Hi! Thanks so much for the warm thoughts! You really helped boost up my spirits and my energy to get this done. :D Unfortunately, I'm allergic to sumatriptan. This new stuff was supposed to be different. It didn't quite land me in the hospital this time, but I think I'm all done 'experimenting' now. How messed up is it when the stuff that's supposed to prevent migraines keeps ending up being more debilitating than the migraines themselves? Grrrr! It may be that chronic migraines and the sensory hypersensitivities that tend to trigger them are some of the awful somethings that co-occur with my ASD and I'll just have to live with it. But, I appreciate your advice. Thank you! :D
And now, here it is! The conclusion to the second part of the longest, most complicated story I've ever written (so far)! LOL! What is it with me and endings, though! It's like, I can't just let the story end. The last chapter has to keep growing and growing until it - not me - decides it's time to stop! Anyway, it's done now, pretty much, I think... No, it is! And I hope you enjoy it! :D
Chapter Thirty-Seven: CONCLUSION, Part 2
Silarra hiked swiftly alongside Picard, Riker, Tu'Pari, and Nat Kapoor, doing her best to mimic how the android, Data, held himself, how he kept his breathing even and steady, how his hips and shoulders moved as he walked. This close to her goal, she couldn't risk slipping on any detail that might draw attention, that might make the remaining Feds suspicious of her guise. A cough at the wrong moment, an out of place phrase, and she could find herself blocked. Cut off from the energy source the Boss-man had sent her to collect. If that happened, no number of data disks, captured Feds or recovered Skins would appease his anger. More than the reward he'd promised, Silarra couldn't risk losing the bargaining leverage possessing the energy source would bring her. It was the only way she could be sure the creep would let her leave his employ healthy and alive once their deal had been concluded.
The Suliban spy had spent the morning making brief appearances in various guises. Appearing as Troi, then Freja, then Kurak, she had answered questions and made excuses explaining why she couldn't be joining the rest of the group in the cavern under the Stairway. The Starfleet captain, Picard, had accepted Silarra's excuses, begrudgingly. But, as she'd anticipated, he had insisted that 'Data' come along.
"I want a record of this moment," he'd said. "An independent account from an objective observer. Beyond that, Data, you've earned this. We're witnessing history together, my friend. An ancient artifact from a civilization long gone may soon reveal secrets it's been hiding beneath the sands here for millennia." He'd moved closer, clapping the disguised Suliban on the shoulder. "This is why we explore, Data. This is why we travel. Come on. Let's see what's down there."
No doubt, the android sap would have found such a speech from his commanding officer inspiring. Silarra just wanted to move. As she walked beside the older human she had to remember to keep her strides steady, trying not to pant or squint too hard as they marched further out into the windy heat and the glare of the early afternoon sun.
"There's another reason I want you along, Mr. Data," the captain confided as they walked, falling back and speaking softly so only she could hear him.
"Sir?" she queried, cocking her head exactly as she'd seen the android do.
"In case we are attacked, I know I can count on you to help me disable, or even destroy that energy source if necessary."
"Of course, Captain," the Suliban said.
"I meant it this morning, Data, when I said I was proud of you," the older man went on. "We may never have come so far with this if it weren't for you."
"I appreciate that, sir. As always, I am proud to be of service."
"Yes, well," the captain said. "Let's pick up the pace a bit, shall we? We don't want to fall too far behind!"
Howard jittered a bit as he walked, and his voice seemed to buzz now and then. But, apart from some fried motor circuitry and some melted 'skin', the robot seemed to be functioning pretty well.
"I am — bruzzz — here to serve," he said. "How may I — bruzzz — serve you?"
"How about we send Howard back to the clinic?" Kahlestra suggested as she and the rest of the escapees searched the compound for their friends. "Or, to the control room, maybe? He could keep watch there while we keep looking for Data and the others! Maybe even call for help?"
