CHAPTER NINE
"Commander Riker. There is a sub-space message coming in from Captain Picard." Worf told Riker from his station on the upper level of the bridge.
"On audio, Mr. Worf." Riker said standing up from the command chair and listening intently. The sound of the captain's voice came over as the message was played.
"Commander Riker, this is the captain. I am beaming Commander Data into our shuttle. Could you transport him back to the Enterprise? We are fine but have discovered that the plan over here was to duplicate Data. We are now trying to find a way to put an end to it, and destroy the androids that are here. End message." The audio finished and Riker turned to Worf.
"I have instructed Chief O'Brien to transport Commander Data back to the Enterprise, sir." Worf told him.
"Good. Will you go and greet him in the transporter room. Take him to engineering and get La Forge to see if he's alright." Worf left the bridge and headed for transporter room three.
Worf entered the transporter room as the transporter was just finishing its cycle. Data/Reval appeared on the platform in front of him. "Commander Data. Are you alright?" Worf asked moving closer to the android, and thanking Kahless that he was in one piece.
"I am operating within normal parameters, thank you Mr. Worf." Data/Reval said as pleasantly as he could. He stepped down from the transporter pad.
"I have been ordered to take you to engineering so Commander La Forge can check you over and make sure they haven't harmed you in any way, sir." Data/Reval nodded once and they both went out of the transporter room and headed for engineering.
La Forge was walking around engineering waiting for Data and Worf. He turned and noticed Data out of the corner of his VISOR; he rushed over to greet his friend. "It's so good to see you again, Data. I thought we would never get you back. Are you alright?"
"I am fully functional, Geordi, and it is good to see you also." Data/Reval was easing into his new role quite well and was fooling everyone up until now; this was going to be easier than he had anticipated.
"I just want to make sure, I'm going to check you over before you return to duty." Data/Reval sat in a chair while Geordi scanned him with various diagnostic tools. After a few minutes he was finished. "Everything seems okay. You will pick up any abnormalities when you perform a self- diagnostic. If you do, come back to engineering and I'll see what I can do. As far as I can see you're fit to return to duty whenever you feel ready." Data/Reval stood up again, thanked Geordi and left with Worf to go up to the bridge.
On the bridge of the imperial starship, Captain Picard sat in the command chair. Dr. Crusher entered onto the bridge from a turbolift and rushed down to see Picard. Picard sat forward in his chair staring at Beverly, she looked slightly anxious. Counsellor Troi stirred in her seat and looked from Picard to Crusher. "Are you not going to show some respect towards the captain, Doctor?" Troi spat the words at her almost cursing. Picard looked at the counsellor until she stopped speaking. Crusher really didn't know what to do so she just stood there. Picard quickly got up out of his chair and moved towards the doctor- Troi smiled widely, assuming that she was about to witness the doctor being publicly humiliated on the bridge. Her smile ceased when she heard what Picard said next.
"Doctor, in my ready room please. Counsellor you have the bridge." Picard didn't want Troi to start scanning the doctor's mind incase she found out who they really were. Picard and Crusher stepped into the ready room, and Picard waited for the door to close before he spoke. "Doctor. What's the problem?" He asked a bit more forcefully than he had intended to.
"There's no way to stop La Forge from producing the androids. I can't get to any of them without someone watching me. It's like the androids are some sort of new toys and the novelty hasn't worn off yet. We can't wait until it has either; the drugs will be wearing off our counterparts soon. I say we have another four hours tops." She sat down at the desk as Picard started to pace back and forth. "What was Troi going on about out there anyway?"
"Oh, that. She was trying to tell you that you should have saluted me when you came onto the bridge. You should have as well; we can't raise any suspicion, Beverly. I was afraid she was going to use her powers on you, I tried to get you off the bridge as soon as possible." Picard told her, hoping that Troi had not discovered anything.
"I did feel something, like a thing pressing on my mind and it felt weird and... like a violation. I wondered what that was." Beverly told him as she tried to find words to describe it.
"Well now you know," Picard paused, thoughtful for a moment. "All I can suggest now is that we go back to our own ship and seal the rift or stay here and use the time we have to come up with something else. If we need more time we can always give our counterparts more drugs."
