I want to thank those who have stuck with this story so far. I hope you like this chapter and I haveone that should be up within the next few days. I just finished watching Heros Season 1 and I thought it was awesome... anyway I hope you enjoy and if you have any ides... feel free to message me.

shaw18

Star Trek the Next Generation

Rabies

Chapter 9

Conflicts Arise

Bashir walked into ten forward wearing his usual smile. Although he had just spent the last four hours working with Dr. Crusher on a cure to the virus, it was good to get off and relax. So far, neither of them was able to come up with a cure. They had a sample of the virus and whenever an enzyme was entered into it to counter the virus, the virus would just kill the enzyme.

Bashir walked up to Guinan who smiled at him as he approached her.
What can I get for you, Doctor?" She asked leaning forward.

"Oh um," Bashir began, "Hmmm, I guess I'll get a rakdajino."

"Coming right up," Guinan said reaching below her counter for a glass, "You know, no one ever orders it, except for the crew members visiting from Deep Space Nine."

"Really?" Bashir said reaching for his glass, "It does have an acquired taste. Well thanks," He said after taking a sip.

Bashir walked away from the counter and looked for an empty table. He did see a few, but one of them was occupied by Data. Bashir smiled and walked up to him. "Can I join you?"

"Of course," Data said watching Bashir sit in the chair opposite of him.

Data then turned and continued staring through the window at the stars. Bashir took another sip of his drink and then gave Data a strange look. "What are you doing exactly?" He asked.

"Humans often find it peaceful staring out into the stars," Data said not removing his gaze from the widow, "I am attempting to do so."

"And what is your verdict?" Bashir taking another sip of his drink, "Are you successful?"

"Not at all," Data said turning to face Bashir who smiled at him, "I am not able to perceive feelings."

"What does happen when you look out that window?" Bashir asked nodding his head in the direction Data was just looking.

"Nothing at all," Data said looking out the window briefly and then back Bashir, "The stars look like they always do."

"Maybe you are looking at them as if they are stars," Bashir said.

"Indeed I am," Data said, "But are they not stars?"

Bashir took a sip of his drink and then said, "Data, people don't look at them just because they are stars. They look at the beauty of the star and find that relaxing."

"When I look at the stars," Data said glancing out of the window, "All I see is the stars for being what they are."

Bashir chuckled and finished his drink, "Data, I love it."

Data looked at Bashir perplexed, "What do you love?" He asked.

"All senior officers report to the bridge," Picard said through a ship wide communication.

Data stood up and said, "I have to go now, but I would like to talk to you about this another time."

Bashir chuckled as he watched Data leave ten-forward. He stood up and shook his head. For a brief second, Bashir looked out the window and watched a star sparkle. For some reason he then sat down and began to watch the star shine brilliantly. "It looks so peaceful," He thought, "Too peaceful and completely unaware of the present situation."

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Thomas Riker took a sip of the warm milk and exhaled heavily as he sat in his bed. He finished the milk and set the empty glass on the floor under his bed. Thomas was looking forward in speaking with Troi the next day. He was hoping he would be able to renew the relationship he had with her before he left for the Ghandi.

Thomas closed his eyes and slowly fell asleep. As he drifted off to sleep, Thomas heard explosions and screams from the Ghandi being attacked from the Romulan ships. He exhaled annoyingly and turned over on to his stomach. There was another scream, this one louder and a lot closer. Thomas sat up in bed, waiting and ready for anything.

To his surprise, he found himself not in guest quarters on the Enterprise, but in his own quarters on the Ghandi. When he heard another scream, Thomas stood up and said, "Computer, lights."

The lights tuned on and brightness made him blink. Thomas quickly grabbed his phaser that was on his table and then ran outside, just to see Ensign Sanders run by growling. As soon as the doors slid open, Ensign Sanders stopped and slowly turned to face Thomas. What the hell?" Thomas said shocked.

Ensign Sanders had his whole nose missing. Blood covered the entire front of his uniform. Also part of Sanders' left arm seemed to have been gnawed off. In fact, the bone was visible, right by the elbow. Sanders growled and stumbled toward Thomas. "Are you okay?" Thomas asked taking a few steps backward.

Sanders did not answer and dove at Thomas. Thomas quickly moved out of the way and Sanders by the arm and back of the uniform. With a heave, he threw Sanders into his glass table.

