Chapter 4

Ornotian Rhapsody

Meanwhile, Riker and the Entreprise team have arrived on Ornotia in the capital city, Notgnihsaw. Riker is with LaForge as he is trying to help the Ornotians engineers modify their engines to escape the vortex attraction while Doctor Crusher is working in the Central Hospital laboratory trying to find a cure for the disease.

Geordi: … Their warp engines are very different from ours, Commander. We are not able to create a warp bubble.

Riker: Is there no other way than the bubble?

Geordi: That's the direction we're taking, however, no obvious solution is appearing.

Riker: All right. Do your best, Geordi. I'll check in with Doctor Crusher.

Riker, walking away, taps his combadge.

Riker: Riker to Crusher.

Doctor Crusher (in the laboratory): Go ahead, Commander.

Riker: Any progress, Doctor?

Doctor Crusher: No progress on the remedy. However, I have a lead on the source. It seems related to some unknown bacteria that travels through water. I'm getting anomalous readings on water samples but I'm not able yet to isolate the bacteria. It doesn't seem indigenous to this planet or we would already have been able to isolate it.

Riker: So it was probably brought and placed here. Just like the vortexes.

Crusher: Exactly my thought. Someone is trying hard to incapacitate the Ornotians. My colleagues from the Amabocare Health Institituion have already alerted the authorities. I hope I will soon have isolated the bacteria and started working on a cure.

Riker: All right, Doctor. Keep working, I'll try to coordinate with the authorities to help them investigate how this bacteria was introduced.

Crusher: I'll inform you on any progress. Crusher out.

Riker (addressing the security officers): Mister Eeman, you stay here with Commander LaForge. Dupoc and Dupok, you're with me.

Riker, accompanied by the security officers, is now conferring with the head of the local police authorites, Major Haras Eiznekam.

Major Eiznekam: The Central Hospital has already contacted us and alerted us about possible intruders. In fact, two days ago, we had received a report about two men behaving strangely that were observed near one of the main water collection facilities of the city. We already sent the descriptions of the two men to the police forces around the planet but we didn't realize the importance of this fact until we recevied this new information. I have since sent instructions to accelerate the search since. Maybe we'll have more in a few..

(A knock is heard on the door)

Major Eiznekam: Yes ! Enter.

(A man enters the room)

Major Eiznekam : Commander Riker, here is my second in command, Captain Krik.

Captain Krik: Sir, Commander, we just got a report that one of the two men corresponding to the description we sent out was seen a few hours ago in Greatbird, a village located near my hometown of Ratofcan. He went by the name of Spick.

Major Eiznekam: Thank you for the update, Captain Krik, I want you now to do the voyage home to Ratofcan and launch the search for Spick, search everywhere even in the undiscovered country and do not stop until you reach the final frontier.

Krik: Yes, sir. I'll go right away.

Eiznekam: Well, Commander Riker, we'll do our best to locate these two men and interrogate them, we will of course keep you updated as soon as we have new information.

Riker: Of course, Major. Thank you, please don't hesitate to tell us if you need any help.

Eiznekam: I think we can handle this on our own but thank you for your offer, we will consider it if needed.

A few minutes later, Commander Riker is back on the Enterprise and conferring with Captain Picard in his ready room.

Picard: Well, the mystery is deepening more and more, let's hope they find these men quickly.

Riker: Major Yzokras seemed to be efficient enough, don't know though about her men and women. Any news from Beverly or Geordi ?

Picard: No, nothing new there. In the meantime, I'll tell Worf to prepare some security drills, there are still too much unknowns and we don't know yet what we'll have to face.

Riker: Agree. Well, apart from that, we'll just have to wait for the time being.

Next morning, 1200 hours, Commander Riker is on the bridge and preparing to contact Doctor Crusher and Commander LaForge for an update. He has not yet received any new information from Major Eiznekam.

Riker (taps on his combadge): Riker to Doctor Crusher.

Doctor Crusher: Yes, Will.

Riker: Any news ?

Crusher: Not really, my Ornotians colleagues and I think we are progressing on finding a cure but we still have found nothing concrete yet, getting more information about what substances were used should help us a lot, any news from that side ?

Riker: Not yet, Beverly, still waiting for the local authorities to contact us, I'll get back to you as since I have any news. Thank you, you're already doing a great job, let's hope we can help you more.

Crusher: Thank you, Will. Crusher out.

Riker (taps on his combadge): Riker to LaForge.

Commander LaForge: LaForge here, sir.

Riker: Any progress on your side ?

LaForge : We think we have made progress, we think we have now a good lead on finding a way to tweak the Ornotions warp engines to prevent them from being rendered unoperative by the vortices but I think it will at least take two or three more days to be able to implement it and having it functionning correctly.

Riker: All right, keep up the good work, Geordi, please send me short progress reports every two hours or so.

LaForge: Will do. LaForge out.

A few minutes later..

Commander Worf: Sir, we have a message from Major Eiznekam.

Riker: Finally.. On screen, Mister Worf.

Major Eiznekam (from her office): Good morning, Commander Riker.

Riker: Likewise, Major, I trust you have new information for us ?

Eiznekam: Yes, good news, the two men were captured earlier this morning, they should be in a few minutes in Zartacla, our main prison, I'm on my way to start the interrogations, I'll come back to you, as well as to Doctor Crusher and her colleagues at the Central Hospital, as soon as we have any information.