"I think we should stay for three more hours and try to think of a plan. We can't leave knowing that this universe has our technology, it's too much of a threat and maybe a violation of the prime directive in some way also. If we don't have a plan in three hours we're never going to have one." Beverly sighed for about the hundredth time that day.
"Okay. You go back to engineering and see if there was anything you overlooked. Go and tell La Forge that I said to stop all work on the androids, and to turn them all off. Tell him I'm coming down within the hour to make sure he has done it. I'll go back onto the bridge and wait for a bit. When the androids are switched off see if you can sabotage them in some way." Picard instructed her, she didn't like the plan much but couldn't think of a better one herself.
"That's all very well but we still have the problem of wiping the ship's memory banks of all the specs and information on the androids." Beverly reminded him.
"Well let's just do this first and worry about that later. Okay?" She nodded to him. "Dismissed then." Picard and Beverly went back out onto the bridge. Troi stared at Picard as the doctor left to go to engineering, at haste.
"Is there a problem, Jean-Luc?" She asked. That got Picard's attention, he couldn't remember a time when his Troi had addressed him in such a manner before, then he remembered that the relationship between this Picard and Troi was different.
"Nothing that need concern you... Deanna. Everything is working out fine." He took his seat and glanced across at the android second officer- he still had a niggling feeling that he had sent the wrong android back to his ship but he couldn't be sure. The counsellor stood up and turned to the captain, Picard glanced up at her gulping absentmindedly.
"Well, since you are obviously pulling a double shift, there is obviously no need for me to be here. I told La Forge I would be paying a visit for his actions earlier. I wouldn't want to be seen as getting lax in this ship's security; and now that I'm the first officer it seems more important." Picard nodded and she left the bridge to go and carry out her judgement. He thought that it might be a good opportunity for Dr. Crusher to do what she had to as well, with La Forge out of the way.
Crusher entered engineering and went over to speak with La Forge. "I've just spoken with Captain Picard and he told me to tell you to stop all of your work on the androids." Geordi moaned loudly as she continued. "He said he would be down within the hour and that you had better have done what he asked of you. You are to switch off all of the androids as well."
"Did he give a reason?" Geordi asked, after all the work they had put in he didn't want to have to stop now; not when they were so close to being finished.
"No and I didn't ask for one either. He's the captain and that's all the reason he needs. If you want to go and ask be my guest." Beverly invited him to try for an explanation.
"No thanks, I'm already in enough trouble as it is." Geordi turned and went into the bay where the androids were located. He told his staff to carry out the captain's orders and then went back to main engineering. Crusher said that she would help with the androids- thinking it may give her a chance to do some damage. She left Geordi and went into the bay.
Geordi was left alone in engineering as all of the crew personnel went off to help as well. He turned from the console he was working at and noticed Counsellor Troi standing behind him, staring. "This is it," he thought, "you're luck has just ran out." He felt her probing his thoughts.
"You're right, Mr. La Forge. Your luck has just ran out." She laughed rather loudly at his immediate discomfort and turned to her chief bodyguard. "Well Lieutenant Broad, bring him, to the agony booth I think, it hasn't been used for a while and I wouldn't want it to get old and cranky or it won't work." Broad grabbed La Forge by the arm and dragged him out of engineering. They went off on an intentional slow walk towards the booth so that Troi could feel a sense of pride, at the fear emanating from her guinea pig.
About twelve minutes later they entered a room; without a door, it just seemed to be a large portion of the corridor that had three walls. In the room was the agony booth. Geordi gulped at the sight of it and Broad pushed him towards it; he didn't struggle, as that would have been pointless and a waste of precious energy. Troi manipulated a control board and Geordi was thrust up in the air by tractor beams. "We'll start off slowly I think and then work our way up to the higher pain frequencies, that way we can get the full use of the agony booth- leaving nothing out." She laughed a loud, horrid laugh that was full of pleasure on her part, as Geordi began screaming with the pain that raked through his entire body- "and this is the lowest setting?" He thought to himself.
