Author's Note: Thank you for all your support.
The title of this chapter is taken from Bowie's Starman.
The Enterprise will be returning to Earth soon. I'm very excited to leave the Neutral Zone behind (mostly) and move into the next and final phase of the Conspiracy arc (for now).
Some threads won't weave their way back into the story until later series instalments.
A note on phasers: there's a lot of information out there (some conflicting) re: phasers in canon. We've seen them painlessly stun, kill, cause burns, etc.
In this series, there are different settings including the classic 'stun' and ones that can cause more lasting damage (such as longer stun times, physical pain, and burns).
C/W: Violence, death, injury, substance use/abuse, and pregnancy.
Iconia
Captain Picard was both relieved and shocked when Data and Worf came limping into the command centre.
Data looked worse than Jean-Luc could have imagined. It was an eerie sight to see his Second Officer in such a state. Data's arm had quite literally been ripped from his body. There was a crack in the bioplast on his face. Biofluid leaked from a cut above his eyebrow.
He looked shockingly… frail.
"Data?" Picard asked.
Worf helped Data over to the console.
Raffi put her hand on Data's shoulder. She had only known him a short time—but she was worried about his condition.
"You okay, Commander?" Raffi asked.
"I will function sufficiently to complete our mission," he said.
Data squeezed his eyes. He grimaced. Data's power cell beat irregularly as his system fought to regulate itself. His neural net had struggled to function at full capacity ever since his encounter with the Iconian probe.
"Data—"
"Sir, there is little time," Data said in a strained voice.
It had taken Data and Worf far too long to return to the command centre.
"We have located a doorway—one that appears to lead to the Enterprise," Worf advised.
Data and Worf quickly filled the Captain in on their discovery. It wasn't foolproof. Hell, Data didn't even know if it was still a viable option.
"Captain, it appears the destination point shifts on a pattern," Data said.
"Then we just need to determine when it returns to the Enterprise," Picard said.
"If it returns, sir," Data cautioned.
There was no telling if the door cycled through the same series of destinations, how many theoretical end points existed, or how long it took to complete a cycle.
"I need to get into the system. It could take some time, sir. Which means, we cannot search for a way to destroy this installation until—"
"Until you understand the doorway," Picard realised.
Data nodded.
Jean-Luc closed his eyes and sighed.
"Data, do you have any idea how long it might take you to… decipher this doorway?" Picard asked.
The Romulans were in orbit. There was no telling how long they had—or how long it might take to destroy the installation (if they could at all).
"We can't allow this place to fall into Romulan hands," Worf warned.
"After we get the children to safety," Raffi said.
Captain Picard did not immediately answer. He turned to Data.
"Data, how long—"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!"
Raffi physically reached for Captain Picard's arm, pulling him to face her.
"After we get the children to safety," she repeated, undeterred.
Jean-Luc could empathise with her position.
"Lieutenant, you understand the importance of what this place represents. You said it yourself, your orders included—"
"As a secondary objective!"
Lieutenant Musiker was not going to back down.
"I looked those people in the eye. I promised that I would get their children to the Enterprise," Raffi argued.
She scanned the room in search of an ally. Raffi was stunned that Data was the first to voice support.
"Captain, we have an obligation to try and get the children to safety," Data said.
Jean-Luc blew.
"Dammit! You think I don't know that? Think of how many millions of children will be at risk if this facility were to fall into Romulan hands?" Picard fumed.
His anger evaporated.
"Data, is it even safe to bring the children through this facility?" Jean-Luc asked.
They'd already encountered one Iconian trap. There could be more waiting.
"Captain, I have calculated the odds. This is their best hope," Data answered. "Captain, I believe that I now know enough of the Iconian language to, as you say, 'skim' the computer for information. If you would only give me a few moments to try—"
Data paused.
"And Lieutenant Musiker has demonstrated enough knowledge of the language in addition to Worf's ability to safely navigate the passage, I have hope that if they were to begin moving the children—"
Jean-Luc put his hand up to stop Data. He shook his head in astonishment.
"Hope," Picard remarked, echoing Data.
Worf took his phaser in hand, making clear he was ready to embark on another journey through the labyrinth. Raffi held her breath as Picard scanned the control centre. Its vast computer system was massive—bigger even than the Bridge of the Enterprise.
Jean-Luc's gaze settled on Data, wordlessly asking for Data's honest assessment.
"Captain," Data pleaded.
USS Enterprise | Engineering
Geordi, Chief O'Brien, and a half a dozen Engineers were stuffed inside the main control room as they worked to bring the ship back online.
There were dozens more personnel working out in Main Engineering.
"Lieutenant?" Miles asked.
"Almost," Geordi replied.
Geordi had VISOR trained on the wall of control chips, monitoring each one to ensure it was completely offline before they proceeded.
For hours, a mysterious Iconian virus had plagued the Enterprise with malfunctions, misfires, and sudden system blackouts. The computer virus had destroyed her sister ship, the USS Yamato and the more than one thousand lives on board.
Geordi feared the same fate awaited the Enterprise.
If the Romulans don't do us in first. He thought.
Minutes before, the problem reached a fever pitch when the Iconian virus activated a long-range locator beacon—broadcasting the location of the Enterprise to anyone.
The Romulans.
Starfleet.
Geordi wasn't sure which prospect was more terrifying.
That beacon was what prompted Geordi to take action. Geordi and Chief O'Brien had killed power to the primary and secondary systems on the Enterprise in the hope of purging the Iconian virus.
Now, they could only hope their eradication had been successful.
Geordi couldn't actually see the virus itself—but he could monitor with his VISOR as each system went dark and cooled from the loss of power.
"Lieutenant?" Miles asked again as he checked the time.
Primary power was done. That included shields, navigation, sublight engines, and even life support in some areas of the ship.
For the time being, the Enterprise was one giant, derelict target floating in space.
"Geordi," Miles urged.
"Alright," Geordi said, giving the go ahead.
Miles O'Brien leapt into action.
"Reconnecting the secondary A2 chip," Miles said aloud.
"A2 is a go!" Geordi hollered, alerting the team out in the main work area.
"A2 is go!" Barclay repeated.
The order echoed from station to station and up the three different levels that housed the warp core.
"Secondary life support coming online for Decks 31, 32, 33," Sonya Gomez rattled off.
Geordi poked his head to check on the rest of the team.
"Rerouting power from subsection J14 Baker and J16 Oscar to sublight engines."
"Navigation control crystal confirmed clean—on your order, sir."
Geordi nodded to Lieutenant McIver. Then, Geordi tapped his communicator.
"La Forge to Bridge."
There was no response.
"La Forge to Bridge," Geordi said, trying again.
Silence followed.
"Hawksworth? Chu? Where are we at on comms?" Geordi asked.
"Working on it!" Chu replied.
Geordi rushed over. He urgently needed to get a message to the Bridge. Hawksworth and Chu were a great team—but they were up against difficult odds. It would be at least another ten minutes before they could restore audio communications.
"I'm sorry, Lieutenant," Hawksworth apologised.
"Don't be. Just keep working, alright?" Geordi assured him.
Geordi squeezed his shoulder and then made a beeline for the console in the centre of the room.
"I'm going to try sending an electronic message instead," Geordi advised as he typed away furiously on the screen. "And how are we coming on secondary systems? Lighting?"
