CHAPTER FOURTEEN
"Well, Mr. La Forge? I'm waiting. If you don't give me your decision, I may use all of my suggestions, one after the other. That would be very entertaining actually." Picard sat staring at La Forge and becoming slightly impatient with him. Worf interrupted his thoughts as he spoke from the back of the bridge.
"Captain Picard. There is a message coming in from Reval on the other Enterprise." He said as his voice quavered, slightly nervous at having to interrupt his captain when he was about to discipline someone.
"Well, it seems that you will have a few more minutes to make your decision. On screen." Picard snapped. Worf tapped his tactical console and Reval appeared on the view screen. The message played and Picard listened intently. "Good, it seems that our mission will be a success after all, Counsellor." Picard commented with a smile on his face after the message had finished. "Well, Mr. La Forge since I'm in a good mood now, whatever you decide will only be as half as painful as I had originally planned."
"I choose to stand in hand to hand combat with you, Captain... That is what you meant by 'beating me up,' wasn't it?" Geordi asked a little apprehensively.
"Of course, where is the fun if you can't defend yourself? I used the term 'beating you up' because you really have no hope what so ever of winning." Geordi braced himself as the captain stood up and moved over to him. "Go. You have thirty seconds and then I will be after you." La Forge wasted no time; he left the bridge at a run, trying to think of where he could get to with so little time.
He raced into the turbolift and instructed it to proceed to the main shuttle bay- if he got there he may be in with a few chances at least. He may be able to rig up the transporter for a site to site transport if he got into real trouble. There were also many places there where he could hide and when they did begin to fight, there would be plenty of room.
On the bridge Picard recorded and sent a message to Reval on the other ship. He asked the computer where La Forge was. "Lieutenant Commander La Forge is in the main shuttle bay." Picard smiled, only the most senior officers could ask the computer for locations of personnel; those being the captain, first officer and security chief. That was purely for security reasons; otherwise whenever a crewmember wanted to take someone out of action, they would be able to find if that person was alone so they could do it. Picard left the bridge to find the engineer.
The fight would be transferred to the bridge and other access panels around the ship, so the captain didn't need his bodyguard with him- he had many security guards all over the ship anyway; incase he needed help at some point.
"Main shuttle bay," Picard instructed the computer and the turbolift proceeded to deck four.
Lieutenant Worf, Commander La Forge and Ensign Crusher entered the captain's quarters. "Ah, gentlemen. I trust you have a solution to our problem or you wouldn't be here." Picard said standing up from his chair to greet them. "Sit down, please." He gestured to the seats opposite him, all of them sat and Geordi began telling him of what they were proposing to do.
"This was Wesley's idea, Captain. We have used the idea before but it didn't work in that situation for various reasons."
"What is it then? If it didn't work the last time, why should it be any different now?" Picard asked expectant and a bit confused.
"We propose to use the navigational deflector dish, in the same way we did with the last Borg incident. It didn't work the last time because the Borg knew what to expect after accessing your memory, and were able to devise a barrier against it. These people won't know what to expect from us and they won't be expecting anything like this to hit them."
"Mm, refresh my memory as to what it entails, please." Picard said not remembering. Counsellor Troi had said that his mind would block out most of the details of his assimilation, as a form of protection. Unfortunately, it hadn't stopped the nightmares that he kept waking up to in cold sweats in the middle of the night.
Worf cleared his throat and began telling the captain. "We use the deflector dish to emit a concentrated energy discharge, directed towards the other ship. It involves channeling a high energy, intense beam through the deflector."
Geordi interrupted. "This concentrated burst of energy will be so powerful that it will blast them into millions of tiny particles. We'll get all of the energy we need from the warp engines, it'll burn out the main deflector dish but it's the only hope we've got. The problem we had the last time was that higher capacity power transfer modules were needed in order to channel that much energy. We still have all of the specs from the last time in order to build them so it shouldn't take too long to set up."
"What is the problem then?" Picard asked noticing Geordi's discomfort.
"The problem is that we can't access the computers to get those specs." Wesley finished.
"How long do you think they will take to build once we have obtained computer access?"