"That's not a bad idea, Kay. But, in his condition, I wouldn't feel comfortable sending him there alone," Troi said. The Betazoid counselor had been in full commander-mode since overseeing their escape from the intruder's orbiting ship. Under her guidance, Kurak and Freja had managed to decode enough of their captor's passwords to operate the transporter and return to the compound. Now, she turned to Dr. Anders and said, "Freja, you go with Howard to the control room. Be sure to keep an open channel. I can't sense anything out of the ordinary just now, but that doesn't mean our intruder won't return. Remember, this woman can appear as any one of us. Be careful."
"Right, Commander. I'll stay alert," the scientist said, heading for the main dome and ordering the juttering Howard to follow.
Ishta kicked at the sand in frustration.
"We've been all over this damn place, and we still haven't found Data!" she said, glaring up at Troi through her long, dark bangs. "You said you could sense him back on that stupid ship. Why can't you sense where he is now!"
The force of the young Orion's anger and worry made Troi blink. The protective feelings…the sense of attachment she felt… The bond this girl had forged with her android hero was real, and it was strong. If Data felt the same way…
She glanced at Kay, only to sense a similarly anxious stew of emotions simmering behind the child's eyes. Looking into Kurak's steely expression as the scientist glared down at her tricorder's screen, at the way the Klingon woman held her clenched fist so close to her beating heart, Troi began to realize…
…I fear, Counselor, that I am not the man I hoped I would become…
…Data…I know you've been hurting. You want so much to love, and to be loved, and it's terrible that your own caring nature has been tearing you apart…
…I did not do this because I wanted to mimic humans, or attempt to convince anyone that I was a biological human being. I did this because I honestly feel it is a more accurate reflection of who I am…what I was designed to be... I am a man born of human imagination, but I am a man, just the same. And now…now that I have chosen to stop hiding…to stop denying…
"Oh, Data…" She sighed, her own heart aching for her android friend. But, this wasn't the time for reflection, she told herself, and there was nothing she could do here and now that would change the Federation's attitude toward his situation. With Data missing, an intruder on the loose, and Will and the captain likely halfway to the Stairway with Tu'Pari and Nat, her main priority was not to discuss relationships and feelings, but to keep everybody calm and focused.
"It's not that simple, Ishta," she tried to explain. "I'm only half-Betazoid. My powers can only—"
"I know where he is," Kurak announced and raised her tricorder, revealing a Starfleet combadge attached to the device. "This is Commander Data's combadge," she explained, her sharp glare warning Troi not to ask why she had it in her possession...although, the counselor believed she could guess. "It is programmed with his unique bio-signature."
"Data has a bio-signature?" Kahlestra asked curiously.
"Of course," Kurak told her. "Data has a pulse, thought patterns, brain waves. His body is full of electrical rhythms and impulses, just like yours or mine. I used this tricorder to scan for his android signature, and I found a match. He is several kilometers back along the trail, at the first rest stop outside the capital city. And, I believe, he is alone."
"Then, let's take the speeder and pick him up, quickly," Troi said. "We still don't know what our intruder is up to, and Data may be able to help us put the clues we've found together. Hopefully, before it's too late."
Data stood in the darkest part of the cave. He had cried himself out some time ago, but his breathing was only now beginning to slow back to normal. His throat ached from the painful sobs, his amber eyes still burned. But inside...
Inside, he felt empty. Hollowed out...like a soulless machine…
"Shut up," he snapped angrily, and the dark voice in his head shrank away. But it wasn't gone. The loathing self-doubt still lurked in his psyche like a hulking black slug, oozing feelings of shame and failure like slime trails through his neural nets.
"Some Starfleet Captain I would make. Let alone a full Commander," he said grimly, rubbing his rough, tear-streaked face with his hands...one warm, the other smoothly metallic.
He hadn't yet replaced the section of synthetic skin he'd torn away. He'd left it in the corner by the mirror, floppy and hollow like a Halloween prop. It wouldn't take much to set it back into place, reconnect the nerve endings, the flow of chemical nutrients...