"Yes, La Forge. This is the lowest setting," Troi said when she had probed Geordi's thoughts again. "And you've only got another fifteen settings to go through. Not many really but you will be here for a long time. I'll see to that." She laughed again as the setting went up to level two and he shrieked loudly.
As crew personnel walked past the door they heard cries and shrieks from the occupant. They felt sorry for him but carried on walking; after all, they had all been in that position themselves at one time or another and as long as Troi had him they would be safe.
Captain Picard left the bridge after leaving the android in command. He was on his way to engineering with his bodyguard in tow. While proceeding he heard someone cry out, he was in the turbolift at the time. "I must be near the agony booth, poor sole." He thought. Picard and Detaith got out of the lift at engineering and went off to find La Forge. Instead he found various engineers standing or leaning against bulkheads idly. As he entered they stood to attention and saluted. "Where is Commander La Forge?" He asked a lieutenant.
"The counsellor came and took him off to the agony booth, sir. That was forty minutes ago, he's probably still there or in sickbay... or the morgue." The lieutenant laughed and Picard looked sharply at him- silencing his humour.
Picard felt a chill go through his body as he turned and he and Detaith went off to the agony booth. He knew where the booth was; it was something he thought he would never forget after the last time he was here. Picard walked along the corridor and came to an open doorway. He turned and went into the room. Counsellor Troi worked the controls and her bodyguard stood idly by. "Why is Mr. La Forge here?" He asked her.
"I told you I needed to see La Forge about his actions earlier. That is what I am doing." She told him insolently.
"You could have told me you intended this for him. I went all the way down to engineering to get him and it was obviously a wasted effort. Anyway how long has he been in there?"
"About half an hour, not long." She replied innocently.
"Half an hour, he looks exhausted." Picard remarked as Geordi was thrust about continuously.
"Yes, isn't it brilliant? I'm only half way through as well. I doubt he'll make it much further, he's hanging onto his pitiful existence now as it is." Troi looked a bit disappointed at Geordi's efforts at hanging onto life.
"You haven't been authorized to kill him." Picard said, beginning to see red.
"I don't need authorization, Jean-Luc." She replied combatively.
"When it's a key member of my staff you do, Counsellor." She didn't reply to his rebuke. "Sorry to put an end to your fun but I need to see him now. You may have him back when I'm finished. Take him out of there." Picard didn't like this La Forge much but he couldn't bear to see a man suffer like this.
Troi looked upset as she reduced the settings and La Forge dropped to the floor. Broad picked him up and took him over to the captain. "Detaith, get him. We'll take him to sickbay." They both turned and started to leave but Troi stopped Picard with a tap on his arm.
"Captain, don't be too long with him or I'll have to start all over again." Picard smiled at her coldly and then left.
Picard and Detaith entered sickbay. Dr. Crusher was there; Picard took a few cautious steps thinking that she was still in engineering. Detaith put La Forge on a bio-bed and another doctor, that Picard didn't recognize, went to sort him out. The Chief Medical Officer didn't even look at her new patient, which was strange for Beverly Crusher. "Can I see you in your office, Beverly." Picard said. The doctor's head snapped around at the sound of his voice, and she headed into the office first. Picard followed and told Detaith to watch Geordi.
"I didn't do it, Jean-Luc, it wasn't me, please believe me." She blurted out looking very upset and anxious as she saw Picard come closer to her.
"Didn't do what? What are you going on about, Beverly?" He asked, clearly confused.
"I didn't drug you... Oh, you're that other Picard, sorry." Picard was beginning to understand what she was going on about. This Beverly was the counterpart Beverly Crusher, and she had obviously come out of her drugged state sooner than expected. This meant that there were now two Crushers walking around the ship.
"Have you been anywhere else other than sickbay, Doctor?" Picard asked immediately concerned about the safety of the mission.
"No, I just woke up in your... the captain's bathroom, beside him. I got out of there as quickly as possible and came straight here. He was still asleep and I just left him there." Beverly explained.
"Thank God, don't leave sickbay please, Doctor. Beverly and I are obviously still here but will be leaving as soon as possible. Please don't give us away." Picard tapped his communicator badge and whispered into it. "Picard to Crusher. Can you speak?"
"Yes, Captain. Go ahead," she whispered back.
