Requiem - Michael Jan Friedman [30]
“Fine, sir,” the thin man replied. “We’ll have this on-line in a few minutes.”
Geordi nodded his approval. Actually, Barclay had done remarkably well since their return to the station. The lieutenant’s assignment had been to install safety devices on each of the exits, beginning with the airlock door, and he had been successful almost immediately in isolating the circuits that operated the opening and closing mechanisms in it. Then, using small portable generators and switches they had brought from the Enterprise, Barclay and O’Connor had created a closed power loop for each door, so that it could now be opened and closed only by the large button controls they had installed—red for down and green for up. These were a great improvement over the still indecipherable alien controls.
After the safety system on the doors was in place, Barclay and O’Connor would set up the portable forcefield generators at the airlock door and at two points about a hundred meters apart in the corridor. These forcefields would operate on independent power and preserve the atmosphere in case a door opened to the outside somewhere nearby and the station began to decompress. The forcefields would give them a working area that included the airlock, the control room, and the various access tunnels that they would need.
Of course, they were assuming that the control room would be able to operate the transport functions in this part of the station. But it was a fair bet, based on their scans of the equipment during the brief functioning moment it took to transport Captain Picard.
Unfortunately, Geordi couldn’t be sure until he knew more about how the alien technology operated. So far, he and Data hadn’t had much luck figuring out the subspace physics involved in the time/space transport circuits. In fact, Barclay had obtained more tangible results working with the doors.
“Good work, Reg. Would you please make this as fast as possible? We could use some help.”
“Yes, sir,” came Barclay’s steady reply.
Geordi and Data headed back to the control room.
“I have noticed that Lieutenant Barclay’s performance has been exemplary,” the android remarked. “He seems to have overcome the fear that immobilized him during the crisis.”
Geordi nodded. “Back then he was responding to an immediate threatening set of circumstances—tangible danger from the door. Now he doesn’t have that kind of intense pressure. The question is, will Barclay be able to perform in a danger situation when a few seconds mean the difference between life and death?”
Data appeared to mull it over for a moment. “It seems ironic,” he said finally, “that the fear response, which is intended to protect humans from danger, can immobilize them just when quick and decisive action is required.”
The engineer had never thought of fear in those terms. But, of course, his friend was right. “Call it a design flaw, Data—and be glad it’s not one you share.”
The android nodded. Geordi noted that Data was more apt than he used to be to simply accept the inconsistencies of human existence without probing too deeply.
The bottom line, the engineer knew, was that some emotional responses just were. Some people—like Captain Picard, for instance—were rocks under pressure. Some fell apart, or froze as Barclay had. How would the lieutenant respond if faced with a similar situation? Especially if things got rough and his life—or maybe even all of their lives—depended on quick action? It was hard to say.
Of course, Barclay had made a real effort to face his fear when they arrived, by volunteering to retrieve Ensign Varley’s body from the control room and place it in the shuttle’s temporary stasis chamber. That had surprised Geordi, who had been prepared to do it himself. But when the crunch came, there was no way to know if Barclay would play his hand well or fold.
The chief engineer brushed the subject aside. He had to get to the alien transport system on-line.