USS Enterprise | Deck 3
Lieutenant Commander Logan strolled over to the built-in comms channel next to the sealed bulkhead. He tapped to open a channel to the Bridge.
"I repeat, we have detained four of your Security personnel," Logan said. "The personnel you sent to cut us off from access to the Bridge."
"They can't hear you," Tasha said.
Logan ignored her.
"We do not wish to escalate this situation, Captain. Come down here and speak with us and we will release the crew," Logan explained.
"They can't hear you," Tasha repeated.
Tasha had been so infuriatingly close to diffusing the situation.
Minutes earlier the ship had lost power. The team could already feel the cold of space starting to creep in. Tasha surmised that some systems were still active (they'd be dead otherwise). But emergency lighting, communications, and atmospheric controls were all offline.
It was the equivalent of throwing a match on a tinderbox.
Tasha and her team were already outnumbered. Emotions and fear ran high. Logan had done his bit to whip the crowd into a fury.
Tasha made a call.
Phasers down! Hold fire!
Now Tasha was kneeling on the floor along with three of her Security officers—Wu, Cevallos, and Phillips.
They had lost their phasers and their chance to diffuse the situation.
"Commander, please. This isn't benefiting anyone. Communications are offline," Tasha said.
She pleaded with Lieutenant Commander Logan to send everyone down to the conference room. It was a designated safety area. There were medical supplies and water. Blankets.
"It's obvious that people look to you as a leader," Tasha said, hoping to play to Logan's inflated ego. "As soon as communications are restored—I promise that we will establish a connection to the Bridge, and you can—"
"Do you believe this?" Logan roared.
A murmur went around the crowd.
Suddenly, Logan marched over to the hostages. He gripped Tasha's arm and yanked her up from the floor. Logan shoved Tasha along toward the bulkhead.
"You did this. You cut us off. Unlock it," he demanded.
"You know I can't do that," Tasha answered.
Logan aimed his phaser rifle directly at her neck, using the barrel to lift her chin. Tasha didn't flinch.
"Open it."
"No."
Tasha's refusal hung in the air. Everyone in the corridor held their breath. Tasha watched the perspiration begin to form at Logan's hairline. His finger twitched at the trigger.
"This is exactly what they want," Tasha whispered. "Don't let them do this."
Logan leaned back. His eyes narrowed as he considered Tasha's warning. Logan tapped the communication terminal again.
"Bridge. We have four hostages. Open the bulkhead!" Logan said, defiant.
He wheeled on Tasha. She shook her head.
"No. I won't," she echoed.
Tasha tried to direct his attention to the injured among them.
"They need medical attention. We can take care of that and… and wait down in the conference room. It will be warmer. More comfortable," Tasha pressed.
Logan snapped.
"Don't fall for it! She's trying to divide us so they can get the upper hand!" Logan fumed to the crowd. "It's a Starfleet Security tactic. This is just a ploy to pull us away from the Bridge."
Damn.
Logan was right. It was a ploy. But it wasn't simply about usurping the mutineers—it was a matter of safety.
Tasha put her hands up and pleaded with the crowd.
"We are all on the same crew. Procedure dictates we move to a designated safety zone—"
Tasha grunted as she hit the wall. She slumped to the floor, clutching her jaw where Logan's fist had popped her squarely on the chin. Tasha could taste the blood in her mouth.
"Open it," Logan demanded.
"No."
Tasha glared as she spit out a mouthful of blood.
Logan cranked his phaser up to level four. It wasn't enough to kill a humanoid, but it was strong enough to cause a significant blast. At that level, most humanoids would be incapacitated for a day or two and suffer some nasty burns from the nadion particles.
Tasha braced herself for a painful blast.
Instead, Logan turned and fired at Ensign Phillips. She collapsed to the floor.
"Open it," Logan asked again, this time taking aim at Ensign Cevallos.
"No," Tasha answered.
A second shot dropped Luis Cevallos to the floor. Tasha watched with concern as Commander Logan increased the setting.
"If I were to hit them again like this—"
"You have me," Tasha insisted. "Let them go. Let them get medical help. Comms are down! It's not like they can coordinate against you. You could send some of your people to guard them!"
Commander Logan sneered. He took aim at Ensign Cevallos.
"Don't," Tasha pleaded.
"SIR, NO!"
Lieutenant Casey leapt in front of Ensign Cevallos, bearing the brunt of the powerful stun setting—and sparing Ensign Cevallos's life.
USS Enterprise | Bridge
"Do we have anything?" Riker hollered.
All eyes were fixated on the Romulan Warbird closing fast ahead.
"Comms? Running lights?" Riker continued.
Jae and Hawk rushed for their stations.
"Ops is offline!"
"Helm's still down, sir."
Lieutenant Solis was at the back of the Bridge. She scowled as she tried to get a read on the Tactical console.
Riker heard the tell-tale sound of a system booting.
"What was that?"
"Our photo torpedoes are armed," Solis advised.
"Deactivate them!" Riker barked.
Solis made a face.
"Sir?"
"Deactivate them! NOW!" Riker ordered.
Riker was no fool. The torpedoes wouldn't do a damn thing against a Romulan Warbird—not when they had no targeting, helm control, or shields.
"The only thing those torpedoes are good for right now is making us a bigger target," Riker explained.
Lieutenant Solis shrugged.
"Sir, they armed on their own. I can't deactivate them," she protested.
"We need to get them offline. Jae—work on a way to communicate that we mean no aggression," Riker instructed.
Over on the Bridge of the Romulan ship, Subcommander Taris waited for a status update.
An Uhlan at the Conn turned in his seat to address her.
"Subcommander, scans confirm the Enterprise is dead in the water," he reported.
"Wait!"
It was a Centurion seated at the Helm.
"Their torpedoes are online. But they aren't… they aren't targeting anything," he added.
The lights on the Romulan ship flickered. They dimmed before suddenly humming back to life.
Subcommander Taris had strict orders not to destroy the Enterprise. She was supposed to stall for time until the rest of the Romulan Fleet could arrive.
And, if that wasn't possible or if the opportunity presented itself, Taris had orders to try and seize the Enterprise.
She considered the ship's misfortunate power situation a prime opportunity to move in.
"Should we fire?" the Centurion asked.
"Hold fire," Taris ordered.
If the ship was weakened, they could risk destroying it.
The door to the Bridge hissed open. Taris's attaché returned.
"Centurion Glabius and four strike teams are standing by," he reported.
Taris smirked.
"Excellent. We need eyes and ears there," Taris said.
She turned back to the viewscreen and stared at the derelict Enterprise as it drifted in space.
"Begin," Taris ordered.
USS Enterprise | Bridge
Commander Riker tore at the panel on the Tactical console.
"We have to get those torpedoes offline," he muttered. "If we can remove the armoury chip, it should reset the system and take them offline."
It was part of a safety override designed to kill the armaments in case the console itself was ever destroyed. No one wanted a ship firing at random.
Lieutenant Solis put her hand out to stop him.
"Sir, an engineer should really be—"
"We don't have one up here!" Riker barked.
Dammit!
He silently cursed Tasha's judgement in sending a hothead like Solis to the Bridge during a crisis. Riker immediately felt guilty. For all he knew, Tasha was compromised.
Riker tried to keep his attention focused on his work.
He skimmed the main control console that housed dozens of critical isolinear chips until he found the one in question.
Riker was about to pull the chip when the whole console went dark. The lights that indicated various emergency systems remained offline. The gentle hum fell silent.