"We have a problem. Your counterpart is here in sickbay, the other Picard is apparently still out of it but we have to get going back home now. Go to my quarters immediately and wait for me there." Picard instructed.
"Acknowledged," she whispered back and the channel closed.
Troi left the agony booth highly bored now that the captain had taken Geordi away, she decided to go and look for Beverly instead, there seemed to be some unfinished business between them and she would take great pleasure in sorting it out. She and her bodyguard walked along the corridor and got into the turbolift. Troi had last seen Beverly in engineering and thought that that was as good a place as any to start looking for her, so the turbolift took them there. If she weren't there, then she would definitely be in sickbay. Disobeying any order that the captain might have given her, Troi had decided that she was going to kill the good doctor, even if it was the last thing she ever did- which wasn't likely. She did not care that Picard had said that Crusher would be transferred, she wanted revenge and she was going to get it. She entered engineering and asked an idle crewman where the doctor was.
"She's just left to see the captain, in his quarters I believe, Counsellor." Troi thought that the man was being facetious which was the trait she hated most. Rage filled her; she pulled out the knife from the sheath in her boot and pounced on the crewman. She made a quick cutting motion and the crewman fell to the floor with a stab wound to the belly and a cut throat.
"Now, where is Doctor Crusher?" She asked again with sheer anger.
"She was summoned to see Captain Picard in his quarters, Counsellor. Ensign Green was telling the truth." A young lieutenant stepped forward telling the counsellor.
"Oh well. Someone clear up the mess and get rid of the body." She said with a 'couldn't care less' attitude. "When did she leave?" She asked the lieutenant.
"A few moments ago, Counsellor. You must have just missed her." The counsellor left engineering with her bodyguard in tow.
Troi stepped out of the lift on deck eight and at a run, headed for Picard's quarters. She didn't get far before she spotted the doctor rounding a corner just ahead of her. "Wait here, I want to do this alone." Troi said turning to Lieutenant Broad.
Troi went off again to finish the doctor off once and for all. She was on a warpath; full of rage and nothing would stand in her way.
A/N: Please leave a review. Thanks
"Commander Riker. There is a sub-space message coming in from Captain Picard." Worf told Riker from his station on the upper level of the bridge.
"On audio, Mr. Worf." Riker said standing up from the command chair and listening intently. The sound of the captain's voice came over as the message was played.
"Commander Riker, this is the captain. I am beaming Commander Data into our shuttle. Could you transport him back to the Enterprise? We are fine but have discovered that the plan over here was to duplicate Data. We are now trying to find a way to put an end to it, and destroy the androids that are here. End message." The audio finished and Riker turned to Worf.
"I have instructed Chief O'Brien to transport Commander Data back to the Enterprise, sir." Worf told him.
"Good. Will you go and greet him in the transporter room. Take him to engineering and get La Forge to see if he's alright." Worf left the bridge and headed for transporter room three.
Worf entered the transporter room as the transporter was just finishing its cycle. Data/Reval appeared on the platform in front of him. "Commander Data. Are you alright?" Worf asked moving closer to the android, and thanking Kahless that he was in one piece.
"I am operating within normal parameters, thank you Mr. Worf." Data/Reval said as pleasantly as he could. He stepped down from the transporter pad.
"I have been ordered to take you to engineering so Commander La Forge can check you over and make sure they haven't harmed you in any way, sir." Data/Reval nodded once and they both went out of the transporter room and headed for engineering.
La Forge was walking around engineering waiting for Data and Worf. He turned and noticed Data out of the corner of his VISOR; he rushed over to greet his friend. "It's so good to see you again, Data. I thought we would never get you back. Are you alright?"
"I am fully functional, Geordi, and it is good to see you also." Data/Reval was easing into his new role quite well and was fooling everyone up until now; this was going to be easier than he had anticipated.
"I just want to make sure, I'm going to check you over before you return to duty." Data/Reval sat in a chair while Geordi scanned him with various diagnostic tools. After a few minutes he was finished. "Everything seems okay. You will pick up any abnormalities when you perform a self- diagnostic. If you do, come back to engineering and I'll see what I can do. As far as I can see you're fit to return to duty whenever you feel ready." Data/Reval stood up again, thanked Geordi and left with Worf to go up to the bridge.
