Chapter 14

Riker was getting lightheaded between the intense heat and the stomach-churning smell of the strange ship. He led his group toward the juncture identified by O'Brien as quickly as possible. There was no sign of Ensign Redd's murderer. But about halfway to the transport site they found something else: more bodies.

Doctor Selar knelt down amongst four large green-skinned bodies. "Four male Orions…dead about two days."

"Cause of death?" Riker walked forward and looked down at the dead pirates. One was headless. No mystery about how he died, thought Riker.

"Three were slashed to death with some kind of sharp weapon or…possibly claws of some kind…" she glanced up at Riker with a raised eyebrow. "Obviously, the fourth Orion was decapitated."

Riker looked at Harrow, who could barely raise his eyes to look at the gruesome scene. "It was her," he whispered.

Riker's face twisted with anger, and he advanced on Harrow, grabbing his arm and shaking him. "Harrow, this isn't a game! Who is she? What does she want?" A low hiss could suddenly be heard all around them as the air grew still.

Harrow's jaw quivered. "She's my burden!" he shouted. "It's my fault that she is this way…and she wants me to stay with her—to love her. Until she has me, she will continue killing."

Troi looked at Riker. "Will, he is telling the truth. She is so very sad and wants only to be with Allen. But she knows almost nothing but how to kill."

"I say we hand him over to her then," said Worf. "She has already killed one of our people, and four Orion warriors...in addition to Doctor Harrow's crew." He glared at Doctor Harrow as though he held Harrow responsible for all of this.

Riker turned back to Harrow who did indeed look very guilty. "What would she do to you?"

Harrow sighed, and ran a hand through his hair. "Keep me prisoner here on this ship until I try to escape. Then she will kill me."

"She did not kill you before," Worf observed darkly.

"Lieutenant Worf, to abandon Doctor Harrow here to encounter probable death would be inhumane," said Data.

"Maybe so…but I am not human," replied Worf, stalking past him. Data stared after him in confusion.

"Alright everyone, enough conversation. We'll continue on to the transport point as planned," said Riker. "Let's go."

Picard sat in his ready room hunched over his computer. He was tense from waiting for Riker and his team to report in, and more importantly to beam back safely. He had just learned from Chief O'Brien that young security officer Ensign Redd had been killed while on the Eve. Riker had only described Redd as a casualty to O'Brien and had asked him to beam the body to the morgue. Since the interference had prevented any further communication since then, Picard had no idea how Redd had been killed.

So, because he felt rather helpless, he had decided to try and do some further research about the so-called Eve project. It actually helped that there were very few references to the project at all, because there was less to find. He didn't expect to find much. But after just a few minutes of searching, he had come upon a rather disturbing discovery, when simply searching under the term "Eve Project".

He had come upon a news article date 2361; just five years old entitled "Prominent Politician Dies Suddenly". He went on to read that Carmen Villanova, former Academy Chancellor, socialite and political heavyweight had died under mysterious circumstances, and was found in a hallway at Starfleet Medical by cleaning staff. The cause of death was thought to be an "insect bite".

The article went on to say that the former Chancellor had most recently headed up the secretive Eve project, which some suspected was related to weapons development, and that her son Commander Adam Collins would be her successor at the Project. And so it seemed that Commander Adam Collins, was now the same Admiral Collins who had ordered the Enterprise to bring the Eve and its crew back to Star base 14. "My goodness. It seems that when one's mother is in charge of nearly everything, you advance quite quickly up the chain of command," murmured Picard.

Picard was due to report to Admiral Collins very soon as to his progress in locating the research ship. He now decided that he would wait until Riker was back aboard. The connection between Villanova, Harrow and a secret military project made him extremely uneasy. And Villanova dying of an insect bite? Whoever heard of such a thing happening in recent history?

Villanova's suspicious death made him face something he had kept only in the back of his mind since Harrow had come on board. He had always suspected that Harrow was somehow more aware of the circumstances of his girlfriend's murder all those years ago. And then following his own injury at the hands of a dangerous shape-shifting creature, Villanova had almost casually told him that the real killer was the creature he had faced.

Then-Chancellor Villanova had seemed more than excited that Picard had nearly been killed trying to stop the creature, describing him as having done her a great service, implying that the creature was still alive and in her possession. In fact, she had referred to "us", as though she was not the only one to have gained from the creature's capture. Had she meant the Eve Project, or it's precursor? Was the creature the Eve project? Suppose that this creature was somehow still in existence and now terrorizing Doctor Harrow?

He thought about Commander Robinson's odd smile, and the fact that Harrow seemed genuinely surprised to see him. Had that been the creature and not Robinson that he had spoken to on the view screen? If so, it explained not only at least some of Harrow's fear, but also why the creature disguised as Robinson had been so interested in Harrow's welfare.

