Author's Note: For once I don't really know what to say about this chapter, but enjoy!

Summary: When Riker takes matters into his own hands, what will happen to him? Or for that matter the ship?

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Chapter Four:

The Capture and the Escape

Riker had beamed down to the We'tic southern most village, as directed, and had been questioning the inhabitance if they knew anything about this building Mulara had told him about.

Everyone he had spoken to had pointed him to the south until he reached the edge of the village. Once there, he could barley see a long, yet flat (probably one or two stories) building. He continued his journey, tricorder in hand.

Once he came within ten meters of the building, he laid down trying to keep from being seen. He could see one or two people, dressed very similar to the man he remembered from his 'dream', coming in and out of the building. When he looked closer, he could see the same sign with the Blok Cabora on it. When he started to creep closer, he heard something behind him. When he turned around to see who or what it was, a two pairs of hands snatched him up and without a word (well from them anyway) as they took him to the facility.

**Inside the Building**

A room. A dark room. A dark, cold room. A very dark, cold room. A very dark, cold, and empty room, that was also very familiar. (AN: I don't have to do a detailed explanation of the room again do I?) This was defiantly where he was, Riker had no dought about that. A hissing sound came from the front of the room, and a bright, white light was allowed in, along with a man. He was dressed completely black and held that same stance of authority as the man in his 'dream'. Yet, there was something about this scene that was unnerving and familiar to Riker all the same.

"Hello, my name is Sebastian. I just thought you might like to know," Sebastian, the attacker, said, in an almost jokingly tone, yet still had the low, eerie voice. "All you have to do for me is answer one simple question and you my go," Sebastian said with an evil smile, as the man grew more confused. "What do you have to live for?" Sebastian asked in almost a whisper…

Riker felt a sickening feeling grow in the pit of his stomach. A scowl grew over his face as he subconsciously knew what he had done and was able to digest the information he was just given.

"Ah, I see you remember me. Well that's just not acceptable." The man, who had just been named Sebastian, said in a sickeningly playful voice. He made a confused sigh and mumbled to himself, "I don't understand, the Nero-block shouldn't have worn off, it just shouldn't have."

"Why?" Sebastian spun around, being startled out of his thoughts.

"Why what? Sebastian asked, suspiciously.

"Why did you do what you did to me? Capture me and lock me up? Then stave and torture me? For what?" Riker demanded. "I know what this… organization is about. To try and find, then eliminate treats. I don't see why you'd consider me a threat, nor why you didn't kill me."

Sebastian's sly smile covered his face. "Because," after a pause he said, "Why do you explore? To learn, learn about people, technology, and culture. We wanted the same thing. To know what kind of threat your people posed, if any. We wanted to know what drove, where your weak spots are, where your strength are." He explained.

"And what did you learn?" Sarcasm dripped in Riker's voice as he said that, but nether seemed to care.

"That the Federation is not a security threat and that, in most cases, you can be trusted. As for what drives you, I've found it is different for each individual and sometimes… most times, it is the unknown that thrills your kind most." Sebastian turned to walk away, when, suddenly, he asked, without turning around, "Did it work, at all?"

"At first, yes, but then I started to remember," Riker answered, in a cold voice. Then Sebastian walked out and Riker was left in a far to familiar situation for his taste.

**Picard's Ready Room**

"I can't believe he's missing again!" Picard barked, frustrated from his First Officer's SECOND disappearance.

"Captain, I'm sure he's just looking around, maybe somewhere we haven't. I'm confident there's a logical reason he's not answering his communicator." Counselor Troi assured him, endeavoring to mask the concern of her own.

They were sitting in Picard's Ready Room discussing the second disappearance of Enterprise's First Officer. He had left the ship almost four hours ago, according to the transporter longs and had not been seen or heard from since.

"I hope your right, Consoler, I hope your right." Picard mumbled, much calmer than a few minutes ago.

**The Building**

Riker couldn't remember everything, but enough to know he was tortured, starved, interrogated, and sent back with his memory erased. He also knew enough to know that Sebastian was true to his word, but couldn't be trusted.

He also knew he needed to get out of here or the same thing might happen, his memory being erased permeably, or worse, they may kill him. Which was why, for the past hour or so, he had been devising a plan to get out of there. He had come up with knocking Sebastian out, and running but that wouldn't work. From past experience, he knew the door wouldn't open for him, on the contrary, it shocks him. He decided that he needed to find what allows Sebastian and them to walk right through it, and use it to his advantage.

So the plan is: Knock him out, search him, get out, and run. Easy. Ya, right.

He had begun to realize that whenever someone was about to enter, he could hear a faint tapping. This could definably be used to his advantage. He decided he would hind in the shelter of the shadows next to the door when he heard the tapping. When the door closed he would knock Sebastian out, and so on with his plan.

He heard the distinct tapping, and decided it was now or never with his plan. Then, he dashed into position. The door opened and Sebastian walked in…

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Ohhhhhhhh, I just love leaving you with cliffhangers.

Please R/R. It's a lot of fun to total ignore… I mean, read them over and over.