On the bridge of the imperial starship, Captain Picard sat in the command chair. Dr. Crusher entered onto the bridge from a turbolift and rushed down to see Picard. Picard sat forward in his chair staring at Beverly, she looked slightly anxious. Counsellor Troi stirred in her seat and looked from Picard to Crusher. "Are you not going to show some respect towards the captain, Doctor?" Troi spat the words at her almost cursing. Picard looked at the counsellor until she stopped speaking. Crusher really didn't know what to do so she just stood there. Picard quickly got up out of his chair and moved towards the doctor- Troi smiled widely, assuming that she was about to witness the doctor being publicly humiliated on the bridge. Her smile ceased when she heard what Picard said next.
"Doctor, in my ready room please. Counsellor you have the bridge." Picard didn't want Troi to start scanning the doctor's mind incase she found out who they really were. Picard and Crusher stepped into the ready room, and Picard waited for the door to close before he spoke. "Doctor. What's the problem?" He asked a bit more forcefully than he had intended to.
"There's no way to stop La Forge from producing the androids. I can't get to any of them without someone watching me. It's like the androids are some sort of new toys and the novelty hasn't worn off yet. We can't wait until it has either; the drugs will be wearing off our counterparts soon. I say we have another four hours tops." She sat down at the desk as Picard started to pace back and forth. "What was Troi going on about out there anyway?"
"Oh, that. She was trying to tell you that you should have saluted me when you came onto the bridge. You should have as well; we can't raise any suspicion, Beverly. I was afraid she was going to use her powers on you, I tried to get you off the bridge as soon as possible." Picard told her, hoping that Troi had not discovered anything.
"I did feel something, like a thing pressing on my mind and it felt weird and... like a violation. I wondered what that was." Beverly told him as she tried to find words to describe it.
"Well now you know," Picard paused, thoughtful for a moment. "All I can suggest now is that we go back to our own ship and seal the rift or stay here and use the time we have to come up with something else. If we need more time we can always give our counterparts more drugs."
"I think we should stay for three more hours and try to think of a plan. We can't leave knowing that this universe has our technology, it's too much of a threat and maybe a violation of the prime directive in some way also. If we don't have a plan in three hours we're never going to have one." Beverly sighed for about the hundredth time that day.
"Okay. You go back to engineering and see if there was anything you overlooked. Go and tell La Forge that I said to stop all work on the androids, and to turn them all off. Tell him I'm coming down within the hour to make sure he has done it. I'll go back onto the bridge and wait for a bit. When the androids are switched off see if you can sabotage them in some way." Picard instructed her, she didn't like the plan much but couldn't think of a better one herself.
"That's all very well but we still have the problem of wiping the ship's memory banks of all the specs and information on the androids." Beverly reminded him.
"Well let's just do this first and worry about that later. Okay?" She nodded to him. "Dismissed then." Picard and Beverly went back out onto the bridge. Troi stared at Picard as the doctor left to go to engineering, at haste.
"Is there a problem, Jean-Luc?" She asked. That got Picard's attention, he couldn't remember a time when his Troi had addressed him in such a manner before, then he remembered that the relationship between this Picard and Troi was different.
"Nothing that need concern you... Deanna. Everything is working out fine." He took his seat and glanced across at the android second officer- he still had a niggling feeling that he had sent the wrong android back to his ship but he couldn't be sure. The counsellor stood up and turned to the captain, Picard glanced up at her gulping absentmindedly.
"Well, since you are obviously pulling a double shift, there is obviously no need for me to be here. I told La Forge I would be paying a visit for his actions earlier. I wouldn't want to be seen as getting lax in this ship's security; and now that I'm the first officer it seems more important." Picard nodded and she left the bridge to go and carry out her judgement. He thought that it might be a good opportunity for Dr. Crusher to do what she had to as well, with La Forge out of the way.
Crusher entered engineering and went over to speak with La Forge. "I've just spoken with Captain Picard and he told me to tell you to stop all of your work on the androids." Geordi moaned loudly as she continued. "He said he would be down within the hour and that you had better have done what he asked of you. You are to switch off all of the androids as well."
