Genre: StarTrek: The Next Generation

Title: New Civilizations

Summary: The mission isn't going well.

Chapter 15

"Status, Mr. Worf." Captain Picard, wasting no time, spoke before the turbolift doors were even fully open.

"The Kronatina are assembling every one of their ships into formation around all of us, including the Romulans and the Ferengi." The Klingon looked disdainful, "That is, I believe they think it is a formation. A Ferengi child would use a more effective strategy."

Captain Picard looked sharply at Worf. "Have the Ferengi made contact?"

Worf sneered. "Yes sir. They wanted to transport to the surface to join you in the last few moments but I convinced them to wait until they heard from you."

"Good work, Mr. Worf. I shall deal with them shortly. Anything else? Have the Romulans been in contact?"

"No, sir, the Romulans have made no effort to communicate." Worf's voice picked up interest. "My instruments detect some sort of ground weaponry being aimed at us. They are primitive and I do not consider them a threat. It is possible they would not even have power to reach us."

Assuming a nervous stance in front of the command chair, Captain Picard took a calculating look at the view of several Kron ships within close proximity of the Enterprise. "Hmmm, yes they have had such a long history of peace I'm surprised they've any sort of weaponry at all. They're an extraordinary people in that regard. What about the ships at hand, do they have weapons?"

Worf kept a watchful eye on his board in front of him while he spoke to the captain. "Yes sir but they are also quite primitive. Some of them are of the mechanical explosive type in a variety of nuclear devices and some are laser beam. None of them would penetrate our shields. An incoming message, sir."

"Put it on screen."

The Kronatt on screen was unusually short but held himself in such a way as to denote dignity and fortitude. "Are you the Captain Picard?" The odd jerks and bobbing seemed somewhat more contained.

"I am."

"Please prepare for us to join airlocks so that we may board you. I am instructed to retrieve my fellow Kronatt."

"You are most welcome but you must leave your own fellow Kronatt, the one on your head, behind. If that is not suitable, we will cheerfully return the other fellow Kronatt as soon as we can dislodge it, him, from Commander Riker."

"If you do not comply willingly, we will board you by force." The Kronatt's halter was decorated with bits of metal and colored buttons on both of the shoulder straps. Picard recognized the simple, direct approach of a fellow military man.

"Worf," he said quietly, "shields up. Ship on yellow alert.

"I'm afraid you'll find even closely approaching us is quite impossible. We have force fields we use as shields for defense. If you come too close I'm afraid you may find your power systems will suffer some damage and possibly the very integrity of the hulls of your ships may be put at risk. Please, before taking any undue risks, wait. We mean no harm and we wish no harm to you or from you. We're working on this difficulty and will find a way to resolve it to the satisfaction of all."

The Kronatt regarded him wordlessly for some seconds. Finally, moving a gray furred hand to the board in front of him, the picture blanked out.

"We have lost contact. Shall I try to re-establish?"

"No, Worf. He broke the contact on purpose. He'll await further orders." Picard seemed to make some mental notes before he said, "Hail the Ferengi vessel."

After a moment Worf said, "They are on visual."

The large screen on the forward bridge showed a very agitated Ferengi. The rate of his eye twitches was doubled, his clutching hands wrapped around each other again and again. "What have you gotten us into? Return their friend! Why involve us in your mismanaged affairs?"

Picard assumed the coldly quiet attitude that was the only manner one could use with the Ferengi and stay sane. "If you wish, you may withdraw to another orbit and start your own negotiations. We will broadcast a disavowal of any relationship with you. By the way, who am I addressing?"

The face of the Ferengi went through several changes. First, he seemed to think that Captain Picard's suggestion was a good one, and then he seemed to wonder at hidden intentions. "I am Daimon Tar An. Leave our position? You're all that stands between the Romulans and us! Leave us to the wrath of the Kronatina that you have incurred? Make us sitting ducks for the Romulans?"

Captain Picard nodded his head quietly smiling. "It's your choice."

The Ferengi sneered. "Yes, and we do not choose your solution. We'll maintain our orbit as it is and we'll contact the Kronatina and open separate negotiations. When we are offered the friendship of one of their head coverings we will be somewhat more gracious than you, I assure you. And we do expect you to keep those Romulan mad dogs on their leash!"

Before Picard could voice objection or caution, the Ferengi had ended the transmission. Captain Picard stood staring at nothing for a moment, reviewing the events. He would have very much liked to have turned to Commander Riker at that moment and asked what he thought of the developments.

&&&&

When Picard had hit the floor of the transport room at a run, he'd also signaled Beverly. "Dr. Crusher, do whatever is necessary to get that hat off of my number one officer. Try not to injure the creature, but get it off!"

On hearing these words, Dr. Crusher picked up the instrument she had dug out of the deeps of the medical cabinet while listening to Picard's efforts down on Kron. A cylinder about three fingers in diameter and the length of a long hand, it had a thick wire extending outwards for about half the length of the cylinder. She had already checked that the self-contained power source still worked. When she pressed the small button on the side of the cylinder with her thumb, she could hear the faint sound as electricity made the wire hum. She had even tested the instrument out on herself. When the wire was touched lightly onto her skin and the button was depressed, she felt a faint and slightly annoying tingle. Just to be sure, she turned the instrument up to the highest level, which felt like she had been hit sharply with a pointed object but she suffered no physical damage.

