Chapter Eighteen
Troi still sat in the chair next to Crusher's bio-bed with Dr. Bashir and Dr. Selar both staring at her incase the alien tried to make her do anything. Silence hit the two of them as they listened to what the alien had said, and thought of what to do to help Beverly next. The vial that Dr. Bashir had given her had not worked, and had only helped the alien to come to light and explain what had happened. Bashir turned around and headed off back to the lab with Selar in tow, Troi remained seated.
"What do we do now?" Bashir asked in a hushed voice while looking out of the perspex at Troi.
"We should contact Commander Riker on the bridge and tell him what has happened. It wants to see him anyway." Selar replied.
"Agreed," Bashir said.
Selar tapped her comm badge and spoke when the channel had opened. "Dr. Selar to Commander Riker."
"Riker here. Go ahead, Doctor."
"Commander we have discovered what has happened to Dr. Crusher. It appears that there is an alien life form down on the planet, and is using some sort of telepathy to extract Dr. Crusher's memories."
"When I gave the drug I have been developing to Beverly," Bashir continued, "I somehow got the alien's attention. The drug hasn't worked on Beverly though; she's still in a coma. The alien took over Troi's mind so that it would be able to speak with us."
"Is the counsellor alright?" Riker asked concerned that another of his closest friends might be in danger.
"As far as we can tell she is, Commander. Apparently the alien is down on the planet but is using telepathy to contact us, it is a very powerful being." Selar replied. "We have discovered that both the Washington and the Enterprise's engineering section are down on the planet, the crews are apparently unharmed."
"It appears that the alien might have taken them so that they may collonise the planet." Bashir interrupted.
"Why?" Riker asked.
"The race that used to live on the planet were all killed by the alien, quite unintentionally though. The alien lives by using it's telepathy to extract memories from its host and gain information. Usually it can extract the information so that its host isn't harmed but with different species it is unable to do that. When the natives of the planet were killed it felt guilty and hoped that if it maintained the beauty of the planet, another race may come along and colonise it."
"That didn't happen though since the planet became inaccessible from the nebula?" Riker said cutting in.
"That's correct, Commander." Bashir responded.
"What does it want now then?"
"It wants to speak with you, Commander." Selar said.
"I'll be down right away. Riker out." The comm channel closed.
A few minutes later Riker entered sickbay and headed straight for where Troi was sitting. "You are Commander Riker?" The alien said through Troi. Bashir was startled to hear the alien actually speaking instead of Troi since previously the alien had spoken to Troi and Troi had relayed the speech. Riker thought it was strange to hear Troi asking who he was but he realized that it wasn't actually her talking.
"That's right. What do you want?" Riker asked.
"I want some information so that I might live. Without information and memories continually stimulating my mind I will cease to be."
Riker looked concerned. "What about my people down on the planet? What will happen to them?"
"I will release them when you give me what I need." Was the straight and simple reply from the entity inside of Troi.
"What about Beverly?" Riker asked pointing to where she lay.
"She must remember that which she is permitted not to, and then she will awaken."
Riker looked puzzled. "That which she is not permitted to remember? What's that?"
"This body knows." The alien said.
"Counsellor Troi knows?" Riker asked wanting to make sure.
"Correct."
Riker thought for a moment. "You know that we can't let you inhabit our minds any longer, and we will find a way to stop that from happening if necessary. What we can do is give you information from our library. It is a vast source of information from a wide range of cultures. I'm sure that that would keep you alive until you find something else."
"That is acceptable as a temporary measure."
"Fine then. I'll get that information available to you soon. In the meantime I expect you to show us a gesture of good faith also by releasing our people." Riker said in the hope that it would agree.
"That will be done."
"Now I want you to leave Counsellor Troi's mind so that she might be allowed to help Beverly Crusher." Riker told it.
"I will return to my planet and prepare to receive the information." Suddenly Troi stood up and blinked her eyes a few times, as she felt dizzy with the alien's sudden departure from her mind.
"Are you alright, Deanna?" Riker asked as he took her arms to steady her.
"Yes. It's gone, Commander but I wouldn't make it wait too long, it's becoming desperate." She said as she stood facing him.
"I'll get it sorted immediately, Counsellor." Riker paused. "Were you aware of what it was saying?"
"Yes, I was." Troi told him.
"Can you help Beverly now then?" Riker asked her as he glanced across to see Beverly was still out for the count.
"I think so but if I haven't understood correctly then it may worsen her condition, Commander."
Riker thought for a second. "Do what you can. I'm going back up to the bridge to see if the alien has released our people..."
"Captain Sisko to Commander Riker." Sisko said opening up a channel.
"Yes, Captain?" Riker asked, he had left the bridge in his capable hands while he was down in sickbay.
"The Enterprise's engineering section and starship Washington have just emerged from the planets surface. Captain Picard is asking permission to re- join the Enterprise." Sisko informed him.
"That was quick." Riker said to Troi. "Permission granted, Captain. I'll be up on the bridge momentarily." Riker said, Sisko had never had any training on how a Galaxy-class starship re-joined since he had never served on one before, and so Riker would have to go and take command.
"Sisko out." The comm channel closed. Riker turned and left sickbay.