"We can replicate them and just link them straight up to the deflector. I estimate that the whole process will take about one hour, Captain." Geordi replied.
"As soon as we get control back, make it so. Anything else to report?" Picard asked them.
"We have entered the parallel universe but are still maintaining the same speed. There is still no way to get up to the bridge but Commander Riker has a team up there and they're trying to cut their way through, to no avail as yet though." Worf told him.
"Very well, thank you gentlemen. Dismissed." They got up to leave. "Oh, Mr. Crusher. Take heed of what I said to you earlier." Picard warned him.
"Aye, sir." Wesley smiled.
"Good work gentlemen." Picard said as they left and headed back to engineering.
Dr. Crusher finished the treatment she was giving the counterpart Wesley Crusher. "You may leave sickbay, I'm finished here, you shouldn't feel any side effects but if you do, come back and see me straight away. Alright?" She said in a caring way; something that this Wesley was not used to and it kept him a bit on edge.
"Yes, thanks mom... Doctor." He said as he got up off the bed. Dr. Crusher looked at him and he left sickbay with the guard following him. "Where can I go?" He asked as they slowly walked along the corridor.
"There won't be many places that you can go on this ship. I'll take you to a place called ten forward, if you're hungry you can eat there."
They entered a turbolift and got out on deck ten. They reached the doors to ten forward and Wesley approached them skeptically, the doors opened wide and he looked inside with great surprise. "I take it you don't have a place like this on your ship?" The guard asked him as they stepped through the doors.
"This ten forward of yours is a weapons storage area on my ship, we don't have anything like this. It would be deadly for a disliked officer to be around as many people, and there are many officers who are disliked on my ship." They walked in and Wesley expected to see security personnel leap out at him at any moment, for being in a restricted area of the ship- it didn't happen though. They made their way over to a table and sat down. The hostess of ten forward headed over to see what they wanted.
"What can I get you two gentlemen? Wes you've just left..." Guinan spoke to both of them, looking slightly confused as to why Wesley would be back so soon.
"How do you know my name?" Wesley demanded. Guinan stared at him; slightly startled at the tone of voice he was using with her.
"Sorry, Guinan. This Wesley is from a different universe." The guard explained and Guinan's features turned back to her normal placid look.
"Oh, well then you're excused. What do you want?" She asked him pleasantly.
"I was brought here when I was shot at and left for dead..." Wesley began but Guinan held up her hand, cutting him off in mid sentence.
"No, I meant what do you want to eat or drink, not why are you aboard the ship."
"I'll have lime juice, thanks Guinan." The lieutenant said and she nodded to him in acknowledgement.
"The usual for you, Wesley?"
"Scotch and a velorian sandwich." Wesley told her.
"I don't know what you drink on board your ship but on this ship you'll have something lighter than synthehol, you're too young to drink an alcoholic beverage even if it is synthehol."
"Hey! You're not my mother!" Wesley snarled, not used to being denied what he wanted.
"Watch your tone boy, didn't your mother teach you any manners? If you want serving I suggest you tell me what you want before I change my mind about not throwing you out." Guinan said a bit thrown off guard at having been shouted at by 'Wesley Crusher' of all people- even if he was from a different universe.
"I'll have what he's having then." He said pointing to his bodyguard.
"That's better, two lime juices and a velorian sandwich coming right up." Guinan went off to get the food and drinks from the bar.
On the bridge Reval sat perfectly still, something was wrong with his programming. He felt strange, there was something in the back of his mind telling him that what he was doing was wrong, it was niggling and slowly rising to the surface, forcing him to focus on what it was and analyze everything about it.
Reval had been down loaded with Data's files and memories from the back up files in the computer banks. That meant that he had also been given Data's ethics program- and that was telling him to stop what he was doing and let the officers back onto the bridge. Unfortunately, his orders from Data, pertaining to his mission, were also still a part of one of the files that had not been purged from his brain when La Forge had deleted his programming. There was a battle now being waged inside of him between the new ethics program and his mission details, and right now it was impossible to say which one would win. The computer interrupted his analysis of the new sensations he felt. "Commander Data, there is an incoming message from the Enterprise."
