Metamorphosis - Jean Lorrah [26]
Or are the gods telling me it is time to set aside old fears?” “I do not know how to resolve your dilemma,” Data admitted. “All I can offer is to leave you to continue your Quest alone, and return to where we entered.”
“You cannot get past the rockfall.”
“I can; I have the strength to lift rocks you could not budge.” “If I asked, you would go, and not return somewhere along the way to oppose my progress?”
“To interfere with your Quest would violate one of the laws of my people,” Data replied.
“You would abandon your own Quest?”
Data considered, and spoke truthfully. “Not unless I am told to do so by the gods. I am very eager to meet them. I will continue as far as they will allow me, but I will not interfere with you.”
“And if I demand that you abandon your Quest?”
“You do not have that right,” he replied. “The gods have permitted me this Quest, and only they can revoke that permission.”
Thelia let go a tensely held breath. “You are not a toy to do my bidding. An evil spirit would not so trust in the gods, nor would one unworthy of the Quest. Yet … I fear to continue in your company. Your solution seems best for both of us.”
So Thelia started up the trail once more-it was again difficult, but no longer impossible to climb.
Apparently the gods approved of their decision. As he turned back Data twisted a wire around the leaking conduit to prevent the loss of further fluid, but without the organic component his right hand lost a good deal of sensory capacity. That, however, was not his major problem.
When he reached the rockfall, he found that he was trapped. The blockage had originally been composed of stones from pebbles to boulders, none too large for Data to shift. Now it was all gigantic boulders, packed so tightly into the passageway that his android strength could not budge the first one.
How had the Elysian “gods” done it? They had to be using technology similar to that of the holodeck, although Data’s sensors insisted the rocks were exactly 73 what they appeared to be. But then, if he cared to take the time, it would be possible to adjust the Enterprise holodeck to compensate for android senses. This was simply more evidence that the Elysian gods had analyzed him very thoroughly.
This whole Quest idea … it seemed similar to games the holodeck provided: the players entered an unknown environment armed with general knowledge of such games, but had to discover the rules specific to the current game as they went along.
It was too bad, Data thought, that he had had to part company with someone who must know the general conventions for the Elysian Quest.
He stopped wasting effort on the pile of rocks, verified that he could not climb out over the top, and considered quietly following Thelia until there was a branch in the path, where he would take the one she did not choose. A scream-Thelia’s scream-sounded in the distance. Data raced back to where they had parted, then up the steep trail and through a narrow passage.
Dashing down the smooth tunnel that led from it, he found the trail empty until he came to the water pouch lying against the wall. He accessed every frequency of his vision and hearing. There were scuff marks on the rocky floor, and in the distance he heard the faint sound of something-or someone-being dragged.
He bolted forward-and came around an outcropping just in time to see Thelia sink her knife into an apelike creature trying to drag her along the tunnel. The thing roared, and backhanded the woman.
Thelia struck the wall, but did not go down.
Data leaped between her and the creature. It roared again,
baring vicious fangs, but it was distracted by the knife in its flesh. Its hands had only four fingers, Data noticed as he crouched in front of Thelia, ready to throw the ape-being should it attack.
One of those hands closed on the knife and withdrew it, but instead of trying to wield it just threw it aside.
Gouts of purplish blood spurted from the wound. The creature yowled, looming over