The Eyes of the Beholders - A. C. Crispin [84]
“So what do we do now?”
La Forge stared bleakly at the android. “I don’t know. If I could shut him off, I could effect the switchover for him.”
Slowly, he began to move forward. “Steady, Data,” he said, as he would have soothed a strange dog. “Take it easy … it’s Geordi. You’re going to have to let me turn you off, so we can work at fixing you so you can function aboard the Enterprise again.”
He took another step, and the android staggered back until he was crouched against the far wall, eyes wide and wild, those terrible coloratura and basso profundo and everything-in-between sounds still shrilling and booming from his throat. When Geordi stepped forward again, the android flailed at him, making pushing and striking motions in the air, growing ever more agitated.
“Oh, hell,” La Forge muttered, and he cast a despairing glance at O’Brien. “He’s stronger than a squad of Klingons. If he won’t let me near enough to turn him off, there’s no way I can force him!”
“Can you use a phaser to stun him?” O’Brien asked.
“He’s an android, not a man. His positronic brain wouldn’t be affected by a stun-force beam. And if I used a stronger setting, I might injure him seriously!”
Data shrank back farther, and Geordi laid a finger to his lips. “When we talk it seems to disorient him worse,” he whispered.
O’Brien nodded and shut up.
Suddenly the door to the transporter room slid open, and Selar stepped through. She glanced at La Forge in the dim lighting, then from him to Data’s crouching form. It was obvious that she’d quickly assessed the situation. She turned back to the humans, her eyebrow rising in a “What now?” inquiry.
Geordi shook his head and shrugged.
The chief engineer’s communicator beeped, and everyone—most of all Data—jumped. “Mister La Forge, how is it going?” Picard asked.
Geordi tapped his communicator. “Not very well, sir,” he whispered. “The altered portion of his mind seems to have taken over. We can’t get near him. He’s obviously extremely disoriented and defensive.”
“Commander Riker and I will be down immediately.”
While they waited for the captain, Selar, O’Brien, and La Forge stepped outside so they could discuss the situation in normal tones—after first locking the transporter against use.
“If we call in a squad of security guards … ,” O’Brien began, only to have Geordi shake his head.
“Somebody would get hurt. Data’s strong, I tell you! I’ve seen him force open a solid metal door, or pick up a boulder weighing five hundred kilos.”
“They wouldn’t have to restrain him for long,” Selar said. “Just a second, until one of us could reach his off switch.”
“It’s too dangerous,” La Forge maintained. “If only there was some drug or something … but Data wouldn’t be affected by tranquilizers, would he?”
Now it was Selar’s turn to shake her head.
“The only thing to do,” Geordi decided, “is for both of us to beam back to the artifact together. Once he’s not so disoriented, he’ll recover, and I can turn him off over there, and both of us will beam right back.”
“From what I have heard about conditions aboard the alien structure, that would present a serious risk to your sanity,” Selar said.
“It’s no fun over there, I agree, but I could hang on for the few seconds it would take. At least I think I could …” Geordi trailed off.
Footsteps approached, and the three officers looked up to see Commander Riker and Captain Picard approaching. La Forge quickly summarized the situation for them, including his suggestion of beaming over to the artifact.
“I’ve lost enough crew to that thing,” Picard said grimly. “I won’t take a chance on losing another.” He frowned, thinking. “Where exactly is Commander Data’s off switch?”
“On his left side, sir,” Riker said. “Toward the small of his back.”
Picard gestured at the door. “Open it, Chief O’Brien.