"On audio," he instructed. Captain Picard's voice came over the intercom on the bridge.
"Reval, well done. Our plan is going smoothly. Bring the Enterprise to these co-ordinates, bearing one-four-one mark three-two-eight. Wait for us there." The message ended and Reval got back to the analysis of his new ethics program.
Geordi La Forge rounded the corridor and slid through the main shuttle bay doors; the crew personnel on the inside saluted him. He told them all to leave and went to the upper section of the shuttle bay, from that height he would be able to anticipate any attacks. He hid behind some storage containers and waited apprehensively for the captain to arrive.
Captain Picard got to the shuttle bay doors and saw that the crew personnel were leaving, they saluted him. "Ensign Golgo. Where are you all going?" He asked as he passed them, the ensign turned and saluted.
"We were ordered to leave by Commander La Forge, sir." He reported immediately.
"Very well, carry on but I want you all back to work the moment this is over with."
"Aye, sir." They all headed off down the corridor.
Picard wondered what he would do if he were in La Forge's position. "I would probably get up a height to anticipate an attack." He said and made his way to the access turbolift that would take him to the upper level of the shuttle bay docking ring.
The turbolift deposited him on the upper level and he stepped out. "La Forge, I know you're up here!" Picard shouted trying to put the fear of God into the man-; it was working as well.
Geordi got up onto his honkers and took out his dagger.
Picard moved slowly along the upper level, it wasn't that big really. He moved past a group of storage containers that were piled up along the back wall. He heard a shuffling noise and turned around in time to see La Forge leap out at him, wielding his dagger. Picard stepped to the side evasively. La Forge leaped past him and landed with a thud on the floor, he lost his grip on the dagger, and it fell through the metal grid floor and plummeted to the ground below. He regained his composure and stood up, unarmed.
Picard started to laugh at him, shaking his head as he spoke. "Mr. La Forge, did you actually think you were in with a chance?" Geordi shrugged his shoulders and Picard moved closer to him. Geordi climbed onto the top of the railing and hung off the other side. He climbed down as far as he could and then dropped to the floor a few meters below. From the upper level Geordi had spotted a weapons locker and he knew that it would be well equipped. Picard followed him cautiously- the chase wasn't over with just yet.
Geordi limped over to the locker and broke the door open, grabbing a type two phaser he scurried off again. Picard had reached the bottom level now and had momentarily lost sight of his ex-chief engineer. Geordi caught sight of Picard though; he was on the ground floor level and Geordi decided his best chance would be to go back up.
La Forge moved as fast as he could to the ladders and climbed steadily. His muscles were all weak and he had to try his best to keep climbing and maintain his hold on the phaser at the same time. He reached the top and took up position behind the storage containers he had hidden behind earlier. Picard was still on the lower level and Geordi could just pick him out from behind one of the bulkheads. He aimed his phaser and took a shot at Picard. The beam lanced out of the phaser with burning intensity and caught Picard on the left arm, searing through his skin. Picard had caught sight of Geordi a millisecond before he had been hit and was able to move out of the way or he would have bore the full brunt of the phaser beam in his chest.
Picard now raced after Geordi before the engineer could react again. Ascending the ladder he was up on Geordi's level before he could do anything else. La Forge gulped involuntarily, this was it and he knew it. Picard stormed up to his hiding place and shoved the storage containers out of the way with as much ferocity as he could muster. He threw his dagger down and grabbed his former chief engineer by the throat. La Forge was not going to put up a fight this time; he had had enough and wanted his life to end. Picard spoke to him. "I always knew the day would came when I could get rid of you. Today's the day... Geordi." He twisted his neck and a horribly satisfying crack was heard. Picard grabbed Geordi's larynx and embedded his nails into it. With one short, sharp gesture, Picard yanked hard and held La Forge's blood drenched larynx in his hand. He tossed the bloody cartilaginous mess over the side of the railing and Geordi's body fell soon after when Picard kicked it over the side.
