The Devil's Heart - Carmen Carter [4]
First Officer William Riker was a master of timing. And the master of time aboard the Enterprise. His skillful juggling of the duty schedules had created a small window of opportunity, one that allotted a select group of people the same break from their respective shifts.
Five senior officers, the same ones who were due at a mission briefing later that morning, were gathered together in the close confines of Riker’s cabin. Their captain, however, was conspicuously absent.
Picard’s quelling influence fostered a degree of decorum that was entirely lacking at this assembly. During the early days of his posting on board the Enterprise, William Riker had tried to mimic the captain’s imposing demeanor, only to find that he had a tendency to bluster and bully when he asserted himself. Over the years, the first officer had developed his own style, a looser and less obvious grip on the rein of command. So, for the moment, he let the meeting run its course without his participation; instead, he sat with his large frame sprawled carelessly over a chair, one leg thrown over the armrest, and watched everyone from under hooded eyes.
Geordi La Forge was the first to speak out. His metal visor might mask the expressiveness of his face, but he managed to communicate his indignation without any difficulty. “I say it’s a trick! Somehow the crew of the Telarius managed to bribe someone to pull us out of the sector.”
“Oh, honestly,” said Deanna Troi. She had been the last to arrive and was perched on the edge of the sofa with her feet dangling uncomfortably off the floor. Her dark, exotic features and shapely figure usually inspired immediate gallantry from the men around her, but on this occasion not one of them had given up his seat. Riker suspected that the unintentional slight was at least partly responsible for the edge of asperity in her voice. “No one would go to that much trouble just for a—” “You’d be surprised, Counselor,” said Geordi. “Anybody who works on Starbase 193,” he grimaced when he mentioned the base, “would sell his grandmother for ten credits.”
“Cowards. They have no honor,” said Worf.
At the start of the session, before Riker could call out a warning, the lieutenant had settled his weight into a soft chair that would offend his warrior sensibilities as much as it offended his spine; Riker judged that the Klingon was as uncomfortable as Troi, but the sensible solution, an offer to trade places with her, probably reeked too much of Human courtesy. “Of course, a Klingon ship would never waste time on a medical call.”
“Stop glaring at me,” said Crusher to the security officer. “It’s not as if I volunteered for this mission.”
“However,” said Data. “If not for your specific medical expertise, the Enterprise would not have been chosen for this particular assignment.”
“Nonsense. Captain Picard told me we were the only starship in range of Atropos.”
The android’s face creased into his best approximation of a puzzled frown. If he saw Riker’s frantic hand signal from across the room, he failed to fathom its meaning; Data continued inexorably. “I am afraid the captain was in error. At the time we received the distress call there were two other starships which were in greater proximity to the star system.”
“Swell,” muttered Geordi.
“This is not my fault!” Crusher’s grim expression was a sure sign that she had just added deception to her list of grievances against Picard.
Now was the time, calculated Riker.
“I’m glad we’ve been diverted.”
With all heads snapped around to stare at him, he followed the heretical declaration with a broad, flashing grin. “The delay gives us that much more time to hone our skills, and it gives the crew of the Telarius a false sense of security. They know we’re their only serious competition, and if they think we won’t show, we can catch them off guard.”
“Yeah, but what if