The Devil's Heart - Carmen Carter [76]
“Commander Riker, I have been reviewing your evocation of “Lady Luck” during the course of the game last night. Despite your repeated requests for intervention from that entity, in actual fact, your poker performance fell below your usual standards.”
The first officer sighed. “Luck is fickle, Data.”
“And do you believe that explains why Counselor Troi won?”
“No,” said the first officer. “Deanna cheats.”
“Intriguing.” Data had not expected that explanation. “However, I saw no evidence of—” “That was a joke.”
“Yes, of course.” A very small one, Data decided; he would forgo a laughter response. Besides, according to Geordi, the chuckle he had developed was still in need of refinement.
The android was about to resume a forward position when a soft beep from the aft deck caught his attention.
“Incoming message from Starfleet Command,” announced Worf as he scanned the communications console. “A Priority One, security-coded communiqu`e from the Department of Special Projects.”
“That is probably the answer to our inquiry on the Heart,” said Data. The response time was three hours and thirteen minutes shorter than his estimate, which implied a greater urgency than he had assigned to the matter.
“Pipe it to the captain’s ready room, Lieutenant,” ordered Riker, as he rose from his chair.
Data slipped out from under the console to accompany the first officer.
“You are not included, Mr. Data,” said Worf firmly. “According to my security instructions, only Captain Picard and Commander Riker have been granted clearance to view this message.”
The android sat back down.
“Sorry, Data,” said Riker. “You know how the Brass loves to guard its secrets; but I’ll bet that by the end of this mission, we can fill you in on the details.”
“Thank you, Commander. Nevertheless, I suspect this is one conundrum I will never be allowed to solve. Fortunately, I have no—” “—no emotions.” Riker completed the sentence for him.
“Correct. So I am not disturbed by the lack of resolution in this matter.”
The first officer shrugged. “If you say so, Data.”
“Yes, Commander, I do say so.” However, this clarification only seemed to amuse Riker; he was still smiling when he walked into the ready room.
Data had encountered this same veiled skepticism among members of the crew on other occasions; Dr. Crusher and the captain often made similar asides to his declarations.
Data addressed the security chief. “I do not possess the capacity for emotion.”
Worf grunted. “I do not care … sir.”
“What exactly is Spe cial Projects?” asked Riker as he sat down across from the captain.
“Few people below the rank of admiral seem to know.” Picard plucked the Heart off a stack of books and shoved them to one side. When he had cleared the area around the small viewscreen, he said, “I’ve heard it called the “black hole” department because information goes in, but it rarely comes back out.”
“Well, then, this should be very interesting.”
A figure suddenly appeared on the screen.
Admiral Wilkerson was a spare, elderly woman with a tight bun of fading coral-red hair and a brisk but congenial manner.
“Captain Picard, if I played this by the book, neither you nor Commander Riker would be allowed to hear anything I’m about to say. Fortunately, Special Projects is given some latitude in its affairs, and it is my judgment that you need to know the scope of the situation.”
Her expression grew more somber.
“The analysis anomalies which you reported are not unique. They have been detected emanating from a … structure, perhaps even a being, of immense age. We call it the Guardian of Forever, and there is a strong possibility that the relic you possess is a fragment broken from the Guardian.”
Out of the corner of one eye, Riker could see the captain’s hands close protectively around the stone.
“If this is so,” continued the admiral, “the legends of the Heart’s powers may not be exaggerated. The Guardian itself is beyond our comprehension; we haven’t even confirmed whether or not it is sentient … and it has other properties that are best not talked about.”
Like what? wondered