Thomas heard it shatter but did not wait to see what happened to Sanders. When Thomas stepped out of his quarters, he was shocked to see blood splattered on the corridor walls. "Damn," He cursed as he walked down the corridor.

There was a sudden shrill scream. Thomas quickened his pace in the direction of the scream. Thomas stopped at Lieutenant's quarters and to his horror, he heard another scream. When he got close enough to the quarters, to his surprise, the doors slid open. To his horror, he saw Hudson on the floor and Ensign Wilkins was gnawing her neck. Thomas fired on Wilkins and Wilkins went limp. Thomas shoved Wilkins to the side and grabbed Hudson's hand. "You're going to be okay," Thomas said looking at her.

Hudson turned to Thomas and tried to talk, but only spit up blood. She made a gruesome choking sound and went limb. At that moment, Thomas woke up in a cold sweat on board the Enterprise. He stood up angrily and walked over to the closet. He grabbed his phaser and a pair of civilian clothing. As he changed into them, he had only one thought in mind; revenge.

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Troi watched in shock as two Romulan ships opened fire on the Romulan ship that was on route to the Neutral Zone. The smaller and not nearly as powerful ship was no match for the two Romulan war birds and was easily destroyed. Riker stepped up to Picard and asked, "Who was on that Romulan ship?"

Picard turned to his first officer and answered, "The cure, perhaps."

"So the Romulans killed their own people to prevent on us in getting our hands on the cure?" Troi asked standing up with a shocked look on her face, "I didn't think the Romulans would do that to other Romulans."

"These are dangerous times," Picard frowned.

"So now what are our plans?" Riker asked looking at Picard.

"Our plans?" Picard asked looking at Riker as he took his seat, "We wait."

Suddenly a siren went off and Picard turned to Worf. "Sir there is an unauthorized power up of the run about Uno."

"Who is it?" Picard asked standing up to face Worf, knowing they had about fifteen minutes until the Uno was fully powered up and ready to go.

"It is Lieutenant Thomas Riker," Worf said, "Should I send a team there."

"Captain," Troi said standing up quickly, "I don't think sending a security team there would be a good idea."

"What do you mean?" Picard asked turning to Troi.

"Thomas has been through a lot," Troi said, "I think it would be best if Will and I spoke with him."

"Make it so," Picard said giving Troi a good luck look.

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Dr. Crusher walked into sickbay after a six-hour restful sleep and even though she got that, much sleep she still felt exhausted. When she walked in, she was surprised to see Dr. Bashir there. "Good morning, sleep well?" She asked walking up to him.

"Sleep well," Bashir smiled, "I haven't slept in two days."

"You need your sleep," Dr. Crusher said returning a smile, as she walked up to the computer he was working on, "Have you made any progress with that genetically enhanced brain of yours?"

"You make it sound it like it is a disease," Bashir said with a frown, "And to answer your question, I have not made any progress. We are still on square one."

Dr. Crusher sighed and leaned against on one of sickbay beds. "Every vaccine we have tried against that virus just doesn't do anything. The Romulans really made a virus without a cure," Se turned to Bashir and took a couple steps toward him, "I mean that virus kills your nervous system and controls whatever body functions there are left, how can we cure what is already dead?"

"You do have a point there," Bashir said looking excited, "We can not cure what is already dead, but there is an alternative."

"And what is that?" Crusher said looking at Bashir perplexed.

"What if we create and anti-body for the virus," Bashir said watching Crusher begin to smile, "We can create something that will not cure the virus, just prevent it from working on its proper course."

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Thomas Riker was about to enter the Uno when he heard the Troi call his name. He reached for his phaser and stepped out of the Uno. "What do you want?" He asked pointing the phaser at her.

"You don't have to do this," She said calmly taking a step to him, "Just put the phaser down and we can talk about it."

"You think that will make everything okay," Thomas chuckled, "Oh no, no it won't."

"Drop your phaser," Will Riker said taking a step toward his deranged self.

"You don't know what I have been through," Thomas said shaking his head, "Even for a Betazid," Thomas paused and said, "I am sorry."

He fired on Will as Troi shouted and then he turned to her and fired on her. Thomas looked at both of the bodies briefly and then stepped into the Uno. He took a seat and began to fly it through the open shuttle bay doors. Once the Uno was clear of the Enterprise doors, it went to warp on route to the Maquis.