Chapter Eleven: Hidden Treasure
Data realized that he hadn't been hit and turned in time to see a phaser wielding Cardassian soldier — who was standing behind him — fall to the ground. Data returned his attention to Lore, who had placed Stelton in the center of the pattern enhancers so he could be beamed directly to sickbay. They then continued to gather and transport the other groups.
For the most part, the mission was a success. However, there were about a dozen casualties — ten of whom died while fighting against the Cardassians prior to the arrival of the Enterprise. Another two died from inhaling the toxic fumes on the planet. Dr. Crusher and her staff worked around the clock in order to treat the recent onslaught of patients. Over the course of the following few days, she managed to reverse the effects of the painful poison that had invaded the bodies of its victims. She also managed to successfully treat Stelton — who had been within of inch from death upon his arrival on the ship. The Enterprise crew devised a successful solution to alleviate the harsh conditions on the rest of the planet. The Yepsarians would be able to utilize their entire planet within months. The Yepsarians were very grateful for the help of the Enterprise crew.
Although Stelton was making remarkable progress, he was still confined to bed rest in sickbay. He was very grateful for his salvation and made a point not to request anything… except for one thing; to speak with the two androids that valiantly saved the lives of his people.
Data and Lore were equally puzzled as to why Stelton urgently asked to speak with them. As they entered the room, Dr. Crusher led them to his bedside. She tried her hand at a bit of small talk, but Stelton ultimately asked to speak to Data and Lore privately. Slightly abashed, Dr. Crusher acceded to the man's wishes. Stelton's grey eyes coordinated almost perfectly with his salt and pepper hair. His skin told tales of his mature age. With a smile, he slowly raised himself to a sitting position as he quietly regarded the two androids.
Stelton began in a soft voice: "I want to thank you both for saving my life and the lives of my people. In addition, I am grateful to you and the rest of the Enterprise crew for reversing the harsh conditions on the rest of our planet. Thanks to you, the rest of my people will be able to return to the homeland from which they fled many years ago. You have initiated the biggest step in bringing my family back together. For that, you have my undying gratitude. However, in this case, saying thanks simply isn't enough. I wish to reciprocate your generosity."
"I assure you, sir; your verbal gratification is more than sufficient." Data replied.
"Please, let me finish." Stelton implored.
"Yes, brother! Don't interrupt the man." Lore — who sensed there was a reward at hand — murmured to Data.
"In return, I want to give you something that may prove to be of great value to you. However, it is not on my person, but down on the planet." Stelton handed Data a folded piece of paper, "This will lead you to it."
"To what, sir?" Data asked.
"I guess you can say it's an antique of sorts, but it's a fixer upper. Please don't reject it. It is my wish for you to have it." Stelton implored before he adjusted himself to lie down with a sigh. "Whoa! I'm so tired."
Just a few minutes after he uttered those words, Stelton had fallen asleep. Data and Lore unfurled the paper which revealed a small, simple map. Neither of them would ever need to lay eyes on it again, for they had already memorized it. Data approached the captain regarding Stelton's proposed gift. Capt. Picard saw no reason to object since the Enterprise crew had received tokens of gratitude in the past, so he granted permission for Data and Lore to return to the planet to claim their gift.
When Data and Lore returned to the planet, their readings indicated that the atmospheric conditions were beginning to normalize. This meant the Yepsarian citizens would be able to return to their colony within the next few weeks. Data and Lore found the hidden passage that Stelton indicated on the map. The path led them to a small storage area which housed a single case which measured one meter wide, nearly two meters long and slightly less than a meter high. The case was dusty and it was clear it hadn't been disturbed in a number of years. Data blew some of the dust off the top of the case to determine if there were any markings, but there were none. However, in clearing the dust a small button was revealed. It was located on the right side of the case. Data raised his gaze to meet Lore's.
"Lore, since we do not know the nature of the contents of this container, we must open it here to ensure that it will pose no harm to the Enterprise." Data explained.
"Agreed brother." Lore answered quickly, he was anxious to view the contents of the mysterious box, as was Data — who promptly pressed the button.
With a gentle hiss, the top of the container slid open. At first, Data and Lore's view was obstructed by the cloud of vapor that escaped the box. When the cloud cleared, Data and Lore's faces synchronously transformed to masks of utter shock and confusion when they realized they were looking down upon their own image, albeit disassembled. They stared at the android which laid dormant in its case. They were quite literally beside themselves and failed to find words to describe their shock. Then it became clear to Data and Lore. The Yepsarians didn't gasp in shock out of fear of their appearance… but out of recognition.