In a flash, they all blinked to life again.
"It rebooted," Riker realised.
He hauled himself to his feet and watched as the system began to come back online.
"Sir! I've got helm control. Manual only—but it's back!" Hawk hollered.
"Ops is coming online. Essential systems only. Backups and secondary remain offline, sir," Jae advised.
"Shields?" Riker asked.
He was still waiting on the Tactical console to reboot.
Jae turned and shook her head.
They were still flying without protection. Well, sitting without protection.
"Can we transmit a message, a written message, to Engineering?" Riker asked.
"On it," Jae advised.
She turned back to the Operations console and began typing away.
"Keep it short—need shields," Riker ordered.
"Sir! Sir, we're getting a message from Engineering!" Jae hollered.
Riker abandoned his position near Tactical and raced for the front of the Bridge. Audio communications remained offline. Geordi had to use an older, backup system to transmit a written message.
Hard reboot. System coming. Working on shields.
Before Riker could announce the update to the crew, he heard the photo torpedoes hum to life.
"Lieutenant?!"
Riker whipped around and glared at the back of the Bridge. Lieutenant Solis was a metre back from the console with her hands in the air.
"I don't know, sir! They activated on their own!"
"Well, get them deactivated!" Riker urged.
Iconia
Data keyed in a series of commands.
Suddenly, the Iconian text lit up like a hologram at eye-level. Data's eyes flitted back and forth so quickly that they seemed to blur.
He swiped his hand and the text changed—almost as if he was changing the page of a book.
In a matter of seconds, Data was reading at a pace so fast that it looked like he was waving.
Worf and Raffi had just recently departed to begin shuffling the children from the Corsica to the Iconian doorway.
"Captain, you should accompany them," Data advised.
"We'll go together once you figure it out," Jean-Luc replied.
Without tearing his eyes away from the Iconian programme, Data laid it out for the Captain.
"Sir, it is likely that any command to destroy this facility will need to be activated from this location. It is unlikely that I will have any control over the countdown and therefore no ability to reach the doorway in time. You should go, sir," Data pressed.
"If it comes to that, you will show me how to activate the self-destruct. Is that understood, Data?"
Picard's meaning was clear.
For the first time in his existence, Data didn't protest. He was torn between his sense of duty and his desire to return to Tasha.
"Data, is that clear?" Picard asked.
"Yes, Captain."
A beat passed.
"Data, I hate to ask, but—"
"No, sir. I do not have an update… yet," Data added, almost as an afterthought.
Jean-Luc tried to keep his nervous disposition under wraps—but there was nothing that escaped Data's keen senses.
"Captain, I know that it must feel like a long time without an internal chronometer. But I have only been at this for two minutes and forty-nine seconds," Data said.
"And I did promise to give you five minutes," Picard acknowledged.
Jean-Luc strolled over to one of the computer consoles. He didn't touch anything—he was too frightened of throwing off Data's investigation. Instead, Jean-Luc occupied his mind by studying the symbols on screen.
He knew enough of the Iconian alphabet to identify a few terms. After a lifetime of study, his grasp of the language was rudimentary at best.
Jean-Luc glanced over his shoulder. Data was still completely engrossed in his work.
Picard felt a pang of jealousy that he would never understand the Iconian language to the same degree as his android friend. It wasn't the first time Data's abilities had evoked that feeling in Picard.
In truth, Picard was grateful for Lieutenant Musiker's intervention.
Even just the chance to spend five minutes more in the midst of the Iconian ruins was incredible. To stand in the very spot where the Iconians had once stood, where they had planned their age of discovery, where they had run their empire… it was enough to make Jean-Luc Picard feel like a speck of dust.
Jean-Luc knew that he had a duty to destroy it.
Yet, as a student of archaeology, Picard knew he would carry that burden with him for the rest of his days.
"What secrets you must hold," Picard mused aloud.
"Sir?"
"Nothing, Data. I am simply… thinking aloud."
Jean-Luc was itching to do something.
"Data, what if I were to—"
"No, sir."
Captain Picard stepped over to the adjacent terminal and tapped the activation switch.
"Perhaps, if I were—"
"No, sir," Data repeated.
Picard sighed.
"Forgive me, Data. I just want to—"
"I recognise it is your desire to help, Captain. But I am afraid that your questions mean I must expend additional neural capacity to carry on a conversation," Data said, chastising the Captain in a polite, yet firm, tone. "Captain, please. I would appreciate it if you would not touch anything. And if you could remain silent…"
All of sudden, Jean-Luc felt six years old again and on the receiving end of another stern warning after sneaking into his father's office.
Jean-Luc never thought he would miss the viewscreen. Even during the most monotonous of mapping missions, he still had the computer at his fingertips and a view of the stars.
Just when Picard was ready to tell Data that enough was enough, Data made a noise.
"Hmm."
Jean-Luc leapt up from his place and raced over to Data.
"Yes?" Picard prompted.
Data keyed in a specific command. In an instant, the lights dimmed. Jean-Luc gasped as a holographic representation of the galaxy lit up the room.
Certain points glowed green. A red light flashed, moving from point to point.
"Data… is this the doorway system?" Picard asked in awe.
"Yes, Captain. It is cycling through locations. I believe it is stuck on a cycle," Data advised. "I think that is why it appeared on the Enterprise."
Whenever the Iconians abandoned the facility, they had left the gateway 'stuck' on a loop in search of a suitable escape.
"It is looking for a specific set of parameters. It takes the system approximately three minutes to scan each location, determine viability, and 'redial' before moving on to the next target," Data explained.
"Can you alter the dialling sequence? Is there any way to direct it?" Picard asked.
"I am trying, sir," Data advised.
Jean-Luc nodded as he mulled over this development.
"If we can't reach the Enterprise, could we—"
"There are more than one million possible destinations, Captain," Data said.
Thus far, Data had not seen a single location repeated.
"It is, as you would say, 'sheer dumb luck' that we were present when the Enterprise appeared," Data said.
Captain Picard scratched his chin. Out of the corner of his eye, Data heard the shift in his posture and anticipated the Captain's restlessness.
"Sir," Data began.
He momentarily deactivated his research. Data directed the Captain over to a different terminal near the corner. It was near one of the communication channels. Data booted up the terminal and gave the Captain a quick tutorial.
"I had to tap into the mainframe and assess every terminal before I could study the doorway network," Data explained. "This station was used for base management."
Data pointed to a series of blinking lights in amongst the Iconian labyrinth.
"This is where Lieutenant Worf and Musiker are. And here are the children and Lieutenant Aarden from the Corsica. Please monitor their progress. You can help guide Worf through the ruins using the map," Data instructed.
"You're giving me a toy broom," Picard remarked.
Data cocked his head to the side and blinked.
"No, sir. This is not an antique cleaning tool," he said.
Jean-Luc chuckled.
"No, Data. You're right. When I was a child, my mother would often pawn me off with a toy broom if I got in the way," Picard shared.
"Ah, yes. Mimicry."
Data was familiar with that behaviour in humanoid children. He'd experienced it in his art classes. In particular, the youngest children were fond of doing whatever task Data demonstrated—particularly the portions of the class that involved cleaning their tools and tidying the space.
"Captain, please be sure they get there safely," Data said before he resumed his post.
Jean-Luc nodded.
