Metamorphosis - Jean Lorrah [13]
Once again, Picard asked Data to operate the transporter. The away team, dressed in simple homespun garments such as the Elysians wore, beamed down less than an hour later to a habitat that was not one of the three visited by the Clarion crew. Dawn was just breaking there, allowing them hours of daylight to complete their study. No anomalies disturbed the beaming; indeed, there were no traces whatsoever of the huge fluctuations of power that had taken place only a few hours before.
Once the away team reported that they had landed unobserved on the perimeter of one of the protected areas, Data returned to the bridge. The reports came in on schedule as the hours passed-they had located the dividing line between swamp and farmland and avoided the attention of the natives; however, their instruments could not identify what held the poisonous gases of the swamp away or kept clean, fresh air within the invisible boundaries. “Magic,” Data commented when the final report scheduled for his duty shift came in.
When Data’s replacement was due, the android turned to the captain. “Shall I stay at my post, sir?”.
“No, Data,” Picard replied. “Ensign Gibson can take “no new information” reports as well as you can. If anything does happen, you’ll be called. Go help your friends with their ships; at least you’re accomplishing something there.”
But Darryl Adin and his gang were not in the shuttle bay. The ensign on duty told Data, “They quit a while 36 ago. Said they needed rest and recreation. I recommended the TenForward lounge, sir.”
Indeed, Data found his friends in that favorite leisure spot. Sdan was at the bar, talking to Guinan, the hostess who everyone aboard assumed had as colorful a past as the Vulcanoid, although no one, not even Data, could find out much about it.
Over near the ports, through which Elysia could be seen filling half the view, several tables were pushed together so that some of the Enterprise crew could talk with the famous “Silver Paladin.” Kate Pulaski was there, as was Pris Shenkley; Sandra Murchison, one of the secondary-level history teachers; Worf and three other off-duty security personnel; and Wesley Crusher with two of his young friends from the advanced science seminar Data conducted for the best and brightest students among the families on board.
Adin’s reputation as mercenary and adventurer attracted most of the crew, Data supposed, but those who had been close friends with Tasha Yar were undoubtedly curious about this man who had loved her and lost her, twice over.
Tragic love, Data knew from cold statistics, held great appeal for the human psyche.
Why, he could not comprehend. The pain of losing a close friend was bad enough-he had experienced that and did not doubt he understood it as much, or as little, as any human. As he did not comprehend love, however, he made no claims to understand what Adin had suffered at Tasha’s death, even though he had observed the man at the time. And although he could recite word for word such classics as Romeo and Juliet, Data could not fathom the appeal of vicarious suffering, unless it 37 was the sense of community which sometimes resulted from sharing such emotions.
As the android approached, Adin broke off his conversation. “Data-come and join us,” he invited, gesturing to a chair near his own. “What’s happening on Elysia? Or is it classified?”
As it was not, Data told the group around the table the frustrating findings, or lack thereof, of the away team. “They will return to the ship soon,” he added, and frowned. “I cannot help thinking that they are missing something. It is not possible that no barrier separates swamp from habitat. Geordi might be able to see something the tricorders do not, but he cannot do so without his VISOR, which would identify him as non-Elysian were he observed. I do not understand why I cannot go, however.”
Not unexpectedly, that comment drew a snort of laughter from Dr. Pulaski. “You