But he didn't feel like going over to pick it up.
He didn't want to see his reflection in that mirror. Not now…after all that damned selfish crying… Good god, he'd seen the children display more self-control!
"I should be finding a way out of here, not wallowing around in this pitiful bout of self-loathing," he snarled. "How much time have I wasted? What harm might that Suliban woman already have done!"
The vibrating thrum of speeder engines made the android grow very still. He listened closely, upping the gain on his audio receptors until he was able to judge the vehicle's direction, calculate its changing speed as it slowed to a stop outside the cave… He heard doors open and slam, the sound of running footfalls on the sand…
"Data? Data!"
He knew those voices! Kay and Ishta were calling for him, hurrying in the direction of the cave…
A spike of guilt struck him hard...the thought that the children he had left alone had now come to his rescue... But Data quickly shook it away. The Suliban intruder may have succeeded in tricking him, hurting him, but it was a relief to know his lapse in judgement hadn't brought harm to Ishta and Kay. They were here and they were safe, and that was far more important than his injured pride.
The android smirked to himself, rather darkly. Who would have guessed he had an ego to bruise?
Data blinked and rubbed his face again, this time checking the mirror to make certain any trace that he'd been crying had been sufficiently erased. His eyes still looked red rimmed and rather bloodshot, but that could be put down to the stress of captivity. Couldn't it?
"Stay close to us, girls!" Troi's voice called. "Don't run too far ahead!"
"Data!" Ishta shouted again. "Data! If you're here, answer me!"
"Ishta!" Data called back to her. "I am here!"
"It's Data!" Kay cheered. "Ishta, it's Data! He's OK!"
The girls burst into the cave, but Data warned them to keep back.
"There is a force field in operation," he told them, wishing he could see past the curve in the cave wall to the deep alcove where the hay was stored. "Look around the stable – see if you can locate a switch or control device that may—"
"There's something here, near the hay," Kahlestra called back. "Let me see if I can reach…"
"Wait, Kay – press nothing yet," Data called, but he realized as he spoke that it was too late. The hum around him faded out in a soft, electronic sigh.
Data tentatively kicked at the space where the force field had been with the toe of his boot. When nothing happened, he took a step forward, then rushed to the center of the cave.
The moment they saw him, the two girls ran into his arms, Kahlestra cheering and Ishta drubbing his upper arm furiously, shouting, "You idiot! Don't you ever disappear like that again!"
"What happened to you, Data?" Kahlestra asked, clutching her arms around his waist. "Did your hand get damaged? How did you end up in this cave?"
"An evil wizard attempted to bamboozle me with lies and mirrors," he said, glancing at Ishta. "But, it seems my brave Dulcinea has come to my rescue."
Ishta snorted and gave his arm another slap before burying her face in his sleeve.
"Deities! I hate you so much," she muffled.
"And me, Data!" Kahlestra said, latching onto his blinking hand. "I found the controller!"
"And you, Kay, my fierce warrior-scholar!" Data said proudly, playfully raising his arm until her toes left the ground.
"Don't forget us, Data," Troi said teasingly as she and Kurak entered the cave.
Watching Data with the girls, feeling the love and trust that wound between them as they laughed together… It brought back so many feelings from Troi's own childhood…faded memories of her father's warm smile…the safety she'd felt when he'd wrap her in his arms…
Ishta deserved to have those feelings. Data deserved it. But, what could she do? In about a week, Data would have to return to the ship. The Federation would send an advocate and a social worker to pick up Ishta before that. And, aside from some long-distance correspondence, that would likely be the last time they'd see each other. Possibly for the rest of their lives.
