Chapter IV
The shuttlecraft Feynman, followed by the Hawking and the Justman, dropped from the hangar bay of the Enterprise and angled themselves towards the planet. Aboard the Hawking, Thames breathed deeply once, to quell a thrill of anxiety. Suddenly, she felt as though a reassuring hand had been laid upon her shoulder, and she turned to find that there was nothing there.
Knowing where the feeling had come from, she smiled slightly and turned back to the controls.
The three shuttlecraft entered the atmosphere of the dark grey planet below them. Unusually for Galorndon Core, flying conditions were good, and visibility was nearly average. They flew in tandem for a short while, and then they split, the Feynman heading south, the Justman heading north and the Hawking moving into a central position between the two.
They made a circle about thirty kilometres in diameter, centring on the last position that they had detected Nechayev's lifesigns.
As the Feynman landed, a pair of eyes watched its descent with malicious pleasure.
Ten security guards leapt from the shuttle, their rifles ready and senses alert. They scattered, finding cover wherever they could, which was no real problem. Behind them came Riker and Hedly, followed by La Forge, who knew the landscape better than any of them. Hedly carried a rifle, but Riker had holstered his phaser and Geordi had his tricorder out. 'Any readings?' he asked.
Geordi frowned. 'I'm not sure. There's something about thirty metres south of here, but I'm not sure if it's a lifesign. There are specific parameters, and this fits some but not others.'
Riker glanced up at the rocks before them. 'Is it the only thing you can detect?'
'Yes, sir,' replied Geordi.
'Move out!' shouted Riker.
'Riker to Picard.' Picard hit his commbadge and motioned to his team to carry on through the rocky gorge.
'Picard here.'
'Sir, we've detected an anomalous reading.'
'Anomalous, Number One?' repeated Picard. 'How so?'
Geordi's voice came over the commbadge. 'Sir, I scanned for human lifesigns. These readings seem to indicate a human pattern but –'
'There seems to be another reading mixed in there as well, is that it?' said Picard, grim triumph in his voice.
'Exactly, sir. I've never seen these readings before.'
'I have,' said Picard firmly. 'It's Admiral Nechayev all right. Set your weapons to stun. Be prepared for anything, Number One.'
'Understood. Riker out.'
Picard paused and glanced up at his team. Eight security guards, Troi and Thames advanced quickly and quietly through the gorge. Up on the cliffs, one either side, a pair of guards covered their approach.
He smiled, knowing Nechayev couldn't escape from the web.
Riker slipped through the sparse undergrowth covering the ground, and got behind the cover of a rock. Signalling quickly to his team to follow up, he kept his phaser ready and aimed up at the low wall of rock before him – an excellent perch for a sniper.
Geordi hit the dirt beside him, rifle aimed up at the same area. 'Any change in those readings?' asked Riker.
'No. She's up there somewhere,' the engineer replied.
'How do you propose to get up there?' asked Hedly from two metres behind.
Geordi frowned in concentration. 'If I remember correctly, there's a path up there that leads around the back. She'll have it covered though, if she's got any sense.'
'She can't cover two directions at once,' said Riker. 'Geordi, take three men and make your way around there. Signal me as soon as you get into position to attack.'
Geordi nodded and signalled to three guards. They quickly set off.
Crusher and Data picked their way through the rocks littering the open plain, followed by their security detail. Data had assured her that there was no trace of Admiral Nechayev anywhere, but Beverly was still cautious and her tricorder was set to give an alarm once lifesigns were detected.
'Doctor,' said Data, his tone betraying his curiosity, 'I must confess that I do not understand Counsellor Troi's concern over the captain and Lieutenant Thames.'
Beverly smiled slightly. 'Deanna's just concerned to see that the captain's happy, I think.'
'Oh.' Data was silent for a moment. 'Would it not be more logical to allow things to resolve themselves naturally?'
'I don't know, Data,' replied Beverly, glancing at the android. 'I think that affairs of the heart are a lot more complicated than that.'
Data nodded, his face puzzled. 'I suppose so. However, given what the Counsellor said about their connection, could it not be supposed that they will be able to resolve their crisis by themselves. After all, they are both responsible adults.'