Riker: I would like to attend or observe if possible ?

Eiznekam : Unfortunately, it is not possible, our judicial system prevents any outside authorities from being present during an interrogation or even observing. But do not worry, you'll have any new information as soon as we have them.

Riker: All right, Major. I'll be waiting impatiently for information on your part. Riker out.

A few hours later on the bridge.

Picard: Nothing yet from the local authorities, Mister Worf ?

Worf: No, sir, nothing at all.

Riker: It sure its taking time, I hope they know what they're doing.

Picard: We don't know anything of their interrogation techniques, maybe they take their time ?

Worf: Let them send us the prisonners and I will interrogate them, you won't have to wait this long..

Picard: If it was possible, we would surely try, but I'm not about to snatch some prisoners from the hands of our guests, they're anyways more concerned than us by what is happening, let's let them do their job as they see fit.

Worf: Sir! I have a message from Major Eiznekam.

Picard: Speaking of the wolf in the fold.. On screen, Mister Worf.. Major Eiznekam, this is Captain Picard on the Enterprise.

Major Eiznekam: Captain, Commander, I have important news, it took some time to extract the information from the prisoners but we have now learned several things. First, the two men are indeed Ornotions but they are working as agents for the Twobeans secret services, they were contacted the last time a few days ago and were given substances to try to introduce them in the water distribution system.

Picard: Any information about the substances used ?

Eiznekam: That was the second important information I had, they don't know precisely but they still have some flasks of them, they revealed to us where was their hideaway these last days. Our men should be on their way back with all they found there, I instructed them to take them directly to the General Hospital so they can be immediately examined there.

Picard: Thank you, Major, at least, now we're progressing, any other information ?

Eiznekam : Nothing to mention for now but we're continuing the interrogations. Eiznekam out.

Worf: We have another message, from Fisrt Rumsas Amabo, he is asking to talk to you privately.

Picard: OK, patch him up to my ready room.

Worf: Aye, sir.

A minute later, Captain Picard is at his desk in his ready room and addressing Amabo on his screen.

Picard: Yes, First Rumsas ? Captain Picard speaking, good morning.

First Rumsas Amabo: Good morning, Captain. I was informed you were just talking to Major Eiznekam, I trust you have the last news about the two captured men.

Picard: Yes, I have.

Amabo: That is very disturbing information for us, it all but confirms that the Twobeans are behind all the problems we're having these two weeks, and there's actually not much we can do until we find a way for our warships to circomvent the vortices.

Picard: Our engineers are there to help but from what I understand, there a few days away from finding a solution. Is there another way you think we can help ?

Amabo: You are helping us more than enough, which makes me hesitate of making my next request..

Picard: What request ? We'll be happy to help in any manner we can.

Amabo: I was hoping to ask you if you would accept to go back to the Twobee system with the new information and to see if the situation has changed there, and if not, maybe this new information we have will make them more cooperative, but it may also have the contrary effect, that is why I was hesitant to make this request.

Picard: Indeed, but it may not be a bad idea, I think anyways it's better than staying here and waiting for things to happen, we do not know exactly what is happening there and even a few more days delay may chnage the situation there and worsen your problems. I will confer with my senior staff and I will give you a response in two hours.

Amabo: Thank you, Captain, we are more than grateful for your help in these dark days, I will await your answer, Amabo out.

Picard (tapping his combadge): Picard to Riker.

Riker: Yes, sir ?

Picard: Will you arrange meeting of the senior staff at 1400 hours ? Try to get Beverly and Geordi to attend too.

Riker: Aye, Sir.

1400 hours, in the observation lounge, Picard, Riker, Crusher, Data, LaForge, Troi and Worf are seated around the table in the observation lounge.

Captain Picard: Thank you Beverly and Geordi for taking from your busy time these days to attend, what are the last news on your side ? Doctor ?

Doctor Crusher: We have now received the flasks with the unknown substance used by the two Twobeans spies. They are now being analysed, the analysis is not done yet but it surely will accelerate our search for a cure. We hope we will have something in two or three days.

Picard: OK, thank you. Geordi ?

Lieutenant LaForge: We are now fair certain that we are going the right way to solve the problem with the Ornotians warp drive and the vortices, I think we should have a ready-to-use solution in two or three days too.

Picard: Good work, Geordi, and Beverly of course. Now, to the main subject of this meeting, Prime Rumsas Amabo has asked me if we would be ready to go back to the Twobean system with the new information, without waiting, to see if the situation has changed there and if they would be more cooperative now we have the information about the Twobeans spy.

Worf : Of course we should go, we have been staying idle long enough !

Riker : But we'll be alone since the Ornotians ships can't travel there for now.

Worf : We are ready to defend ourselves if needed, Captain.

Data : I agree with commander Worf, Sir. And we don't know what happened there since we were there last, maybe if we wait a few days more, the situation may get still worse than it is. If we see there any real danger on the Enterprise, we can still get back here to the Ornotian system which is well defended.

Picard : Thank you. So it's decided, we'll go back to the Twobean system with the new information and see what happens. Beverly and Geordi will stay here and continue the work they have started.

Bridge, 2 hours later

Captain Picard : Ensign Limansky, set course to the Twobean system, warp 6.

Ensign Limansky : Course set, Captain.

Picard : Engage !

[TO BE CONTINUED]

Stay tuned for chapters 5 ("It's never or now") and 6 ("Heal the planet"), and the epilogue ("Ze End").