Chapter 43
When Doulos charged out of his personal quarters he should have emerged on to the bridge. But instead, he fell, and continued to fall into nothingness for what seemed like a very long time. Finally he landed with a thud. Shaking off the impact he struggled to his feet and looked around him.
The platform he was standing on was an odd shape and texture with three large projections sweeping out from the edge of the platform in back of him. One of the projections was situated further to his right and it moved slightly, as though buffeted by a wind he himself could not feel. Since there was nowhere to go in that direction, he walked forward at the sight of a shape lying motionless in the center of the platform. Looking more closely he saw it was a woman with red hair. Beverly? Had she fallen too?
For the first time, he craned his neck to look up at where he had fallen from. Instead of nothingness, two immense and piercing eyes peered down at him out of the darkness, and the strange platform tipped backward, causing him to have to steady himself. The body of the woman rolled toward him in slow motion until it rested at his feet. Beverly Crusher's lifeless eyes stared up at him in death. Doulos screamed in anguish and fell to his knees burying his face in his hands. The three giant fingers curled inward threatening to crush Doulos in a great dark fist.
"Now, Doulos, do you understand that I hold your life and the lives of everyone on this ship in my very hand?"
"Yes," Doulos whispered, still looking down at Beverly.
"And yet you still act based on your feelings for this woman. You want to kill Picard only because he presents an obstacle to Beverly Crusher, not because it would please me."
Doulos bowed his head. "I will do whatever you ask, master."
"The time is coming when I will ask much more of you, Doulos. Killing Picard is such a small thing. Do not disappoint me."
"We cannot predict with any certainty whether this device will successfully capture the energy you were able to project earlier, Captain," said Data holding the modified medical tricorder in his hand. It had been Wesley Crusher's idea to amplify the biological containment sampler in his mother's tricorder. The idea was that the tricorder would draw the substance in once it exited Picard's body. Once inside the tricorder it could then be distributed as needed into a phaser. The tricorder program was ready, but Captain Picard was not.
Picard exhaled loudly. "Unfortunately, it remains to be seen whether I can even re-create the energy," he said sounding frustrated.
"You must think positively, Captain," said Troi, standing nearby.
"The energy is already inside of you," added Guinan. "You just need to let it out."
Picard shot her an irritated look. "We've tried to replicate the conditions you created earlier, several times now—it hasn't worked."
"I don't suppose you want to give up," she said.
"Of course I don't," he snapped. "Go on, Data."
"Once transferred into a type II phaser, they will inter-mix with the plasma-"
"Some of which we've withdrawn to lessen the harmful nadion radiation we know isn't working on the Other's army anyway," said Geordi.
"But we still need some of the plasma radiation," added Wesley. "Otherwise we wouldn't have enough volatility necessary to charge the phase emitter."
"I am confident that it will work," Worf said.
Picard looked at them all and then placed a hand on Wesley's shoulder. Wesley smiled up at him. "I appreciate all of your efforts," said Picard. "But unless I can generate this…energy field again, all of this will be for nothing."
They all turned at the sound of shouting. Riker and Saris emerged from one of the stairwells and shoved their way through the protective field. Bringing up the rear were two of Geordi's engineering staff, who jumped through the field. Outside in the stairwell, phaser fire bounced harmlessly off the field.
Saris sat down wearily and leaned her head back against the wall. Geordi walked over to talk with her quietly. "You were right," he said, kneeling down beside her. "The disruptor plasma settings were too high. We had to use the type II phaser instead. As long as he can generate the energy burst again, it should work."
"Good," Saris said with a slight smile. "I am pleased." Geordi sat down cross-legged next to her, careful not to get too close. He had come to recognize that Romulans prized their personal space.
Worf stepped forward. "Sir…."
Riker was out of breath. "K'Ehleyr is still out there, Worf. She refused to follow us back, and as far as I know she is still down on deck twelve."
Worf' scowled, but Riker could tell he was concerned. "She will be able to handle herself," said Worf, glancing.
Riker punched Worf in the arm. "It's alright to be worried, Worf…."
"Klingons do not…worry," growled Worf.
Riker smiled. "Okay…anyway you're right, Lieutenant. She can definitely hold her own."
Worf nodded and moved out of the way as Riker jogged over to the Captain. "Sir, things are getting worse out there," he breathed.
Picard looked on with concern. "Take a rest, Number One."
Riker bent down with his hands on his knees, and took a deep breath. "Wow, didn't realize I was so out of shape until I had to run up and down stairs constantly." He straightened. "How are things going with the plan?"
