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Everyone would be so much better off if the Culilann were all just exterminated.

Everyone.

CHAPTER 12

THERE WAS A LONG SILENCE. FINALLY, TELEK SAID, slowly, "From what we have learned about the Shepherds, I cannot believe that this is either accidental or dangerous."

"That's a pretty big supposition about a race that seems to take delight in jerking us around," growled Torres.

"But they have not, as you put it, jerked us around," Telek continued. "It is we who have been slow in discovering how to utilize their technology. Thus far, the sphere has enabled us to do everything we have asked of it-once we have determined what we need, and how to ask."

A thought occurred to him. "We have been able to

transport dark matter from space, and from inside transportable objects. But we have not yet determined how we are to extract the dark matter from something as large as a ship. And our sensors tell us that every ship out there is riddled with dark matter, to one degree or another."

"The thought had occurred to me," said Torres. "I just wanted to make sure the people were safe first."

"I'm not disputing your priorities, Lieutenant," Telek continued. "We have worked with this alien technology step by step. We extracted dark matter from space, the simplest step. We learned that we needed to utilize the transporter to remove dark matter from living tissue, the next logical step. Now we face a greater challenge-removing it from inside something we cannot dematerialize. Perhaps this field can be useful in that context. Thus far, it does not appear to be harmful. We are doing the Shepherds' bidding in gathering up the dark matter, after all. I fail to see how giving us something that is a danger when used properly would further that goal."

"Well phrased, Dr. R'Mor," said Vorik approvingly. "A brilliant and logical deduction. It is sometimes very obvious that Romulans and Vulcans are descended from the same common ancestor."

Telek knew the young Vulcan meant it as a compliment, but he bridled nonetheless. It was an ingrained, learned response, and he fought his resentment down. Few Romulans liked being reminded of their origins. He needed to remember that, for the time being, everyone on this ship was on the same side.

He noticed that Seven did not appear to be listen-

ing. She was busy at the console, checking something. Telek knew, though, that the former Borg had heard and registered every word he said.

"Curious," said Seven. "We know that the sphere is growing every time transporter energy is passed through it Within the circumference of the field, every trace of dark matter has disappeared. And the amount of dark matter inside our artificial warp bubble has increased point zero zero zero eight percent over what we have registered as being transferred there."

Khala moved forward, craning a long, elegant neck to examine Seven's numbers. "You're right," she said. "And so were you, Telek. The radiation seems to be gathering up dark matter all on its own."

"Let me see that," said Torres, pushing her way in to view it with her own eyes. "My God, it's true. I don't want to try it on people yet, but-Seven, check out the contents of Cargo Bay Two. Identify everything that has dark matter in it."

"That would be fourteen containers of various sizes," said Seven.

"Dematerialize it all. That's more cubic meters than we've tried yet at one time. Separate the dark matter and then return it to the cargo bay. Let's monitor this and see what our field does."

Everyone went to his or her own console. Telek was brimming with excitement. If he was right, if the field increased with the amount of energy fed to the sphere, then the possibilities were almost limitless.

"Energize," ordered Torres.

As before, the orb turned red and made its by-now

familiar, terrible noise. The light was too great for them to see what happened, but the sensors would record it.

Seven could see what