He radioed Worf to let him know that he'd be monitoring their frequencies.
Captain Picard watched all those blinking lights as they walked two-by-two through the corridor. Jean-Luc was struck by realisation. Like the ruins he stood in that were the legacy of the Iconian, those children were the legacy of Captain Donald Varley.
"Mr Worf, take the next left," Picard advised.
And Jean-Luc was going to see them all safely home.
USS Enterprise | Bridge
"Why haven't they fired?" Lieutenant Solis asked.
It was the question shared by everyone on the Bridge.
The Enterprise was derelict. Shields were down. The Romulan ship was within range.
"Maybe they're experiencing the same power fluctuations?" Jae suggested.
"Or they don't want to risk an incident. That Romulan said they wanted us to turn back," Hawk reminded them.
"And maybe Abraham Lincoln appeared on the viewscreen and asked them to stand down? The point is, we won't know anything until we restore comms. And we need shields!" Riker barked.
Just then, as if the Romulan ship could sense their unease, it pulled away.
"What the hell?" Riker remarked.
They all watched as the ship set a course, leaving the Enterprise alone.
"Maybe they decided we're not worth it?" Hawk theorised.
"The Romulans? No. They're up to something," Riker said.
Hawk's hand hovered over the manual navigation controls.
"Should we pursue?" he inquired.
"Negative. Not until we have shields," Riker replied.
Lieutenant Solis scoffed from the back of the Bridge.
"We can't let them get away!"
Riker wheeled.
"And just what do you propose we do, Lieutenant?" Riker asked in a terse voice. "We have no shields. No weapons. No comms. We can't talk to them, shoot them, or defend ourselves!"
"Sir, we have an obligation to—"
"To everyone on this ship, Lieutenant!" Riker snapped.
Riker didn't even feel guilty for popping off at Lieutenant Solis. He'd reached the limit of what he could tolerate when it came to Solis's attitude.
"Come on, Geordi," Riker muttered under his breath.
Oh, Geordi. Our patron saint of last-minute engineering miracles. Hear my humble prayer! Riker thought.
USS Enterprise | Main Engineering
"Excuse me. Make room! Make room!" Geordi said as he pushed his way through the crowd of Engineers.
Tempers and temperatures were high inside the room as everyone worked to get their system assignments back online.
Suddenly, sparks flew. Lieutenant Robinson was blown across the room. He hit the panels on the opposite wall with a thud—knocking into Ensign McIver.
"Get that plasma fire out before it spreads! Ryu! Barclay! The emergency foam!" Geordi shouted.
He pushed his way back toward the direction where he'd come from.
Miles O'Brien rushed out from his own terminal and ordered everyone else to keep working.
"Get the shields up! We can't stop!" Miles ordered.
Geordi pushed his way back toward the starboard side where Robinson had been working on the ship's communications system.
Geordi fought the urge to visibly react. He didn't want to discourage the team.
In his haste, Robinson had reconnected two primary power coils with a 'quick fix.' They weren't properly sealed. He'd tried to come back and finish them after completing another task—resulting in a dangerous build up and energy.
"These coils are ruined," Geordi said, at a loss.
"That's at least an hour of work," Miles said as he observed the charred material.
Barclay approached the pair.
"Sirs, R-R-Robinson needs a doctor. A-and McIver is… erm—"
Barclay paused to dab the perspiration from his brow.
"McIver is unconscious. Could be a head injury from when erm… well, c-can we take them Sickbay?" Barclay asked.
"Reg, I need you working on the engines," Geordi said.
He scanned the room. They were already skint on staff. He couldn't spare anyone. Protocol dictated that the needs of the ship came before an individual medical situation.
"Clavell, get the emergency medical kit. Harper, leave the lighting for now. Slide in and take over for McIver," Geordi ordered.
Geordi turned to address the room.
"Be careful!" he hollered. "All of you. Be careful! No shortcuts!"
Geordi turned to Miles.
"Do you want to strip away this burned mess or run down for the spares?" Geordi asked.
"I'll get the spares," Miles said.
"Go," Geordi urged.
Back on the Bridge, Riker and the team lost sight of the Romulan ship as it moved beyond visual range.
At least some of the terminals had started to reboot.
Helm and navigation were partially restored. Hawk would still have to manually compensate for attitude control. They were limited to sublight engines.
"I'll take it!" Riker said.
At Ops, Jae had access to some limited systems. Environmental backups were functioning. Lighting remained offline. Turbolifts and security doors were still sealed.
"The bulkhead on Deck 3 remains sealed," Jae advised.
"Can you override?" Riker asked.
Jae shook her head.
"It was sealed using Lieutenant Yar's access code—security override."
"Can you see what's going on down there?" Riker asked.
"I'm sorry, sir. Life signs are still offline with the comms down," Jae said.
Riker gave her shoulder a supportive squeeze.
"Alright. Keep working on it," he said.
Riker turned and moved to head to the back of the Bridge. He wanted to get an assessment of the Tactical station without any additional commentary from Lieutenant Solis.
Riker was only a few steps when Jae hollered.
"Sir! Incoming message from Engineering!"
Riker raced back down the ramp to read the printout.
Shields back. Comms ETA 1 hour.
Riker stood over Hawk's shoulder. They both watched as the short-range sensors came back online.
"The Romulans are heading back to the planet," Riker realised.
In her present condition, the Enterprise was no match for the Romulans in a fight—but they couldn't risk the Romulans interfering with Captain Picard's mission.
"Your orders, sir?" Jae prompted.
"Solis? Raise shields. Hawk—set a course to follow that Romulan ship," Riker announced.
Engineering Storage
The turbolifts were still offline. That meant Miles had to climb down into the bowels of the ship to retrieve two fresh primary power coils for the comms relay.
Like many other key components, the coils could not be replicated. The team kept a handful of coils on hand in Engineering for emergencies.
They had already expended those replacing burnt coils from the fight over Lantera. They hadn't had a chance to replace them yet in the seventy-two hours or so that had passed since that battle.
Hours. Miles reminded himself.
He felt it in every fibre of his muscles. He felt it in joints.
Nevertheless, O'Brien pushed on. Geordi was counting on him to get back quickly with those spares. They needed to restore communications.
"Everyone on the ship is counting you, O'Brien," Miles said aloud to encourage himself.
What's new? He mused.
Miles O'Brien the unsung hero of the Enterprise—and that was just fine with Miles. He would be perfectly content to remain that way as long as he could go home to a pint and a comfortable bed.
And Keiko.
Keiko!
During their last conversation, Keiko and Miles had agreed that the wedding plans, guest list, and locations they'd butted heads over for months were all trivial.
Keiko had customs she wished to incorporate from her Japanese heritage. Miles too had sought to work in his own Irish customs. Keiko wanted to get married in a botanical garden in Japan. Miles had argued for a reception at his cousin's pub in Finglas.
They were both stubborn.
Keiko had told Miles that she wanted to marry him straightaway. Hell, he'd marry her right in Ten Forward as soon as they were clear of the Romulans.
We're really doing it. We're really getting married. He thought.
That feeling hit like a double-yield photon torpedo. By the time he reached the end of his climb, O'Brien was in a great mood.
He whistled while he poked around for the right box of spares. O'Brien snagged an entire box. He figured it couldn't hurt just in case something else blew.
Miles was nearly to the door when he spied a carton of backup plasma flow conduit replacements. They were a component prone to wear and tear—particularly under stress.
