Planet X - Michael Jan Friedman [14]
Picard materialized in the large, well-lit transporter room of Starbase 88, flanked by Counselor Troi and Commander Data. He found Admiral Kashiwada standing beside the base’s transporter operator—waiting for Picard and his officers, as promised.
“Admiral,” said the captain.
“Welcome,” Kashiwada replied.
Picard indicated his officers. “This is Deanna Troi, our ship’s counselor. And Commander Data, our second officer.”
The admiral inclined his head slightly. “My pleasure.”
“The pleasure is ours, sir,” Troi responded.
“No,” said Kashiwada. “The pleasure is mine, believe me. For when you leave, you will take our guests with you.” He gestured to the door. “Follow me, please.”
Picard allowed the admiral to lead the way out of the transporter room. Once they had emerged into the corridor outside, however, he accelerated to catch up with Kashiwada.
“You must understand, sir,” said the captain, “it is not easy for the X-Men to be here. Their world is very different from ours.”
“I’m sure it is,” the admiral told him. “And believe me, Jean-Luc, I harbor no ill will toward them. In fact, I find them intriguing in many respects. It’s just that—”
Suddenly, Picard saw something red-and-white flash into view at the end of the corridor and come hurtling in their direction. Before he knew it, it was almost on top of them.
“Watch out!” he snapped.
The captain barely had time to duck before the thing flashed over his head in a loud, almost tangible rush of air. Whirling, he saw it disappear around a bend in the passageway.
He cursed. “What was that?”
“That was Archangel,” Data answered matter-of-factly. “I imagine he was in a hurry, or he would have stopped to speak with us.”
Picard straightened and made an effort to regain his composure. “No doubt,” he muttered.
Kashiwada sighed. “It’s been my experience that Archangel travels that way as often as possible. I think he enjoys startling my base personnel with his comings and goings.”
For all the captain knew, the admiral’s observation was an accurate one. But he kept his speculation to himself.
“Then again,” said Data, “as you yourself have pointed out, sir, a starbase is hardly the ideal environment for the X-Men—particularly one who is used to the freedom of an open sky. Perhaps this is simply Archangel’s instinctive response to being—”
“Cooped up?” the admiral suggested.
The android nodded. “Precisely, sir.”
Kashiwada shrugged. “No doubt, you’re right, Commander.”
He resumed walking. Picard and the others followed suit.
“Nonetheless,” the admiral went on, “understanding the stresses on Archangel’s psyche doesn’t make his mode of travel any less startling. Why, just a little while ago—”
Before he could finish his sentence, a sinister, dark figure popped into existence in the corridor ahead of them. The captain tensed, his nerves already taut from their encounter with Archangel.
Then he saw who it was—just another of the X-Men. Taking a breath, he forced himself to relax.
“Nightcrawler,” said Troi.
“In the flesh,” the mutant responded playfully, with a German accent. “Or the fur, if you prefer. You may take your pick, Counselor.”
“How did you know where to find us?” asked Data.
Nightcrawler grinned. “A little bird told me—the one that went rushing by you a moment ago. Fortunately, I’ve come to know some of these corridors pretty well by now.”
“Me, too,” said a youthful, feminine voice.
Tracing it to its source, Picard turned and saw the head of a young woman emerging from the deck behind him. It would have been a bizarre sight indeed had it not been preceded by the equally bizarre appearances of Nightcrawler and Archangel.
“Shadowcat,” the captain noted. “Remind me to instruct you in the use of a turbolift sometime.”
Floating the rest of the way up through the metal deck surface, revealing her blue and yellow garb, the girl appeared to ignore Picard’s comment. “It’s about time you got here. Storm and the others are waiting for you in the admiral’s office, and they are not happy with what’s going on.”
The captain turned to Kashiwada. “What’s … going on?” he