A/N: Please leave a review. Thanks
Troi still sat in the chair next to Crusher's bio-bed with Dr. Bashir and Dr. Selar both staring at her incase the alien tried to make her do anything. Silence hit the two of them as they listened to what the alien had said, and thought of what to do to help Beverly next. The vial that Dr. Bashir had given her had not worked, and had only helped the alien to come to light and explain what had happened. Bashir turned around and headed off back to the lab with Selar in tow, Troi remained seated.
"What do we do now?" Bashir asked in a hushed voice while looking out of the perspex at Troi.
"We should contact Commander Riker on the bridge and tell him what has happened. It wants to see him anyway." Selar replied.
"Agreed," Bashir said.
Selar tapped her comm badge and spoke when the channel had opened. "Dr. Selar to Commander Riker."
"Riker here. Go ahead, Doctor."
"Commander we have discovered what has happened to Dr. Crusher. It appears that there is an alien life form down on the planet, and is using some sort of telepathy to extract Dr. Crusher's memories."
"When I gave the drug I have been developing to Beverly," Bashir continued, "I somehow got the alien's attention. The drug hasn't worked on Beverly though; she's still in a coma. The alien took over Troi's mind so that it would be able to speak with us."
"Is the counsellor alright?" Riker asked concerned that another of his closest friends might be in danger.
"As far as we can tell she is, Commander. Apparently the alien is down on the planet but is using telepathy to contact us, it is a very powerful being." Selar replied. "We have discovered that both the Washington and the Enterprise's engineering section are down on the planet, the crews are apparently unharmed."
"It appears that the alien might have taken them so that they may collonise the planet." Bashir interrupted.
"Why?" Riker asked.
"The race that used to live on the planet were all killed by the alien, quite unintentionally though. The alien lives by using it's telepathy to extract memories from its host and gain information. Usually it can extract the information so that its host isn't harmed but with different species it is unable to do that. When the natives of the planet were killed it felt guilty and hoped that if it maintained the beauty of the planet, another race may come along and colonise it."
"That didn't happen though since the planet became inaccessible from the nebula?" Riker said cutting in.
"That's correct, Commander." Bashir responded.
"What does it want now then?"
"It wants to speak with you, Commander." Selar said.
"I'll be down right away. Riker out." The comm channel closed.
A few minutes later Riker entered sickbay and headed straight for where Troi was sitting. "You are Commander Riker?" The alien said through Troi. Bashir was startled to hear the alien actually speaking instead of Troi since previously the alien had spoken to Troi and Troi had relayed the speech. Riker thought it was strange to hear Troi asking who he was but he realized that it wasn't actually her talking.
"That's right. What do you want?" Riker asked.
"I want some information so that I might live. Without information and memories continually stimulating my mind I will cease to be."
Riker looked concerned. "What about my people down on the planet? What will happen to them?"
"I will release them when you give me what I need." Was the straight and simple reply from the entity inside of Troi.
"What about Beverly?" Riker asked pointing to where she lay.
"She must remember that which she is permitted not to, and then she will awaken."
Riker looked puzzled. "That which she is not permitted to remember? What's that?"
"This body knows." The alien said.
"Counsellor Troi knows?" Riker asked wanting to make sure.
"Correct."
Riker thought for a moment. "You know that we can't let you inhabit our minds any longer, and we will find a way to stop that from happening if necessary. What we can do is give you information from our library. It is a vast source of information from a wide range of cultures. I'm sure that that would keep you alive until you find something else."
"That is acceptable as a temporary measure."
"Fine then. I'll get that information available to you soon. In the meantime I expect you to show us a gesture of good faith also by releasing our people." Riker said in the hope that it would agree.
"That will be done."
"Now I want you to leave Counsellor Troi's mind so that she might be allowed to help Beverly Crusher." Riker told it.
"I will return to my planet and prepare to receive the information." Suddenly Troi stood up and blinked her eyes a few times, as she felt dizzy with the alien's sudden departure from her mind.
"Are you alright, Deanna?" Riker asked as he took her arms to steady her.
"Yes. It's gone, Commander but I wouldn't make it wait too long, it's becoming desperate." She said as she stood facing him.
"I'll get it sorted immediately, Counsellor." Riker paused. "Were you aware of what it was saying?"
"Yes, I was." Troi told him.
"Can you help Beverly now then?" Riker asked her as he glanced across to see Beverly was still out for the count.
"I think so but if I haven't understood correctly then it may worsen her condition, Commander."
Riker thought for a second. "Do what you can. I'm going back up to the bridge to see if the alien has released our people..."
"Captain Sisko to Commander Riker." Sisko said opening up a channel.
"Yes, Captain?" Riker asked, he had left the bridge in his capable hands while he was down in sickbay.
"The Enterprise's engineering section and starship Washington have just emerged from the planets surface. Captain Picard is asking permission to re- join the Enterprise." Sisko informed him.
"That was quick." Riker said to Troi. "Permission granted, Captain. I'll be up on the bridge momentarily." Riker said, Sisko had never had any training on how a Galaxy-class starship re-joined since he had never served on one before, and so Riker would have to go and take command.
"Sisko out." The comm channel closed. Riker turned and left sickbay.
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