer.

'Is it true? Has the attack stopped?' He asked his colleague hopefully.

'Yes, it appears so. We've received no ordinance for over two minutes now,' she said excitedly.

Their attention was then drawn to the small screen on the Chancellors desk which was indicating an incoming communication. He pressed the integral control pad and gestured towards the large screen, positioned on the wall in front of the desk. Feska-Wold turned to see and Geordi also moved towards the desk to get a better view. The three of them saw the previously white screen suddenly change to an image of Captain Picard on the Enterprise bridge.

'Please tell me you have some good news, Captain?' The Chancellor enquired hopefully from behind his desk, apparently too weary to stand up.

'Our attempts at negotiation with the Shadows failed I'm afraid, but we were able to disable their weapons system.'

'And what of the… Dark Ones, the Shadows as you call them?' He enquired, impatiently.

'They transported all remaining Shadows from your planet and the Enterprise back to their vessel and have left the system.'

Feska-Wold let out a small yelp of relief and instinctively grabbed the Chancellors hand with both of hers.

'They gone! They've really gone!' she said excitedly.

The Chancellor carefully drew his hand away.

'Apologies, Captain, this is my support officer Feska-Wold.' Picard gave a nod of acknowledgement. 'However, it is an incredible relief to know that our burden of so long is at an end.'

'I would be cautious if you're assuming that they would not return, Chancellor. As things stand, there is always that possibility.'

'Of course, you are right, Captain,' he said soberly.

'I think there is the need for a serious discussion about your history with these beings. I'm assuming you've lived with them or perhaps I should say in spite of them for some considerable time?'

The Chancellor looked haggard and weary and Picard thought how much older he looked now than when they had first spoken, just the previous day.

'It's no excuse, I know, but it's a mantle each new generation has inherited with little or no questioning of the status quo. We've tolerated a co-existence, suppressing them where ever possible. Fear is a powerful motivator,' he added with clear remorse.

'And it appears that such a situation has led to a cycle of denial and isolation for your people,' proposed Picard

The enormity of the situation was clearly beginning to dawn on the Chancellor and he appeared close to tears. He swallowed hard and seemed to gather himself a little but was still only able to nod his agreement with Picard's summation.

'Time to break the cycle,' proffered Picard. This sounded prophetic because it appeared to resonate as both a suggestion and a question.

'Perhaps you are right,' he finally managed to reply, and then corrected himself, 'Of course, you are right, Captain.'

'We, the Federation that is, will be more than willing to help in any way we can but it must be initiated by you and your people.'

The Chancellor nodded, took a deep breath and immediately appeared more resolved. He then addressed Feska-Wold.

'We will make preparations for a full council meeting in the Grand Chamber as soon as possible.'

'Of course, Chancellor,' she said with the appropriate gravitas.

The Chancellor looked thoughtful for a moment, there was so much to be done, so much to be considered and so much that needed to change.

'Captain, although I can't speak for the full council, I think I can safely say that we will be calling on the Federation for both assistance and advice.'

'In that case, we look forward to working with you again in the near future.'

'As do I, Captain.'

Picard turned his attention to Geordi.

'Mr La Forge, are you ready to return to the Enterprise?'

'Yes, Captain, more than ready,' said Geordi glancing at the Chancellor. Thorenga-Wold looked back apologetically and made a gesture of open hands.

'I am truly sorry for detaining you Mr La Forge, particularly after your remarkable work. However, you should be assured that your efforts will now be of great benefit in the coming period of recovery and development.

'Understood, Chancellor,' Geordi said, as diplomatically as possible.

Picard decided it was time to draw the conversation to a close

'Well, we must be on our way as we have a runabout and two colleagues to collect. Farewell for now, Chancellor.'

'Yes, Farewell, Captain and thank you again.'

Epilogue

'Good to have your back Mr La Forge,' said Picard, turning to see who had just entered the bridge through the turbo lift doors.

'Good to be back, Captain,' he replied with genuine feeling.

Apart from the unusual presence of the engineer, the bridge held its regular compliment of officers. Riker and Deanna sat either side of the Captain, Worf was standing behind at the tactical station and Data was in front at the Ops and Conn console.

'I understand we now have the best headlights in the fleet,' Geordi remarked light-heartedly, referring to the intense light beam generated from the forward array.

Although the flippant remark received a frown from the Klingon, it was taken in the right spirit by Riker.

'Yet another feather in Enterprises' cap, wouldn't you agree, Captain?'

'Indeed.' Picard agreed somewhat reluctantly and then attempted move the conversation on. 'Any further updates from the Cezanne, Number One?'

'Just to confirm that they are fine and that they monitored the return of the Shadow vessel through the Forlian Cloud. Apparently, the Professor is now officially calling it a new class of artificial wormhole. When we get there, I recommend we launch a warning buoy which should provide us with advance notice of any future activity.'

'Agreed. And, given it's change in status, perhaps we should consider renaming the phenomena. Something like, Forlian Gate?'

'Sounds reasonable,' agreed Riker.

'Data, talking of nomenclature,' said Deanna, 'have you titled your sculpture yet?'

Data stopped his work on the console and swivelled his chair to reply.

'Indeed, Counsellor, I have been giving it some serious consideration and due to the role it played in recent events, I was thinking of calling it Umbrae Prensus.'

Following a few blank looks, Picard interceded.

'My Latin is a little rusty, Data, but I think that translates to, Shadow Catcher.'

'Sounds reasonable,' commented Geordi, who was now standing next to Worf.

'Very close, Sir, but a more accurate translation would be Shadow Net,' corrected Data.

'I think I prefer 'Shadow Catcher,' Deanna commented, 'it has a more poetic ring to it.'

'Nevertheless,' Data quickly added, 'mine is the most accurate translation, Counsellor.'

'Well, I certainly didn't mean to hurt your feelings, Data,' said Deanna with just a hint of mischief in her tone.

'Quite impossible, I assure you Counsellor,' said Data, starting to turn his chair back to face his console. However, before completing the movement he paused, turned back again and added, 'But I believe I shall continue to use my correct translation.'

Data looked a little puzzled at the amused reaction from the crew.

'Did I say something funny?'

'Not really, Data,' said Deanna with a grin, 'but good for you for sticking to your guns.'

Data, still looking a little uncertain, turned back to his console.

'Mr Data, plot a course to the Forlian Cloud,' ordered Picard, aiming to draw a line under any remaining mirth.

'Course programmed, Sir.'

'Engage.'