Immortal Coil - Jeffrey Lang [112]
“Forty-two seconds,” Troi responded. She watched the small dot that represented the shuttlecraft dropping toward Odin.
“We have a lock on Data and Rhea?”
“For now,” Will said. “But it’s hard to maintain. Too much interference.”
Troi sensed the captain wanted to say something, to make a suggestion to the transporter chief about how to tune the sensors, but he held his tongue. These people were the best Starfleet had to offer. His suggestions wouldn’t improve Data and Rhea’s chances.
“We’re receiving a feed from the shuttle,” Riker announced. “Sam is hailing the android ship. Uh-oh.”
“What is it?” Picard asked.
“I think he got their attention. They’re turning, heading toward the shuttle.”
Picard stood, tugged on his uniform, then slowly wiped his chin. Troi could feel his mingled relief, anxiety, and, yes, a little bit of guilt. Vaslovik’s plan might work … but at what cost? “Did you send the message, Commander?” he asked.
“Yes, sir,” Troi said. “And just received acknowledgment.”
Picard glanced at Vaslovik, who was once again standing close to the monitor. As if sensing the captain’s stare, Vaslovik turned toward him and nodded calmly. “It will work, Captain Picard. Everything will be fine. Just make sure we get Rhea.”
“And Data,” Picard added.
“Of course.”
Troi checked the sensors. The shuttle had just passed by Data and Rhea and the android ship was accelerating, heading for Odin at full impulse. Troi opened her perceptions and immediately winced in revulsion. Such hate, she thought. Half a million year’s worth of hatred.
The android ship loomed over them and Data kept expecting the tingle of transport. The bow passed by, then the midpoint, then the stern and they were so close that Data began to fear they would be incinerated by the great impulse engines, but this didn’t happen. Rhea tightened her hand in his, a reflexive gesture of anticipation and hope—maybe they hadn’t been seen—when a silver mist began to swim up into his vision. Some kind of metallic, molecular dust from the androids’ vessel?
Data turned around to look, slowly so as not to start them spinning, and saw the shuttle disappear into a heavy bank of the undulating silver bands that had mystified him since he had come to Odin. The android ship was moving fast and closing the gap. With its armor, the ship should be able to survive long enough in Odin’s atmosphere to catch the shuttle. Though exactly why they were so intent on doing so was a mystery.
As Data watched, a silver cloud enveloped the android ship and stopped it dead. The engines flared, then died and it looked to Data—though it was getting harder and harder to see—like the hull was dissolving. The silver cloud appeared to be reacting to the hull like acid. But if it is corrosive, why are Rhea and I not affected?
Then, the ship disappeared into the glimmering fog.
Data felt pressure against his back. They were being borne upward by another swelling of the silver clouds, pushed back up toward the Enterprise. He looked at Rhea, who appeared calm, even relaxed, and then felt her tapping against his forearm. She spelled out a word in Morse code, but it wasn’t necessary. Data understood now. It must have been another one of Vaslovik’s liberation projects, just like the exocomps: Wesley Crusher’s nanites, the microscopic robots that had inexplicably developed into a sentient colonial artificial intelligence. Shepherded here to Odin by Vaslovik, they thrived, reproducing and evolving freely in the gas giant’s immense hydrogen-rich atmosphere.
Then, at last fully understanding what had just transpired, and still grasping Rhea’s hand, Data opened his mouth and laughed, long and soundlessly into the void, having finally found the “more appropriate moment” he had been waiting for.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“HOW ARE YOU FEELING?” Picard asked Data several hours later.
Automatically, Data replied. “All systems are functioning within acceptable … ,” Data began, but then paused and started again. “I feel fine, Captain. Thank you. How are you?”
“Relieved, Data. Very relieved.” Picard was