Hard Crash - Christie Golden [26]
"What?" Gold appeared stunned. "But--you have to. You're a Bynar."
"I am," agreed 110, "but I am also myself. An individual. Captain, my bond with 111 was profoundly deep. The severance of that bond was dreadful. I know what my customs demand, but I do not wish to obey them. I do not want to bond with anyone, at least not yet. That is why I did not bond with the ship."
"What?" Gold said again. 110 felt a faint flush of humor. He was certainly startling his captain with these revelations. "The ship tried to force you to bond with it? Be its new pilot?"
"Force? No. Friend would not force anything on anyone. He and the people who built him are very peaceful people, Captain. But the offer was made, and I almost accepted." He felt a sudden pang of wistfulness. It would have been sweet, to have bonded again, to feel the comforting presence of that Other who was yet oneself. But this solitary state had lessons to teach, lessons 110 knew he was ready to embrace, hard though they might be.
"I will remain here on the da Vinci, if you will have me. If not, I am certain that Bynaus would be happy to provide you with another joined pair. They would certainly be more efficient than a solitary Bynar."
"Your contribution is unique, solo man," said Gold warmly. "As are you."
110 cocked his huge, round head. "Soloman? Is that an Earth term for one who is unmated?"
Gold chuckled. "Not an official term, no."
110 considered for a moment. If he refused to rebond, he would not be permitted to use his designation of 110 any more. He needed a new designation--a name, as the humans called it.
"Soloman," 110 said softly, liking how the awkward words sounded on his tongue. "May I then take the name Soloman? I will need one, now that I am unbonded."
"Soloman it is," said Gold. "Now, what's up with Friend?"
As best he could, utilizing the clumsy and inefficient method of the spoken word, the newly dubbed Soloman tried to convey what had transpired. He was frustrated at his lack of ability to convey the nuances, the intimacy of the joining with the ship, but Gold was a wise human. He seemed to understand what could not be spoken, only sensed. He listened intently, his dark eyes intense under his bushy brows.
"Do you think Friend trusts us?" he asked.
"He has bonded with me, and I trust you. Therefore, he must trust you also."
Gold nodded. He rose, and patted Soloman's leg. "Let me see what I can do."
"Hello, Jean-Luc, you old son of a gun. Late as usual. You missed all the excitement."
The normally formal visage of Captain Jean-Luc Picard broke into a smile. Gomez didn't think she'd ever seen that before and for a moment w as mildly startled to hear Gold speaking to Picard in such a fashion. But Picard seemed unoffended; in fact, he appeared pleased.
"Seems like the last time, you were called late on the scene, David," he replied.
Gold laughed, a short, quick bark. "Starfleet called us in to clean up after the Enterprise. Run any marathons recently, Jean-Luc? You're looking a little soft around the middle."
"Not for some time," Picard answered, "but I could still beat you, old man." His dark gaze flickered to Gomez. "Commander Gomez, Lieutenant Commander Duffy. A pleasure to see you both again. So, David, I understand you called the Enterprise and the Lexington all the way out here on a wild goose chase."
"And we caught the goose," Gold said. "Wong, please transmit the information we learned about Friend to the Enterprise."
"Friend?" echoed Picard. "An odd name for a ship, especially one that did so much damage to an innocent planet."
"It's a long story, Captain," said La Forge, "but one with a happy ending, I hope. This isn't a Borg vessel, but the ship was designed to uniquely bond with its pilot. It's sentient. It--sort of panicked when its pilot died. Went a little crazy. They were searching for a new homeland for her people. They seem like a benevolent, peaceful race, and I'm hopeful that the Federation might be able to lend them a hand in that quest."
Picard had been listening