Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek.
Author's notes: I was inspired by the last chapter to keep on truckin'. So I'm back sooner than I expected. Maybe someday I will have less homework and fewer other obligations. When pigs fly…
Rant of the day: Homework sucks. School in general sucks!
Zandile came to a few moments later. The pain that had caused her to pass out was subsiding. Her natural tendencies to block the pain were working. She sat up carefully and went to what looked like the copilot's chair. The windows of the shuttle showed clouds streaking by, and then space. "I see you figured out how to operate the ship," she commented to Data.
"Yes," Data replied. "I used my built in universal translator to learn the controls and operate the computer. I will set the auto pilot as soon as I find out where the Enterprise is."
Data had also managed to program the computer to label the touch screen controls in English. Zandile pushed some buttons on the scanner screen between hers and Data's chairs. There was no sign of the Enterprise or its warp signature. "It's as if they dropped of the edge of the universe. They must have masked their signature so the aliens couldn't find them." She rubbed her temples to ease the concussion headache that still lingered as she spoke.
"Before we look for the ship, we should heal your burns. There is a dermal regenerator in the medical kit we brought." Said Data, getting out of his seat to get the kit in question.
Zandile inspected her leg. The burns that covered much of her upper left leg were cauterized from the heat of the weapon. They were still painful, but bled only a little bit as she ripped fabric of her pants away from the wounds as much as she could and still be decent. She also had to pull strips of burned cloth out of the wound before Data could heal it. Meanwhile, Data got out the dermal regenerator and made sure it still worked. The healing blue light made her skin ripple and made it whole as it washed over the injury.
When Data was done he pulled out his tricorder out and scanned Zandile's head. "The concussion hasn't had much of a chance to heal. Dr. Crusher should look at it as soon as we get home."
"If we can find the ship," said Zandile, worried. "Hey, I have an idea. I could try to telepathically contact Deanna or Zarin. They could tell us where the ship is."
"Good idea, Lieutenant, " said Data as he put away the medical kit. "Try to find them."
Zandile closed her eyes, blocked the lingering headache, and cast out her mind like Zarin taught her to do.
Back on the Enterprise, Lynette was moping in Ten Forward. She pensively stirred a chocolate milkshake that she still hadn't taken a sip of, even though it was melting into chocolate milk. She didn't even notice when Worf sat down next to her. "Your sister and my friend Data were very honorable. They did what every Klingon dreams of doing as their last deed." Lamented Worf.
"You mean dying for the sake of others?" Lynette asked, licking the spoon and laying it on the napkin.
"Yes. They will both be honored. Your sister was an excellent officer. She would have made an excellent chief engineer." Said Worf, and without another word, he strolled out of Ten- Forward.
Lynette pushed the spoon around on the countertop lazily with one finger, feeling slightly better at the praise Worf had given. She could tell that, through his tough exterior, Worf was mourning for Zandile and for his friend Data. She could feel that the ship's vibe had changed, too, after Captain Picard had announced the sacrifices of Zandile and Data. Everyone felt for his or her shipmates.
Lynette was lost in these thoughts for awhile, wondering if things like this commonly happened on starships. She couldn't remember many of these incidents when she had lived with her mom and dad on first the deep space stations, then on the USS Freedom.
Her milkshake was completely melted when Zarin came into Ten Forward and sat down next to Lynette. She didn't even respond to his presence until he tapped her on the shoulder. "Can I tell you a secret?" Asked Zarin quietly.
Lynette looked up and met his eyes. They connected for half a second, and both saw the tears carefully held back in each other. Lynette nodded.
"I loved your sister. I couldn't gather enough courage to tell her before she left." He whispered. "I wish…" he broke off and put his face in his hands and his elbows on the bar counter.
"I think she loved you, too, Zarin… I got that vibe from her before…" Lynette trailed off, tears were finally running down her face. They sat in silence for awhile.
Suddenly, Zarin sat up straight in surprise. "Zandile?" He asked thin air.
Lynette sat up, too. "What is it?" She asked, puzzled. She looked wildly around, but the room was almost deserted.
"I felt her… in my mind. But that's impossible. I saw the shuttle burning up in the atmosphere." A tear slid down his cheek.
"Maybe you imagined it," said Lynette.
"Yeah," said Zarin. He looked at the clock on the wall. "You should go to bed, young lady. It's really late."
"I guess so. But you look tired, too." Commented Lynette. She got up and left, realizing at that moment how tired she really was. Zarin picked up the practically untouched, melted milkshake and took a long gulp of it. He couldn't shake how much it had felt like Zandile trying to contact him. I was as if she was still in his mind, asking, 'Where is the ship, Zarin. We can't find it.'
Wait a second, it really was her! He channeled his tired mind into a reply; 'Zandile, is that really you?'
'Yes. Where are you? We can't find you.' Came a faint reply. Even in telepathy, distance dulled a message. Zarin wasn't dreaming, he knew it.
'I'll go ask.' He told her. Zarin left the milkshake on the counter and rushed to the bridge.
When he got there, Commander Worf was on duty. Zarin couldn't help but think that Data usually took command in the night shift. He went to Worf. "Commander, what are our coordinates?" He asked.
"Why do you wish to know?" Worf replied gruffly.
"They're alive, Worf! Somehow, they survived! Zandile and Data can't find us. She's contacting me telepathically." Garbled Zarin in one breath.
"How? We all saw the shuttle burning up." Said Worf, half disbelieving, half amazed.
Zarin paused, his eyes unfocused. Worf supposed he was talking to Zandile telepathically. "She says they took a ship from the aliens. Please, what are the coordinates?" He pleaded desperately.
Worf checked at the ship's status console next to the command chair. "We are twenty light-years from that infernal planet, heading 32 by 46, if you're coming from the planet." Growled Worf, still not fully believing what Zarin said.
Zarin's eyes unfocused again. A moment later, he opened them and looked at Worf. He smiled and said, "They're coming home."
Wow! Another chapter! I think I'll have only one or two more. Yeah.
I'm sorry again for taking a long time to update.