Ghost Ship - Diane Carey [62]
Wesley looked from him to Geordi and back again. “Uh … no.”
“Otherwise it would not be strong enough to cycle,” Data postulated. “I’m concerned that the splitting would cause a loss of harmonics in the crystal focusing system. The crystal might break down and result in-“
“Heat. I already know that.”
“Listen, you two,” Geordi said, nudging Wesley even farther back, “Riker’s gonna split our harmonics if we don’t lock down this leak and get back topside. The creature could pop out of innerspace at us any second and I don’t want to be down here when it happens. Wesley, you get out of here, pronto. If the senior engineers find you, you’re going to know the meaning of reprimand.”
“But what about-“
“Data and I can shut it down. I’m going to have it disposed of. You’re on probation. If I hear about any more of these unauthorized experiments of yours, I’m reporting you to the chief engineer.”
Wesley dropped his eyes and grumbled. “Yes, sir.”
“Out. And I mean a straight line out of this area and back to the saucer where you belong.”
The infrared glow increased on Wesley’s cheeks, and without a word he pivoted and strode out.
“Kids,” Geordi said, looking back at the glowing bundle of parts. “Can you unhook it without a backflush?”
“I believe so,” Data told him, carefully picking at the octopus of wires attached to one end of a long rod. “It actually is a remarkable idea. It may not have been tried before.”
“Yeah, Wesley thinks ideas are cheap. He doesn’t understand that implementation isn’t. Everything’s shortcuts when you’re a kid.”
“Is it?”
Geordi paused. “Oh … sorry.”
“No cause to apologize, my friend. I may be forced to accept what I am.”
“Now, what is that supposed to mean?”
The android’s slim form glowed within its filmy sheath, and perhaps the glow increased very, very slightly. “I am on a … quest.”
“Oh, no-what quest?”
“I must discover my true nature.”
“That’s what I was afraid of. Why do you worry about it so much? Maybe you’re just special. Maybe you don’t have a true nature that you can compare to anything else because there’s never been anything like you. Ever think of that?”
“No, I hadn’t,” Data admitted. He paused, then plucked an inset from part of Wesley’s monster, and the whole thing suddenly shut down with a clean buzz-sigh. The beam of light snapped out an instant later.
Geordi repressed a shiver. “That’s a relief. I get the willies thinking he’s had this hooked up to the reserves all this time.”
“There wouldn’t necessarily have been a rupture,” Data said, “but that’s problematical now.”
“I wouldn’t want to test it, thanks. Let me check the stabilization … looks clear now. Concur?”
“I do.”
Geordi tapped his insignia and said, “LaForge to Riker.”
“Riker. What was it?”
“Just a malfunction in the seals.”
“I don’t like the sound of that. Are we clear to restock the main tank?”
“I think so, sir. You might want to have it checked by a containment engineer.”
“We don’t have the time. Counselor Troi insists that entity’s still in the vicinity and even though it doesn’t show up on any of our monitors, I’ve got to assume she’s right. How’s Data?”
Geordi glanced at the android as Data looked up. “He’s … fine, sir.”
“All right … we’re going to flush the antimatter reserves into the mains right away so we can power up for warp speed if we have to. You stay there and monitor it. Yell if there’s so much as a ripple.”
“Yes, sir. LaForge out.” He shrugged. “I don’t think he hates you as much as you think.”
Data gathered the remains of Wesley’s experiment and stuffed it into a reconditioning chute, piece by piece. “Mr. Riker may be right about me. I have had to accept it.”
“You’re starting again.”
“Perhaps so,” the android said, straightening and facing him. “But it is important for me to discover where I fit into the range of humanness. The question of whether or not the entity is a lifeform or what it is to be human-body, spirit, pulse, compassion-all these are things