Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek, etc, etc. Kate, however, is my very
own.
Part Two
The next day, Wesley was up early. Capt. Picard had invited him on the bridge, and Wesley knew Picard hated lateness. Upon entering the bridge, Wesley stole a little wink from Kate who was seated at the Conn position. He then took a seat next to his mother.
"Good morning Wesley," Picard said warmly.
Wesley smiled in return, but he was busy watching Com. Riker and Counselor Deanna Troi. They were deep in conversation together. That image made Wesley chuckle silently to himself. He used to have a big crush on Deanna Troi, but it had flattened out into a deep respect for the very kind and wise woman.
For the first ten or fifteen minutes, Wesley was subjected to endless questions about school, his work, his classes and teachers, even about the Sadie Hawkins dance. All these questions he answered obediently, but when he had a moment of air to breathe he asked Capt. Picard about their mission.
"I'm glad you asked Wesley," Picard responded. "I was hoping you would want to join us. " He then went on to explain that they were headed to the Temek sector to check in on a colony they'd started on the planet Linith a year ago.
"I'd love to be on an away team again, sir," Wesley admitted.
"Good," the captain said, obviously pleased. "Why don't you go down to Engineering and make yourself useful to Geordi."
"Yes sir," Wesley said, rising from his seat.
"And," Picard continued, "Kate?"
"Yes sir?" she asked, turning away from her channel.
"Why don't you accompany Mr. Crusher down to Engineering. The cadet's been gone so long, I'm afraid he may not remember the way." Picard meant this only jokingly, knowing perfectly well that Wesley probably knew the Enterprise better than he did. He shot a grinning, sheepish look at Dr. Crusher, and she grinned back at him.
"Of course, sir," Kate said. "This way, Mr. Crusher," she said over- politely, motioning towards the turbolift. Wesley only chuckled and followed obediently. Those on the bridge who understood the joke also laughed to themselves.
Once inside the turbolift, Kate said, "Engineering," and they were on their way. "Feel better today?" she asked.
"Definitely better," Wesley replied. "I think I just needed to say some things out loud to realize how ridiculous they were."
"Good."
By this time, the turbolift had stopped at Engineering. The doors swooshed open to reveal Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge.
"Hello Wesley. Good to have you home. I've got something to show you," Geordi said, excitedly. Before Wesley could get a word in edgewise, Geordi had moved him over to a computer, and was pointing wildly towards the screen. "Look," he said.
Wesley squinted his eyes to see the screen. He almost didn't believe what he saw.
"You fixed it?" he asked incredulously. "How in…." Wesley was at a lost for words as he stared down at the sequences of numbers before him. They were the complicated and very difficult answers to a math problem that Wesley had been toying with for years.
Geordi was smiling from ear to ear. "Sure did. It took me a while. A long while actually. But you'll never guess how I came up with the answer." He started to explain before Kate cut him off.
"Some other time okay, Geordi," she asked. "If you start to explain it now, you two will be standing here for hours."
"Well, I'm impressed anyway," Wesley admitted.
"Thanks," Geordi said, smiling even wider. "Hey, did you come down here to help me, or what?"
"I did," Wesley admitted. "How is it that every time I come here for vacation, I end up working?" Geordi and Kate shrugged sheepishly. "Well, what can I do?" Wesley asked.
"Could you run some maintenance tests on our overlay sensors?"
"Be right on it." Wesley said, grabbing a tricorder.
Kate hung around for awhile, then headed back for the bridge.
That evening, Kate was lounging in a comfortable chair in Capt. Picard's quarters. She had dropped by to talk, and luckily, caught him at his down time. Capt. Picard was standing in front of the food replicator and was ordering two mugs and Earl Grey tea.
"So, how is our returning Cadet?" he asked, knowing that no one would know better than Kate. "He looked a bit troubled when he arrived yesterday."
"Oh, he's fine now," Kate said, taking the mug of tea from the captain.
"So what was the problem?"
"Well," Kate hesitated, remembering Wesley's LOOK in Ten Forward. "I think he's just feeling lonely. Having trouble adjusting. Things like that. Nothing major."
"Ah," Picard mused, accepting the answer. He settled into another chair, and sipped from his own mug of tea. Then he noticed it. A look on Kate's face he had not seen in a long time. It was a combined look of concentration and confusion. He didn't know how to interpret her look now, and didn't now whether to be amused, or worried.