O'Brien was about to reach for the box when he heard a sound in the corridor. It was followed by a voice.
"Expandali. Tae. Hrrae'ev! Hrrae'ev!"
Miles froze.
The sound of heavy boots followed.
Many boots.
Think O'Brien! Think!
He had to hide (and fast). He couldn't leave the parts behind. Geordi was counting on him.
"Silentium," hissed the voice from before.
O'Brien snatched the carton of plasma flow conduit replacements and raced to get behind a tall storage shelf away from the door.
It was to his advantage the Engineering storage featured row upon row of floor-to-ceiling shelves packed with boxes. It was like a warehouse right in the belly of the Enterprise.
And Miles O'Brien knew each and every inch of that room.
Iconia
"Excellent. Now take the next left," Picard instructed.
"Sir?" Worf's voice came across the channel.
"It is a little longer route, but it will avoid the Iconian chemical storage."
Jean-Luc was doing his best to steer the children clear of anything hazardous as Worf's unusual wagon train wound its way through the ruins of Iconia.
"You're nearly there," Picard said.
"Good," Worf replied in a stiff voice.
He took his duty to see the children to safety with all seriousness—but some of the children made it feel more like a field trip than a rescue.
Worf couldn't blame them. They were struggling to cope with devastating grief, frightening circumstances, and days of isolation in Romulan space.
"We'll radio you again when we reach the doorway."
It was Raffi's voice that time. They had used a series of built-in Iconian communications devices dotted throughout the ruins to communicate as they travelled.
"Alright. I'll check in again in ten minutes. This is the control centre out," Picard advised.
Data's five minutes had turned into ten—then five minutes more.
Then he'd discovered the controls for the doorway map. That was good enough for Jean-Luc to give his consent for Data to proceed.
"Captain, as you know I devoted fifteen percent of my processing capacity to combing through all other Iconian files in search of—"
"Yes, yes, Data," Picard said, gesturing for Data to get on with it.
"I believe I have found something," Data announced.
"Oh? A way to destroy this place?" Picard asked as he continued to monitor Worf's progress.
"No, sir. It is about the fate of the Iconians."
Data's comment hung in the air. For the first time since taking over the monitoring terminal, Jean-Luc glanced over Data.
"Data?"
Picard's breath hitched. He visibly staggered in awe of such a revelation.
Data didn't even tear his eyes away from skimming the records for the doorway as he explained his discovery to the Captain.
"There is a reference in the logs to the final days of this facility. The Iconians were seeking a way to prolong their natural lifespan," Data shared.
Jean-Luc was disappointed.
"Well, that's hardly unique. At one time or another every civilisation in history has tried to buy more time," Picard grumbled.
He wasn't angry with Data. He was frustrated over the whole situation.
Of all the times that he wished he could read Iconian at an advanced level, Jean-Luc had never felt that desire burn as much as did standing in their command centre with the information quite literally at his fingertips.
Jean-Luc was tempted. He was very tempted.
"We don't have time, Data. I need you to figure out how to destroy this place so the Romulans can't use it. Look for that information," Picard ordered.
"Captain, that is how I discovered this," Data informed him before adding, "I believe they were successful."
A pregnant pause followed.
"Data, what are you saying? The Iconians survived?" Picard asked.
"In a way," Data replied.
He could be aggravatingly cryptic. Jean-Luc frowned. Data got the hint.
"Captain, I do not believe the Iconians were destroyed. I believe they… left," Data said.
Jean-Luc pinched the bridge of his nose. He was practically ready to strangle Data for details. One question burned in his mind.
"Where did they go?" Picard asked.
"Unknown," Data replied.
Data's arm shot out, stopping Jean-Luc a moment before his fist broke through the screen of a terminal.
"Forgive me, Data," Picard apologised.
He had been momentarily seized by the collective rage of centuries of dissatisfied archaeologists.
"Captain, if I may posit a theory? I believe that was the point," Data said.
That caught Jean-Luc's attention.
"Captain? Captain, we're at the doorway."
Raffi's voice rang out across the communications system.
A bitter laugh escaped Jean-Luc's throat.
"Data, if we survive this—I want nothing more than to spend the next ten years listening to you tell me everything," Picard said with a sad smile.
"Understood, Captain."
Data acknowledged Jean-Luc's implied order with a small nod.
"The partial destruction of this facility was likely intentional. I theorise we can use that to complete the process," Data said.
"Good," Picard said, feeling anything but.
He took another look around at the impressive room.
"Any luck on the doorway?" Picard asked.
"Not yet, Captain."
Picard's gaze settled on the monitoring screen and all the tiny, blinking lights that represented the children waiting for a rescue.
"Keep working, Data" Picard ordered.
USS Enterprise | Engineering Storage
Miles O'Brien held his breath as two Romulan shock troops stepped into the room and began a systematic search of each row.
O'Brien's hands were sweaty as he clung to the boxes of spares.
Miles crept along, hugging the shadows of each tall row of shelves. He barely avoided one, dipping into a side row just in time before the Romulan moved on to the next aisle.
He couldn't keep up the game of duck and dodge forever. Sooner or later, the Romulans were going to close in on his position.
There was a crawlspace in the far-left corner that contained an access point to the Jefferies tube network. It would be a long climb. Miles would have to go quite some distance out of the way in order to get back to Main Engineering.
He couldn't risk returning through the corridor. There was no telling how many more Romulans were out there.
But standing between Miles and his daring escape were two beefy Romulans armed to the teeth with disruptors, body armour, and stun grenades.
O'Brien needed a distraction.
He scanned the shelves in his immediate area and frowned. He was surrounded by personal protective equipment—masks, earplugs, coolant-resistant gloves and suits, goggles, safety vests, heavy duty boots.
Just my luck.
Miles cursed himself for having the audacity to make a crack earlier about the ship counting on him. En route to Lantera, O'Brien and Worf had shared a friendly argument over the merits of each department.
Worf claimed no mission could go on without Security. Miles had countered that it was really the Engineers that protected everyone.
What he wouldn't give now for ten of Worf all armed with phasers. Miles felt like a fool for having boasted that a sonic driver was the most important tool on the ship.
Oh.
Miles was struck with a flash of brilliance.
He carefully unlatched a carton of earplugs and slipped on a pair.
From what he understood, Romulans had superior hearing and were more susceptible to auditory damage from high pitched frequencies.
Miles cracked open the side of his sonic driver and cranked the device as high as it would go—well beyond the safety parameters.
Here goes nothing. Miles thought.
"AAARRGHH!"
The two Romulan troops in the storage room collapsed, clutching their ears in pain as they writhed on the floor.
Miles made a dash for the other side of the room. He nearly tripped over one of them and barely managed to keep hold on the spares.
O'Brien was just about to slip into the maintenance crawlspace when the door to the storage room flew open.
Four more troops poured in—and were subsequently brought to their knees. A disruptor fired, sending a shot across the room that grazed past and hit a box of nanopolymer panels.
Centurion Glabius, head of the strike team, stepped into the room.
He was a massive, heavily decorated Romulan soldier that looked positively chilling in his black strike team uniform and cape. He was nearly bigger than Worf.
And his helmet protected him from O'Brien's trick with the sonic driver.
O'Brien shrank against the wall.
Glabius barked orders into the corridor. O'Brien didn't need a translation. They likely carried ear protection for just such an occasion.