Geordi's neck was snapped and he never got back up, the lights went out of his VISOR as he died on floor. Picard left the shuttle bay and went to his quarters to get changed, his uniform was blood drenched after the severed carotid artery had deposited it's contents over him and his upper arm was slightly burned.
Reval sat on the bridge of the Enterprise; he stood up and went over to one of the science consoles behind tactical. Data's ethics program had run it's course on the android, and Reval was going to put right what he had done wrong. "Computer, release controls to engineering." He instructed.
"Coded authorization required." The computer said and Reval accessed the code.
"Authorization code. Gamma-one-three-seven-alpha-two-two-nine-five, comply."
"Controls released," responded the computer. Reval told the computer to release the turbolifts, transporter functions, and to deactivate the force fields that surrounded the bridge. Soon everything was back to normal. Reval stood and waited for Commander Riker to arrive.
Commander Riker was busy with the security team trying to disable the force fields that Data had erected around the bridge. They had already cut through several wall panels and doors- this was the final obstacle. Commander Riker stood back from the force field. "It's no good, we've been on this for over an hour and there's still no way to deactivate it." Just then the field fluctuated and cut out altogether. Riker looked surprised but quickly regained his bearings. "Come on then, let's not question why it did that and get on with the job before it goes back up."
The security team and Riker got into the turbolift and went up to the bridge. The lift stopped at the bridge level and deposited the team. They quickly got out and with phasers ready; they sprung on the unsuspecting android. "Data. What the hell do you think you've been doing?" Riker bellowed at the android.
"Commander Riker. I was expecting you. I however am not Data, I am Reval." Riker raised his eyebrows at that; it was not something he had been expecting him to say.
"Reval? I don't understand. Ensign Halloway report this to the captain, tell him to come up here immediately." Riker told one of his officers.
"Aye, sir." She said as she moved over to a computer terminal.
"I am an android but I am not Commander Data. I am an exact replica of your second officer. I was constructed to carry out a mission for the good of the Empire."
"You can wait and tell all of this to the captain. Guards, restrain Mr.... The android." The security guards moved in a circle around the android and held their phasers pointed at him so he couldn't do anything.
In engineering Geordi, Worf and Wesley began working on the power transfer modules for the new weapon. The bridge had instructed them that the computer was back on line. They had been monitoring the situation though and didn't need to be told.
"I should go and assess the situation on the bridge, Commander. As the chief of security I would be negligent in my duties if I did not." Worf said, Geordi nodded and he went off up to the bridge at haste.
Worf met the captain at the turbolift and they went up to the bridge together. "At least we have regained control of the ship's main computer."
"Yes, sir." Worf said. "Commander La Forge and Ensign Crusher have a team in engineering and are busy replicating the energy transfer modules."
"Thank you, Mr. Worf." They got to the bridge. Picard walked over to Reval and told him he wanted a full report. The computer spoke and told them that they had reached the designated co-ordinates. Picard looked around and asked the ensign at helm where they were exactly.
"We are positioned one thousand kilometers from the other Enterprise and on the other side of the rift, Captain." She said as she checked her console read-out. "Sir, the other ship is changing course to intercept us."
"I need to know what the plan is and I need to know now, Mr. Data." Picard said anxious but trying to keep his cool.
"Sir, his name is actually Reval. He is an exact replica of Data." Riker told the captain.
"Reval then, in my ready room, Commander Riker, accompany us. Mr. Worf sort things out up here."
The three of them moved into the captain's office. Picard sat at his desk and Riker stood behind Reval. Reval told the captain all that he knew of the plan so far. "I need our Data back. You can stay here if you want or be returned to your own ship." Picard told the android, who sat listening intently. "First though, I need you to keep up your pretense until we get Data back. Will you do it?"
"Yes, Captain." Reval responded.
"What made you decide to give us back control anyway, Reval?" Riker asked.
"When I was down loaded with Data's memories and files from the ship's computer banks, I was also given his ethics program, something I had not been given before. It began to function a short time ago, I realized what I was doing was wrong so I released the controls to you."
"Well, I'm pleased you came to your senses. Come on." Picard said. They all left the ready room and went back out on the bridge.