Within the next twenty hours, the Enterprise reached Linith. An away team assembled in Transporter Room three. It consisted of Com. Riker, Com. Data, Counselor Troi, Lt. Worf, and Kate. Dr. Crusher and her medical team were assembled in Transporter Room two. Wesley was with them.
"Beam us down, O'Brien," Riker said.
"Aye sir."
Within seconds, the away team was on the planet surface. Linith was an M-class planet just slightly larger than Earth's moon. The team had been beamed right outside the limits of the colony so Kate and Data could begin their chemical sweep of the surrounding area. The medical team had been beamed directly into the colony and Riker, Troi, and Worf went to join them.
Worf, being ever the Klingon and security officer was on his guard at once. Riker looked over the area, but Troi just stood and smiled widely. "What do you sense?" Riker asked her.
"I sense happiness and peace," she replied.
"Good," Riker said slowly, and Worf lowered his guard, but only slightly. Then they headed for the meeting building where they were to have a short conference with Amil Rombauer, the colony's elected leader.
Dr. Crusher, Wesley and the medical team had beamed directly into the colony's hospital, and nurses were scattered, checking on the few patients while Dr. Crusher spoke with Dr. Michael Durant, who was the chief medical officer.
"As you can see," Dr. Durant said confidently, "We are doing very well here and illness is a rarity." The doctor motioned towards the dozens of empty beds and the unused equipment.
"That's wonderful, doctor," Dr. Crusher said. She was just about to report in to Com. Riker when she heard a click and Kate's voice.
"Dr. Crusher, we're getting some unusual readings out here. I think you might want to come check this out." Kate sounded slightly frazzled and confused.
Dr. Crusher touched her insignia to answer, "I'll be right there Lieutenant." Turning to Wesley she said, "Why don't you come with me?" Wesley nodded in agreement, having heard the conversation, and was already intrigued. He followed his mother out of the building. They walked out of the complex and spotted Data and Kate hunched over a patch of wild flowers. As they walked over to them, the readings on Kate's tricorder were coming in.
"That's just what I thought," she muttered to herself. Then she caught sight of Dr. Crusher and Wesley. "Here, take a look at this," she said, holding out her tricorder to Dr. Crusher.
Dr. Crusher stared at the readings for a few seconds before announcing, "Traces of class three radiation. Did these come from those plants?" she asked, pointing to the flowers.
"From all these plants," Data answered, motioning to the large amount of foliage in the area.
"Interesting," Dr. Crusher commented. She wandered off to inspect some other plants.
Kate hit her insignia. "Addleton to Com. La Forge."
"I'm here, Kate,"
"Would you run a level four diagnostic on the surface level of Linith for me? Look especially for traces of radiation," Kate asked.
"I'll get right on it, Lieutenant," Geordi answered.
"In the meantime," Kate started, looking back at Dr. Crusher, "we should start checking residents for radiation poisoning."
"You're right," Dr. Crusher admitted. "But it seems so strange. Dr. Durant said everyone here was rather healthy."
"The radiation levels may be low enough that they have not caused illness yet," Data commented.
"That's true. Com. Riker?" Dr. Crusher called.
He answered with a prompt "Yes Doctor?"
"Gather the people together for medical testing. Tell them it's just a precaution, I don't want to alarm anyone," Dr. Crusher said, and looking over at her son with raised eyebrows added, "We might have found something very important."
Commander Data was right. After Dr. Crusher's medical teams had tested every citizen, they had found very slight traces of class three radiation, but nothing serious enough to cause illness or even discomfort. But the traces were still there. When they had finished their testing, Com. La Forge reported back in on his own tests.
"This whole planet is contaminated with minuet traces of class three radiation. Nothing that can't be repaired though," he added in an afterthought.
"Have you found the source of the radiation yet?" Kate asked, desperate for some kind of explanation.
"We're not sure," Geordi admitted. "But we think it might be coming from one of Linith's moons, Brasia."
Kate ran the name of Brasia through her head and come up with nothing. She glanced over at Data who said, "Brasia is the smaller of Linith's two moons. The terrain is mostly wilderness. As far as my records state, it is uninhabited."
"But why would there be radiation coming from an uninhabited planet?" Wesley asked himself quietly.