Glabius stepped over the body of one of his troops. It didn't take him long to spy the long Starfleet officer in his bright gold uniform huddled in the corner.
Miles fumbled to get inside the door as Centurion Glabius closed in on his position.
"Shit!" Miles cursed as he rushed for the Jefferies tube.
There was a sealable bulkhead ahead. If Miles could just get there in time, he could escape.
He punched open the overhead access and threw the spares up into the tube. Miles turned just as Glabius struck. O'Brien barely dodged his fist.
"STOP!" Glabius ordered.
His hand closed around O'Brien's throat. In one fell swoop, he tossed O'Brien back on the carpet like a ragdoll.
Miles scrambled to back away. Glabius growled.
In desperation, Miles looked for something—anything—he could use to defend himself.
Glabius dove and the two tussled on the floor. Miles was no match for the Romulan Centurion and Glabius easily got the upper hand. They rolled into one of the shelves, sending boxes toppling down.
Glabius wasn't even fazed as a particularly heavy box hit his body and rolled off. A hyperspanner flopped out onto the ground with a hefty 'thud.'
Miles had no desire to become a Romulan prisoner. He'd struggle right up to the point of hopefully being shot. He'd rather take a disruptor to the gut than suffer Romulan captivity.
So, Miles wasn't going to make it easy.
He reached for the hyperspanner and bashed with all of his strength.
Glabius's helmet cracked.
"ARGH!"
He screamed and rolled off of O'Brien, temporarily incapacitated as the high-pitched frequency of the sonic driver now penetrated his ears.
Miles didn't stick around. He scurried over to the crawlspace and right up the ladder into the Jefferies tube.
O'Brien slammed the hatch shut and sealed the bulkhead. With the spares he crawled off as fast as he could for the next bulkhead—one hundred metres down the shaft.
Only then did Miles pause to catch his breath. He flopped back against the sealed door. His chest heaved from exertion.
"Naebody is gonna believe me," he remarked.
Geordi checked the clock on the wall again. It was a climb, but Miles was long overdue.
With great reluctance, Geordi decided there wasn't a moment to spare.
"Pinto? Ekholm? I need you to go down to storage and check on O'Brien. Get a box of spare coils. Grab some extra power packs and a medical kit while you're there," Geordi ordered.
Just then, Miles O'Brien staggered into Engineering.
His thighs burned. His shoulder was in so much pain that O'Brien wished he had the power to rip it clean off.
He was out of breath, shaken, and bleeding.
"Chief?"
Miles passed the box spares off to Ensign Gomez. He took a step forward and collapsed, caught just in time by Reg Barclay.
Geordi rushed over and knelt down next to him.
"Let's get the medical kit!" Geordi hollered.
"Romulans," Miles panted. "Romulans. On the ship."
A collective gasp went around the room. Work ground to a halt. Ensign Dennison dropped his pliers. Whispers followed.
Romulans?
Did he say Romulans?
"He said Romulans," Ensign Bennet confirmed in a hushed voice.
Geordi dove into action.
"Martinez, Jang, Acre—grab phasers from the locker. Pinto, see to the Chief. Barclay you're with me," Geordi ordered.
Reg blanched.
"Wh..wh… what?"
"You're the next highest ranking officer on this level. I need two officers to seal the bulkheads. If there are Romulans down in the lower level, we need to be sure they don't get in here," Geordi said.
Martinez came running back with phasers. Geordi accepted one and passed a second to Barclay.
"The rest of you stay here and keep working. Prioritise communications. We're gonna need them! Martinez, guard the door with Jang and Acre."
Geordi turned to Sonya.
"Gomez, you're in charge. Get a message to the Bridge."
"What should I say?" Sonya asked.
Given their current communications breakdown, they had to keep messages short.
"Romulans. Lockdown. Will relay when Engineering secured."
Up on the Bridge, Riker ordered Lieutenant Hawk to keep their approach 'low and slow.' He didn't want to make any fast moves that Romulans might interpret as aggressive.
They were limited to impulse engines. If things turned hairy, the Enterprise wouldn't be able to make a fast break.
"Nice and easy. Let's maintain this distance for a while," Riker said.
They weren't in Iconian orbit yet. They were just close enough to get some readings from the Romulan ship.
"They've taken up a position in orbit around the planet, sir," Jae reported.
As far as Riker was aware, things were still on track in Engineering. Bit by bit the systems on the Bridge had started to return.
"I'm also showing power fluctuations on the Romulan ship. It looks to be similar to the issues we've been experiencing," Jae said.
"Hawk, can you inch us closer? Make it look like we're drifting in that direction?" Riker suggested.
If they were caught, he could try and claim it was unintentional.
If the Romulans bother to ask. Riker thought.
Suddenly, the door to the Captain's Ready Room slid open. Deanna appeared. She clutched her forehead.
"You should be lying down," Riker said.
Deanna squeezed her eyes shut. She grimaced.
"No. Will, something's changed," she said.
Deanna staggered. She clutched the frame of the door to stay upright. Will rushed across the Bridge to assist. Deanna protested against his attempt to redirect her back to the dark of the Captain's Ready Room.
Instead, Deanna pointed to her chair.
With Riker's help, she managed to make it across. She collapsed into her seat.
Will cupped her face. He was concerned for her health. Betazoids could suffer brain damage when confronted with overwhelming emotional input.
"Deanna," he said softly. "I know everyone is frightened and angry, but—"
Deanna clutched his hand. She gripped it so tight that Riker winced in pain.
"Aggression. Will, the ship is in danger," she said.
She groaned in pain.
"Do you mean following the Romulans? We should turn back or… or stay?" Will guessed.
Deanna shook her head.
The pain was so intense it felt blinding behind her eyes. Deanna's sinuses burned. Every time she opened her mouth, Deanna feared she would vomit. It was difficult to speak. It was even harder to think.
"Captain Picard?" Will tried.
"It's here," Deanna choked out.
Riker was grasping at straws. He looked to Solis.
"Do you sense any new Romulan ships? Maybe they have backup inbound?"
It was always a possibility.
"Sir! Sir!" Jae said, her voice growing in intensity.
Riker couldn't leave Deanna. She was ready to fall off her chair.
"Sir! A message from Engineering," Jae said.
"What is it?" Riker demanded.
Jae turned in her chair. Riker's heart leapt to his throat in fear.
"There are Romulans on the ship," Jae said.
Iconia
Jean-Luc glanced back over his shoulder.
He suspected that Data could sense they were out of time. He seemed to be working even faster than before to try and find a way to use the doorway for an escape.
Picard had already internally agreed to give Data five more minutes—and that had been ten minutes ago.
Jean-Luc watched the little glowing life signs in the great hall where the doorway sat. They mingled about but were largely well-behaved. No one had run off or appeared to be misbehaving (at least from Jean-Luc's perspective).
With great reluctance, Jean-Luc tore his eyes from the screen and turned back to Data.
"Data," Picard said.
"Hmm?" Data replied.
"It's time."
"Understood, sir."
Data did not stop working.
Jean-Luc counted the seconds in his head.
"Data—"
"I understand, Captain. I am just—"
"Data," Picard said in a stern voice
Data was bending the rules in an effort to find a solution.
"Data, I admire your spirit. I do not want to give this order. Please do not make it any harder for me to—"
Data immediately deactivated the holographic reading and whipped around.