A/N: Please leave a review. Thanks
"Well, Mr. La Forge? I'm waiting. If you don't give me your decision, I may use all of my suggestions, one after the other. That would be very entertaining actually." Picard sat staring at La Forge and becoming slightly impatient with him. Worf interrupted his thoughts as he spoke from the back of the bridge.
"Captain Picard. There is a message coming in from Reval on the other Enterprise." He said as his voice quavered, slightly nervous at having to interrupt his captain when he was about to discipline someone.
"Well, it seems that you will have a few more minutes to make your decision. On screen." Picard snapped. Worf tapped his tactical console and Reval appeared on the view screen. The message played and Picard listened intently. "Good, it seems that our mission will be a success after all, Counsellor." Picard commented with a smile on his face after the message had finished. "Well, Mr. La Forge since I'm in a good mood now, whatever you decide will only be as half as painful as I had originally planned."
"I choose to stand in hand to hand combat with you, Captain... That is what you meant by 'beating me up,' wasn't it?" Geordi asked a little apprehensively.
"Of course, where is the fun if you can't defend yourself? I used the term 'beating you up' because you really have no hope what so ever of winning." Geordi braced himself as the captain stood up and moved over to him. "Go. You have thirty seconds and then I will be after you." La Forge wasted no time; he left the bridge at a run, trying to think of where he could get to with so little time.
He raced into the turbolift and instructed it to proceed to the main shuttle bay- if he got there he may be in with a few chances at least. He may be able to rig up the transporter for a site to site transport if he got into real trouble. There were also many places there where he could hide and when they did begin to fight, there would be plenty of room.
On the bridge Picard recorded and sent a message to Reval on the other ship. He asked the computer where La Forge was. "Lieutenant Commander La Forge is in the main shuttle bay." Picard smiled, only the most senior officers could ask the computer for locations of personnel; those being the captain, first officer and security chief. That was purely for security reasons; otherwise whenever a crewmember wanted to take someone out of action, they would be able to find if that person was alone so they could do it. Picard left the bridge to find the engineer.
The fight would be transferred to the bridge and other access panels around the ship, so the captain didn't need his bodyguard with him- he had many security guards all over the ship anyway; incase he needed help at some point.
"Main shuttle bay," Picard instructed the computer and the turbolift proceeded to deck four.
Lieutenant Worf, Commander La Forge and Ensign Crusher entered the captain's quarters. "Ah, gentlemen. I trust you have a solution to our problem or you wouldn't be here." Picard said standing up from his chair to greet them. "Sit down, please." He gestured to the seats opposite him, all of them sat and Geordi began telling him of what they were proposing to do.
"This was Wesley's idea, Captain. We have used the idea before but it didn't work in that situation for various reasons."
"What is it then? If it didn't work the last time, why should it be any different now?" Picard asked expectant and a bit confused.
"We propose to use the navigational deflector dish, in the same way we did with the last Borg incident. It didn't work the last time because the Borg knew what to expect after accessing your memory, and were able to devise a barrier against it. These people won't know what to expect from us and they won't be expecting anything like this to hit them."
"Mm, refresh my memory as to what it entails, please." Picard said not remembering. Counsellor Troi had said that his mind would block out most of the details of his assimilation, as a form of protection. Unfortunately, it hadn't stopped the nightmares that he kept waking up to in cold sweats in the middle of the night.
Worf cleared his throat and began telling the captain. "We use the deflector dish to emit a concentrated energy discharge, directed towards the other ship. It involves channeling a high energy, intense beam through the deflector."
Geordi interrupted. "This concentrated burst of energy will be so powerful that it will blast them into millions of tiny particles. We'll get all of the energy we need from the warp engines, it'll burn out the main deflector dish but it's the only hope we've got. The problem we had the last time was that higher capacity power transfer modules were needed in order to channel that much energy. We still have all of the specs from the last time in order to build them so it shouldn't take too long to set up."
"What is the problem then?" Picard asked noticing Geordi's discomfort.
"The problem is that we can't access the computers to get those specs." Wesley finished.
"How long do you think they will take to build once we have obtained computer access?"
