CHAPTER ELEVEN

Captain Picard stepped out of the turbolift and onto the bridge. Relief hit him when he saw that the crewmembers did not stand up and salute. He turned to his right and stepped into the conference lounge where Commander Riker and all of the senior bridge officers were already seated around the table. He moved to the seat at the head of the table and sat down. "Can we begin, please." The officers became quiet and Picard started. "The threat against our universe has now, unfortunately escalated. We have a rather large problem on our hands, Dr. Crusher and I will have a full report for each of you to read later but for now, I would like to discuss what we are going to do next." He paused then continued. "We can either seal the anomaly and leave this area of space, the androids will remain aboard that other ship and the threat will also remain. We can also bet that they will be back again in the near future. Another option would be to stay and find a way to destroy that other ship. Suggestions please." Picard said, looking around to each of his officers in turn.
"Sir, we really need to destroy that other ship out there." Commander Riker said. "We've been put into contact with this universe three times now and we can't risk coming into contact with it again. The androids over there will probably be used against us when they do return, and I agree with you in that they will come back eventually."
Worf responded to that. "We should pay them back for their dishonor. Kidnapping is a serious offence and they should be punished for it."
"How long until the Hood and Excelsior arrive?" Troi asked.
"A few days at best, Counsellor. We really can't rely on them, we have to act on our own and as soon as possible." Picard replied.
"How would we destroy that ship? Their defensive systems are greater than ours as we saw the last time, and their engines are far superior to ours as well so we couldn't out run them even if we had to." Geordi commented, as chief engineer he was always looking for other ways to get out of situations rather than risking the Enterprise in head to head combat with the enemy.
"Geordi is right, sir. We really have no way to defeat them." Picard looked at Data strangely as he stated his opinion. He was not accustomed to pessimism from his android officer.
"Why do you say that, Mr. Data? We have over come them before." Picard asked suspiciously.
"Yes we have but I do not see the point of subjecting this ship and her crew to more near death experiences, sir."
"Anymore suggestions? Counsellor?" Picard asked looking around.
Troi was still recovering slightly after Selar had healed her nose from the blow that Crusher had dealt her earlier but her mind was focused on the situation non the less. "I think we should destroy that ship, Captain. I can't see another way around our problem. If we leave them and seal the rift, they'll just find another way to come back. If we don't destroy them, they'll destroy us." Crusher nodded her head in agreement with Troi as did everyone else, everyone except for Data that was.
"Commander, you have a problem with this. Why?" Picard asked noticing the android's 'discomfort' at the situation.
"I think that it is an unnecessary loss of life, we can learn a great deal from this universe." He replied to everyone's dismay.
Picard stared at him in amazement. "Learn what exactly, Commander? How to murder? Lie? Control innocent lives when all they want is to be left alone?" There was quite a long silence, which was unusual for Data; he was normally on the ball with a valid answer to anything.
"Learn how to build better engines, phasers, ship designs." Data stared back at Picard, confident that he had given a valid backup statement to support his opinion.
"Well, most of us are in agreement with this so the logical course of action is to go with the majority. I could contact Starfleet Command but the answer would take a while to get here and we can't afford to wait." Picard turned to two of his officers. "Mr. La Forge will you work with Lieutenant Worf to devise a way to destroy the other Enterprise. Maybe a new weapon of some sort? Use as many crewmembers you need.
"Dr. Crusher, will you prepare your report and get it to me as soon as possible. We'll remain on red alert at all times. Dismissed." His officers started to exit the conference lounge but Picard hung back wanting to speak with Data alone. "Mr. Data, may I see you for a moment." Data stopped and turned to his captain. "What was all that about, Commander?" He asked.
"You asked for my opinion and I gave it, sir."
"Data, are you alright? You've been acting strangely since I came back on board."
"Yes, sir. I believe that the interference from the anomaly may be affecting my systems slightly but I will perform a self diagnostic to make sure." Data replied; it was conceivable but Picard was still suspicious.
"Very well, Commander. Dismissed." Data left the lounge and Picard exited onto the bridge a moment later. "Commander Riker, may I see you for a moment in my ready room." They both went into Picard's office and as soon as the doors closed Picard asked him a serious question. "Have you noticed anything strange about Commander Data since you beamed him back?"
"Not really, sir. In the conference lounge, he was saying things that you wouldn't normally expect from him, nothing else though. Why do you ask?" Riker asked, concerned.
"Aboard the other ship they've built twenty-five androids, twenty six including Data. I noticed that one of the androids was the ship's second officer, he was being referred to as Data- as was the android I sent back. He had many physical differences to our Data but I can't help thinking that I may have sent the wrong one back. It's just a feeling I have." Picard explained and Riker looked troubled.
"If Data is still aboard that ship, we can't destroy it, sir."
"True, Commander but I'm not totally convinced. Did La Forge look him over?"
"Yes, sir. He thought that if Data had any serious problems when he performed a self diagnostic, he would go back to engineering."
Picard sighed and thought for a moment. "I'm still not happy, Number One. Take Data back to engineering and get him fully checked out. I want him watched as well, any strange behavior should be reported. I want a full report the moment he's been checked over."
"Aye, sir. Anything else?"
"No thank you, Commander. Dismissed." Picard sat down at his desk as Riker left the room. He let out another long sigh and made a log entry.

