Disclaimer: Do I really need to remind you?
Part Five
Beverly Crusher was getting hysterical. The senior staff had once again congregated in the observation lounge, and no one seemed happy with the discussion. "Is there no way you can boost energy to the sensors to get a clearer reading?" Dr. Crusher asked.
"I'm afraid not Doctor," Geordi said sadly. "There's just too much interference."
"I know this is hard, Beverly," Picard said softly, "but we must accept the possibility that Kate and Wesley were killed." There was an ominous silence at the table.
Dr. Crusher shook her head. "He's my son, I'd know if he was dead. I'd know, I'd feel it." She stopped when she started to get choked up.
Picard was silent for a moment before he asked, "Geordi, if we waited for the air to settle, could we get better sensor readings?"
"Yes, that would certainly help, sir," Geordi admitted.
"How long would we have to wait?"
"Several hours, maybe longer," Geordi said. "From what I could tell, the explosion was a rather large one."
"We will wait then." Picard said. "Mr. La Forge, I want you to notify me the second you get anything."
"Yes, sir."
"Meeting adjourned then." Everyone left except for Dr. Crusher. "Don't worry Beverly," Picard said. "I'm sure you're right about Wesley." She looked at him gratefully, but with a sense of doubt, as if she really didn't believe it herself.
Kate and Wesley had made good distance into the forest. After a while they slowed but kept moving. Kate tried to use her tricorder to get readings on the area, but the interference was too great.
Even though she knew it was useless, Kate told Wesley, "Try your communicator again." Wesley did so, but there was no answer. "Figures," Kate muttered.
"I hate to say this," Wesley said. "But we should keep moving. As long as we're moving, it will take longer for the radiation to have an effect." He really did sound like he hated to say it.
"All right." Kate brushed up her strength and kept moving.
Before long, Wesley began to jump at every little noise. "Do you remember if Data said anything about animal life around here?" he asked Kate.
"No," Kate mused, wondering that herself. "But I wasn't really paying much attention. Why do you ask?"
"Oh, no reason," Wesley said. "I'm probably just imagining it." Kate smiled knowingly, and they trudged on.
"Bridge to Main Engineering."
"LaForge here, Captain."
"Has there been any progress?" Picard asked.
"Not yet, sir," Geordi answered. "But I've got all my best people working on that interference."
"Keep it up Mr. LaForge," Picard said, dropping back into his chair. "Bridge out." Picard looked over to Dr. Crusher. She was trying to look calm, but her fingers were twitching. "We'll find them, Beverly," he said. She only nodded absentmindedly.
"Dr. Serrart to Captain Picard."
Picard tapped his insignia. "Yes, Doctor?"
"All the patients have been treated and are settled in their guest quarters."
"Very good, Doctor." Picard turned to Counselor Troi. "I want you to go and speak to them. Talk to their leader and tell her that I would like to meet with her to discuss the future of her people."
"Yes, Captain," Troi said, getting up and heading for the turbolift.
Only strained silence was heard on the Bridge for a few minutes after Troi left. Everyone had something they wanted to say, but no one could think of exactly how to say it. Finally, Picard muttered something in exasperation.
"Where is Q when we actually need him?"
This outburst caught Dr. Crusher by surprise. "What good could he do?" she asked.
"Well, he always showed an interest in Kate. Always thought her above the rest of us petty humans," he released a spiteful laugh. "One would think that he might want to do something to help her."
Picard's statements didn't help Dr. Crusher's condition. "Maybe he all ready knows that it's hopeless. Maybe he knows that they're both all ready dead."
Picard realized what demon of doubt he had just released, and he tried to mend his words. "Most likely Q knows that it will turn out just fine. Besides, he's not supposed to meddle in mortal business."
"Not that that every stopped him before," Dr. Crusher said, vainly attempted to sound like she still had a sense of humor.
While silence pervaded the Bridge again, Picard sat back in his captain's chair and thought. For a moment, a very thin, short moment, he felt guilty about staying around to find Kate and Wesley. After all, his was a crew of over a thousand. Was he to sacrifice all of them for the sake of two? But he exiled those thoughts the moment they entered his head. Kate and Wesley weren't just two average people. Wesley was the only son of one of Picard's best friends. And he was a good friend to Picard as well, not a mention a promising Federation Cadet. Kate was Picard's senior historical officer. She was one of the only ones who could truly keep his feet firmly planted on the ground. He loved and respected her, not only as a member of his crew. 'No', he thought to himself. 'I am not going to just dismiss them both like that.' He turned to Dr. Crusher and with a very stressed and important voice said, "Beverly, we are not going to leave this system until we have found them both. I promise you that."