"We can replicate them and just link them straight up to the deflector. I estimate that the whole process will take about one hour, Captain." Geordi replied.
"As soon as we get control back, make it so. Anything else to report?" Picard asked them.
"We have entered the parallel universe but are still maintaining the same speed. There is still no way to get up to the bridge but Commander Riker has a team up there and they're trying to cut their way through, to no avail as yet though." Worf told him.
"Very well, thank you gentlemen. Dismissed." They got up to leave. "Oh, Mr. Crusher. Take heed of what I said to you earlier." Picard warned him.
"Aye, sir." Wesley smiled.
"Good work gentlemen." Picard said as they left and headed back to engineering.
Dr. Crusher finished the treatment she was giving the counterpart Wesley Crusher. "You may leave sickbay, I'm finished here, you shouldn't feel any side effects but if you do, come back and see me straight away. Alright?" She said in a caring way; something that this Wesley was not used to and it kept him a bit on edge.
"Yes, thanks mom... Doctor." He said as he got up off the bed. Dr. Crusher looked at him and he left sickbay with the guard following him. "Where can I go?" He asked as they slowly walked along the corridor.
"There won't be many places that you can go on this ship. I'll take you to a place called ten forward, if you're hungry you can eat there."
They entered a turbolift and got out on deck ten. They reached the doors to ten forward and Wesley approached them skeptically, the doors opened wide and he looked inside with great surprise. "I take it you don't have a place like this on your ship?" The guard asked him as they stepped through the doors.
"This ten forward of yours is a weapons storage area on my ship, we don't have anything like this. It would be deadly for a disliked officer to be around as many people, and there are many officers who are disliked on my ship." They walked in and Wesley expected to see security personnel leap out at him at any moment, for being in a restricted area of the ship- it didn't happen though. They made their way over to a table and sat down. The hostess of ten forward headed over to see what they wanted.
"What can I get you two gentlemen? Wes you've just left..." Guinan spoke to both of them, looking slightly confused as to why Wesley would be back so soon.
"How do you know my name?" Wesley demanded. Guinan stared at him; slightly startled at the tone of voice he was using with her.
"Sorry, Guinan. This Wesley is from a different universe." The guard explained and Guinan's features turned back to her normal placid look.
"Oh, well then you're excused. What do you want?" She asked him pleasantly.
"I was brought here when I was shot at and left for dead..." Wesley began but Guinan held up her hand, cutting him off in mid sentence.
"No, I meant what do you want to eat or drink, not why are you aboard the ship."
"I'll have lime juice, thanks Guinan." The lieutenant said and she nodded to him in acknowledgement.
"The usual for you, Wesley?"
"Scotch and a velorian sandwich." Wesley told her.
"I don't know what you drink on board your ship but on this ship you'll have something lighter than synthehol, you're too young to drink an alcoholic beverage even if it is synthehol."
"Hey! You're not my mother!" Wesley snarled, not used to being denied what he wanted.
"Watch your tone boy, didn't your mother teach you any manners? If you want serving I suggest you tell me what you want before I change my mind about not throwing you out." Guinan said a bit thrown off guard at having been shouted at by 'Wesley Crusher' of all people- even if he was from a different universe.
"I'll have what he's having then." He said pointing to his bodyguard.
"That's better, two lime juices and a velorian sandwich coming right up." Guinan went off to get the food and drinks from the bar.
On the bridge Reval sat perfectly still, something was wrong with his programming. He felt strange, there was something in the back of his mind telling him that what he was doing was wrong, it was niggling and slowly rising to the surface, forcing him to focus on what it was and analyze everything about it.
Reval had been down loaded with Data's files and memories from the back up files in the computer banks. That meant that he had also been given Data's ethics program- and that was telling him to stop what he was doing and let the officers back onto the bridge. Unfortunately, his orders from Data, pertaining to his mission, were also still a part of one of the files that had not been purged from his brain when La Forge had deleted his programming. There was a battle now being waged inside of him between the new ethics program and his mission details, and right now it was impossible to say which one would win. The computer interrupted his analysis of the new sensations he felt. "Commander Data, there is an incoming message from the Enterprise."