Dr. Crusher went back to sickbay after the briefing, to see Wesley. She went over to Nurse Ogawa to ask where the counterpart Wesley had gone to first, after noticing that he wasn't where she had left him.
"Lieutenant Worf took him to some quarters. Dr. Selar didn't want our Wesley disturbed once he woke up again." She explained.
"Good, thanks Alissa." Crusher moved away to see her son. She entered his room and noticed that he wasn't lying down, in fact, he was back in uniform and sitting on the biobed putting his boots on. "And where do you think your going, young man?" She asked as she stepped closer to him and waited for a reply.
"Mom, I'm much better now and I don't think that being stuck in sickbay, doing nothing, is much fun." He replied defensively.
"So where are you going? Have you been given permission to leave sickbay?" Crusher was only looking out for her son's welfare but as usual, he thought she was nagging.
"I'm returning to duty."
"No you're not. I don't authorize it, you're not going to push yourself." Crusher stated.
"Mom, I'm a big boy now. What else am I going to do anyway? The holodeck doesn't seem too appealing right now."
"Wesley, you're not returning to duty and that's final. You may leave sickbay but if you start to feel worse, I want you back here quick smart. Is that understood?" She ordered him with a warning finger. Wesley didn't say anything. "I'm ordering you as Chief Medical Officer," Beverly said.
"Yes, understood. Thanks Mom." Wesley replied, smiling at finally being let out of his confinement.
"I'll be talking to Captain Picard. You have the next two days off on sick leave, I want you to rest." Wesley smiled and left sickbay. Beverly stood shaking her head. "What am I going to do with him?" She thought to herself.

Wesley wasn't going to stay out of everything that was happening on board ship so he went straight to engineering, to see if he could help with anything. As he entered, he noticed that Geordi was in his office. "Hi, Geordi. Is there anything I can help you with?"
"Wes, shouldn't you be in sickbay?"
"I got out. I'm not supposed to return to duty for a few days but I'm bored. I need something to do. Please, Geordi?"
Geordi shook his head. "You'll get me into trouble with your mother." Wesley put on his most innocent face that usually got people to do what he wanted. "Alright, Data is coming down for a full diagnostic, you can help with that I suppose." Wesley smiled and helped Geordi get the tools and diagnostic units out ready for Data's arrival.
Commander Riker and Data entered engineering five minutes later. "Okay, Data. We're ready for you in the lab, would you get onto the diagnostic table please." Geordi said as they all moved into the lab near engineering. Data got onto the table and Geordi switched him off so they could get to work immediately.
Wesley and Geordi began assessing the android. Geordi twisted off his cranial lobe, which revealed a positronic brain with twinkling lights. Wesley got a tricorder and started scanning the android, nothing checked out as being faulty- so far anyway. Geordi used some of his diagnostic tools to see if there were any abnormalities that couldn't be detected by the tricorder. "This is strange... it looks as though someone's tampered with one of the anti-nodes. It's in the wrong coupling with one of the sub- processors, it beats me as to how he can function at all, and he probably should have blown up by now. The memory chips have also been changed, these are second rate components in here and definitely not the original ones."
"And what does all of that mean, Geordi?" Riker asked a bit baffled as was normal whenever Geordi went off into a string of 'techno-babble' as Riker called it.
"It means that this android needs to be re-programmed and sorted out before he blows us all sky high. The node that is in the wrong coupling would act as a self-destruct mechanism. He's a walking time bomb just waiting to go off." Geordi stated bluntly.
"A self-destruct mechanism." Riker said contemplating, then realizing that if the captain hadn't ordered him to be checked over, they would have all been floating around as little particles before long. "Is the android Data though?" Riker asked.
"Well, the truth is, Commander. I can't tell. If it isn't, then someone over there has an affinity for cybernetics. This could be a replica." Geordi said shrugging his shoulders.
"I'm accessing Data's auxiliary input processors." Wesley said picking up a tool and getting up to work.
"There's no way to determine if this is Data then?"
"I've scanned him thoroughly and there's basically no difference. All I can suggest is that he be returned to duty. I'll go over these scans and get back to you when I'm finished."
"Fair enough but don't take too long about it, we still have the problem of the alternate universe to contend with."
"I'll use the core sub-routine to initiate a progressive memory purge. That will destroy Data's memory and hopefully he'll be back to normal, when I've down loaded his files from back up in the computer cores."
Wesley and Geordi got to work wiping the android's positronic brain and up loading files. The process took about half an hour. "There you go, Commander, I'll just disconnect the interface then you'll have one fully functional android." Geordi replaced the cranial lobe and turned Data back on. Geordi gave the commander a written report for the captain.
"Wesley, shouldn't you be in sickbay?" Riker asked the ensign.
"My mom let me go when I complained about being bored, sir," he replied sheepishly.
"Well take care, Wes. I don't want to see you back to duty for a few days at least."
"Aye, sir." Commander Riker and Data left to go back up to the bridge.