"That's just what I was thinking," Kate said.
Part Two
The next day, Wesley was up early. Capt. Picard had invited him on the bridge, and Wesley knew Picard hated lateness. Upon entering the bridge, Wesley stole a little wink from Kate who was seated at the Conn position. He then took a seat next to his mother.
"Good morning Wesley," Picard said warmly.
Wesley smiled in return, but he was busy watching Com. Riker and Counselor Deanna Troi. They were deep in conversation together. That image made Wesley chuckle silently to himself. He used to have a big crush on Deanna Troi, but it had flattened out into a deep respect for the very kind and wise woman.
For the first ten or fifteen minutes, Wesley was subjected to endless questions about school, his work, his classes and teachers, even about the Sadie Hawkins dance. All these questions he answered obediently, but when he had a moment of air to breathe he asked Capt. Picard about their mission.
"I'm glad you asked Wesley," Picard responded. "I was hoping you would want to join us. " He then went on to explain that they were headed to the Temek sector to check in on a colony they'd started on the planet Linith a year ago.
"I'd love to be on an away team again, sir," Wesley admitted.
"Good," the captain said, obviously pleased. "Why don't you go down to Engineering and make yourself useful to Geordi."
"Yes sir," Wesley said, rising from his seat.
"And," Picard continued, "Kate?"
"Yes sir?" she asked, turning away from her channel.
"Why don't you accompany Mr. Crusher down to Engineering. The cadet's been gone so long, I'm afraid he may not remember the way." Picard meant this only jokingly, knowing perfectly well that Wesley probably knew the Enterprise better than he did. He shot a grinning, sheepish look at Dr. Crusher, and she grinned back at him.
"Of course, sir," Kate said. "This way, Mr. Crusher," she said over- politely, motioning towards the turbolift. Wesley only chuckled and followed obediently. Those on the bridge who understood the joke also laughed to themselves.
Once inside the turbolift, Kate said, "Engineering," and they were on their way. "Feel better today?" she asked.
"Definitely better," Wesley replied. "I think I just needed to say some things out loud to realize how ridiculous they were."
"Good."
By this time, the turbolift had stopped at Engineering. The doors swooshed open to reveal Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge.
"Hello Wesley. Good to have you home. I've got something to show you," Geordi said, excitedly. Before Wesley could get a word in edgewise, Geordi had moved him over to a computer, and was pointing wildly towards the screen. "Look," he said.
Wesley squinted his eyes to see the screen. He almost didn't believe what he saw.
"You fixed it?" he asked incredulously. "How in…." Wesley was at a lost for words as he stared down at the sequences of numbers before him. They were the complicated and very difficult answers to a math problem that Wesley had been toying with for years.
Geordi was smiling from ear to ear. "Sure did. It took me a while. A long while actually. But you'll never guess how I came up with the answer." He started to explain before Kate cut him off.
"Some other time okay, Geordi," she asked. "If you start to explain it now, you two will be standing here for hours."
"Well, I'm impressed anyway," Wesley admitted.
"Thanks," Geordi said, smiling even wider. "Hey, did you come down here to help me, or what?"
"I did," Wesley admitted. "How is it that every time I come here for vacation, I end up working?" Geordi and Kate shrugged sheepishly. "Well, what can I do?" Wesley asked.
"Could you run some maintenance tests on our overlay sensors?"
"Be right on it." Wesley said, grabbing a tricorder.
Kate hung around for awhile, then headed back for the bridge.
That evening, Kate was lounging in a comfortable chair in Capt. Picard's quarters. She had dropped by to talk, and luckily, caught him at his down time. Capt. Picard was standing in front of the food replicator and was ordering two mugs and Earl Grey tea.
"So, how is our returning Cadet?" he asked, knowing that no one would know better than Kate. "He looked a bit troubled when he arrived yesterday."
"Oh, he's fine now," Kate said, taking the mug of tea from the captain.
"So what was the problem?"
"Well," Kate hesitated, remembering Wesley's LOOK in Ten Forward. "I think he's just feeling lonely. Having trouble adjusting. Things like that. Nothing major."
"Ah," Picard mused, accepting the answer. He settled into another chair, and sipped from his own mug of tea. Then he noticed it. A look on Kate's face he had not seen in a long time. It was a combined look of concentration and confusion. He didn't know how to interpret her look now, and didn't now whether to be amused, or worried.