"The engineering team and Worf have done the preparation necessary…once we have the modified weapons we should be able to contain and detain whatever hostile crew members we meet along the way, and the objective will be to recapture the bridge, and then find Doctor Crusher. I suppose the rest is up to me now," Picard said tightly.
"Sir, I think maybe you're putting too much pressure on yourself," Riker said sympathetically.
"Commander, no amount of pressure could be too much at this point—" They both spun at the sound of a loud pop outside of the protective field. There were several gasps, as a huge forearm plunged with a slow ripping sound through the field. None of Doulos' soldiers had been able to get through the field until now. But this appeared to be a different situation. "Picard!" A deep voice bellowed at them. An angry tattooed face distorted by Orla's field moved closer to the field as the arm reached through further, and moved back and forth as though searching.
Picard felt the energy field explode out of his chest, and heard the shouts of the others, as he moved forward propelled by a single-minded desire to find Beverly. And he knew that in order to do that he had to face Doulos. Riker grabbed for him, but he shoved his first officer away and rushed toward Doulos.
Data stood nearby methodically waving the medical tricorder attempting to collect the cloud of purple mist that was already beginning to disperse, now filling the room.
"No!" Wesley screamed and tried to run after Picard. Worf was quick enough to push the boy out of the way to safety, but could not scramble up quickly enough to grab Picard, who had already clasped his fingers around Doulos' wrist. Riker threw his arm around Wesley, restraining the flailing teen as he watched helplessly as events unfolded.
Picard shoved his other arm through the field and gripped Doulos by the throat. "Where is she?" he growled. Doulos answered by yanking Picard the rest of the way through the field.
Once outside of the field, Doulos screamed as Picard's fingertips began to burn into his skin. Picard let go of Doulos' neck and brought his fist back to the same spot on his throat with a crunching blow. Doulos screamed looking down at the tendrils of smoke lifting from his wrist where Picard continued to grip him. He slammed his forehead into Picard's, breaking the grip finally, and sending Picard stumbling backwards. A strange purple glow surrounded Picard's body, and the man's expression was strangely calm, despite the fact that he was now in battle once again.
Doulos unsheathed his curved sword and sliced it downward at Picard, who was much too close to escape unharmed. But the blade didn't seem to touch him, and instead glanced off the smaller man. A purple shimmer enveloped the blade and it shattered to pieces before Doulos' eyes. Enraged, Doulos grabbed Picard and tossed him down the stone steps, watching as he tumbled downward. Doulos looked down at his wrist. The imprint of Picard's fingertips glowed purple on his arm. His skin felt as though it was on fire. What was this new power?
"We're getting close now. We have to leave the horses behind from this point on," said Pritchard in a hushed voice. "It's too dark and I don't want 'em to lose their footing."
"Aren't you going to hitch them up to that tree?" Guinan didn't want to lose her new friend Peaches. But in her heart and mind she knew that in a very short time she would be forced to say goodbye to all of her Earth friends, as soon as she had the last piece of the Other in her possession. So she might as well just face that fact.
Pritchard shook his head, looking very distracted. His usual bravado was gone. "No. They'll know to wait for us, and if anything happens they can get away to safety." He reached out to pat Peaches on the flank and then surprisingly, gave a tender kiss to Ulysses when the horse lowered its giant head to nuzzle him.
If anything happens….She heard his words echo again inside her mind, and not for the last time. "Is this the place?" Guinan asked.
"Yep," said Pritchard, scratching Ulysses under his chin. "It's my old mine. Back when Loomey and I were partners with another fella named Francisco; this is where we struck it rich."
"I thought you said Loomey killed your partner."
"He did…eventually, and almost killed me tryin' to stop him. Good old Francisco is buried around here somewhere, as a matter of fact."
"Not sure I needed to know that," said Guinan, looking down at her feet. "You said we were getting close?"
He pointed ahead of them about fifty meters. "Just over that bank," he said, and began to walk forward, expecting her to follow him.
Instead she grabbed his arm. "Wait," she said. He turned around and she hugged him without warning, even surprising herself. He let out a startled laugh, but when she didn't let go, he returned the hug.
"Thank you for everything," she said into his dusty shoulder. They pulled apart and looked at each other. "John, the object I'm seeking is very dangerous. If I am not able to retrieve it, some horrible things will happen to my people in the future. And if it's left here, it remains a danger to anyone who encounters it."
He nodded. "Look I said I would do whatever I could—"
"Promise me that no matter what the object shows you, you won't believe it. Its entire purpose is to trick you so that you can be used and manipulated for its own evil purposes."
"I promise," he agreed confidently.
She sighed. "Pritchard…once I have the object I'll be gone."
"I know," he said.