Yet, watching them now, sensing the happiness they felt just being together, Troi couldn't tamp down a growing conviction that forcing them apart so soon would be wrong. Her work as ship's counselor had taught her that hope was a fragile thing, and not to be toyed with. She couldn't risk raising Ishta's hopes, or Data's, by offering platitudes or promises she couldn't keep just to make herself feel less guilty. Still…
She would have to talk to the captain again. Convince him, as she had been convinced. Surely, with the right argument, he would come to understand how—
"Mother!" Kahlestra shouted, snapping the counselor out of her thoughts. "Mother, you were right! That shape-changing intruder trapped Data in here!"
"So I see," Kurak said, her bearing stern and grim. "Go back to the speeder, Kahlestra, and bring your friend."
"I'll watch them," Troi offered, cutting off the girls' protests as she herded them both back out into the sun. She didn't know what exactly had transpired between Data and the Klingon scientist, but she could sense they wanted privacy. For feelings that strong, she was willing to give them some space…as long as they didn't take too long…
Data eyed the Klingon, moving slowly closer as he listened to Troi and the children clamber back into the speeder and slam the doors.
"You have my communicator," he observed, nodding to her tricorder. "I take it that's how you found me?"
"What happened to your hand?" she demanded, reaching out to grab it. With surprising gentleness, she opened his blinking fingers and rubbed her thumb against the metal mesh of his palm, over the place where the scars from her nails would have been.
"Can you…feel…without your skin?" she asked.
Data swallowed, his eyes fixed on her face. He could see no sign of fear or disgust in her expression, no hint of rejection. But there was concern…
"I can calculate the warmth and pressure of your hand in mine," he said quietly, adjusting her grip so he could see the scars on her palm. "But, it is not the same. Kurak…I must—"
"The intruder took your form before attacking me," the Klingon told him, her eyes fixed firmly on his. "In the moment before I lost consciousness... I doubted you, Data. I believed that you had—"
"Kurak, she did the same to me," Data broke in, not wanting, or needing, to hear the rest of her confession. "She told me you had been killed when the Nausicaan raider attacked your lab. She said she had taken your place. That all that I thought we had shared…never happened…"
Kurak bared her sharp teeth, a low growl sounding deep in her throat.
"Hu'tegh QI'yaH!" she swore. "I will rip her tongue from her lying mouth, the filthy piece of… Baktag!"
Data raised his eyebrows, touched, and a little amused, by the strength of her invectives.
"The sentiment is most appreciated," he said. "But, Kurak…there is something I must ask. Where were we…the first time we kissed?"
"First of all, you kissed me. And, we were inside the exercise dome, of course," she said, moving closer when she saw real pain sear his expression. "Data, what is it?"
"I am only beginning to realize how long this spy has been among us," he said, unable to bring himself to tell her the entire truth. "She knew things, Kurak. Knowledge that should have belonged only to you and me. She used me…used us both…and I—"
"No," she said, squeezing his metal palm. "There has been no deception between us, and there will be none now."
Staring into his amber eyes, she very deliberately kissed the exposed metal of each of his fingers.
"My gentle warrior," she whispered in Klingon. "How could you doubt the joining of our hearts' blood?"
Data closed his eyes and lowered his head, breathing in sharply through his nose.
"Kurak-oy," he said. "You know…that I am not human. That I am a machine. I would never wish the feelings we share to be used to…to compromise you, or Kay, in any way. Perhaps…before we allow this to grow any further…we should consider—"
"It is too late for thoughts like that," she said. "What the intruder knows, she knows."
"But, Kurak—"
"Data," she said, taking both his hands and linking their fingers together. "This morning, you spoke of a wish you say I granted. Well, you too granted me a wish last night. My wish to know the love of a good and honorable man."
Data blinked and stared, the feel of his pounding pulse in his throat forcing him to swallow before he could speak.
"You...you believe me such a man?" he asked.