"On audio," he instructed. Captain Picard's voice came over the intercom on the bridge.
"Reval, well done. Our plan is going smoothly. Bring the Enterprise to these co-ordinates, bearing one-four-one mark three-two-eight. Wait for us there." The message ended and Reval got back to the analysis of his new ethics program.
Geordi La Forge rounded the corridor and slid through the main shuttle bay doors; the crew personnel on the inside saluted him. He told them all to leave and went to the upper section of the shuttle bay, from that height he would be able to anticipate any attacks. He hid behind some storage containers and waited apprehensively for the captain to arrive.
Captain Picard got to the shuttle bay doors and saw that the crew personnel were leaving, they saluted him. "Ensign Golgo. Where are you all going?" He asked as he passed them, the ensign turned and saluted.
"We were ordered to leave by Commander La Forge, sir." He reported immediately.
"Very well, carry on but I want you all back to work the moment this is over with."
"Aye, sir." They all headed off down the corridor.
Picard wondered what he would do if he were in La Forge's position. "I would probably get up a height to anticipate an attack." He said and made his way to the access turbolift that would take him to the upper level of the shuttle bay docking ring.
The turbolift deposited him on the upper level and he stepped out. "La Forge, I know you're up here!" Picard shouted trying to put the fear of God into the man-; it was working as well.
Geordi got up onto his honkers and took out his dagger.
Picard moved slowly along the upper level, it wasn't that big really. He moved past a group of storage containers that were piled up along the back wall. He heard a shuffling noise and turned around in time to see La Forge leap out at him, wielding his dagger. Picard stepped to the side evasively. La Forge leaped past him and landed with a thud on the floor, he lost his grip on the dagger, and it fell through the metal grid floor and plummeted to the ground below. He regained his composure and stood up, unarmed.
Picard started to laugh at him, shaking his head as he spoke. "Mr. La Forge, did you actually think you were in with a chance?" Geordi shrugged his shoulders and Picard moved closer to him. Geordi climbed onto the top of the railing and hung off the other side. He climbed down as far as he could and then dropped to the floor a few meters below. From the upper level Geordi had spotted a weapons locker and he knew that it would be well equipped. Picard followed him cautiously- the chase wasn't over with just yet.
Geordi limped over to the locker and broke the door open, grabbing a type two phaser he scurried off again. Picard had reached the bottom level now and had momentarily lost sight of his ex-chief engineer. Geordi caught sight of Picard though; he was on the ground floor level and Geordi decided his best chance would be to go back up.
La Forge moved as fast as he could to the ladders and climbed steadily. His muscles were all weak and he had to try his best to keep climbing and maintain his hold on the phaser at the same time. He reached the top and took up position behind the storage containers he had hidden behind earlier. Picard was still on the lower level and Geordi could just pick him out from behind one of the bulkheads. He aimed his phaser and took a shot at Picard. The beam lanced out of the phaser with burning intensity and caught Picard on the left arm, searing through his skin. Picard had caught sight of Geordi a millisecond before he had been hit and was able to move out of the way or he would have bore the full brunt of the phaser beam in his chest.
Picard now raced after Geordi before the engineer could react again. Ascending the ladder he was up on Geordi's level before he could do anything else. La Forge gulped involuntarily, this was it and he knew it. Picard stormed up to his hiding place and shoved the storage containers out of the way with as much ferocity as he could muster. He threw his dagger down and grabbed his former chief engineer by the throat. La Forge was not going to put up a fight this time; he had had enough and wanted his life to end. Picard spoke to him. "I always knew the day would came when I could get rid of you. Today's the day... Geordi." He twisted his neck and a horribly satisfying crack was heard. Picard grabbed Geordi's larynx and embedded his nails into it. With one short, sharp gesture, Picard yanked hard and held La Forge's blood drenched larynx in his hand. He tossed the bloody cartilaginous mess over the side of the railing and Geordi's body fell soon after when Picard kicked it over the side.