"Did he give a reason?" Geordi asked, after all the work they had put in he didn't want to have to stop now; not when they were so close to being finished.
"No and I didn't ask for one either. He's the captain and that's all the reason he needs. If you want to go and ask be my guest." Beverly invited him to try for an explanation.
"No thanks, I'm already in enough trouble as it is." Geordi turned and went into the bay where the androids were located. He told his staff to carry out the captain's orders and then went back to main engineering. Crusher said that she would help with the androids- thinking it may give her a chance to do some damage. She left Geordi and went into the bay.
Geordi was left alone in engineering as all of the crew personnel went off to help as well. He turned from the console he was working at and noticed Counsellor Troi standing behind him, staring. "This is it," he thought, "you're luck has just ran out." He felt her probing his thoughts.
"You're right, Mr. La Forge. Your luck has just ran out." She laughed rather loudly at his immediate discomfort and turned to her chief bodyguard. "Well Lieutenant Broad, bring him, to the agony booth I think, it hasn't been used for a while and I wouldn't want it to get old and cranky or it won't work." Broad grabbed La Forge by the arm and dragged him out of engineering. They went off on an intentional slow walk towards the booth so that Troi could feel a sense of pride, at the fear emanating from her guinea pig.
About twelve minutes later they entered a room; without a door, it just seemed to be a large portion of the corridor that had three walls. In the room was the agony booth. Geordi gulped at the sight of it and Broad pushed him towards it; he didn't struggle, as that would have been pointless and a waste of precious energy. Troi manipulated a control board and Geordi was thrust up in the air by tractor beams. "We'll start off slowly I think and then work our way up to the higher pain frequencies, that way we can get the full use of the agony booth- leaving nothing out." She laughed a loud, horrid laugh that was full of pleasure on her part, as Geordi began screaming with the pain that raked through his entire body- "and this is the lowest setting?" He thought to himself.
"Yes, La Forge. This is the lowest setting," Troi said when she had probed Geordi's thoughts again. "And you've only got another fifteen settings to go through. Not many really but you will be here for a long time. I'll see to that." She laughed again as the setting went up to level two and he shrieked loudly.
As crew personnel walked past the door they heard cries and shrieks from the occupant. They felt sorry for him but carried on walking; after all, they had all been in that position themselves at one time or another and as long as Troi had him they would be safe.
Captain Picard left the bridge after leaving the android in command. He was on his way to engineering with his bodyguard in tow. While proceeding he heard someone cry out, he was in the turbolift at the time. "I must be near the agony booth, poor sole." He thought. Picard and Detaith got out of the lift at engineering and went off to find La Forge. Instead he found various engineers standing or leaning against bulkheads idly. As he entered they stood to attention and saluted. "Where is Commander La Forge?" He asked a lieutenant.
"The counsellor came and took him off to the agony booth, sir. That was forty minutes ago, he's probably still there or in sickbay... or the morgue." The lieutenant laughed and Picard looked sharply at him- silencing his humour.
Picard felt a chill go through his body as he turned and he and Detaith went off to the agony booth. He knew where the booth was; it was something he thought he would never forget after the last time he was here. Picard walked along the corridor and came to an open doorway. He turned and went into the room. Counsellor Troi worked the controls and her bodyguard stood idly by. "Why is Mr. La Forge here?" He asked her.
"I told you I needed to see La Forge about his actions earlier. That is what I am doing." She told him insolently.
"You could have told me you intended this for him. I went all the way down to engineering to get him and it was obviously a wasted effort. Anyway how long has he been in there?"
"About half an hour, not long." She replied innocently.
"Half an hour, he looks exhausted." Picard remarked as Geordi was thrust about continuously.
"Yes, isn't it brilliant? I'm only half way through as well. I doubt he'll make it much further, he's hanging onto his pitiful existence now as it is." Troi looked a bit disappointed at Geordi's efforts at hanging onto life.
"You haven't been authorized to kill him." Picard said, beginning to see red.
"I don't need authorization, Jean-Luc." She replied combatively.