"Captain, I have found a way to complete the destruction of this facility. However, as we are not presently facing any direct Romulan threat—I request permission to continue searching for a way to get the children to safety," Data said.
Jean-Luc was torn.
"It only takes a moment to initiate the procedure. It cannot be overridden or disabled," Data advised.
"You're saying that you could do it quickly in the event of say… Romulans beaming in here?" Picard clarified.
"Yes, Captain," Data answered without hesitation.
Picard still wasn't convinced.
"Have you found any leads on the doorway?" Picard pressed.
Data hesitated.
"Data."
"No, sir," Data replied.
Picard blinked in disbelief.
"No? As in nothing? You have found nothing?"
Data had been searching for nearly two hours for answers on the doorway.
"You found clues about their demise. You discovered how to blow this place to kingdom come but you haven't found anything about the doorway?" Picard scoffed.
Data's brow furrowed.
"I apologise, Captain. There is more than a… millennia of information to comb through and—"
"But it's the doorway! The very thing these people were known for!"
Jean-Luc was apoplectic.
"It is what the Iconians are remembered for creating. However, there are no contemporary accounts to verify if the doorway network was as profound as the importance we place on it. For all we know, it could be no more special than our own turbolifts or—"
Picard made an unintelligible noise of exasperation. Data fell silent.
"You're right. You're right," Jean-Luc acknowledged. "Keep looking. I'm going to notify Worf of our situation."
Worf was over by the wall. One of the older children had encouraged the children to draw in the dust on the floor. Others had simply flopped down, their little legs exhausted from the journey. Some of the older children sat gossiping in a circle.
A group of kids sat in front of the doorway, watching each different destination like it was a video log.
"This is boring," one remarked.
"Can you believe people used to sit and watch things like this?" another one asked.
"Ugh. I hope we don't go there!"
Lieutenant Aarden sat on the steps by the doorway. She too was wiped from the walk through the ruins. Raffi kept her phaser rifle close. Like Worf, she was on guard and ready to leap into action.
"Mr Worf?"
It was Captain Picard.
Worf tapped the communication crystal.
"I am here, Captain."
"Good… erm… good."
Picard paused.
"We're still working on the doorway. Please sit tight. We'll keep trying and erm… just erm… wait there and—"
The tone of the Captain's voice was not lost on those waiting. A look passed between Worf and Raffi. Lieutenant Aarden looked resigned. Even some of the older children could hear it.
There was no hope of using the door to escape.
"Should we head back for the Corsica?" Worf inquired.
"No, no, no!" Picard said quickly—too quickly.
There was no way for the ship to escape. If, on the off chance the Enterprise appeared again, Picard didn't want to risk losing the chance to get the children to safety.
"Mr Data is working hard. We'll keep you apprised," Picard said. "We've erm… we've made progress on our secondary objective."
Picard didn't have to spell it out.
The older children began to whisper. One started to cry. Two friends shared a hug. Another got up and began searching for her younger brother.
"Where's Billy? I want to be together when it happens," she said.
Everything came to a stop. All eyes fell on Worf. He knew he was about to lose control of a dangerous situation.
"Please remain calm and—"
"Are we gonna die?" a little boy asked.
"Are… are our parents coming?" another asked, panicked.
"I don't want to be here anymore! I want to go home!" a third cried.
"Please remain calm," Worf repeated, louder.
Some of the children rushed forward to Lieutenant Aarden. They fought for space. They just wanted someone familiar to hold them.
"Hey, hey, hey! Everybody relax!" Raffi called out.
It was no use. A chorus of tears and questions and angry outbursts followed.
Why can't I go home?
I have to potty! I'm hungry! I want my dog!
Where's Captain Picard?
Where's my mummy?!
On the other side of the radio, Picard heard all of it. His heart ached.
"Captain, I—"
"The doorway, Data?"
"No, sir. I—"
"Whatever it is, Data, hold that thought."
Jean-Luc dreaded a crowd of children. But he feared he had no choice.
"But, Captain—"
"Data, I think I'm going to have to go down there and explain to the children that we're… working on a plan," he said with a heavy sigh.
Anything to restore order.
Back in the room that housed the doorway, chaos reigned.
Raffi had to physically stop three teenagers from wandering off.
"Whoa. Not a good idea," she warned.
"Are we prisoners? Why won't you tell us what's really going on?" one demanded.
Some of the children sobbed. Siblings and friends rushed to hold one another. For those alone, it was enough to bring tears of confusion.
Worf tried his best, but he didn't cut a warm and cuddly figure. The exhausted legs and hungry tummies only added to the frustration.
Arguments followed.
Some children feared their parents were dead. Others disputed that assertion. One child claimed they were all being held as part of an illegal experiment.
"We're going home!"
A chorus of 'shut up' followed.
"No! We're going home!"
One particular argument caught Lieutenant Aarden's ear.
There was one little boy seated in front of the doorway. He hadn't taken his eyes off it since he'd first spied the great passage.
"See? It's the Yamato!"
"That's not the Yamato, Liam! That's the Enterprise!"
Aarden turned and followed his line of sight to the doorway. She gasped.
"Lieutenant? Lieutenant Worf?" she hollered.
It took Worf a moment to hear her above the crowd.
"Lieutenant!" Aarden shouted.
Worf cast the children near the wall a stern look, warning them not to disobey and run off. He pushed forward through the crowd until he was close enough to see the door.
"Oh, look! That's that dishy Commander Riker! I met him when they came on the Yamato," one of the older kids said.
"See? It told you it was the Enterprise," another child said, chiding his friend.
Indeed, Worf was staring at the Bridge of his own ship. He could see Lieutenant Solis at the Tactical station. Riker was near Deanna. She looked to be in distress.
Worf raced back to the communication interface and punched the crystal.
"Captain! You did it! The Enterprise is back!"
Over in the command centre, Picard looked to Data for an explanation.
"Curious," Data remarked.
"Data!" Picard snapped.
"Captain, what I was trying to tell you before is that the Enterprise has appeared again on our sensors," Data said.
He pointed to a dot on the screen overhead.
"The ship must have moved out of range. It is not in orbit above the planet yet, but it appears to be drifting in that direction," Data said.
"Drifting? As in 'adrift?'" Picard queried.
He didn't like the sound of that.
"Unknown. It could be adrift. However, based on the speed and subtle repetition of movement, I suspect the ship is attempting to give the impression it is adrift," Data shared.
Jean-Luc's eyes fell on another ship overhead.
"Because of the Romulans," he muttered.
"That is likely," Data concurred.
If the Romulans were back in orbit, that meant they couldn't risk allowing the Iconian ruins to fall into their hands.
"Sir, the ship is here," Data pleaded.
"Right."
Picard tapped the communications array.
"Mr Worf. Stand by. Get the children ready to evacuate," Picard said.
The children rushed for the door, pushing to be the first onto the Enterprise.
"We're going home!"
"We get to see the Enterprise!"
A cheer went up from the crowd.
"Whoa! Hey! Form a queue! Form a queue!" Raffi shouted above the crowd.
She walked along, urging the children to form a line. The kids continued to push. They were all worried they would miss their chance.
"I promise, we're all going to get through. Please, form a line," Raffi instructed.
"Data, how is this possible? And is it safe?" Picard asked.
Data's fingers danced across the Iconian terminal.
"Captain, I believe the doorway has reestablished a connection to the Enterprise. It could be due to the ship's proximity."
