Read Online Star Trek: The Next Generation: Starfleet Academy #6: Mystery of the Missing Crew by Michael Jan Friedman - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Michael Jan Friedman
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your crew will depend on it.”
Data was not surprised when the skeletal visage disappeared. At least that aspect of the commander’s behavior was becoming quite predictable to him.
A silence settled on the bridge. Data looked around and saw that his companions were all staring at him—perhaps because he was the one in the center seat.
“What are we going to do?” asked Odril. “We can’t just sit here and let them blast us to atoms.”
“We don’t have to,” Felai pointed out. “Not when we can blast them first . If our phasers are operational again, we can beat them to the punch.”
The android nodded. “I came to that conclusion more than a minute ago.”
“Then why didn’t you give the order?” Felai asked impatiently. “What are you waiting for?”
Data turned to the viewscreen. Why indeed? What was stopping him?
“Because,” he said at last, “there is something wrong here.”
Odril’s voice rose an octave. “Of course there’s something wrong. We’re in danger of being completely and utterly destroyed—unless we act first.”
The android shook his head. “No,” he murmured. “That is not what I mean. There is something wrong with this entire situation. Something that does not make sense.”
Sinna came over to stand at Data’s side. The android saw her out of the corner of his eye.
“Data … what is it?” she asked gently. “What are you thinking about?”
“Is it not strange,” he asked, “that the aliens chose to send robots aboard our ship, rather than engage in a more conventional form of attack? One might almost deduce that conventional weapons were not an option for them—even though their ship is clearly designed to carry such weapons.”
Sinna’s eyes narrowed as she pondered the question. “You’re right,” she told him. “That was a strange way to open hostilities. But if they’re not able to use their weapons—”
“Then why are they threatening to fire on us?” inquired Odril, finishing the question for her.
“Perhaps,” the android offered, “it is a bluff. A misdirection.”
“You mean they’re lying ?" asked Lagon. “But for what purpose?”
If he were human, Data would have sighed. “I do not know,” he responded.
Still, there had to be an answer. Perhaps by analyzing what they knew about the aliens, they could reach it. Turning to the others, he said as much.
“What we know about them?” repeated Felai. “But … we know nothing at all .”
“No,” objected Sinna. “That’s not true. We know they need to eat and breathe as we do, because they have the same kind of facial features. And their level of technology is about the same as ours.”
“We also know they have transporters,” grumbled Odril, “or they couldn’t have beamed over those robots.” He glanced worriedly at the viewscreen. “But I don’t see how that knowledge is going to do us any good—particularly if we’re wrong about their weapons not working.”
Suddenly the android had an idea. “Our transporters are working, too,” he observed.
“For all the good it does us,” snorted Felai.
Sinna peered at Data. “I see what you’re getting at. In both cases, our transporter systems work. But, if your theory about their weapons not working is correct, then our conventional weapons don’t .”
The android nodded, grateful for her assistance. “It may be that we are all in…” He tried to think of the proper expression. “…the same boat,” he concluded at last.
“But we don’t know that their weapons aren’t working,” argued Odril. “You’re just guessing about that.”
“And besides,” added Lagon, “if they were in the same situation we are, their crew wouldn’t be on the bridge. It would be gone, as ours is.”
Data turned to look at him. “Perhaps their crew is gone,” he said.
Lagon’s brows met over the bridge of his nose. “But they can’t be,” he insisted. “We’ve seen them.”
“We have seen aliens ,” the
Data was not surprised when the skeletal visage disappeared. At least that aspect of the commander’s behavior was becoming quite predictable to him.
A silence settled on the bridge. Data looked around and saw that his companions were all staring at him—perhaps because he was the one in the center seat.
“What are we going to do?” asked Odril. “We can’t just sit here and let them blast us to atoms.”
“We don’t have to,” Felai pointed out. “Not when we can blast them first . If our phasers are operational again, we can beat them to the punch.”
The android nodded. “I came to that conclusion more than a minute ago.”
“Then why didn’t you give the order?” Felai asked impatiently. “What are you waiting for?”
Data turned to the viewscreen. Why indeed? What was stopping him?
“Because,” he said at last, “there is something wrong here.”
Odril’s voice rose an octave. “Of course there’s something wrong. We’re in danger of being completely and utterly destroyed—unless we act first.”
The android shook his head. “No,” he murmured. “That is not what I mean. There is something wrong with this entire situation. Something that does not make sense.”
Sinna came over to stand at Data’s side. The android saw her out of the corner of his eye.
“Data … what is it?” she asked gently. “What are you thinking about?”
“Is it not strange,” he asked, “that the aliens chose to send robots aboard our ship, rather than engage in a more conventional form of attack? One might almost deduce that conventional weapons were not an option for them—even though their ship is clearly designed to carry such weapons.”
Sinna’s eyes narrowed as she pondered the question. “You’re right,” she told him. “That was a strange way to open hostilities. But if they’re not able to use their weapons—”
“Then why are they threatening to fire on us?” inquired Odril, finishing the question for her.
“Perhaps,” the android offered, “it is a bluff. A misdirection.”
“You mean they’re lying ?" asked Lagon. “But for what purpose?”
If he were human, Data would have sighed. “I do not know,” he responded.
Still, there had to be an answer. Perhaps by analyzing what they knew about the aliens, they could reach it. Turning to the others, he said as much.
“What we know about them?” repeated Felai. “But … we know nothing at all .”
“No,” objected Sinna. “That’s not true. We know they need to eat and breathe as we do, because they have the same kind of facial features. And their level of technology is about the same as ours.”
“We also know they have transporters,” grumbled Odril, “or they couldn’t have beamed over those robots.” He glanced worriedly at the viewscreen. “But I don’t see how that knowledge is going to do us any good—particularly if we’re wrong about their weapons not working.”
Suddenly the android had an idea. “Our transporters are working, too,” he observed.
“For all the good it does us,” snorted Felai.
Sinna peered at Data. “I see what you’re getting at. In both cases, our transporter systems work. But, if your theory about their weapons not working is correct, then our conventional weapons don’t .”
The android nodded, grateful for her assistance. “It may be that we are all in…” He tried to think of the proper expression. “…the same boat,” he concluded at last.
“But we don’t know that their weapons aren’t working,” argued Odril. “You’re just guessing about that.”
“And besides,” added Lagon, “if they were in the same situation we are, their crew wouldn’t be on the bridge. It would be gone, as ours is.”
Data turned to look at him. “Perhaps their crew is gone,” he said.
Lagon’s brows met over the bridge of his nose. “But they can’t be,” he insisted. “We’ve seen them.”
“We have seen aliens ,” the
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