"I know it," Kurak said firmly, and he blinked again. "The husband my father chose for me was never such a man, neither in the marriage bed nor out. For far too long, now, I have been afraid to fight him. I have lacked the confidence, the self-assurance to stand up and defend what is mine by right. But, not anymore. I refuse to live another day in my ex-husband's shadow. You have given me the courage, once and for all, to break free. And to take my daughter with me."
Data tilted his head.
"Do you mean to say, you intend to remain within the Federation? Both you and Kay?"
"It was never my choice to place my child in that school," Kurak hissed. "When my time here is up, I will return to the Empire and demand the right of full custody, as I should have done during the divorce. As I would have done…had I not been so afraid…"
"I cannot imagine you afraid, Kurak-oy," Data said in Klingon as he stared into her eyes. "That which you desire, you conquer. As you have conquered me."
"My fall will be for you," she whispered, speaking against his lips as they came together in a passionate kiss. "My love will be in you…"
"Kurak," Data spoke between kisses. "Kurak-oy."
"All right, you two, you've had long enough," Troi's voice burst through Data's communicator. "The girls are getting antsy, and we still have a spy to find!"
The effect of Troi's voice was like a splash of icy water over both of them. Kurak winced. Data laughed and moved the little combadge from Kurak's tricorder to his jacket.
"Acknowledged, Counselor. We're on our way," he said, and closed the channel. "But first, Kurak, there is something I would like you to see."
Taking the Klingon scientist by the hand, he led her to the back of the cave, where the glow of the afternoon sun made his painted horse mural seem eerily alive.
"Data," she gasped, moving closer to the work. "By Kahless… Did you paint this?"
"Yes," the android said. "The work is dedicated to my daughter. Lal."
Kurak looked at him, her normally stern features deep with unspoken emotion. Taking his blinking hand, she gave his cheek a kiss and said, "Thank you. For sharing your heart with me."
"That is my honor," he replied just as warmly, and reached down to pluck his synthetic skin from the stony ground and stuff it in his pocket.
As they turned to go, the mirror in the corner caught their reflection: a man and a woman striding purposefully side by side, their palms pressed close and their fingers twined tightly together.
"The Suliban intruder must be working for whoever hired those raiders," Data said from the back of the speeder, where he sat between Kahlestra and Ishta. His left leg jiggled with impatient anxiety, but he didn't seem aware of the new tic, leaning forward like a backseat driver to keep an eye on the dashboard controls. "Look at the clues – at those of us she chose to target, and how she went about her scheme. That is why I say, if she wasn't at the compound when you arrived, she must be with the expedition party. If she should gain access to that energy source—"
"All right, Data, you've made your point. We'll head for the Stairway first," Troi said, increasing speed as she veered away from the compound.
"Thank you," Data said, bracing himself against Troi's and Kurak's front seats as Ishta and Kahlestra tried not to bump into each other in the back. "You know," he commented, leaning forward again, "I am discovering I much prefer piloting a ground speeder to being a passenger in one. I find the forces in the back here particularly unsettling to my inner ear and my digestive system. Perhaps, on our return trip, I might be allowed to drive?"
"Data," Troi said, more amused than annoyed, but not about to show it. "Sit back and keep your eyes on the horizon. The ride will be over soon. Look, the Stairway is already coming into—"
She gaped suddenly and her dark eyes opened wide.
"Will!" she cried. "Data, something's wrong."
Data leaned forward again, craning his neck to see out the window, when the sand beneath their speeder rippled and shook like an ocean wave.
"What was that!" Ishta exclaimed.
"It felt like a ground quake," Kahlestra said, pressing her forehead against the back window as she peered at the sandy expanse beyond.
"It could have been a ground quake," Data said anxiously. "Or, it might be a sign that the expedition has reached the cavern wall and are attempting to access the energy source. Let's move faster, Deanna, please!"
"I've already got it floored, Data," she said, spending the next few moments concentrating her entire mind on making it to the monument without overshooting the mark. "Strap in tight, everyone," she warned. "This is going to be a rough stop."
