The Enterprise was closing to the crystal-like asteroid. This time, except of commander Riker, Geordi La Forge and Worf,, the away team was joined by two medical officers. They all set their fazers for stunning and kept them ready. Just in case. Teleported, they landed right next to the probe, peacefully collecting the samples of the ground. They realized that the sound of crunching under their boots was coming from the little crystals. They were all over the place, so many that it was impossible to not step on them. Geordi leaned down and took one piece to his hand.
"It is so clear." He said, watching it carefully through his visor. "Its structure is perfect. It has no irregularities. It is too perfect to be natural."
"Geordi, can you scan it and send us the results?"
"Of course, Data. I will take some more pieces, to compare."
The Enterprise's screen showed them a picture from Geordi's scanner. Only Data understood the colorful fluctuations completely and he looked intrigued.
"Geordi, can you show us the last piece again?"
Captain Picard gazed at the android.
"Do you understand something out of this, Mr. Data?"
"I think so, sir. The parts of these crystals show differences in their structures. Look." He pointed the fine lines at the screen, some smaller than the others. „Computer, magnify one hundred percent." More lines appeared on the screen, now they looked like magnified snowflakes. "These ones here come from Geordi's piece number one. The other belong to the other piece. The interesting part is, their internal connections differ. They are getting weaker."
Indeed, Picard could see the lines getting thinner and some of them disappearing.
In the meantime, on the asteroid, Riker took another piece to the hand and gave a sign to switch the Enterprise cameras to him.
"Data is right, sir! Look at this!" The crystal in Riker's hand was disappearing. After one minute, there was only a small mist in his hand, his fingers came through it and it vanished completely. The away team stared at the crystal debris by their feet. When they watched them longer, they could notice the subtle changes. Some pieces were dematerializing slowly, like that one in Riker's hand. Still, the general amount of them didn't seem to change.
"There are new ones appearing! Out of nowhere!" Geordi shouted in surprise, staring at the spot next to his left shoe.
"Alright," Riker interrupted. "Collect as much data as possible. Computer, are there any life forms on the asteroid, except of the Enterprise crew?"
"Except of the Enterprise crew members there are no life forms detected on the asteroid." The calm computer voice replied at the same moment when dr. Crusher called through the communicator.
"Captain, Deanna feels it again." There was a scream of Counselor Troi coming from the background. Picard looked at Data.
"Mr. Data, you have the bridge."
"Aye, Sir!"
As he got to the hospital wing, Deanna was already sleeping.
"I gave her a strong tranquilizer, she was in too much pain."
"I understand. Keep me informed."
"Jean-Luc, it can kill her if we stay here longer!" Beverly stopped him by the door.
"I know. How long can you keep her in this state?"
"I don't know. The shorter, the better."
"I get us away from here as soon as it's possible, Beverly."
He came back to the bridge and took a deep breath.
"Mr. Riker, can you hear me?"
"Aye, sir, loudly and clearly."
"The fun is over. If you don't find anything within the next ten minutes, get back here."
"Understood, Sir."
„Captain, if we had more time for the research..." Data started, but Picard didn't let him finish.
"Our being here is dangerous for our Counselor Troi. Her health is more important."
"Of course, Sir," the android nodded.
„Captain, I have found something!" they heard the voice of La Forge. They switched the screen again. Geordi was standing at the entrance of something that looked like a cave. It was about a hundred meters away from the probe.
"There is some glowing coming from inside," Riker conformed and took a few more steps. Carefully, holding their weapons ready, they came inside.
"Wow," commented Commander Riker again. The place looked like a salt mine back on Earth, but there the crystalloid walls were as transparent as a glass. With the smaller cascades of crystals growing out of them, like branches of a tree. They all were smooth on the surface. The flashlights in Riker's and his team members' hands reflected in them like in the mirrors, almost blinding them in the game of light.
"Mr Riker, we are losing you!" They heard the weakening voices from the communicators.
"There must be some interference here," Geordi stepped a little bit farther, scanning the place.
"Five more minutes!" He turned into a side corridor that seemed to be the source of the glowing.
"Be careful, Geordi!" Riker followed him and they got silent for a long while.
"Commander Riker? La Forge?" Worf also followed them, slightly concerned. He almost hit his head against the low ceiling when Riker showed up, running towards them quickly.
"Call the medics!" He said with a changed voice and they all hurried deeper inside.
"Oh my God…" One of the medical officers sighed.
