Chapter 10

His mind was slightly hazy; a state he hoped would be corrected once he had the artifact back. He just needed to see it, and then he could return to duty on the bridge. He just needed to see it and then he would feel fine. Despite what he had told Beverly, which of course had been the truth at the time, the wound on his back was beginning to sting and burn a great deal. He tried to focus…he had been with Beverly in his quarters. He so enjoyed her company…indeed he loved her. But then…he had left her under circumstances he couldn't quite remember. Would she be angry with him? He couldn't be sure, because he couldn't even remember actually saying goodbye to her when he left. "The woman is holding you back," the voice whispered with an assured hiss. He ignored it.

As he neared his destination he struggled to keep himself calm, but he felt almost breathless with anticipation as he walked through the corridors of the Enterprise. He paused and looked from right to left before entering the lab. No one was around—not that it mattered—it was his ship, after all. Then why did he feel as though he was sneaking about?

To his dismay, Data was inside the lab when he walked in. The voice floated slowly from the back of his brain. An ancient language he could not comprehend. Then like a bolt of electricity he heard it clearly: "Kill the enemy...kill the Borg..."
He took a step forward then as if compelled. He didn't want to kill the figure standing in front of him. The wound on his neck began to burn more insistently and he felt dizzy. He reached up to his neck and his hand came away covered in blood.

Data turned to look at him quizzically. "Captain Picard… I was not expecting you sir. I have finished the tests you ordered, sir."

"If he resists you must kill him," the voice said. Picard put his shaking hand behind his back. What was happening to him? Was he losing his mind? "And…what…what did you find?" he said trying to keep his voice even. His face was suddenly covered in sweat, and he blinked it out of his eyes. A jagged streak of white hot pain trailed from his neck down his back. "You must keep it in your possession at all times. Without it, you will succumb to your wounds," the voice whispered.

Data took the small black stone out of a small transparent container and held it delicately between two fingers. He walked over to the Captain. "After a number of tests measuring the composition of the artifact, including a comparative battery of tests which-"
"Data, please," said Picard quickly. Just give me the stone, he said silently. "Just come to the point," he said aloud.

Data nodded. "Captain, are you injured?" he asked curiously. He had not noticed immediately, but now he could see that the Captain appeared to be bleeding from his neck.

"No," Picard said quickly, his gaze flicking to the stone in Data's grasp. "Snap his neck," whispered the voice. "I have made you strong." Picard shook his head distractedly.

Data moved closer. "Captain I believe you are mistaken," he insisted. "You appear to have an open wound right here," he said raising his hand to point at Picard's neck. The Captain's hand snaked out to grab Data's wrist. Data tried to pull his arm back, but remarkably he was unable to do so. "Captain, your conduct is highly concerning. Are you unwell?"

Picard stared at Data as his fingers sunk into the android's wrist. "Goddamn you Data…give me the stone!" He said through gritted teeth.

"Sir, your behavior suggests obsessive personality traits that are highly unusual for you, sir. In addition, your physical strength is currently far greater than normal. Does that not seem odd to you, sir?"

"He is playing with your mind. Trying to take the stone for himself," the voice warned him. Picard increased his grasp on Data. "I'm warning you, Data. I don't want to hurt you…."

"At this moment, I think it would be unwise for me to give you the stone until you have ceased your aggression sir." Data closed the stone in his fist to attempt to keep it from Picard, but Picard's grip tightened mercilessly on his wrist. While Data did not experience pain as such, he did recognize when his operating systems were under distress. However, he did not predict the extent to which the Captain would or could harm him, until he felt the servo motors inside his arm begin to rupture. Suddenly Data's fingers opened involuntarily and the stone dropped to the floor. The Captain immediately let go, and scrambled to the floor, grabbing the artifact. Data moved back, legitimately sure that he had not predicted such a turn of events. He watched as the Captain crouched down on the floor clutching the stone almost desperately. Gradually the bloody stripe on his neck faded to a thin, dark line, until it was completely healed. The tight muscles in his back visibly relaxed, and his breathing slowed. He stood up and then turned to face Data.

Data stood examining his arm. There was a bloody handprint on his pale wrist and clear indentations from Picard's fingertips in his synthetic skin. "Data…did I—did I do that to you?" A look of shocked horror passed over Picard's face.

"Status," said Picard when he walked on to the bridge.
Riker stood up and turned to look at the Captain. His eyes narrowed slightly. "We are en route to Kronos as ordered sir. At warp six we are scheduled to arrive in 11 hours, sir."

Picard nodded curtly and took his seat in the command center. "Very good, Number One. Let's maintain that course and speed."

"Aye sir." Riker remained standing and looked down at Picard with concern. He lowered his voice. "Captain, are you alright, sir?"

Picard frowned and looked up at him, then he smiled slightly, as if placating his worried first officer was just another of his many duties. "My headache is gone, if that's what you mean. I appreciate your concern, Number One," he said turning his attention to a report from LaForge on his armrest console.

Riker sat down slowly. "Sir...you're not scheduled for bridge duty for another thirteen hours," Riker reminded him. Picard remained silent and kept his eye on the report, occasionally tapping his console.

"Captain..."

Picard looked up sharply with his piercing gaze. "What?"

"Doctor Crusher called up here about twenty minutes ago looking for you, Captain. She said you were injured..."

"Well Mr. Riker it's a good thing for both of us that your duties don't include giving me a physical."

"But don't you think you should report to sick bay sir?"

Picard made an incredulous face. "For what purpose? I feel like a new man." He returned to his report.

Riker looked at Picard closely. Crusher had said she had seen a knife wound on the back of his neck, but Riker couldn't see anything obvious from this angle.

Riker hit his communicator. "Riker to Crusher."

"Crusher here."

"Doctor, Captain Picard is here on the bridge now. And he reports that he is feeling fine."

"I'm on my way" said Crusher.

"For what Doctor?" Picard snapped. "There is absolutely nothing wrong with me."

"We'll see. I'm coming up to the bridge."

Picard jerked his head to look over at Riker as though silently accusing him of a betrayal he would not soon forget.

Riker raised an eyebrow, but then turned his gaze forward, thinking it wise not to say anything more for a while.