The Last Stand - Brad Ferguson [62]
“It looks to me as if it might lead into the gray area,” Riker said.
“The guard has a weapon,” Troi pointed out.
“I don’t intend to do anything right now,” Riker told her. “There may be another way in, further on—but I think we’re getting warm. Let’s keep looking around.”
Data and Ro had been beamed into an alley between two small buildings located not very far from Government House. The first thing they noticed was the smell.
“Interesting,” Data said, sniffing.
“Awful,” Ro replied, looking around at the trash. “It smells like the plumbing’s backed up. At least the weather’s been cold. That should help to keep the stink down. Of course, I’ve been in worse places.”
When the Lethanta had learned that Picard was sending observers to the Krann, they had all but insisted that he send observers to their planet as well. For the moment, the impending war seemed limited to a battle of openess, which, Data thought, was the only kind of battle he could whole-heartedly support.
“We did not see any such accumulations of detritus on our way to Government House,” Data said. “I am sure I would have noticed them.”
Ro nodded. “You were given the grand tour, Commander,” she said. “They weren’t likely to take you on the garbage run. But one dirty alley does not a civilization make. Shall we—?”
“Of course.” They walked together to the mouth of the alley and stepped onto the narrow street beyond.
Data and Ro were dressed in nondescript outfits designed to allow them to blend in with the rest of the Lethantan population. Beverly Crusher had altered their appearances. Ro Laren had needed little cosmetic work, as her hair, eye, and skin colors were already compatible with the Lethantan mainstream. The bridge of her nose had been smoothed out and her eyebrows corrected slightly, and she had been given a haircut. She thought she looked odd, but not nearly as odd as Data.
Data looked like a human male built along terrestrial lines. While the Lethanta came in the wide range of colors and body types typical of humanoid races, it had been faster and easier for Dr. Crusher to make Data look like a terrestrial Caucasian, and so that was what she had done. Data’s skin color and texture had been changed, and his eyes were now a warm brown. He had also been given the receding hairline possessed by many Lethantan males of Data’s apparent age, and what hair he still had was cut and combed into an agreeably Lethantan style.
Back in sickbay, Ro had watched as Data had taken a hand mirror and studied his new face this way and that for a long, long moment right after Beverly Crusher had finished with him. No one, not even the captain, had said a word. Then the android had blinked, set the mirror down, and gotten on with the business at hand.
The street they were walking on was fairly nondescript. Low, decrepit-looking buildings lined it on both sides, and there was trash scattered everywhere. There were a number of people walking about, but no one seemed to be going anywhere special. A few were standing around talking. There was no vehicular traffic, but the curbside was almost solid with parked ground vehicles in various stages of disrepair. Off in the distance, there was the raucous sound of several people yelling curses and threats at each other, and then there was the sudden sound of breaking glass, and then silence.
“I think these buildings might be dwellings,” Data said. “Because of the number of people standing nearby, however, I am not free to use my tricorder to prove or disprove my theory.”
“Don’t worry about it, Commander,” Ro said. “They are. I know a slum when I see one.”
“‘Slum’?” The android thought about it. “Ah. I understand. You look thoughtful, Ensign. Might I inquire—?”
“Hmmm? Oh. Probably nothing, Commander.” Ro shook her head. “Something we saw back there was bothering me, that’s all. Something that didn’t fit somehow, something that didn’t seem right. I just can’t put