Beverly looked at Data again, an open smile on her face. 'Data, believe me, love does not make you behave like a responsible adult.'
Data accepted this information with his old expression of not-quite-comprehension. They continued on their way.
'We're in position, Commander,' said Geordi's voice quietly.
'Understood. Wait for my signal, and then charge in, firing.'
'Will do.'
Riker glanced at his men. 'Everybody, this is not going to be easy. We're going to be open to attack for at least ten seconds here. Our objective is to distract Admiral Nechayev long enough for Geordi to get around the back of her position and stun her. We've got to make it look as if we're going to scale that wall. Everybody understand?'
They all nodded, Hedly with an intensity in her eyes that reminded Riker of Worf's occasional tendency to go into a blood lust.
Riker nodded back and tapped his badge again. 'Geordi, in about ten seconds you're going to hear a lot of yelling. Wait for five seconds and then attack.'
'Got it. La Forge out.'
Riker glanced back. 'Ready?' They all gave him quick nods. 'Let's go!'
They all jumped up from their positions and rushed for the low wall, shouting incoherently. Riker could almost feel the heat from the phaser blast as it hit him in the chest and threw him to the –
He opened his eyes, thinking for a crazy moment, Why am I not dead?
He glanced around at the others. They were all standing around him, puzzled as to why they had not been shot at. A moment later, his badge bleeped. 'Sir,' said La Forge urgently, 'you'd better get up here.'
Riker shot a look at Hedly and then rushed around to the path Geordi mentioned.
He came around the corner to find Geordi staring at him in dismay, slightly pale. 'What's the matter, Geordi?'
La Forge didn't speak, but instead led Riker around the rock face. Riker paled at what he saw.
A red mass of flesh and gore lay splattered against the wall before them. Over it was a green goo that had solidified and covered the mess. Riker barely kept from throwing up, and turned quickly away. 'Geordi,' he whispered, 'what the hell is that?'
Geordi shook his head. 'Doctor Crusher could confirm it, but I think that that is Admiral Nechayev's digestive system.'
That was it. Riker hurried away.
A few minutes later, looking decidedly the worse for wear, Riker signalled to La Forge. 'We're moving out again.' He glanced at Hedly and La Forge as the security guards passed by, some looking off-colour.
'Where the hell is she?'
A phaser blast slammed into the wall beside Picard, throwing out shards of rock. A return volley from the security guards shattered an outcropping of rock in return. 'Cease fire!' yelled Picard.
Abruptly, the entire valley went silent and Picard watched as the guards all kept an eye out for the attacker.
Picard had become separated from his team instantly the attack had begun. Almost certainly, Nechayev understood that he was leading the hunt, and that she needed to eliminate him.
He had fought his way back so that he was within earshot of the guards, but their short-range communications had been scrambled by the intense phaser fire. He knew that they had to get out of the narrow valley they had become trapped in.
Picard heard something; Thames had thought of trying to outflank her. She was out of hearing, but –
He concentrated on thinking about what to do. He saw, in the distance, her head whip around. Picard smiled and she smiled back. Well, this connection's good for something at least.
Now, had that been his thought or hers?
Thames glanced at Troi. 'The captain's got a plan.'
'How do – ? Oh, sorry.'
Thames glanced up at the overhang that gave some cover for them. 'The captain thinks that Nechayev might be using that overhang as a trap of some sort. He believes she may have rigged it to come down if we hit it with phaser fire.'
'Could be a problem,' agreed Troi. 'What do we do?'
'Jean-Luc thinks that if we get somebody under it, then we might be able to clear it away.'
'How do you mean?'
Thames shook her head, frustration on her face. 'He's damn closemouthed sometimes. I can't tell.'
A salvo of fire ripped down from the cliff suddenly, exploding all around them.
Picard watched Deanna and Thames vanish behind a cloud of phaser energy, mouth dry. His eyes widened in horror and agitation as he waited for the debris to clear. There was nothing there when the smoke cleared, and a stab of incredible pain coursed through him as he gasped. A moment later, Deanna raised her head from behind the rocks, and, beside her, Thames struggled up as well. She looked across at Picard. I'm fine.