He theorised that if it was like their last experience with an Iconian gateway, the children would simply step through and emerge on the Bridge of the Enterprise.
"However, I cannot know for certain," Data cautioned.
"What does your gut say?" Picard asked.
Data knew the Captain wasn't referring to his actual abdominal cavity.
"That the odds are the best chance we have," Data answered.
Worf stood impatiently next to the communications interface as he waited for orders.
"Mr Worf?"
Picard's voice rang out.
"Yes, Captain?"
"I want you to go through. Signal to Lieutenant Aarden if it is safe. Then begin moving the children," Picard said.
Worf baulked.
"Captain, should Lieutenant Aarden not go first?"
"No, Worf. I'd like you to go. I suspect it will be quite a shock when you appear on the Bridge. It would help explain the situation to have a friendly face make first contact," Jean-Luc advised.
He could only imagine the officers on the Bridge were under immense pressure.
"But, sir. I gave my word that I would—"
"Worf," Picard said knowingly.
He didn't have time for a lecture about Klingon honour or sacrifice.
"You have your orders, Mr Worf," Picard barked.
His voice dropped to a much softer tone.
"Your honour is not in question," Picard added.
"Acknowledged."
Reluctantly, Worf explained the situation to Raffi and Lieutenant Aarden.
"I will signal like this if it is safe to proceed," Worf advised. "If you do not see a signal from me or if you do not see me at all—do not walk through."
Worf stepped up in front of the doorway and turned to address the children. Worf scooted the children back and then drew a line in the sand. He put on his best stern face and issued a warning.
"You are not to step past this line until you have permission from Lieutenant Aarden," he ordered.
Dozens of pairs of tiny eyes stared up solemnly. One little girl raised her hand.
"Why?"
"Because if you do, you will never get to go home," Worf cautioned.
Three more hands shot up.
"Why?"
"Because you could wind up on a planet thousands of lightyears away," Worf explained.
"Why?"
Worf was about to lose his cool. Raffi stepped forward and put her hand on his harm.
"Because it's a magic door," she said.
"Ooooooh. Why didn't you just say so?" the little girl remarked.
Raffi nodded to Worf.
"Thank you," he muttered.
"Catch you on the other side, muscles," she said.
Worf turned and stared at the eerie image of the Bridge. He took a breath and rolled his shoulders as he prepared to step through.
Worf lifted his leg and then stumbled. The door shimmered. The image of the Enterprise vanished.
Worf's heart sank.
He snapped for all of the children to remain in place. No one was to move.
Worf marched to the back wall and tapped the communicator.
"Captain?"
"Worf?"
Jean-Luc was surprised to hear his voice.
"I gave you orders, Mr Worf."
"Captain, the door has shifted. It's moved on to a new destination," Worf announced.
Jean-Luc closed his eyes and prayed for patience.
"Data, tell me we didn't just blow our once chance to save those children?" Jean-Luc asked.
Data left his spot at the terminal and tapped the communications crystal.
"Worf, do you recognise the location? Is it one of the places the door displayed before?" Data inquired.
He explained that if he could identify the destination, Data may be able to calculate the pattern.
"Yes, I recognise it. No, it was not visible before," Worf answered in a stiff voice.
Data perked up.
"What do you see?" Data asked.
"Romulans," Worf growled.
Worf found himself staring at the Bridge of a Romulan warbird. He had studied enough schematics to recognise the design. The two Uhlans at the back were a dead giveaway.
"It is likely the Romulan ship we encountered in orbit," Worf said.
Data was so consumed in his thoughts that he didn't register Worf's comment.
"Data?" Picard asked. "Data, did you hear Worf? It's probably the ship—"
"Yes, Captain."
Without another word, Data raced back to his terminal and punched in a series of commands. He skimmed through thousands of Iconian documents in a matter of seconds.
"The gateway is programmed to search for viable M-class destinations," Data said.
"Yes. You mentioned that before," Picard said.
"The approach of the Enterprise must have triggered a mechanism designed to prioritise proximity," Data said.
Data still had no ability to control the doorway's dialling sequence.
"So, it's still random?" Picard asked.
"Correct. But it may feature more frequently in the rotation," Data said.
He checked his internal chronometer.
"The doorway was locked to the Enterprise for four minutes and thirty-eight seconds. That is our window," Data said.
Jean-Luc tapped the crystal.
"Worf, we think it's going to come up again. Be ready to move. You have a small window of time."
Worf was grateful the Captain kept his voice low. With everyone crowded around the door, Worf was able to keep that nugget of information from spreading. He didn't want to incite fear.
Worf quietly informed Lieutenant Aarden and Raffi of the situation. Then he turned to address the crowd.
"Now then, we are all going to the Enterprise," Worf began.
The children cheered.
"Once I have stepped through, Lieutenant Musiker will give you orders. You are not to proceed until she has cleared you for departure. Is that understood?"
They couldn't afford to have the children rush the gateway.
"And if she orders you to wait, you must," Worf emphasised.
He explained the doorway was on a loop and they may need to wait until the next trip.
A little boy toddled forward and stared up at Worf.
"What if we don't make it? Are we stuck?" he asked.
"What did I tell you earlier?" Worf asked.
The boy scrunched up his face as he tried to recall their conversation on the shuttle.
"Oh erm… that today is not a good day to die," he said.
"Correct. And today is not yet over," Worf said.
Jean-Luc stared at the glowing dots on the monitor. They all waited, standing by in neat little rows two-by-two for the chance to escape.
The chance to survive.
"Data, this has to work," Picard said.
"I cannot control it, Captain," Data said.
He paused.
"But I do hope it works," he said.
USS Thomas Paine | Bridge
Lieutenant V'del turned in her chair to address Captain Rixx.
"Sir, I maintain the Enterprise on sensors, but there is still no word from the ship," she advised.
"They might be flying radio silent," he said.
She nodded in agreement.
For the last few hours, the Thomas Paine had conducted a sweep of the area in search of the Corsica. During that time, they'd been monitoring a handful of Romulan ships moving toward Iconia. They'd been unable to locate the Corsica or make contact with the Enterprise.
"Something else?" Rixx prompted.
"Yes, sir. You may want to see this."
Rixx ordered V'del to put it on the viewscreen. The image of a nearby planet was replaced by a visual of the long-range sensors.
Rixx frowned as he studied the screen. In the corner, near the Romulan/Klingon Neutral Zone, was a large mass.
"We just picked this up, sir," V'del reported. "At their current course, they'll be within range in a few hours."
Rixx rose and strolled forward as he studied the path.
"That's a lot of ships," Rixx remarked.
Based on their point of origin and general direction, they looked to be headed for Romulus.
"Romulans?" V'del asked.
"Could be. The Third Fleet is stationed in the Carrayan system," Rixx said as he rested his hands on his hips. "Or it could be Klingons."
V'del shared a look with her counterpart over on the helm.
"Klingons, sir? To… assist us?" the helmsman asked.
"Maybe," Rixx said.
He resumed his seat and tapped his fingers on the armrest.
"Should we send a long-range communique?" V'del asked. "We could encode it."
Technically, the Klingons were their allies. But Rixx knew the history between the Klingons and the Romulans was far more complex than any treaty with the Federation.
"No. Set a course to rendezvous with the Enterprise. I don't want to wait around and find out what that fleet is up to," Rixx ordered.