Thus armed, she turned to the Commander. Speaking to the orderly who was standing at the head of the couch she said, "I want you to lift up that flap in front of his ear and jam your finger in and then pull up as much as you can. I'm going to then put the wire under the flap, and see what happens. You grab a handful of those feathers near the back and as soon as I turn this on, you get ready to pull." When the orderly found a purchase under the flap with one finger and wrapped a hand around and under the feathers at the back of the creature, Dr. Crusher bent forward and pushed the wire at the hundreds of fine cilia exposed and pressed the button with her thumb. Suddenly the young man was sitting on the floor trying to balance between falling over completely and not dropping the creature while Dr. Crusher was calming the suddenly aroused Commander Riker.

"Are you all right?" The doctor asked both men.

As the orderly nodded, he realized he had a contaminating object in his arms. He quickly put it on the floor and jumped up. At the same time, the groggy and disoriented Commander Riker tried to nod and raise himself. One eye on the orderly and one on Riker, assured that both were in no imminent trouble, Crusher pushed the still struggling commander back down. It was no contest.

"Doctor," called out the nurse still monitoring the terminal to one side, "the computer has come up with an antibiotic for Riker."

"Perfect timing! Get a dose into a hypo and give it to him," said Crusher while she was trying to get Will to focus onto her. "Will! Look at me, Will. It's Beverly. How are you feeling?"

Watching him struggle and fail, the doctor could see the exertion too much for him. She chewed at her lower lip as Riker passed out again, then checked the diagnostic readout and affirmed that his condition was slightly improved but still grave. Calling out to the nurse who was at the medicinal dispenser across the room she said, "Hurry with that hypo," and maternally brushed a lock of Will's hair from his forehead.

"Doctor?" The Lieutenant, Junior Grade, who was acting as orderly that shift, stood keeping a wary eye on the inert creature on the floor. "What'll I do with this thing?"

Beverly frowned down at the mass of colorful tendrils. "Use a pair of tongs to put it on a tray, and then put it on the diagnostic bed over there. When you're done, be sure and get a shot of the antibiotic for yourself."

"Suppose that thing can fly? Then what?" The orderly looked warily at the still unmoving creature.

"It's not a bird. In fact, I'm not even sure it can move on its own. It may be that the only way it can move is through being carried. Look, just do it." Beverly was trying to be sympathetic with the man's fears, but her patience was being strained.

While he did as he was told, the nurse hurried over to the couch and pressed the hypodermic instrument to Commander Riker's shoulder.

Just about then, she heard Captain Picard's voice, inquiring as to whether she had anything to report.

Dr. Crusher smiled. "Captain, yes, I have good news. We removed the creature from Will's head. It apparently doesn't like even the mildest electric shock. The computer came up with a vaccine and the nurse just now gave it to the commander."

"How is he? Is he conscious?"

"He gained consciousness for a moment but passed out again. I think he'll be just fine. He'll probably be awake and trying to resume his duties in another half hour or so."

The Captain's voice reflected his acknowledgment of his first officer's eagerness to perform his job, "Well, you keep him there until you are sure he's recovered. What about the creature?"

"I have it on a diagnostic couch now. I might as well check it out for any other communicable diseases."

"It's still alive then? Did it come to any harm?"

The doctor looked speculatively at the creature. As the orderly had placed it on the couch, she had asked him to please turn it, so the carapace and glittery eyes were turned away from her so the view was of the more flattering mass of feathers. "I wish I could say, but I just don't know. There's no indication of life, but then we had none before except for the word of the computer. I'll have to take a look at it and get back to you."

A brief pause from the captain. "How soon will that be? This creature seems to have a great significance to the Kronatina and our whole relationship is revolving around it at the moment."

Riker will probably stay asleep for at least the next few minutes. I'll run a diagnostic now and have the information immediately. Why don't you just listen in for a moment?" Beverly was already moving to the computer terminal nearest the couch that held the Kronatt.

"I'll stay in contact."

Dr. Crusher ran her fingers in a tapping dance over the control board of the terminal. She could have used the board that attached directly to the couch, but she chose to keep a distance from the thing that looked for all the world like something that only an exotic dancer would wear. The board on the wall lit up as well as the monitor on the terminal. "Yes, Captain. It's still alive and seems to register much the same as it did when we first monitored it."

"Good. Carry on as before. I'll allow it to be in your care so you can check it for disease. As soon as we can, we'll retrieve it and hopefully return it to its rightful owner. Keep me informed as to Commander Riker's progress. Picard out."

"Captain, one more thing?"

"Can it wait?"

"I just was thinking that perhaps Dr. T'Shing would be of more help on the creature."

Before the reply, there was a brief pause. Beverly knew Picard was going through a vast array of knowledge, reviewing the thought. "Ah, yes, of course. Good thinking! Anything else?"

"No, sir."

"Picard out."

TBC to Chapter 16

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