Data protected the children's heads and spines as the speeder whipped around the massive Stairway structure to land beside the most visible tunnel entrance. The moment the vehicle stopped moving, the android was up and out, dashing across the sand and into the tunnel like a streak of khaki lightning.
"Counselor!" his alarmed voice sounded over her comm link, barely a minute later. "I am in the tunnel, not far from the main site. But, the quake has caused a cave in. I believe the expedition party has been trapped inside the cavern."
"Is there anything you can do to get them out?" she asked.
"The tunnel appears most unstable," Data reported. "I am attempting to make use of the fallen debris to shore up the walls while I try…to create…a shaft through…the rubble…"
"Data?" Troi called out. "Data, you're breaking up!"
"Please…remain…the speeder… I will…"
His choppy voice faded into static. Troi slapped her combadge again and again, trying to reestablish contact, but she got only silence.
"I'm going down there," Ishta said, moving toward the speeder door.
Troi locked it first, earning a scathing glare.
"You'll do nothing of the kind," she said. "If the tunnel is as bad as Data says, any of us going down there will only make things worse."
"I don't care!" Ishta cried. "You can't lock us up in here when Data needs our help!"
"You care for Data a great deal, don't you," Kurak said, her hooded glare fixed on Ishta's wide, blue eyes.
"I don't care about anyone," the Orion snapped back. "Data's an idiot! He sees things the way they should be, instead of how they are. And it's gonna get him killed if you don't let me go after him!"
"Why should that bother you, if you don't care about anyone?" Troi asked.
Ishta screamed a scream so loud, the metal in the speeder kept vibrating even after she'd stopped.
"I hate you all!" she shrieked. "I want to get out of here! You have to let me out!"
"Ishta, shut up and look!" Kahlestra said, pulling at the Orion's lashing arm. "There's something going on out there. I think Data's found someone!"
"Unlock the doors," Kurak said, and Troi did, the four of them spilling out to race across the burning sand.
Data met them at the tunnel's entrance, his dark hair gray with dust and his normally pale face bright red and streaked with sweat and grime.
"The captain is all right, but Will is injured," he reported rather breathlessly. "The captain is supporting him and should arrive soon. I have Drs. Kapoor and Tu'Pari here. They are both unconscious, but appear to have suffered only minor cuts and abrasions. I will carry them to the speeder, and then I must go back. The Suliban is still inside."
"You don't have to go back in there for her. She's a spy!" Ishta protested.
"She is also very dangerous, and in a position to become more so," Data countered, hefting the two archaeologists back over his shoulders and hurrying with them toward the speeder. "The Preserver's wall is, indeed, standing open. But, the Suliban has blocked herself inside the cavern. I must get to her before she figures a way to tamper with the energy source. Do you understand, Ishta?"
Ishta scowled darkly and started to open her mouth, but Kahlestra spoke first.
"She understands, Data," she said. "We both do."
Ishta swore under her breath and kicked at the sand.
"You better come back out of there," she warned him. "Because if you don't, I'm going in, and none of these damn Feds can stop me!"
"Your concern for my welfare is appreciated, Ishta," Data said, settling the unconscious men into the back seat and turning to face both girls. "Please understand the concern I feel for you and your safety is every bit as strong. Stay with Kurak and Counselor Troi. I will return to you as soon as I can."
He started to go, but Ishta slammed into him, squeezing him tightly in a full-on hug.
"I love you, you metal idiot," she muffled into his chest. "And I hate you for making me say it!"
Data blinked and returned her hug, smoothing her hair back behind her ears with his metallic hand before bending down to place a fatherly kiss on the top of her head.
"I love you too, Ishta," he said, his jaw tightening a little as, reluctantly, she let him go.
"Data," Kahlestra said, standing very straight as she brought her hand to her chest. "Qapla`!"
"Qapla`!" he returned, and bent down to hug her too. "Listen to your mother, Kay," he said. "She has your best interests at heart."