Commander Riker was leaning over a girl lying on the ground. She didn't look older than twenty years old. Her long, dirty and tangled hair was partly covering her face, she was curled up in an embryo position and her arms were clenched up together on her chest. She was wearing something that used to be a dress. A blue, thin fabric was torn apart and her hands and feet looked livid and stiff from cold. But she was conscious. Barely, but Riker could notice her shiver as he touched her shoulder. If possible, she tried to curl up even more, not opening her eyes. Riker withdrew himself a little and sat on the ground next to her.
"We are from the Federation starship Enterprise, we have come to help you," he said very slowly and calmly, and waited. After a long while the girl opened her eyes. Her pupils widened and her face changed in an expression of a great surprise. Riker kept on sitting still, keeping his both hands on his knees. After another minute, he asked.
"Do you understand our language?"
This time the girl clearly nodded. Riker breathed out with relief.
"We can take you to our ship, to a hospital, and help you. Do you agree?"
After another long while the girl nodded again. The medics prepared the stretcher and Riker reached out his hand. But soon he realized that the girl must have been in that position for so long that it was impossible for her to move now. She also must have noticed that. Her face changed in the expression of making a painful effort and she moved her hands about two centimeters.
"Give her the thermal blanket first." He said and the medics got out a pile of silver colored fabric. Riker wrapped the girl in it and as gently as possible, he picked her up and put on the stretcher. They left the cave as quickly as it was possible considering the uneven ground and low ceiling.
"Mr Riker, what is going on in there?" Picard started and broke, surprised by the camera view. The visual connection was working again.
"Six ready for transport, Sir!" Riker called. They saw the familiar energy appearing and waited. Nothing happened. The fluctuations disappeared. They looked around, confused.
"It won't work as long as I am around." The girl spoke suddenly. They could hear a hint of resignation in her voice. Riker felt his protective instincts waking up. He smiled to her encouragingly and pressed the communicator.
"We have a problem, Captain. Our guest cannot be teleported. We need a shuttle."
"Understood, Number One. We are sending the shuttle craft. Stay on your current position and maybe try to find out more about our new friend.
"Aye, Sir!"
They surrounded the stretcher and waited, occasionally gazing at the sky with anticipation. The girl was lying still, not changing her embryo position. After a few minutes, Riker decided to try to talk to her.
"Why the transporter did not work?" He asked silently. The girl looked down.
"I am not sure. I know I can't... well, dematerialize myself. I have tried..." She broke as if the question evoked some fearful memories. Riker put his hand on her shoulder.
"It's alright. Don't be afraid. We can talk when you get better. I was just wondering, why we also couldn't.
"This place is cut off." She whispered. Riker looked surprised.
"Cut off? How?"
"I can't..." She weakened again and closed her eyes.
The shuttlecraft had finally arrived. To everybody's relief, they left the asteroid without further problems and soon carried the unconscious girl to the hospital wing. Dr. Crusher and Picard awaited them.
"When you found her, Troi felt a great relief and now she is sleeping peacefully." They looked at the girl. She was sleeping as well. Riker exchanged looks with the captain.
„It seems like our guest, intentionally or not, is transferring to Deanna what she feels. Amazingly strongly." Dr Crusher scanned the girl and shook her head in amazement.
"According to this she is human. She has some symptoms of light hypothermia; besides that, she is completely fine. She is not even dehydrated. Her brain waves are strange, though. It looks like they are more intense, like there are more connections, more than in Troi's case. That would explain the telepathy. I hope to know more when she wakes up. There is something very strange about her." She mused.
"What do you mean, Doctor?"
"Not sure yet. But if she was imprisoned over there, if she suffered like we have seen it judging from Troi's reactions, she should be in a far worse state. Her clothes are torn apart. That would indicate violence, but the scanner shows no physical injuries. Well, let's just wait for her to wake up and explain it herself. I want to examine her more closely now, that is, when everybody would leave the room." She stared at them meaningfully. Riker nodded.
"Oh, yes. Of course."
As the door closed behind them, dr Crusher smiled to the girl, amused.
"We are not going to examine you with all these men in the room, are we?" She said softly to the still sleeping patient. Slowly, she removed the blanket. The girl didn't move. She slept as hard as if she didn't have it for many, many days.
Back on the bridge, Riker reported further the happenings on the surface.
"That would explain why our computer didn't detect any life forms. Can you tell what is the source of this blockade? If you didn't land, nobody would ever find her. Somebody took a hell of effort to hide her. I wonder, who?"
"Let's hope she will be able to tell us. In the meantime, since everybody is safely on board, set the course back to the Space Station Two. We still have a chance to get there on time."
"Aye, Sir!"
The Enterprise speeded up rapidly, leaving the mysterious asteroid behind.
[Author's Note. Hi again! I know, it is still very much a beginning. But the things are about to get more interesting very soon. I won't be able to post every chapter as quickly as these two, but you won't be waiting long, promise!]