Boogeymen - Mel Gilden [52]
Wesley nodded. “I heard Commander Riker call out Counselor Troi’s name the same second I noticed our new velocity.”
Picard said, “Also, the trance of our people is very much like the mental state of the humanoids aboard the teardrop we encountered out in the Omega Triangulae region. What is your opinion, Doctor?”
Dr. Crusher squared her shoulders and sat up a little straighter. She said, “My opinion, Captain, is that from the little I know about warp technology, nothing on this ship can make us go faster than the speed of light except the warp engines themselves. On the other hand, there’s still a lot about the human brain we don’t know.”
“Succinctly put. Number One?”
“What about the influence of the ship back on Tantamon Four?”
Dr. Crusher shrugged. “Unknown.”
Riker nodded and said, “Except for the activity in the Martinez node, all the sleepers are sleeping normally?”
“As far as we can tell, yes.”
“Then I suggest we sedate them. Knock out the Martinez node.”
Dr. Crusher nodded. “As one of my old professors used to say when unusual procedures were suggested, ‘It couldn’t hurt.’ “
“Mr. Crusher?” Picard said.
Wesley had been deep in thought, and he jumped when Picard called his name. “Sorry, sir. I was just wondering where Professor Baldwin got that virus program.”
“Maybe he wrote it himself,” Riker said.
“Maybe,” said Wesley. “If Mom—Dr. Crusher agrees that sedating the sleepers won’t hurt them, then it sounds like a good plan to me.”
“Agreed,” said Picard. “Doctor, make it so.”
They went back out onto the bridge, and Wesley took his post at the conn. After a brief hesitation, Dr. Crusher stepped into the turbolift. Picard wondered how long it would be before the turbolifts did not work at all. He said, “Situation normal, Mr. Worf?”
“In a manner of speaking, sir.”
The turbolift opened, and La Forge crawled from inside it.
“Trouble, Mr. La Forge?” Riker said.
As he got to his feet, La Forge said, “Yes, sir, but I’m getting used to it. I have an update, sir.”
“Good news, I hope.”
“News, anyway. Data and I discovered that the machete program didn’t clean out the Boogeyman-virus combination because the machete program didn’t recognize the virus as a program.”
Wesley turned around to look at La Forge who had everybody’s attention, even Worf’s. Picard said, “An unusual program, is it, Mr. La Forge?”
“You bet, sir.” La Forge began to make shapes in the air with his hands. “I’ve never seen anything like it. The machete program just rolled right over it. Or the combination Boogeyman-exotic virus program managed to hide from the machete program, I’m not sure which. The machete program is not designed to hunt for a moving program, only to erase sitting ducks.”
Picard thought about Baldwin, his virus, and his desire to disappear. He said, “Could this exotic virus have come from the teardrop ship Professor Baldwin was studying on Tantamon Four?”
“Absolutely. It could have.”
“Find out if there is anything comparable on that infowafer Professor Baldwin brought on board.”
“Aye, sir.”
Riker said, “Make sure that Shubunkin knows your request for the infowafer comes from the captain.”
La Forge smiled. “Aye, sir.” When the turbolift doors opened, he looked into the chamber warily, then got on.
The comlink twinkled—fortunately the twinkle had not yet changed into an announcement from a Boogeyman—and Dr. Crusher said, “Captain?”
“Here, Doctor. What have you found?”
“I chose ten subjects at random, Captain, and shot them as full of morphox as I dared. Rapid eye movement stopped immediately, and they went into a deep, dreamless sleep. But the activity in the Martinez node continued.”
“No way to shut it off?” Riker said.
“It’s a very primitive part of the brain, sir. I see no way to get at it short of murdering the subject.”
Picard said, “Thank you, Doctor. We will find another method.”
“Aye, sir. Crusher out.”
Picard said, “Any change in velocity, Mr. Crusher?”
“No, sir. On course for