7. THE CAVE
Captain Rank assured Dr. Ender that she would have been informed about any new discover, hoping so to break free from the uncomfortable presence of the colonist.
"It will take many hours to complete the sensor sweep" Data confirmed in a conciliatory tone.
Suddenly they heard a fearful noise and a cloud of debris and dust ejected from the cave entrance. The men inside the gorge shouted, surprised and frightened. When the silence finally returned, the officers realized that a cave – in had just occurred.
"The tricorder says that a big part of the ceiling has collapsed, at about 150 meters from the entrance" Lt. Ris explained, trying to regain control of herself.
"Have you ever registered geological instability in this area, doctor?" Data asked.
Dr. Ender looked startled like everybody else. "No, never" she assured.
While pondering the different possible explanations of the cave – in, Data heard a slight sound from inside the cave. But it was not simply a noise, it was more like a voice. The android turned quickly.
"Can you hear that?" he asked the others.
"Hear what?" Denise replied, puzzled.
"Come, hurry!" Data urged, running to the entrance of the cave. Now the voice could be heard easily. It was a repeating distress call.
Denise entered right after Data and recognized the voice immediately. "B'rent!" the woman exclaimed with apprehension.
Without wasting time, Data removed the piled up rocks, at a speed so high that the others had to look away to avoid dizziness.
In a few moments the android reached the Salusian ambassador, completely covered by debris. "Take my hand" he instructed, lifting him over the layer of rocks.
Fortunately, the man looked unharmed with only some minor scratches and bruises.
"B'rent, are you all right?" Denise asked immediately.
"Yes, I'm okay" he answered, slowly beginning to breathe normally again. "But Troi is still down there" he added with urgency.
"What?" the woman exclaimed.
"We found and underground tunnel. She was just head of me and the breakdown must have stuck her" he explained rapidly.
Captain Rank did not lose her tamper and tapped the com – unit on her uniform.
"Rank to Nimitz" she called. "One of the caves down here has just collapsed and Counselor Troi is still trapped. Lock on her signal and beam her out!" she ordered.
But the answer from the transporter chief was not exactly the one they had hoped for. "I'm sorry, sir, but I can't get a lock on her" the technician explained. "Commander La Forge is attempting to reinforce the transporter beam".
"Acknowledged" Denise replied. "Do the best you can".
While the woman talked with the ship, Data was keeping removing rocks so to create a passage to the basement. As he finished, the android turned on the flashlight and directed it inside the hole.
"Is that the right direction?" he asked B'rent.
"Yes, I believe so" the young man answered, still confused.
Denise activated the communicator again. "Rank to Troi. Can you hear me, Deanna?" she called.
When no answer arrived, Data tried again himself. "Data to Troi. Do you hear me, Counselor?"
Again, there was no response. Their hopes to find Deanna still alive were getting lower and lower, when Data took his decision. "I'm going inside" he announced.
B'rent protested animatedly. "You can't go down there. After the cave – in the situation has become unstable. The tunnel can collapse at any moment!"
"That is exactly why I have to go" Data replied, unmoved. "If Deanna is still alive she is going to die very soon" he explained resolutely. Then, he turned to Denise. "Captain?"
"Be careful" the woman recommended, authorizing the rescue attempt.
So, Data descended into the opening, trying not to stress the structure too much. The others remained outside the passage, enlightening the dark tunnel with their flashlights.
"He can't do it" B'rent whispered.
"He can" Denise replied decidedly. "He's the only one who can".
They heard Data calling Troi again. At the third attempt they could finally heard a low answer, surely from Deanna.
"Data?" the Betazoid called.
The android traced the direction of the voice to locate the counselor.
"Deanna" Data replied. "I am here. Everything is going to be all right" he added, doing his best to reassure her.
And finally he found the woman a few meters away from him. "Data to Rank" he called. "I have found her. She is stuck under the rocks. Be ready".
Above them, Denise, B'rent and the others waited for their two colleagues, holding their breath. At first, they heard a series of worrying noises and saw clouds of dust. Then, finally, Data reappeared taking Deanna with him and pushing her towards the exit. They caught Troi from above and raised her outside. Data emerged shortly after.
