Read Online Star Trek: The Next Generation: Starfleet Academy #6: Mystery of the Missing Crew by Michael Jan Friedman - Free Book Online
Authors: Michael Jan Friedman
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gravity on the ship, though we’re still not quite certain how that occurred.” He paused. “Maybe if you run into one of them, you can shed some light on the situation.”
Sinna laughed softly. “Perhaps we can at that.”
CHAPTER
7
Data didn’t blame the Yann on the bridge for not believing him. He found it a little hard to believe himself.
“Are you sure?” asked Odril.
The android nodded. “Quite sure.”
“All six of them?” inquired Felai, looking skeptical.
“All six,” the android confirmed.
“But the computer told us they were immobilized by anomalies in the artificial gravity system.”
“They were,” replied Sinna. “But it was Data who created the anomalies in the system.”
“But how could he have done that?” pressed Lagon. “How could he have gotten access to it?”
“He gained access via the ship’s auxiliary control center,” Sinna explained.
Odril’s eyes opened wider with admiration. “The auxiliary control center,” he echoed. “Of course. I passed it just this morning. You know, you can be a useful being sometimes, Data.”
“Yes,” Felai chimed in. “When it comes to technical expertise, at any rate.”
The android didn’t take offense at the remark. Perhaps if he’d had emotions, he would have felt differently. But as it was, he saw Felai’s opinion as just that—an opinion—and left it at that.
Sinna, on the other hand, was not content to let the comment lie. “Data has helped us in other ways as well,” she reminded her fellow Yann. “Or have you all forgotten how he handled the aliens just a little while ago?”
Felai grunted. “He didn’t keep them from attacking us.”
“No,” conceded Odril, eyeing the android. “But he kept them from seeing how vulnerable we are. And in the end, that may turn out to be the key to our survival.”
“Odril’s right,” observed Lagon. “Besides, what have any of the rest of us accomplished? We couldn’t even locate those stupid hand phasers we were looking for.”
“The phaser supply cabinets were protected by security safeguards,” Felai pointed out.
“Data would have found a way to bypass them,” said Sinna.
The android was beginning to feel uncomfortable at being the center of a controversy. He told the Yann as much, but it didn’t seem to do any good. Whereas once they had all seemed of one mind, circumstances had forced them to take up their own, individual positions—at least for the moment.
The conversation would certainly have continued … except for a flashing light on the communications panel. Lagon scanned his monitors, then looked up at them.
“They’re hailing us,” he announced. His eyes met Data’s. “What should we do?”
The android took less than a second to make his decision—though he wished he could have made it with more confidence. “Answer them,” he said simply, placing himself in the captain’s seat once more.
Abruptly the scene on the viewscreen changed. Where it had earlier displayed an image of the alien ship, it now showed them the skeletal face of that ship’s commander. And if he was less than pleased before, he was positively grim now.
“As you can see,” the alien intoned, “we mean what we say. Rest assured, those robots were only a taste of what is in store for you—and a mild taste at that—unless you move off, as we have instructed.”
Unfortunately, Data could not have complied with the alien’s wishes even if he had wanted to. The Yosemite ’s propulsion system was still useless. And as long as that was the case, neither he nor the Yann were going anywhere.
On the other hand, the ship’s phasers were back online. And by eluding the aliens’ robots, they had given the phaser batteries an opportunity to charge up. All he had to do was give the word and they could blast away at the other vessel.
“As before,” the alien warned, “you have five lunar millicycles. Be certain you make the correct choice, Captain Data. The lives of
Sinna laughed softly. “Perhaps we can at that.”
CHAPTER
7
Data didn’t blame the Yann on the bridge for not believing him. He found it a little hard to believe himself.
“Are you sure?” asked Odril.
The android nodded. “Quite sure.”
“All six of them?” inquired Felai, looking skeptical.
“All six,” the android confirmed.
“But the computer told us they were immobilized by anomalies in the artificial gravity system.”
“They were,” replied Sinna. “But it was Data who created the anomalies in the system.”
“But how could he have done that?” pressed Lagon. “How could he have gotten access to it?”
“He gained access via the ship’s auxiliary control center,” Sinna explained.
Odril’s eyes opened wider with admiration. “The auxiliary control center,” he echoed. “Of course. I passed it just this morning. You know, you can be a useful being sometimes, Data.”
“Yes,” Felai chimed in. “When it comes to technical expertise, at any rate.”
The android didn’t take offense at the remark. Perhaps if he’d had emotions, he would have felt differently. But as it was, he saw Felai’s opinion as just that—an opinion—and left it at that.
Sinna, on the other hand, was not content to let the comment lie. “Data has helped us in other ways as well,” she reminded her fellow Yann. “Or have you all forgotten how he handled the aliens just a little while ago?”
Felai grunted. “He didn’t keep them from attacking us.”
“No,” conceded Odril, eyeing the android. “But he kept them from seeing how vulnerable we are. And in the end, that may turn out to be the key to our survival.”
“Odril’s right,” observed Lagon. “Besides, what have any of the rest of us accomplished? We couldn’t even locate those stupid hand phasers we were looking for.”
“The phaser supply cabinets were protected by security safeguards,” Felai pointed out.
“Data would have found a way to bypass them,” said Sinna.
The android was beginning to feel uncomfortable at being the center of a controversy. He told the Yann as much, but it didn’t seem to do any good. Whereas once they had all seemed of one mind, circumstances had forced them to take up their own, individual positions—at least for the moment.
The conversation would certainly have continued … except for a flashing light on the communications panel. Lagon scanned his monitors, then looked up at them.
“They’re hailing us,” he announced. His eyes met Data’s. “What should we do?”
The android took less than a second to make his decision—though he wished he could have made it with more confidence. “Answer them,” he said simply, placing himself in the captain’s seat once more.
Abruptly the scene on the viewscreen changed. Where it had earlier displayed an image of the alien ship, it now showed them the skeletal face of that ship’s commander. And if he was less than pleased before, he was positively grim now.
“As you can see,” the alien intoned, “we mean what we say. Rest assured, those robots were only a taste of what is in store for you—and a mild taste at that—unless you move off, as we have instructed.”
Unfortunately, Data could not have complied with the alien’s wishes even if he had wanted to. The Yosemite ’s propulsion system was still useless. And as long as that was the case, neither he nor the Yann were going anywhere.
On the other hand, the ship’s phasers were back online. And by eluding the aliens’ robots, they had given the phaser batteries an opportunity to charge up. All he had to do was give the word and they could blast away at the other vessel.
“As before,” the alien warned, “you have five lunar millicycles. Be certain you make the correct choice, Captain Data. The lives of
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