The captain and doctor were oddly quiet as they made their way down the corridor. Riker and Troi followed at a discreet distance, wondering just what had occurred on the shuttle. Unable to read their emotions, Deanna shrugged at Riker's unspoken inquiry.

"Number One," came the crisp command from Picard.

"Yes, sir?"

Without turning to look at the officers trailing behind him, he said, "I want you to call a meeting of all the senior officers in ten minutes."

"Sir?" Riker was puzzled.

Picard stopped so suddenly Riker and Troi almost bumped into him. His gaze inscrutable, he repeated, "Ten minutes. And, I expect everyone to be in uniform."

Gathered in the observation lounge, Jean-Luc Picard allowed his piercing gaze to linger on each member of his senior staff until they squirmed.

Projecting his intense aura of command, while keeping tight rein on his prodigious anger, he demanded, "Just what the hell is going on here?"

Five guilty faces looked away from the fuming bald man at the head of the table. They had all meant well. Each officer sitting at the table had witnessed countless moments in the relationship between the captain and doctor and had wanted nothing more than to go over, slap one of them, and shout, "Shut up and kiss, for chrissakes!"

It wasn't until they had banded together that they had found the courage to help the couple along. Although, based on the suppressed rage in Picard's eyes, things had not worked out as planned.

Realizing it could mean the end of all their careers, for sabotage was a court martialable offence, Riker did the only honourable thing he could.

Standing stiffly at attention, he said, "Captain Picard, I take responsibility for everything. The other officers were acting solely under my direction, and should not be held responsible."

Stifling the protests from Worf, Data, Geordi, and Troi with a glance, Picard turned his penetrating gaze on his first officer.

"And what," he asked in an icy whisper, "possessed you to embark upon an act of such colossal folly?"

Envisioning his career rapidly going super nova, Riker resisted the urge to smile as he replied, "Aliens made me do it."

"Aliens?"

"Yes, Sir," Riker replied, "Aliens."

Nodding once, and tugging on his uniform top, Picard addressed Riker, "Well then, Number One. That explains everything."

Unsure of where the Captain was going with this line of conversation, Riker risked a glance at Picard, "Sir?"

"Since you were obviously under the influence of an unknown alien force, I suggest you go with Dr. Crusher immediately and get yourself checked out in Sickbay."

Looking at the doctor, he continued, "Doctor, this alien life form must be unlike anything we have encountered before as it was completely undetectable by our transporters or security protocols."

Blue eyes glittering in anticipation, Beverly nodded.

Picard went on, "I expect you to run a thorough diagnostic on Commander Riker. We need to make sure he is no longer being influenced by these creatures."

Smiling sweetly at Riker, Beverly replied to the Captain, "Don't worry, Captain. I will perform every possible test to confirm Commander Riker's fitness for duty."

Riker gulped as her sweet smile took on an icy malevolence, "I will employ every long and uncomfortable test at my disposal. Rest assured, Captain, that no matter how painful this will be for Commander Riker, I will not stop, nor neglect my duty, to discover the source of the alien influence."

Nodding, Picard replied, "Excellent. Make it so." Looking around the room at the other officers, he said, "Dismissed."

As the stunned officers filed out of the observation lounge, Deanna Troi cast her thoughts towards her lover. He looked over his shoulder as he followed the doctor out, and sent a quick thought to his beloved, "You know, for a man with a reputation for having no sense of humour, he seems to have a remarkably dark and twisted one."

Trying not to laugh, Deanna Troi silently wished Will Riker good luck with his upcoming adventure in Sickbay.

Walking stiffly out of the turbolift, determined not to show weakness in front of the crew, Will Riker approached his chair and gingerly sat down.

Without taking his eyes off the computer panel in his arm rest, Picard inquired, "Everything alright, Number One?"

Gritting his teeth, Riker replied, "Yes, sir."

"And the doctor gave you a clean bill of health?" he asked.

"Yes, sir." Suppressing a groan, Riker replied, "She was… very… thorough."

"Excellent," he smiled.