Another burst of phaser fire slammed down, and Picard felt a burning rage flare in his mind. Thames glanced back at him, obviously recognising the emotion, but Picard ignored her. Jumping to his feet, he charged for the overhang.
A staccato burst of phaser fire hammered around him, as Nechayev opened fire on him. In return, the security team covered him with a furious return volley. Picard rushed forward, knowing that Nechayev's phaser blasts were creeping up behind him.
Suddenly, the firefight stopped, and Picard realised that he was under the overhang. Across the way, he could see Thames and Deanna staring at him, open-mouthed in surprise. He tapped his commbadge. 'Picard to Riker.'
A channel covered with static opened. However, Picard noted, Riker's voice sounded very unsteady. 'Riker here. Sir, we've lost her.'
'We've found her, Will. She's got us pinned down in a valley about two kilometres south of your position.'
'We're pinned down as well, sir. We've been caught by a huge electrical storm. We won't be able to set off until it's passed.' Riker paused. 'It's heading your way.'
Picard glanced up, and indeed, the sky was beginning to darken. 'Looks like we'll have to sort it out ourselves, Number One. Get here as soon as you can.'
'Understood. Riker out.'
He suddenly glanced up as he felt a feeling from Thames. She's gone. He hit his commbadge, its short-range frequency no longer scrambled by the phaserfire. 'Picard to Thames. Clarify.'
'Nechayev's gone, sir. I saw her leaving all of a sudden.'
'She must know about this electrical storm. We'd better get into cover as well.'
Picard and Thames stepped out from under the overhang. Troi moved towards the security team. And, without warning, the overhang collapsed.
Deanna watched in horror as the resultant landslide crashed down to the valley floor. Turning to the security team, she shouted, 'Take cover!'
As they all scrambled for safety, the valley collapsed behind them.
Troi waited until the dust had settled before tapping her commbadge. Her voice was urgent. 'Troi to Picard. Please respond. Troi to Thames, respond please. Troi to Picard –'
'We're all right, Counsellor,' said Picard's voice abruptly. Troi heaved a sigh of relief. 'We've been caught on the other side of the rockfall. There's no way through.'
'Can you make it out of the valley on your side?'
'Not before that storm hits,' said Picard, a note of annoyance creeping into his voice. 'We'll have to find cover for the duration.'
'If it's bad, sir, we might lose Nechayev altogether.'
'Our priority now is to stay alive, Counsellor. She can wait.'
'Understood. See you in the morning, sir.'
Picard nearly laughed. 'Thank you, Counsellor. Picard out.'
Troi turned to the security team. 'We'd better find ourselves somewhere to hide.'
As the detail turned and began picking their way back through the valley, Troi's mind flew back to her conversation at the poker table. Sooner or later, coincidence is going to throw them together.
She smiled at the debris behind her. She had been right.
Picard led the way to a small hollow in the rock face that he had seen earlier. Thames picked her way across the valley behind him. Picard activated the small targeting light on his rifle and peered into the hollow. 'Looks like we're in luck,' he said thoughtfully. 'It seems to widen out. We ought to be able to spend the night here quite comfortably.'
'Yes, sir,' replied Thames. She stepped into the cavern, and nodded. 'Looks nice and cosy.'
At that moment, a crash of thunder resounded across the dark sky and the heavens suddenly opened. Picard looked at Thames. 'Looks like we're here for the duration.'
'Yes, sir.' Together at last. Once again, Picard couldn't be quite sure if that was his or her thought.
There was an uncomfortable pause. Neither seemed willing or able to break the wall of silence that surrounded them.
Picard activated the safety on his rifle and sat down on a rock, attempting to get comfortable. The light of the phaser provided a small beacon in the all-enclosing darkness that surrounded them in the cave.
Thames glanced at Picard, mind racing for something to say. He made as if to say something, and then stopped, as if thinking better of it. Thames' head drooped. 'Captain,' she began, and the paused. 'Sorry.'
'No, Lieutenant, what is it?' said Picard, as if anxious to keep talking.
'No, it's not important,' she said.
Anything you say is important, came the thought from Picard. Thames smiled a sad smile, and, before she could stop it, came the question, What about what I think?