On the alternate ship, Captain Picard sat on the bridge of his ship eagerly waiting for Commander Data to come back from engineering. Data had been sent to see if Reval had indeed left the ship, and to see what the status was of the other androids. Data stepped onto the bridge a few moments later and headed down to the command area. He saluted the captain before beginning.
"Do you have a report for me, Commander?" Picard asked enthusiastically.
"Yes, sir. It appears that your counterpart did indeed take Reval back with him."
"Good, that solves that problem. Now, what is the status of the other androids?" Picard demanded.
"It appears that you ordered Commander La Forge to switch them all off, sir. None of them are functioning at this time but Commander La Forge is rectifying that now, sir."
Picard's rage blasted out at that point as he shouted at the android, which stood quite content to listen. "You were supposed to be keeping an eye on the androids, Commander. You should have known if they had all been deactivated. It is your job to make sure that this ship functions efficiently and smoothly! Go and help get them up and running. I want them all at strategic posts in two hours, no longer. Now get out of my sight!" Picard was not used to having to raise his voice as loud, people on his ship usually followed their orders to the tee, for fear of the punishment- death. He received horrified glances from his bridge officers but decided to ignore them. He was bursting with anger at having his ship infiltrated again and was determined not to let them get away with it this time around.
Commander Data quickly exited the bridge and went back to engineering. Troi stared at Picard, the sudden wash of emotion from him was so intense, and it had knocked her off guard slightly.
"You need to calm down, Jean-Luc." She said softly as she tried to regain her own composure.
"How can I with the level of incompetence from the senior officers on this ship! I want the people involved with this severely punished. That should keep you busy for a while, Counsellor."
Troi smiled at the thought of what punishments she could give out this time. "What should I do with La Forge? He is the main person involved and has been stepping way over the line recently. I think it's time he was dealt with once and for all."
"Lieutenant Hessan is a good engineer, is she not?" Picard asked expectant of a quick reply.
"Yes, she is."
"In that case I want La Forge dead. I'll do it myself." Troi looked surprised at the captain as he got up out of his chair. "Are you coming? I should think you want to finish off your business with him first, am I right?" Troi leaped up out of the chair and they went off to get the chief engineer- with both of their bodyguards following like shadows.

In engineering, La Forge was busy as Commander Data entered. He saluted the second officer. Data briskly walked over to the engineer and grabbed him by his uniform top. "I have been reprimanded by the captain, on the bridge for your incompetence. I do not take kindly to that." Data touched Geordi's badge and he wept as the pain went through his body like a dose of salts on fresh wounds again. Data took his hand away and let him go, telling him to get on with his work. Geordi left main engineering to get away from Data, and entered the large bay.
Captain Picard and Commander Troi entered engineering with their chief bodyguards. They spotted Lieutenant Hessan and went over to speak to her. "Lieutenant Hessan." Picard said. She snapped around and the sound of the captain's voice and began wondering what he should want with her. She imagined the worst and almost freaked out with the pressure.
"Captain," she quickly saluted him.
"I have reviewed your service record and found it quite satisfying. We will be needing a new chief engineer soon and Counsellor Troi and I have selected you for that very job."
She smiled widely with relief. "Thank you Captain, Counsellor. I don't know what to say."
"Can you get these androids functioning within two hours?" Picard asked, that would be her first job.
"Yes, sir, no problem." She told them with confidence.
"Good. Make it so. Where is La Forge?" Picard said smiling at the newly promoted officer. He had not realized how attractive she really was until now; Troi stared at him, slightly jealous as she picked up on his thoughts.
"Commander La Forge should be right through there attending to the androids now, sir." She gestured with her hand in the direction of the large bays.
"Right. You'll be promoted later but you're in charge here as of now. Get back to work." Picard and Troi turned and went off to look for La Forge.
"If I didn't know better I'd say you have your eye on her, Jean-Luc."
"Jealous are we?" He asked playfully teasing her, she didn't like it one little bit.
"Well I am the new captain's woman. What do you expect?" She replied forcefully; she was in a mood now and everyone knew it.
"Calm down, Deanna. You have no competition and besides, I've just promoted her so you can't kill her just yet." Troi looked at him with a malevolent, selfish look on her face.
They got into the bay and saw the androids again. Commander La Forge was over the far side of the room and they approached him slowly.

A/N: Please leave a review. Thanks.