He sat back in his chair and tried to think back to that night. The creature had twice appeared as a teenage girl and had declared Allen Harrow's innocence and had even pleaded with Picard to leave Harrow alone. The creature had also told him it did not want to live. He imagined it had been suffering then. Now twenty-six years later, it was still perhaps a lab animal, still suffering. And had it continued to kill? How could Harrow have come to be involved in such a project?

He considered that Beverly had been in a relationship with Harrow, and tried to think about it objectively as though he…he frowned and stood up. Why couldn't he think about it objectively, as though he were a friend who simply had no interest in knowing about her love life? He shook away the uncomfortable question, not interested in answering it at the moment.

Picard pushed his chair back and stood up walking to the view port. Perhaps he should go and talk to Beverly about Harrow and find out what she knew, if anything, about his research work. As he gazed out of the view port, he reminded himself that he had planned on apologizing to her anyway. He told himself that once the away team had safely returned, he would go and make amends with Beverly. He would tell her that his motivation for keeping her from the away team was his concern for her safety. And if the timing seemed right, he might say more.

As Picard exited onto the bridge, Lieutenant Volkov, the tactical officer turned her head quickly to acknowledge him and then turned back to her post. "Captain we have an incoming Orion frigate closing at full impulse, sir. It appears to be on a collision course with the Eve, sir."

"Red Alert," said Picard stepping down. "Hail the incoming ship."

"No response, sir."

"Lay in a course to intercept, full impulse," snapped Picard.

"Course laid in," said Wesley Crusher from the conn. "To intercept in seven seconds."

"Captain, the Orion ship is firing on the Eve…minimal damage, sir."

Picard raised his hand. "Fire phasers."

"Firing, sir. Direct hit," said Volkov. "But the Orion ship has not altered its course, Captain. It's still headed for the Eve."

On board the Eve, the walls shook and seemed to groan around them. "We're being fired on," Riker said, looking up at the ceiling, just as they reached the juncture O'Brien had identified as the transport site.

Another blast shook them, and they all staggered. Harrow stumbled and fell clumsily into the wall. "Allen…" an almost seductive voice floated from the wall, and the arms of a human female immediately extended from the wall wrapping around Doctor Harrow. "You came back to me," the voice said. Allen screamed and struggled to get away, but the arms would not let him go.

Before anyone could stop her, Ensign Doe leapt for Harrow and grasped the arms holding onto the scientist. As her hands closed around one of the arms, they changed to the color of steel, and razor sharp spikes jutted from the arms, pushing all the way through each of Doe's hands.

"Stay away from Allen," the eerie voice said. Doe screamed as Data rushed in and pulled her away to safety. He grasped the young Ensign's hands, to apply pressure. The spiked arms returned to resemble those of a human being, and continued to hold Harrow tightly.

Selar quickly applied a bandage and clotting agent to the Ensign's punctured hands. "We must return to the Enterprise as soon as possible to obtain adequate medical care for this officer," she asserted.

"Riker to O'Brien! We're at the coordinates you sent us to…get us out of here."

The reply was mostly static. "…Commander…Eve is und..attack…can't…signatures for transport."

Beverly decided to go up to the bridge. She wasn't quite sure why she felt compelled to do so, but coming to some kind of understanding with Jean-Luc seemed like a good idea. Hopefully the away team would be returning soon, and they would be all be safe. As she stepped into the turbo lift, she wondered if Riker had been able to talk Commander Robinson into returning with the Enterprise to Star Base 14. Something about Robinson certainly seemed strange, and Allen's fear of returning to the Eve seemed real enough. She knew that she like everyone else would need to wait for the team to return.

She considered what she might say to Jean-Luc, and hoped that he would be honest with her about why he had refused to assign her to the away team. She wanted more than anything to have a conversation where they could both be honest about their feelings. And if they had no feelings for one another, well they could be honest about that as well.

As the red alert signal began to flash inside the turbo lift, she realized that her timing had been horrible. They were once again in crisis mode.

Captain Bardi of the one-time pirate ship Galaxia grinned as his ship barreled in toward the ship containing the bodies of his former crew, and the creature that had taken their lives so easily, so violently. Yes, his revenge was at hand. The nearby starship—a glorious looking Starfleeter ship- had its shields down, confirming it was allied with the creature's ship. And now the starship was firing on him, trying to stop him. All the more reason the starship's crew should die along with the creature.

He still planned on transporting to the bigger ship—and what a prize it would be. He knew the Starfleet humans might kill him, but as long as he could turn its weapons on the creature's ship, his goal would be attained.

He quickly set his transporter's coordinates. Yes, he would need to arrive on the bridge to co-opt the helm and weapons controls. And, he thought with a widening grin, the Starfleet Captain would be there as well. About twenty seconds before collision, he cut the engines, to disturb the rhythm of the firing starship. He set the timing on the transporter control. Then he got up, with his disruptor in hand, and started running.