She blushed abruptly as Picard glanced at her. 'Lieutenant,' he said slowly, 'I think it would be important for us to get our thoughts in order.'
'That might not be a bad idea,' replied Thames, aiming for coolness and poise– and missing by several metres.
Picard almost smiled. 'Lieutenant, we have been skirting around this for a long while now.'
'Yes, sir,' she said quietly.
'Jean-Luc, please. I know that you're much more used to calling me that.'
'Yes, Jean-Luc,' she admitted, her voice shaky. She looked down, and felt Picard move closer to her. Her heartbeat increased.
'How long have you known?' he asked quietly.
'Known? Only the last two days. Suspected? Ever since the Academy.' She glanced at him, and was gratified to see that he was slightly embarrassed by the admission.
'What if I were to tell you -?' He broke off.
'What, sir?' she looked into his eyes and saw the raging fires of his love burn incandescent for a moment. Her heartbeat increased.
He gazed into her dark eyes for a long moment. 'Tell you that we have been married?'
She blinked once. 'The alternate universe?'
He nodded. 'Yes.'
'I would say that I was... intrigued.'
He saw the happiness in her eyes flare to full bloom. 'And to tell you...' he faltered.
Yes? she prompted, silently.
'That I love you.'
Thames stared long and deep into Picard's eyes, feeling her heartbeat race at the final confession. 'I would say, Jean-Luc Picard, that I love you too.'
'I hoped, beyond hope,' he said, so quietly that she could barely hear him, 'that you would say that.'
'Don't say any more,' she said, and pressed her finger gently against his lips as if to emphasise the point.
And then she replaced the finger with her lips.
As the thunder began to die away, Riker peered out of the cavern that he, Hedly and La Forge had secreted themselves. He glanced at them. 'Looks like the storm's clearing.'
'Finally,' Hedly replied.
'Any plans, Commander?' said La Forge.
'I think we'd better rendezvous with the captain and Deanna. I wonder what they're up to?'
Deanna watched her bedraggled team troop into the cavern wearily. 'All right, everyone, rest. We've earned it.'
She stared out at the pounding rain mournfully, aware only of two feelings in her range. A long way away was a faint trace of hatred, one that she had begun to associate with Admiral Nechayev. Another was beginning to get annoying.
For about an hour now, she had been registering increased levels of positive emotions, mixed pleasure and love. She had been trying to block it out for a while, attempting to allow them some privacy, but the feelings had been getting stronger. 'Whatever the hell you're up to,' she growled, 'do it quietly!'
Data stared up at the approaching storm and glanced back at Crusher. Their team had found no trace of Nechayev within their assigned search area and, owing to the proximity of the storm, they had retreated to the Feynman. 'Looks like it could last quite a long time, Doctor,' he observed. 'I suggest that we rest here for the night and resume our search at area delta-four in the morning.'
'Agreed,' replied Crusher. 'How do you think the search is going in the other areas?'
'One way of finding out,' said Data. He tapped his badge. 'Data to Picard.'
All that replied was wild static. He frowned and glanced at Beverly. 'Data to Riker.' Again, wild static. 'Data to –'
'Hell!' shouted one of the guards suddenly. Data whirled and saw them scrambling from the door and, a moment later, a phaser blast caught one of them in the back, sending her to the floor with smoke curling from the cauterised wound.
Her fall revealed what they were fleeing from. Admiral Nechayev.
Blond hair wild.
Uniform torn.
Blood dripping from her viciously smiling mouth.
It was the morning after the night before, and Picard's thoughts were calm for the first time in days. He glanced down at Thames' sleeping face, remembering this welcome sight from his time in an alternate reality. He fervently hoped that this wasn't some possibility that fate (or Q) was going to snatch from him.
He glanced at the lightening dawn sky. 'Looks like we're clear,' he said quietly to himself. Looking back at Thames, he decided another few minutes wasn't going to be out of the question.
'Riker to Picard.'
Cursing under his breath, Picard grabbed for his commbadge and replied, 'Picard here.'
'Sir, we've just entered the valley that you last reported as your position. We've met up with Deanna and her team. Do you and Lieutenant Thames require any… assistance?'