Within the next twenty hours, the Enterprise reached Linith. An away team assembled in Transporter Room three. It consisted of Com. Riker, Com. Data, Counselor Troi, Lt. Worf, and Kate. Dr. Crusher and her medical team were assembled in Transporter Room two. Wesley was with them.
"Beam us down, O'Brien," Riker said.
"Aye sir."
Within seconds, the away team was on the planet surface. Linith was an M-class planet just slightly larger than Earth's moon. The team had been beamed right outside the limits of the colony so Kate and Data could begin their chemical sweep of the surrounding area. The medical team had been beamed directly into the colony and Riker, Troi, and Worf went to join them.
Worf, being ever the Klingon and security officer was on his guard at once. Riker looked over the area, but Troi just stood and smiled widely. "What do you sense?" Riker asked her.
"I sense happiness and peace," she replied.
"Good," Riker said slowly, and Worf lowered his guard, but only slightly. Then they headed for the meeting building where they were to have a short conference with Amil Rombauer, the colony's elected leader.
Dr. Crusher, Wesley and the medical team had beamed directly into the colony's hospital, and nurses were scattered, checking on the few patients while Dr. Crusher spoke with Dr. Michael Durant, who was the chief medical officer.
"As you can see," Dr. Durant said confidently, "We are doing very well here and illness is a rarity." The doctor motioned towards the dozens of empty beds and the unused equipment.
"That's wonderful, doctor," Dr. Crusher said. She was just about to report in to Com. Riker when she heard a click and Kate's voice.
"Dr. Crusher, we're getting some unusual readings out here. I think you might want to come check this out." Kate sounded slightly frazzled and confused.
Dr. Crusher touched her insignia to answer, "I'll be right there Lieutenant." Turning to Wesley she said, "Why don't you come with me?" Wesley nodded in agreement, having heard the conversation, and was already intrigued. He followed his mother out of the building. They walked out of the complex and spotted Data and Kate hunched over a patch of wild flowers. As they walked over to them, the readings on Kate's tricorder were coming in.
"That's just what I thought," she muttered to herself. Then she caught sight of Dr. Crusher and Wesley. "Here, take a look at this," she said, holding out her tricorder to Dr. Crusher.
Dr. Crusher stared at the readings for a few seconds before announcing, "Traces of class three radiation. Did these come from those plants?" she asked, pointing to the flowers.
"From all these plants," Data answered, motioning to the large amount of foliage in the area.
"Interesting," Dr. Crusher commented. She wandered off to inspect some other plants.
Kate hit her insignia. "Addleton to Com. La Forge."
"I'm here, Kate,"
"Would you run a level four diagnostic on the surface level of Linith for me? Look especially for traces of radiation," Kate asked.
"I'll get right on it, Lieutenant," Geordi answered.
"In the meantime," Kate started, looking back at Dr. Crusher, "we should start checking residents for radiation poisoning."
"You're right," Dr. Crusher admitted. "But it seems so strange. Dr. Durant said everyone here was rather healthy."
"The radiation levels may be low enough that they have not caused illness yet," Data commented.
"That's true. Com. Riker?" Dr. Crusher called.
He answered with a prompt "Yes Doctor?"
"Gather the people together for medical testing. Tell them it's just a precaution, I don't want to alarm anyone," Dr. Crusher said, and looking over at her son with raised eyebrows added, "We might have found something very important."
Commander Data was right. After Dr. Crusher's medical teams had tested every citizen, they had found very slight traces of class three radiation, but nothing serious enough to cause illness or even discomfort. But the traces were still there. When they had finished their testing, Com. La Forge reported back in on his own tests.
"This whole planet is contaminated with minuet traces of class three radiation. Nothing that can't be repaired though," he added in an afterthought.
"Have you found the source of the radiation yet?" Kate asked, desperate for some kind of explanation.
"We're not sure," Geordi admitted. "But we think it might be coming from one of Linith's moons, Brasia."
Kate ran the name of Brasia through her head and come up with nothing. She glanced over at Data who said, "Brasia is the smaller of Linith's two moons. The terrain is mostly wilderness. As far as my records state, it is uninhabited."
"But why would there be radiation coming from an uninhabited planet?" Wesley asked himself quietly.
"That's just what I was thinking," Kate said.