Section 31_ Rogue - Andy Mangels [18]
Picard was mildly surprised to discover that Batanides was on a first-name basis with the ambassador. The man had struck him as rather aloof.
“I assure you, Marta,” he said, meeting her gaze unflinchingly, “I will do everything possible to get to the truth about what’s been happening on Chiaros IV. And to recover Corey, if he’s still alive. He’d do no less for me.”
Her expression softened, and her smile returned. “Thank you, Jean-Luc. I knew I could count on you. I’ll see you at the mission briefing.” Then she turned and left the room.
What are friends for? he thought, his gaze drifting to the viewing port and the changeless stars beyond.
As Commander Will Riker exited his quarters, carrying with him a padd, he spied Data turning the corner down the hall. Data called out to him. “Commander, may I walk with you to the briefing?”
Riker turned and grinned good-naturedly. “Sure, Data.” He waited for the android to catch up to him before resuming on his way. “How are things going?”
By now, Data seemed so at ease with the nonspecific ways in which his human counterparts questioned him, that he barely raised an eyebrow. “By ‘things,’ I assume you mean how the elements of my day are fitting together, rather than the status of the ship or its crew? Things are going well. Prior to going on duty this morning, I reread the first half of the complete works of twentieth-century horror writer Stephen King, in an attempt to better understand the concept of fear. While I was sitting in my chair, I was suddenly surprised by Spot, who chose a particularly odd moment to decide that my hair needed to be rearranged. I was, for a moment, more frightened by the cat’s actions than I was by the passage I had been reading.”
Riker chuckled, picturing Data wrestling with the feline furball atop his head. “Yes, well, animals have a strange way of behaving sometimes. It’s hard to tell why they do the things they do.”
Data looked befuddled for a moment. “I am sure that animals have a motivation for their actions, just as do all sentient creatures. Whether they are aware of that motive or not is a question perhaps worthy of further study.”
As they walked, Riker spied two men coming toward them in the corridor. The shorter one was Lieutenant Sean Hawk, whom Riker had grown fond of during the short time he had been on the Enterprise. Hawk had amazingly fast reflexes, making him perhaps the best conn officer-other than Data-with whom Riker had ever worked. He also had an astonishing memory, and was a good conversationalist as well.
The man with him was Lieutenant Commander Ranul Keru, the head of the ship’s stellar cartography department. He was a giant of a man, broad-shouldered and good-humored. He was bearded, like Riker, but sported an old-fashioned bushy mustache. Keru’s distinctive Trill facial markings were very visible due to his receding hairline. Riker hadn’t spent much time with the man, though he had played against him a few times in games of velocity.
“Good afternoon, Commander. Lieutenant,” Data greeted them warmly.
“Commander Data, Commander Riker, good to see you,” said Keru.
“Hello, sir,” Hawk nodded to Riker, then added, “Hello, Commander Data.”
“Where are you two off to?” Riker said.
“Well, we finally got our shift schedules pretty compatible, so we’re going for a drink in the crew lounge, and then thought we’d take in a holodeck adventure,” Hawk said, grinning a little sheepishly.
“Something with pirates?” said Riker. When Hawk looked surprised, the Commander gestured toward Keru, smiling. “Ranul told me about your Captain Blood scenarios during one of our velocity matches. They sound like a lot of fun.”
Keru looked down at Riker, a twinkle in his eye. “I understand that you and the captain sometimes run a holographic program involving an old sailing vessel known as the Enterprise? Someone once mentioned to me that Lieutenant Commander Worf received his last promotion there.”
Riker laughed, remembering the double-dunking of Worf and Dr. Crusher that had occurred shortly before the EnterpriseD had been dispatched on