Boogeymen - Mel Gilden [47]
Data was about to answer when he inhaled convulsively. With one hand he pulled the glass tube from his mouth and with the other he grabbed a tissue. “Ah-ah-ah-choo!” He sneezed into the tissue, and the bag slid off his head and onto the floor, where it disgorged ice cubes and cold water.
“Dis is a terbobedder,” Data said, holding up the glass tube. “And dis is tissue for wed I sneeze.”
“You sound all stuffy.”
“Ob course. I hab a code in by dose.”
La Forge shook his head in disbelief. “You can’t have a cold, Data. You’re an android.”
“I ab exploring de human condition ‘do be sick.’ “
“You can explore that later. The captain wants us to get busy on that computer virus.”
Data stood and dramatically threw off the robe. Underneath was his uniform. He said, “I believe I have contrived some theories on how we might proceed.” Magically, his nose was no longer stuffy.
“You must be feeling better.”
“I must,” said Data agreeably.
He and La Forge walked out into the corridor, spouting computer science at each other enthusiastically.
Picard sat behind the desk in his ready room glaring at his memo terminal, wondering if asking it a question was worth the frustration of not getting an answer. He’d already called Professor Baldwin in the exobiology lab and requested his presence. He could have sent Worf or some other member of the security team to escort him, but Picard preferred not to do that. Even if Baldwin had in fact loaded the virus into the Enterprise’s computer, he was not likely to be violent. It was just as well that sending somebody to get Baldwin had turned out not to be necessary.
“Somebody’s at the door,” a Boogeyman voice called. The voice startled Picard. Only moments before, when Riker had looked in on him with a routine matter, the door had made its usual audio twinkle. Wesley’s Boogeymen were taking over the ship. Something had to be done, and soon.
“Come,” Picard called.
The door slid open and Baldwin walked in, looking a little sheepish. He said, “That sounds like your official captain-type voice.”
“I’m afraid it is, Eric. Please sit down.”
Baldwin sat in the chair across from Picard, lifted an ankle across a knee, and rested his hands in his lap. Picard contemplated him, trying to decide where to begin. He noticed Baldwin contemplating him and couldn’t help smiling. He said, “You’ve heard that the ship is running at less than its usual efficiency.”
“Shubunkin and I heard the announcement about not using the computer.” Baldwin shook his head. “Unfortunately this was immediately after I’d asked a food slot for a cup of coffee.”
“What happened?”
“I got something brown and hot in a cup. It had no smell. I tried a little. It was like swallowing my own spit.”
“Must you be so graphic?”
“Trained observer. Sorry. What about the computer?”
Picard straightened his tunic and said, “The mainframe of the Enterprise computer has been attacked by a virus. It seems that one of the things this virus is designed to do is eradicate any mention of your existence.”
Baldwin shook his head and said, “I have a lot of enemies, Jean-Luc. Some of them are pretty damned clever. One of them wants to make trouble for me. I’m sorry.”
“You expect me to believe that after all you told me about wanting to disappear? You know you’re pretty damned clever yourself.”
Baldwin continued to look at him as if he hadn’t heard a word Picard said.
“Eric?” Picard said.
Baldwin slumped over in his chair.
Picard was just rising to see if Professor Baldwin was all right when Riker’s voice came over the comlink. “Captain Picard to the bridge, please.”
Picard touched a companel and said, “Dr. Crusher to the captain’s ready room.”
“We’re a little busy right now, Captain.”
The door to the ready room opened and Riker came in, looking very worried indeed. “Captain?”
“I’ll be right there, Number One. Dr. Crusher, send someone as quickly as you can. Professor Baldwin has apparently fainted.”
As Picard walked out onto the bridge, he said, “What is it, Number One?” Then he saw Dr. Crusher bending over Counselor Troi. Worf stood