Boogeymen - Mel Gilden [19]
“At this point, Captain—” Picard said.
He was interrupted by the hiss of an alien transporter beam. Wesley watched with morbid fascination as two beings took form on the bridge. They were the most frightening things he’d ever seen. Each of the Boogeymen was short, no taller than a human eight-year-old, and each wore a long inverted-bowl-shaped coat that fell from a tight collar, making them look almost as wide as they were tall. Their heads were round and covered with wild black hair and beards. They had stubby horns and wide snaggly teeth.
One of the Boogeymen slid forward on hidden feet, brandishing something that looked like a lump of wood but was probably a weapon. “Surrender,” the Boogeyman said in a hideous, rasping parody of a human voice. “Or all will die.”
“Freeze program,” Wesley said.
The Boogeymen froze. The telltale at the bottom of the main viewscreen stopped halfway across. The incoming damage control reports and the red alert Klaxon halted.
Data and Picard turned to look at Wesley with inquisitive expressions.
Wesley said, “What did I do wrong?”
Picard shook his head. “You did nothing wrong. No one has ever triumphed over the Kobayashi Maru scenario.”
Data said, “Though legend has it that about eighty years ago, certain cadets fought it to a standstill.”
“Legend,” Picard said scornfully. “Academy scuttlebutt. The Kobayashi Maru is a no-win scenario—a test of character. Mr. Crusher did admirably. He did the only thing a moral captain could do. The fact that he was overwhelmed is unimportant.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Would you care to try another scenario?” Picard asked.
To him, Picard sounded hopeful, but Wesley’d had quite enough testing of his abilities for one day. Despite the captain’s kind words, Wesley needed some time to accept the fact that he wasn’t an oaf for having allowed the Kobayashi Maru to beat him.
Picard nodded and Wesley said, “Save program and discontinue.”
Wesley should have heard a tweek from the computer, and the holodeck should have gone blank. Instead, everything but the Boogeymen disappeared. Wesley and Data joined the captain. Picard had obviously taken command again, and Wesley was glad to give it to him. They circled the Boogeymen, who now had the appearance of really fine wax figures.
“Theories, Mr. Data?” Picard said.
Data shook his head. “I would have thought a malfunction on this scale would have prevented the use of the holodeck at all. Computer, explain continued existence of Boogeymen.”
“Boogeymen have been saved in memory. Program has been discontinued.”
“This is very odd,” Picard said. “I’m sorry to do this, Mr. Crusher, but I’m certain Data can reconstruct your Boogeyman program if that seems wise. Computer, erase Boogeyman program.”
“Erasing,” the computer said.
“They’re still there,” Wesley said.
“Yes,” said Picard. “Computer, exit.”
To Wesley’s relief, the doorway in the holodeck wall opened. Picard led the way back into the corridors of the real Enterprise. The holodeck doors closed behind them.
Wesley had not taken ten steps when three Boogeymen leapt from a side corridor and began to menace them with hand weapons.
Chapter Four
THE BOOGEYMEN pocketed their weapons and rushed Picard, Data, and Wesley. One of the Boogeymen got his knobby hands on Wesley, who did his best not to scream. The Boogeyman smelled of all things that were putrid and disgusting, and his skin felt the way a slug looked.
As Wesley wrangled with the Boogeyman, who was certainly much stronger than he appeared, he heard Picard call for Security. Instead of the comforting voice of Mr. Worf, Wesley heard no response at all. With the help of Data, he managed to break free from the Boogeyman. The captain and the two of them ran for a turbolift with the Boogeymen close behind. The turbolift doors closed in the faces of the Boogeymen, and Picard cried, “Bridge.”
Picard and Wesley stood there breathing hard. Unperturbed but wildly interested, Data said, “That was most unusual.”
Picard said, “It was more than unusual, Mr. Data. it was impossible. Unless