Picard smiled, knowing that Deanna must have sensed the emotions of the night before and told Will. 'No, Number One. We'll meet you at the Hawking.'
'Understood. Good night, Captain?' Riker asked, mischievously.
'Picard out.'
Riker smiled as the channel closed and glanced back at Deanna, who failed to hide a smirk of triumph. 'Well done, Counsellor,' Riker said, giving a slight mock bow from the shoulders.
'I had nothing to do with it, Will,' said Deanna, still smiling. 'I said coincidence would throw them together.'
La Forge was stood at the entrance to the small cave and he suddenly gasped. 'Commander!'
Riker turned and went to his side. 'What's up, Geordi?' La Forge pointed into the sky.
Above them, one of the three shuttles soared high into the clouds. 'What the hell?' said Riker. 'Can you make out which one it is?'
Geordi strained his optical implants. 'It's the... Feynman, sir,' he said finally.
'Data's shuttle,' said Deanna behind him.
Riker hit his commbadge. 'Riker to Feynman. Data, what the hell are you doing?'
There was no response from the other end of the channel and Riker glanced at Deanna, strain and worry showing on his face. 'Riker to Crusher.'
When there was no response, Riker glanced back up at the shuttle. 'Can you get any sense from it, Deanna?'
'No, sir,' she said, her face concerned. 'They might be too far away, but I doubt it.' Suddenly, the shuttle banked and turned, and Riker realised that it was coming right for them.
'Take cover!' he yelled, as the whine of the shuttle's engines became audible. Barely had he given the order than a pair of bright yellow phaser blasts lanced from the shuttle, striking the ground nearby. Another salvo followed, and another.
Return fire streaked from the phaser rifles on the ground, and struck the underside of the Feynman as it shot by overhead, scarring its hull with dark burns. Riker followed it with a burst from his weapon, and another volley rang out from the guards around him.
The Feynman twisted around, and came bearing down on them again. This time, a guard was struck, and he fell to the ground, not even a scream escaping from his lips. Another flash of weapons fire ripped into the shuttle, which flew by again. In the pause, Deanna rushed to the downed guard's side. Glancing at Will, she shook her head.
As the Feynman prepared to come around, two new blasts of weapons fire erupted from behind a nearby hill. Striking the shuttle, they threw its attack off, and it seemed to recoil from the firepower. Veering off, it rose again, and shot into the clouds.
'Picard to Riker.' Riker smiled a relieved smile.
'Riker here. Was that you, sir?' he asked.
'Yes, Number One. I can't get in contact with the Enterprise,' Picard answered, avoiding any preamble. 'Can you?'
Riker glanced at Deanna, who had just tapped her commbadge and said, 'Troi to Enterprise.' She looked at him, worried. 'No response.'
'No, sir,' said Riker, his own voice concerned.
'We're approaching your position from the east. Wait there until we arrive. Picard out.'
The Feynman headed up towards the looming shape of the Enterprise, its sole occupant raving with bloodlust only partially sated by the cold-blooded murder of the security detail that had accompanied Data and Crusher. Onboard the Enterprise was the opportunity that the parasite had waited for. A chance to get to Emeralle II. To open the dimensional rift again.
To allow the Aralla to re-enter through it and destroy the vermin that inhabited this galaxy.
It was Admiral Nechayev's body that sat in the chair at the controls of the shuttle, but it was the mind of a cruel and unfeeling alien being that controlled its movements.
A particularly cruel and psychotic member of the Aralla race, it had come through the rift with its fellows in their first attack upon another universe. However, somehow it had emerged alone in this universe, on a planet known as Earth. Knowing only its urge to conquer and destroy, it occupied the mind of one whose own dynamic force matched its own in intensity. The capture and possession had been simple.
Now, as it spread through the host's body, growing to full maturity, it expelled the previous occupant's primitive biology, to make room for it's own. It's growth would match that of Admiral Nechayev's, making it able to fit inside the skin of the cadaver.
It had been an unpleasant death, and the reanimation of the corpse had proven difficult even after the previous personality had been eradicated. However, the Aralla had succeeded, a tribute, in it's own mind, to the adaptiveness and strength of the Aralla race.
Now, it had a chance. The chance it had awaited all of its short life.