Requiem - Michael Jan Friedman [10]
“It is symmetrical and appears to be artificial,” the android reported. “We will need to move in closer for a more detailed analysis.”
Picard weighed the question. On the one hand, they did have plenty of time before the summit. On the other, he didn’t want to take any unnecessary risks that might delay their arrival. The meeting with the Gorn was too important.
In the end, it was Data’s interest that persuaded him. This is as close to excited as he gets, the captain observed. For now, he would indulge his third officer.
“All right, Mr. Data, I will allow a short detour. Scan the object carefully for any possible threats. If there is any sign of danger at all, we will have to take a closer look on the way back.”
Data’s matter-of-fact report had not even come close to preparing Geordi La Forge for the sight that greeted him on the main viewscreen. He stood in front of the open turbolift from which he had just emerged.
“Wow” was all he could think to say.
Geordi quickly made his way to the Engineering console. “Tell me that the magnification circuits are on the blink.”
“That is not the case,” Data replied. “The computer imaging system is functioning normally. The object is actually as big as it looks.”
Taking his seat, the chief engineer began punching up the android’s scans on his console. “And how big is that?”
“Five kilometers in diameter,” Data said in his customary emotionless tone.
“Wow,” Geordi repeated. “That’s some doughnut.”
He noticed that Captain Picard, Commander Riker, and Counselor Troi were all staring raptly at the screen.
“An apt analogy, Mr. La Forge,” the captain interjected. “Any explanation for the shape?”
Geordi took in the thick, circular shape of the alien station. It had more or less regular external markings that resembled windows, small protruding structures he couldn’t even guess the significance of, and what looked like airlocks or docking bays.
A quick look at the information on his screen told Geordi what he needed to know. “Well, the engineering is pretty advanced. The power they’re generating shouldn’t be nearly enough to maintain a gravity field for an object that size—yet somehow, it does.”
Commander Riker had approached Geordi and was looking over his shoulder at the incoming data. “It’s too symmetrical to be an arbitrary design.”
Data turned away from his console to face them. “It does not appear to be arbitrary at all, sir. In fact, the entire structure seems to have been designed as an immense coil of some sort.”
Geordi continued to study the readouts at the console before him. Of course, he thought. Look at all that verterium in the station. That suggested a subspace field coil—not unlike the ones that drove the Enterprise through warp space.
“But why would anyone need a coil that large on a stationary platform?” Riker asked.
“You could generate a lot of power,” the engineer responded. “But I’m not sure what you would do with it.” He watched the data scroll across his screen. “Wait a minute, they’ve got a lot of matter-transport circuitry. Now, that makes sense; theoretically, a large enough subspace coil would allow for interstellar transport … or even time travel.”
The others on the bridge started at that remark, but the captain remained still, studying the station with his face as composed as ever. Nonetheless, he’s as excited as any of us, thought Geordi.
Picard turned to Data. “Commander, any sign of what happened to the beings who created this object?”
“No, sir,” replied the android. “Though the station has enough internal volume to accommodate three hundred thousand humanoid inhabitants, there are no substantial deposits of organic matter, no remains of the inhabitants, no food stores.”
“They just left,” Geordi commented.
“Counselor?” Picard asked.
Troi shook her head. “I don’t sense anyone. It feels as deserted as it looks.”
“Apparently so,” Data replied. “The computer dates the station at approximately twelve thousand years