"I know," Kahlestra said, and pulled back to look him straight in the eye. "I love you, Data."
"And I you, Kay," he said warmly, and straightened back up. "Stay here," he told both girls. "The wounded will need your help."
And, before either of them could say another word, Data was gone, racing back to the tunnels at inhuman speed.
"Data," Troi said, catching the android just as he streaked past. "You're not going back in there!"
"I must," Data said. "The Suliban spy must be stopped."
"Then, I'll go in with you," Picard said, handing the badly limping Riker over to Kurak. The captain's head and arms were badly scratched, blood stained his clothing, but only some of it was his. Much of it belonged to Riker.
"With all due respect, sir," Data said, "given the instability of the underground structure, and the likelihood of another quake, it would be far safer if I were to go in alone."
"Mr. Data, I—"
"He's right, Captain," Riker said, his voice a pained whisper. "I…I can't let you go…"
"Then, you're both teaming up on me, is that it? My first and second officers, telling me what I can and cannot do?"
Data's eyes widened.
"But, it is for your own safety, sir," he rushed to explain. "Starfleet regulations clearly state—"
"He's joking with you, Data," Riker said, his smile cut off by a sharp wince. "Go."
"Yes. Go on, Data," Picard assured him. "Stop that damned mercenary before she gets away. Just, keep your commlink open."
"Sir," Data acknowledged, and vanished into the tunnel.
"Quite a guy," Riker commented, hissing and wincing as Kurak helped him limp slowly toward the speeder. "With or without emotions."
"He has an artist's soul," Kurak said, keeping her gaze fixed straight ahead. "But his heart is the heart of a warrior."
Riker couldn't help a little smile.
"He'll be OK," he assured her. "If anyone can stop that shape-changing creep, it's Data." He gasped in pain and groaned a little. "I still can't believe it took us so long to see through her disguise."
"What gave her away?" Kurak asked.
"The energy field down there," Riker told her. "She'd disguised herself as Data, and when the field's in operation, it affects the real Data pretty strongly. Last time it gave him something of a migraine, I'm afraid. But, the Suliban - nothing. No reaction. Acted like she didn't even know what we were talking about."
Kurak snorted.
"So, there are some things about us that she does not know. Hopefully, the field will not affect him now."
"Nah," Riker grunted. "Data's tough. He'll pull through. Just give him time to—"
A staticky crackle passed through his combadge and they heard Data's voice...a faint, distant echo beneath the windy hiss...
"...energy source cannot be dislodged from its... ...You must not try to approach... ...Silarra, please listen to me! You will destabilize—!"
A terrible light washed over the landscape, spreading out over the ancient ruin like a holographic image of the grand, impossible structure it once had been. For a brief moment, a flash faster than thought, they saw the Preservers' vision brought to life - an intricate portal of infinite dimensions all braiding and swirling and dancing, as fleeting and fragile as soap bubbles in a storm. And, just as fast, it was gone. The light, the soap bubbles, all of it. Only the strange ruins remained, sandy beige beneath the glaring desert sun.
Then came the rumble, and everyone dropped to the searing hot ground. Riker cried out in agony, but Kurak helped to hold him steady as they rode out the fierce, roiling quake.
When it finally ended, some eight minutes later, Picard jumped to his feet and immediately slapped his combadge.
"Data," he shouted. "Picard to Data! Commander Data, please respond!"
He ran back to the tunnel entrance, but the quake had left it completley blocked. Kurak's tricorder scan revealed no life signs.
And no sign of Commander Data.
"Try scanning for his component elements," Troi suggested. "That might at least let us know if he's still down there."
Kurak tried, then she tried again. She tried dozens of variations on dozens of scans over the days it took the team to dig their way back into the cavern.
But they found nothing.
Data was gone.
This is not the end! The story continues in Skin Deep: Part III, coming soon to a computer screen near you. Stay tuned! :D
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