Part Five
Beverly Crusher was getting hysterical. The senior staff had once again congregated in the observation lounge, and no one seemed happy with the discussion. "Is there no way you can boost energy to the sensors to get a clearer reading?" Dr. Crusher asked.
"I'm afraid not Doctor," Geordi said sadly. "There's just too much interference."
"I know this is hard, Beverly," Picard said softly, "but we must accept the possibility that Kate and Wesley were killed." There was an ominous silence at the table.
Dr. Crusher shook her head. "He's my son, I'd know if he was dead. I'd know, I'd feel it." She stopped when she started to get choked up.
Picard was silent for a moment before he asked, "Geordi, if we waited for the air to settle, could we get better sensor readings?"
"Yes, that would certainly help, sir," Geordi admitted.
"How long would we have to wait?"
"Several hours, maybe longer," Geordi said. "From what I could tell, the explosion was a rather large one."
"We will wait then." Picard said. "Mr. La Forge, I want you to notify me the second you get anything."
"Yes, sir."
"Meeting adjourned then." Everyone left except for Dr. Crusher. "Don't worry Beverly," Picard said. "I'm sure you're right about Wesley." She looked at him gratefully, but with a sense of doubt, as if she really didn't believe it herself.
Kate and Wesley had made good distance into the forest. After a while they slowed but kept moving. Kate tried to use her tricorder to get readings on the area, but the interference was too great.
Even though she knew it was useless, Kate told Wesley, "Try your communicator again." Wesley did so, but there was no answer. "Figures," Kate muttered.
"I hate to say this," Wesley said. "But we should keep moving. As long as we're moving, it will take longer for the radiation to have an effect." He really did sound like he hated to say it.
"All right." Kate brushed up her strength and kept moving.
Before long, Wesley began to jump at every little noise. "Do you remember if Data said anything about animal life around here?" he asked Kate.
"No," Kate mused, wondering that herself. "But I wasn't really paying much attention. Why do you ask?"
"Oh, no reason," Wesley said. "I'm probably just imagining it." Kate smiled knowingly, and they trudged on.
"Bridge to Main Engineering."
"LaForge here, Captain."
"Has there been any progress?" Picard asked.
"Not yet, sir," Geordi answered. "But I've got all my best people working on that interference."
"Keep it up Mr. LaForge," Picard said, dropping back into his chair. "Bridge out." Picard looked over to Dr. Crusher. She was trying to look calm, but her fingers were twitching. "We'll find them, Beverly," he said. She only nodded absentmindedly.
"Dr. Serrart to Captain Picard."
Picard tapped his insignia. "Yes, Doctor?"
"All the patients have been treated and are settled in their guest quarters."
"Very good, Doctor." Picard turned to Counselor Troi. "I want you to go and speak to them. Talk to their leader and tell her that I would like to meet with her to discuss the future of her people."
"Yes, Captain," Troi said, getting up and heading for the turbolift.
Only strained silence was heard on the Bridge for a few minutes after Troi left. Everyone had something they wanted to say, but no one could think of exactly how to say it. Finally, Picard muttered something in exasperation.
"Where is Q when we actually need him?"
This outburst caught Dr. Crusher by surprise. "What good could he do?" she asked.
"Well, he always showed an interest in Kate. Always thought her above the rest of us petty humans," he released a spiteful laugh. "One would think that he might want to do something to help her."
Picard's statements didn't help Dr. Crusher's condition. "Maybe he all ready knows that it's hopeless. Maybe he knows that they're both all ready dead."
Picard realized what demon of doubt he had just released, and he tried to mend his words. "Most likely Q knows that it will turn out just fine. Besides, he's not supposed to meddle in mortal business."
"Not that that every stopped him before," Dr. Crusher said, vainly attempted to sound like she still had a sense of humor.
While silence pervaded the Bridge again, Picard sat back in his captain's chair and thought. For a moment, a very thin, short moment, he felt guilty about staying around to find Kate and Wesley. After all, his was a crew of over a thousand. Was he to sacrifice all of them for the sake of two? But he exiled those thoughts the moment they entered his head. Kate and Wesley weren't just two average people. Wesley was the only son of one of Picard's best friends. And he was a good friend to Picard as well, not a mention a promising Federation Cadet. Kate was Picard's senior historical officer. She was one of the only ones who could truly keep his feet firmly planted on the ground. He loved and respected her, not only as a member of his crew. 'No', he thought to himself. 'I am not going to just dismiss them both like that.' He turned to Dr. Crusher and with a very stressed and important voice said, "Beverly, we are not going to leave this system until we have found them both. I promise you that."