Fortune's Light - Michael Jan Friedman [77]
The Klingon rumbled his acknowledgment of the fact and turned to leave.
“Lieutenant?”
Worf looked back, saw the inquisitive expression on the android’s face. He hoped that the question would not be a long one, though experience had taught him to expect otherwise.
“Certainly you could have contacted me via the ship’s intercom,” said Data. “Is there some reason you chose to deliver your message in person?”
“Yes,” said the Klingon. “I was ordered to do so.” Then, before he could be interrogated any further, he exited the holodeck.
As soon as Worf was gone, Data commanded the computer to resume the program—but at the point just prior to the Klingon’s unannounced visit. At once the stadium came back to life.
“It’s moments like these,” said the trainer, “that make me put off retirement.”
“Indeed,” replied the android.
On the playing field, things were beginning to settle down again. The Sunset pitcher was back on the mound, the defensive players had taken up their positions, and Cordoban was approaching the plate.
The trainer was still descending the dugout steps when the pitch came. Cordoban hit it hard to the right of the shortstop, who dove to knock the ball down. Then, after picking it up with his bare hand, he threw it to second base—just in time to beat the sliding Bobo.
However, Cordoban reached first base before the relay throw. So the Icebreakers still had a runner at first—just a different runner. And, of course, there was one out.
As Data returned to the Icebreaker dugout, he was surprised to see Terwilliger’s face peering out of the stairwell that led to the clubhouse. Hadn’t the manager been ejected from the contest?
He asked Denyabe about it. “Come on,” said the second baseman. “You’re kidding, right? Even in the minors, managers don’t leave when they’re ejected. At least they didn’t when I was in the minors.”
It was another nuance of the game that Data had been unprepared for. He filed it away with all the others.
The next batter up was Augustyn. To the delight of the fans as well as his teammates on the bench, he doubled down the right field line. That put runners on second and third with only one man out.
Jackson batted after Augustyn. He worked the count to three balls and two strikes before lofting the next pitch deep to center field. Data judged by the accolades all around him that it was deep enough for Cordoban, the runner on third, to tag up and score.
In the end it accomplished more than that. When Augustyn tried to tag up as well, the Sunset center fielder made a poor throw to third. The ball squibbed into the Sunset dugout, and Augustyn was waved home.
Once again, the score was tied. It made for a jubilant moment in the Icebreaker dugout when Cordoban and Augustyn came trotting down the steps, with Jackson on their heels.
No one even seemed to care when Cherry struck out to end the inning.
*
The turbodoors opened, admitting Worf back onto the bridge. Picard turned and their eyes met.
“All is in readiness,” said the chief of security, in response to the unspoken question. “Commander Data has been briefed.”
Picard nodded. “Thank you, Lieutenant.” He paused, and the Klingon remained where he was, perceiving that the captain required something else. How well you have come to know me, Worf. “I would like a word with you. In my ready room.”
Rising out of his command chair, Picard headed for his private office. He strode past the Klingon; the doors slid aside and they entered.
As he rounded his desk, the captain gestured to the seat on the other side of it. “Please,” he said. “Sit.”
Worf sat. He regarded Picard with hooded eyes, but said nothing. It was the human’s prerogative to speak first in this situation, and they both knew it.
The captain leaned back in his chair. “I must confess,” he said, “I am more than a little curious as to what Data is doing in that holodeck. Which is why I had you relay my orders in person …”
Suddenly a soft beeping came from the vicinity of the door. Sighing, Picard responded: “Come.”
When the doors parted, Geordi came striding in, as full