Geordi's neck was snapped and he never got back up, the lights went out of his VISOR as he died on floor. Picard left the shuttle bay and went to his quarters to get changed, his uniform was blood drenched after the severed carotid artery had deposited it's contents over him and his upper arm was slightly burned.
Reval sat on the bridge of the Enterprise; he stood up and went over to one of the science consoles behind tactical. Data's ethics program had run it's course on the android, and Reval was going to put right what he had done wrong. "Computer, release controls to engineering." He instructed.
"Coded authorization required." The computer said and Reval accessed the code.
"Authorization code. Gamma-one-three-seven-alpha-two-two-nine-five, comply."
"Controls released," responded the computer. Reval told the computer to release the turbolifts, transporter functions, and to deactivate the force fields that surrounded the bridge. Soon everything was back to normal. Reval stood and waited for Commander Riker to arrive.
Commander Riker was busy with the security team trying to disable the force fields that Data had erected around the bridge. They had already cut through several wall panels and doors- this was the final obstacle. Commander Riker stood back from the force field. "It's no good, we've been on this for over an hour and there's still no way to deactivate it." Just then the field fluctuated and cut out altogether. Riker looked surprised but quickly regained his bearings. "Come on then, let's not question why it did that and get on with the job before it goes back up."
The security team and Riker got into the turbolift and went up to the bridge. The lift stopped at the bridge level and deposited the team. They quickly got out and with phasers ready; they sprung on the unsuspecting android. "Data. What the hell do you think you've been doing?" Riker bellowed at the android.
"Commander Riker. I was expecting you. I however am not Data, I am Reval." Riker raised his eyebrows at that; it was not something he had been expecting him to say.
"Reval? I don't understand. Ensign Halloway report this to the captain, tell him to come up here immediately." Riker told one of his officers.
"Aye, sir." She said as she moved over to a computer terminal.
"I am an android but I am not Commander Data. I am an exact replica of your second officer. I was constructed to carry out a mission for the good of the Empire."
"You can wait and tell all of this to the captain. Guards, restrain Mr.... The android." The security guards moved in a circle around the android and held their phasers pointed at him so he couldn't do anything.
In engineering Geordi, Worf and Wesley began working on the power transfer modules for the new weapon. The bridge had instructed them that the computer was back on line. They had been monitoring the situation though and didn't need to be told.
"I should go and assess the situation on the bridge, Commander. As the chief of security I would be negligent in my duties if I did not." Worf said, Geordi nodded and he went off up to the bridge at haste.
Worf met the captain at the turbolift and they went up to the bridge together. "At least we have regained control of the ship's main computer."
"Yes, sir." Worf said. "Commander La Forge and Ensign Crusher have a team in engineering and are busy replicating the energy transfer modules."
"Thank you, Mr. Worf." They got to the bridge. Picard walked over to Reval and told him he wanted a full report. The computer spoke and told them that they had reached the designated co-ordinates. Picard looked around and asked the ensign at helm where they were exactly.
"We are positioned one thousand kilometers from the other Enterprise and on the other side of the rift, Captain." She said as she checked her console read-out. "Sir, the other ship is changing course to intercept us."
"I need to know what the plan is and I need to know now, Mr. Data." Picard said anxious but trying to keep his cool.
"Sir, his name is actually Reval. He is an exact replica of Data." Riker told the captain.
"Reval then, in my ready room, Commander Riker, accompany us. Mr. Worf sort things out up here."
The three of them moved into the captain's office. Picard sat at his desk and Riker stood behind Reval. Reval told the captain all that he knew of the plan so far. "I need our Data back. You can stay here if you want or be returned to your own ship." Picard told the android, who sat listening intently. "First though, I need you to keep up your pretense until we get Data back. Will you do it?"
"Yes, Captain." Reval responded.
"What made you decide to give us back control anyway, Reval?" Riker asked.
"When I was down loaded with Data's memories and files from the ship's computer banks, I was also given his ethics program, something I had not been given before. It began to function a short time ago, I realized what I was doing was wrong so I released the controls to you."
"Well, I'm pleased you came to your senses. Come on." Picard said. They all left the ready room and went back out on the bridge.
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