Dark Mirror - Diane Duane [63]
“Anything else to report?” he said to Riker.
“We’re still searching for Ensign Kowalski,” Riker said, frowning now.
“I should have thought there would be some sign. Does anyone have any new thoughts on why he should have gone missing?”
“Well, there may have been a matter of advancement involved.” Riker’s eyes flicked briefly up toward the ‘lift doors, where Barclay still stood at ease, his eyes on Picard.
“Kowalski’s, or someone else’s?”
“Difficult to say, Captain. There were crewmen underneath him who didn’t like his style—who may have waited for him to get a rotation that would put him out of plain sight and give someone an opportunity to hit him. We’re questioning the few who might have had motive.”
“Very good,” Picard said, as if none of it mattered. But he had his own ideas about what that questioning probably involved. And knowing the cause of Kowalski’s disappearance, he felt unhappy about it. Under no circumstance, though, could that be allowed to show. “Carry on, then, and make sure all systems remain in readiness. Otherwise you’ll have a little less cause to smile.”
He had the satisfaction of seeing some of that smirk fall away from Riker, and to cover his own annoyance at having to treat a fellow officer that way, even in a place like this, he leaned back and said, “Get me Mr. La Forge.”
With a sullen look, Riker leaned over toward the center seat, touched one of the controls on its arm. “Engineering,” he said. “La Forge.”
“La Forge here, Commander,” said Geordi’s voice. It sounded annoyed. “Is old Shiny still having his nap?”
Riker grinned like a schoolboy hearing another one get caught in a wicked act.
“I stopped needing afternoon naps after kindergarten, Mr. La Forge,” Picard said softly. “The refulgence of my head is unabated, and as for you, you are asking for trouble.”
“Uh, just a joke, Captain,” said the voice from engineering, rather desperately. “You and Commander Riker both know I have the highest respect—”
“Spare me the platitudes,” Picard said, resigning himself to the fact that he was going to have to conduct himself like an Academy instructor with a crowd of rude, raw, obstreperous one-week’s cadets, all jockeying for position to see who could be the boldest, all continually needing to be slapped down. “Status report!”
“Engines are nominal, Captain.”
“When I say “report,”” Picard said, trying to keep his voice soft, and he much hoped dangerous, “I mean a full report, Mr. La Forge, not these sullen half-answers you seem to find so amusing. Must I come down there myself and apply a little encouragement toward more detail?”
“Uh, no sir,” La Forge said, somewhat hurriedly, a slightly cringing tone to his voice now. “But really, there’s nothing else to report. The switchback equipment is on standby for the moment. We’re checking it over as per routine to make sure it took no damage during the inclusion.”
“See to it,” Picard said, “and make quite sure. I may well be down for a visit myself later on. It would be rather annoying to come all this way and then have a malfunction. Certain people would not be amused.”
This was a stab in the dark, but he could guess that this ship would not have been sent out this far, and had the results it had had, and be expected to fail. The interest at Starfleet, this Starfleet, must be tremendous—and he suspected the penalties for failure, right up and down the line, would be dreadful.
“Uh, no sir,” Geordi said. Not Geordi, Picard reminded himself with pain. This La Forge.
“Very well. Ou.” Picard hit the control that Riker had touched and saw a look of faint scorn on Riker’s face. “You have something to contribute, Number One? Feel free.”
“You’re too easy on him. One of these days he’s going to get the wrong idea and try something smart.”
“For him?” Picard said softly. “Or for you?”
The stroke went home. Riker looked very briefly taken aback, then smoothed