The Children of Hamlin - Carmen Carter [76]
Picard dismissed the rationalization and touched closer to the truth. “You can’t keep this from her. She’ll have to hear of it sooner or later.”
“Then let it be later,” the ambassador murmured uneasily. “Let’s get this over with, shall we?”
The first few minutes of the meeting were spent reviewing the observations of the landing teams. Data summarized the common pattern of structural damage at both sites with his characteristic precision. Picard wondered what feelings, if any, lay hidden behind the objective account. He did not doubt that the android was capable of emotion, but the captain also considered that Data, like a young child, might be unable to connect the planet-side disaster with his own life. Perhaps that association process could not begin until Data had lived through a personal tragedy. Dr. Crusher was equally professional in her presentation of the autopsy results, but with one free hand she gripped her son’s arm.
At the conclusion of Crusher’s evidence on acid burns, Deelor further clarified the Choraii attack based on his knowledge of the Hamlin Massacre. “It had to have been a large ship, much bigger than the B Flat. Only the oldest of the Choraii ships can survive entry into a planetary atmosphere. We’re not sure of the exact dynamics involved, but evidently the spheres compress under atmospheric pressure until the non-organic components of the hull become concentrated, forming a rigid metal exterior.”
“Whereas a young ship, with smaller bubbles, would compress to the point of crushing its crew,” deduced Data. “Or lack sufficient metallic components to complete the hull.”
“But why the attack?” demanded Riker bitterly. “Hamlin was a mining colony, but New Oregon is … was strictly agricultural. What metals could the Choraii have expected to find?”
“We may never know.” Deelor’s dark brows pulled together. “If they were running low on supplies, they could have acted out of sheer desperation. Or maybe just curiosity. Their last pass through this solar system would have occurred before the terraforming process. The changes on the planet’s surface may have attracted their attention.”
“And the wanton killing?” asked Picard. “What excuse for that?”
Deelor stiffened. “I’m not defending them, Captain.”
“But will the Federation continue to develop diplomatic relations with the Choraii?”
A chorus of protests broke out from the crew as they assimilated the far-reaching implications of the raid on New Oregon.
“Impossible,” declared Lieutenant Yar, overriding the others. “First Hamlin, now New Oregon. I saw what they did to the Farmers’ settlement. The Choraii are butchers!”
Picard continued, his voice still deceptively soft. “What price for diplomacy, Ambassador Deelor?” And for the secret of the aliens’ stardrive.
“That’s not up to us to decide,” said Deelor steadily. “It’s the job of Starfleet admirals to weigh ethical considerations against the demands of defense. Until they change existing policy, I will follow standing orders. Which means that for now, the New Oregon incident is to be treated like any other Choraii encounter. All information is under strict security restrictions.”
“You can’t keep this a secret!” cried Riker. “Terraform Control will need to know their team was killed. And there were Farmers down there as well. We can’t hide those deaths from our passengers any longer.”
Deelor frowned. “Yes, entirely too many people on board the starship are aware of the results of the landing parties’ probe. We have no choice but to tell the Farmers of the attack, but for now the identity of the attackers is unknown.”
Picard resented Deelor’s easy dismissal of that most difficult of duties to be discharged: announcing death. As captain, this responsibility was traditionally Picard’s, and he loathed it above all others associated with his rank.
He stared across the table at Beverly Crusher, focusing on her profile, thinking of her face as it had appeared years before when she first learned of