Captain Picard was shouting orders to the helm and tactical, when Beverly Crusher stepped onto the bridge. He saw her out of the corner of his eye, did a double-take and then turned and locked eyes with her briefly. What was she doing here? Her expression seemed somewhat apologetic, as if she hadn't known the ship was under red alert before she had begun the trip up the lift. Perhaps that was what had happened.

It seemed as though she was walking in slow motion, and strangely, he felt it difficult to tear his gaze away from hers. He watched her as she moved and sat down in the seat next to the Captain's chair. She smiled at him, and wrapped her lab coat around her in that way she had; then as if a switch was flipped, time seemed normal again and everything was moving quickly around him again.

"Captain, the Orion ship is going to collide with the Eve in ten seconds," said Rodriguez from ops.

"Fire another phaser blast toward it's port engine and let's see if we can knock it off course a bit," he said, walking up between the conn and ops.

"Firing, Captain," reported Lieutenant Volkov from tactical. "We've struck it, sir. It's spinning…sir it's colliding with the Eve, but no longer head on, sir."

They collectively watched as the Orion ship bounced off of the Eve, and spin away, exploding finally into thousands of tiny pieces.

"Captain," came O'Brien's voice. "I have a positive lock on the away team. The hit to the Eve must have dropped any resistance –"

"Energize, Chief, just get them out of there," shouted Picard. "Transport them to main sick bay."

Crusher stood up almost instinctively as if to move to the turbo lift when she heard the words sick bay, but that was when it happened.

Picard was still facing the view screen, when a six and a half foot green figure appeared on the bridge—already in mid-run. "Sir, look out!" shouted Volkov from tactical, and she pulled out her phaser. She was too late, as the Orion fired, hitting her in the shoulder. He jumped behind the tactical station, quickly studying the controls.

"Which one is the Captain?" His eyes fell on Picard.

"I am!" yelled Picard, striding slowly up the ramp toward the invading Orion. His eyes fell on Lt. Volkov and her dropped phaser. "Let us help our wounded crewman, and then we can talk terms," he said. He looked up at the Orion pirate, who's left eye was milky white and there were burns around both eyes. A gruesome wound covered his chest. Picard went cold, knowing instantly that this man had recently fought the creature he had faced all those years ago.

The Orion laughed and holstered his disruptor, stomping his giant foot on Volkov's phaser. "I don't give a drakt about your crewman. I'm going to destroy that ship over there. And since my ship was no good I decided to take yours, Starfleeter. What do you have to say about that?"

"No," said Picard, and grabbed for the pirate's gun. The Orion caught Picard's hand and pulled his arm up into an excruciating joint lock, laughing again as he did so. The Orion pulled out his gun, and brought the handle down on Picard's outstretched elbow. Picard cried out and kicked the Orion hard in the side of his knee, hearing it crack.

The Orion staggered, and smashed Picard in the side of the face with his disruptor as he fell to the floor. Picard kicked the Orion in the side of his face with the working eye, and as the Orion clutched blindly at his face in agony, Picard jumped on him and kept his elbow on the Orion's windpipe pressing all of his weight down desperately. The pirate reached up with a large meaty hand and slapped ineffectively at Picard's face. Then he made a loud groaning noise and passed out.

Picard stood up, completely winded, and leaned against the tactical station. He wiped blood from his nose. Moving his tongue around his mouth he could feel that several teeth on the left side were loose and he could feel his jaw swelling. He looked up to see Lieutenant Rodriguez, the ops officer, holding a phaser in his shaking hand, pointing it down at the Orion.

Picard fought to catch his breath, and straightened. "It's alright, Lieutenant. Where did you get the spare phaser?" he asked frowning.

"Under the ops station, sir."

Picard grunted. "Based on what just happened, I would say we need to keep more of those around."

"Should I have shot him, sir?" Rodriguez looked somewhat guilty. Wesley Crusher stood behind him looking worried.

Picard shrugged and looked down at the unconscious Orion. He certainly did not want this brute to wake up. "Call a security team and have the intruder brought to the brig. Everyone else, please return to your posts. We are still under red alert." He nodded with a reassuring smile at Wesley, who was still staring at him eyes wide with shock.

He looked down to see Doctor Crusher was kneeling over the fallen Lieutenant Volkov, who was unconscious as well. "The shot went clean through her shoulder. She'll survive, but needs urgent care." She stood up. "Captain I would order you to come as well, but I…have a feeling you will refuse."

He nodded. "We're still under red alert. But Ensign Redd was killed over on the Eve and is now in the morgue. I have to come down and pay my respects in a few minutes. I will see you then, Doctor."

Crusher nodded and put her hands in her pockets, looking down at her boots. "Crusher to sickbay. Two to beam to the emergency room."