"When it's a key member of my staff you do, Counsellor." She didn't reply to his rebuke. "Sorry to put an end to your fun but I need to see him now. You may have him back when I'm finished. Take him out of there." Picard didn't like this La Forge much but he couldn't bear to see a man suffer like this.
Troi looked upset as she reduced the settings and La Forge dropped to the floor. Broad picked him up and took him over to the captain. "Detaith, get him. We'll take him to sickbay." They both turned and started to leave but Troi stopped Picard with a tap on his arm.
"Captain, don't be too long with him or I'll have to start all over again." Picard smiled at her coldly and then left.
Picard and Detaith entered sickbay. Dr. Crusher was there; Picard took a few cautious steps thinking that she was still in engineering. Detaith put La Forge on a bio-bed and another doctor, that Picard didn't recognize, went to sort him out. The Chief Medical Officer didn't even look at her new patient, which was strange for Beverly Crusher. "Can I see you in your office, Beverly." Picard said. The doctor's head snapped around at the sound of his voice, and she headed into the office first. Picard followed and told Detaith to watch Geordi.
"I didn't do it, Jean-Luc, it wasn't me, please believe me." She blurted out looking very upset and anxious as she saw Picard come closer to her.
"Didn't do what? What are you going on about, Beverly?" He asked, clearly confused.
"I didn't drug you... Oh, you're that other Picard, sorry." Picard was beginning to understand what she was going on about. This Beverly was the counterpart Beverly Crusher, and she had obviously come out of her drugged state sooner than expected. This meant that there were now two Crushers walking around the ship.
"Have you been anywhere else other than sickbay, Doctor?" Picard asked immediately concerned about the safety of the mission.
"No, I just woke up in your... the captain's bathroom, beside him. I got out of there as quickly as possible and came straight here. He was still asleep and I just left him there." Beverly explained.
"Thank God, don't leave sickbay please, Doctor. Beverly and I are obviously still here but will be leaving as soon as possible. Please don't give us away." Picard tapped his communicator badge and whispered into it. "Picard to Crusher. Can you speak?"
"Yes, Captain. Go ahead," she whispered back.
"We have a problem. Your counterpart is here in sickbay, the other Picard is apparently still out of it but we have to get going back home now. Go to my quarters immediately and wait for me there." Picard instructed.
"Acknowledged," she whispered back and the channel closed.
Troi left the agony booth highly bored now that the captain had taken Geordi away, she decided to go and look for Beverly instead, there seemed to be some unfinished business between them and she would take great pleasure in sorting it out. She and her bodyguard walked along the corridor and got into the turbolift. Troi had last seen Beverly in engineering and thought that that was as good a place as any to start looking for her, so the turbolift took them there. If she weren't there, then she would definitely be in sickbay. Disobeying any order that the captain might have given her, Troi had decided that she was going to kill the good doctor, even if it was the last thing she ever did- which wasn't likely. She did not care that Picard had said that Crusher would be transferred, she wanted revenge and she was going to get it. She entered engineering and asked an idle crewman where the doctor was.
"She's just left to see the captain, in his quarters I believe, Counsellor." Troi thought that the man was being facetious which was the trait she hated most. Rage filled her; she pulled out the knife from the sheath in her boot and pounced on the crewman. She made a quick cutting motion and the crewman fell to the floor with a stab wound to the belly and a cut throat.
"Now, where is Doctor Crusher?" She asked again with sheer anger.
"She was summoned to see Captain Picard in his quarters, Counsellor. Ensign Green was telling the truth." A young lieutenant stepped forward telling the counsellor.
"Oh well. Someone clear up the mess and get rid of the body." She said with a 'couldn't care less' attitude. "When did she leave?" She asked the lieutenant.
"A few moments ago, Counsellor. You must have just missed her." The counsellor left engineering with her bodyguard in tow.
Troi stepped out of the lift on deck eight and at a run, headed for Picard's quarters. She didn't get far before she spotted the doctor rounding a corner just ahead of her. "Wait here, I want to do this alone." Troi said turning to Lieutenant Broad.
Troi went off again to finish the doctor off once and for all. She was on a warpath; full of rage and nothing would stand in her way.
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