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In reply, Data pressed a control; a twinkling star appeared close to the red line.

Now … Picard mused. You said when the Amargosa star was destroyed, it altered the gravitational forces in this sector. Did the computer take that into account when it projected the ribbons course?

Surprise spread over Datas features as he considered this. No, sir. I will make the appropriate adjustments.

He did so, and the single twinkling star before Picards eyes darkened, blinked, then altogether disappeared. As it did, the glowing red line shifted to the right changing course.

Picard glanced up, his weariness replaced by the exhilaration of discovery. Thats what Sorans doinghes changing the ribbons course. But why? Why try to alter its path? Why not simply fly into it with a ship?

Our records show that every ship which has approached the ribbon has either been destroyed or severely damaged, Data offered.

He cant go to the ribbon, Picard said, with a sudden flash of insight. So hes trying to make the ribbon come to him. He turned to the android. Data, is it going to pass near any M-class planets?

Data consulted the computer once more, then looked up. Yes, sir. There are two in the Veridian system. He touched more controls, enlarging the display of the Veridian star to reveal the four planets orbiting it.

Picard studied the red line marking the ribbons path, which passed very close to the third planet. He pointed. Its very close to Veridian Three … but not close enough.

He frowned, troubled, and gazed back at the Veridian sun. As he stared, an unbidden memory rose: the image of the fiery, dying Amargosa star, and in his minds eye, he saw it in the healthy suns place. A horrid revelation seized him. Data, he said urgently, what would happen to the ribbons path if he destroyed the Veridian star itself?

He knew, with unshakable conviction, exactly what would occur, even before Data worked the console controls and the display shifted once more. Before Picards eyes, the Veridian sun dimmed, blinked into darkness. The red line indicating the ribbons course shiftedso that it precisely intersected the third planet.

Thats where hes going, Picard said.

After a beats silence, Data added softly, It should be noted, sir, that the collapse of the Veridian star would produce a shock wave similar to the one we observed at Amargosa.

Picard faced him with a grim expression. And destroy every planet in the system.

The android checked his console readout, then eyed the display with unmasked dismay. Veridian Three is uninhabitedbut Veridian Four supports a pre-industrial humanoid society.

Picard turned back to stare at the display, and the slowly revolving fourth planet. Population?

Datas tone was hushed with dread. Approximately two hundred thirty million.

For an instantno morePicard gazed at the image of Veridian IV and tried to understand what could drive a man to destroy a world.

If you go into that nexus, youre not going to care about Soran or the Enterprise or me. All youre going to care about is how it feels to be there. And youre never going to come back …

Picard touched his comm badge. Picard to bridge.

Worf here.

Set a course for the Veridian system, maximum warp. He was already in motion as he spoke, headed for the bridge with renewed determinationand gratitude, to see Data beside him, moving with the same sense of urgent purposefulness.

On the rumbling Bird-of-Prey, Soran paused in the corridor to squint in the dimness at the face of his open pocket watch. What he saw there evoked a smile and a thrill of heart-pounding exhilaration; they should be no more than a minute now from Veridian III. Soon he would be with Leandra and the children, far away from this accursed universe where they were dead and he was trapped aboard this stinking scow of a Klingon ship.

Mr. La Forge had been of no great use. After enduring speechless agony for several seconds, he had provided no further revelations, except to confirm Sorans suspicion that the Enterprise captain was investigating certain pieces of the puzzle that could lead him