Chapter 10: Fading hope
Riker sighed. He knew, just from looking at the expression on Doctor Crusher's face that the news was almost certainly not going to be good. He had been dreading this moment, but, nevertheless, it still came. "I take it you haven't gotten any further with coming up with a reason for this…" he searched his mind for some assistance about what to call it, before finally deciding on something which he still wasn't absolutely convinced with "… illness?"
She shook her head sorrowfully. She was very, very annoyed and frustrated. "No, but… I just don't get it. I've tried everything I can possibly think of, yet nothing has worked. I really am at a loss," she admitted, bowing her head ever so slightly.
Deanna Troi sighed and then asked the doctor, as calm as ever, "Have there been any fatalities?"
"No, there haven't," Beverly Crusher replied. "That's what is so odd about this whole thing," she then added.
"What is?" Riker asked, as he leant closer towards the table in the conference room. He hated it when he had to call up crewmembers to attend a staff briefing or meeting, as he knew that the reasons why they had had to stage a meeting in the first place was because something bad was happening somewhere and they had to try and sort it out.
Once again, Beverly had that confused expression on her face. "Well, judging by the rate at which the… illness is developing, people should be dying."
"That doesn't make any sense," Riker said, frowning deeply.
"I know it doesn't. But, it's the truth, commander," Doctor Crusher said simply. "I don't know how these people are staying alive so long. It defies all medical knowledge that I have."
Yet again, Riker was over his head. "Well, we need to think of something," he said, stating the obvious.
Just at that moment, Geordi La Forge interrupted them, saying quickly, "What about Data and Ensign Monroe?"
All heads turned to face him. Unfazed, he continued with his worrying words, "We haven't heard from them since they left. That was days ago."
Almost as soon as the words had left his mouth, Commander Riker's combadge chirped loudly and the low, gruff voice of Lieutenant Worf bellowed out, "Bridge to Commander Riker," he waited for him to reply.
"Riker here, go ahead, Mr Worf," Riker said.
"Commander, the president of Hypnos has just sent us a subspace message."
"Can you patch it through?" Riker asked nervously and expectantly as he looked around the dull coloured walls of the main conference room.
The Klingon, although Riker couldn't see it, frowned and shook his head. However, the frustration in his voice was quite evident. "No, it is a recorded message. It was, however, recorded only hours ago."
"What does it say?" Deanna asked, very curious.
Worf was a little shocked that it had been Deanna who had asked, but he ignored it and proceeded to answer her reasonable question, "They have knowledge that the shuttlecraft in which Lieutenant Commander Data and Ensign Monroe were travelling has crashed."
Instantly, Commander Riker felt a wave of heavy guilt sweep over him, for it had been he who had sent them on the away mission. "Are Data and Monroe alive?" He managed to bring himself to ask that awful question and a lump seemed to form in his throat. He was startled when he felt Deanna's comforting hand on his arm, but he soon was able to calm down.
Worf cleared his throat, although it really wasn't necessary to do so. He then replied to the commander, "They did not disclose that information."
"Well, we have to do something. We can't just sit here and do nothing!" Geordi announced loudly and defiantly. Data was his closest friend, he couldn't bear to lose him.
Riker tried to reassure the chief engineer, "Try not to worry, Geordi. I'm sure we can think of something." He looked around the room in the hope that someone might be able to offer some suggestions. However, no one had anything else to say, so Riker added, "Perhaps we could send a probe down to the surface of Hypnos?"
"That is not possible, commander," Worf interjected, speaking through the combadge. "The Hypnites are now forbidding anyone from coming near their planet. No one is to enter and no one is to leave. I doubt even machine would be allowed safe passage."
Riker sighed and put his head in his hands briefly and then lifted his head up again. "Well, then, I'm stuck for ideas."
For a few minutes, everyone in the main conference room was simply silent. Deanna was trying to read the feelings and thoughts of those around the table. However, she had to stop herself when she was only half way through. The thoughts were all too depressing. Not one person really had a positive thought in their heads. They were all either thinking about Data and Gina Monroe, about the captain or about the possibility of an all-out war with the Hypnites. Surprisingly, though, the people of Thanatos did not seem to be as violent as those who called Hypnos their home.
Then, she had an idea. "Can we try and contact Data and Monroe's shuttle?" She asked.
"We've already tried that, counsellor," Geordi responded. "There was no response."
Deanna bowed her head and she prayed for Data and the young ensign to be all right.