Deanna did not look in good health conditions. Apart from some bruises in different parts of her body, she found it difficult to breathe and had a severe cough.
Even Data, on his part, took the signs of their little misadventure. The synthetic skin on his hands was torn in several spots.
"What happened?" Denise asked with apprehension.
"The damage is not serious" Data pointed out. "There was another breakdown while we were still inside" he explained.
"Rank to Nimitz" Denise called. "We have a medical emergency. Four to beam up".
When Jean – Luc Picard reached the small sickbay of the Nimitz, a few moments after the away team had beamed up, the situation was firmly under control. Counselor Troi looked quite all right and was talking with her companions. Anyway, both her and B'rent were being monitored continuously. Scrupulosity was one of Beverly Crusher's main distinctiveness. At a small distance, Dr. Crusher herself was completing the replacement of the synthetic skin on Data's left hand. A routine procedure, after all, but to Picard it seemed a highly difficult task.
After getting the first impression, the admiral approached Beverly, hoping to be reassured that everything was working smoothly. "Report" he said.
Beverly turned off the equipment she was using on Data and left it on the bio – bed.
"Everybody's fine, Jean – Luc. I would like to keep here Deanna for observation a little longer. But there's nothing to worry about".
Picard nodded and moved toward Counselor Troi. "How are you feeling, Deanna?"
"I'm all right, sir" the Betazoid answered. "Thanks to Data. Without his help, the second cave – in would have most likely killed me".
"What happened? Why were you inside the cave?" Picard wanted to know.
"Counselor Troi and I were sensing something empathically" B'rent explained, preceding Deanna.
"It's true, sir" Troi confirmed. "We were going to investigate".
Picard looked startled and curious at the same time. "What kind of perception? He asked.
"It was a generic sensation" Deanna said, fighting to clarify what she had experienced. "It's very difficult to explain. In B'rent's opinion it was a kind of vital energy".
"That's right" the Salusian confirmed. "I'm sure there was someone inside that cave".
"How can you be so sure?" Picard asked.
"It's quite simple. Something or someone stopped us. For me that means that somebody was there and didn't wish to be…disturbed".
In that very moment, Data approached the three of them. "This theory is most intriguing" he said. "In fact, Dr. Ender told us they had never experienced any geological instability in that specific area".
For a few moments Picard pondered the events occurred in the last few hours. "Do you believe it possible that the missing colonists are still trapped inside that cave?" he asked.
"It would explain Dr Crusher's analysis" Data offered, with his usual efficiency.
"As for me" Deanna interjected "I could not perceive any human life signs. But to tell the truth, anything I felt has a clear meaning".
"B'rent?" Picard asked, wanting to hear the Salusian's opinion as well.
"Unfortunately, I have nothing enlightening to offer, Admiral".
"We are not making any progress here" Picard commented eventually. "The only thing we could determine is the sure connection between the disappearances and those caves".
"Why don't we go down there to check them out?" B'rent suggested enthusiastically.
"No" the admiral replied decidedly. "Nobody will go down there again, until we know more".
In that very moment, they heard William Riker's voice. "Riker to Data. Our sensors have detected something interesting. Report to the Bridge, please".
"Acknowledged, sir" Data replied, approaching the exit.
B'rent followed the android next to the door and stopped him. "Data, can I talk to you for a moment?"
"Of course, Ambassador".
B'rent smiled, remembering it would have been the third time he told Data not to call him that way. So, he decided to give up. "I just wanted to say that I'm very happy for the opportunity to work with you and to get to know you".
A quizzical expression appeared on Data's face. As usual he did not bother to try and hide his surprise.
"Forgive me, Ambassador, but I was under the impression that you did not like me" he said with sincerity. "Am I to assume that what occurred on the planet made you change your mind?"
B'rent shook his head. "No, it's not that. I have to admit that your braveness impressed me, but my opinion about you was already completely positive".
Data kept staring at the Salusian, astonished.
"Look, there are a couple of things you must learn about me before you can say you really know me" B'rent went on enigmatically. "However, I hope we can become friends".
"I hope it as well" Data replied. Then, after a brief moment of hesitation, he added "B'rent".
When Data left, the young Salusian remained before the closed door for awhile, feeling proud of himself.