Myriad Universes 02_ Echoes and Refractions - Keith R. A. DeCandido [176]
“Well,” Picard said, looking down at the short android and resisting the sudden and inexplicable urge to muss up her hair, “I’m hoping it won’t come to that.”
“If the Romulans beam down and find you humans loitering around here,” Lore said with distaste, “it won’t matter whether your ship is up there or not.”
Picard still wasn’t sure what to make of Data’s claim that this other Soong-type was in some way his “older” brother. Data was the first of the Soong-types, after all, the earliest successful positronic android. How could he have an older sibling, as the androids tended to think of those constructed before them?
“Lore is right,” Data said, glancing from the other android to the captain. “It may be advisable for you and the others to retreat to a more secure location, in the event that the Romulans…”
The rest of Data’s words were lost by a chiming sound that filled the air of the concourse. Data glanced at Lal, and it seemed that some communication passed between them, wordless and impossibly quick, as Lal immediately nodded and turned to Picard.
“If you and the others would step a few meters in this direction, Captain,” the young android said, moving away from her father, “you will be out of the projection’s line of sight.”
Picard and the others followed after her, though none of them was entirely certain what manner of projection she meant. They didn’t have long to wait to discover, though.
The instant that the away team was out of sight, a large holographic projection shimmered into view in midair before Data. From his vantage, Picard could see the image of the bridge of a Romulan ship, and of an officer standing at a console, but it was clear that the Romulan officer’s view of the concourse did not include Picard and his team.
“I am Subcommander Taris of the Romulan warbird Haakona,” said the image of the officer, her voice deceptively soft and smooth, almost sweet. Picard knew from experience that Romulan women were precisely as soft and smooth as an iron gauntlet wrapped in velvet, and as sweet as dessert wine laced with arsenic. “On the authority of Romulus and the Romulan-Klingon Alliance, I demand to know who you are, why you are in the Neutral Zone, and what you have done to our automated wardrone.”
Picard noted with satisfaction the lack of any mention of Federation starships. Ro appeared to have gotten the Enterprise safely out of sight before the Haakona arrived, or else the subcommander would doubtless be asking questions of a very different sort.
“I am Data,” the android responded, his tone level and his expression open and honest, “and I speak for the inhabitants of the planet Turing.”
“Turing?” the subcommander repeated, her lip curled as though the word tasted unpleasant in her mouth. “What is that to me? This is Planet Designate 89753-Alpha.” She paused, narrowing her gaze. “Wait, I recognize your type. You are a Federation creature. Sent as a spy for Starfleet, no doubt?”
“In point of fact, Subcommander Taris,” Data countered, “those of my people constructed in the Federation, myself included, renounced our Federation citizenship shortly after it was granted to us. And those constructed here on this planet never had a Federation citizenship to renounce. Owing no allegiance to any power, and thus not bound by treaties between those powers, we have claimed this planet as our own in accordance with interstellar salvage laws.”
“So you say,” the subcommander replied, clearly unconvinced. “And what of our wardrone? Is it the habit of unallied androids to sabotage the property of the Romulan-Klingon Alliance? That seems more the work of Federation lackeys.”
“You and the Alliance have our apologies, Subcommander,” Data said, “but an automated defense system in place on this planet before our arrival was responsible for the damage to your craft. The effects, though, are purely on the level of software,