Part 24 (1/2)

”Aye, sir.” La Forge left.

Wesley said, ”What about me, sir?”

”You were present at the beginning, Mr. Crusher. I thought it only fair that you be present at the end.”

”Thank you, sir.”

”And, Ensign Crusher?”

”Yes, sir?”

”Next time you see fit to install an unorthodox program in the computer, make sure it can't get loose.”

”Yes, sir.”

Later, back on the bridge, Shubunkin stood next to Counselor Troi taking everything in, not nearly so arrogant as he'd been when Picard first met him. The captain thought he might be considering what Baldwin had said about making enemies.

Picard said, ”Transporter room two.”

”Here, Captain. Professor Baldwin is ready.”

”Good-bye, Professor,” Shubunkin said. ”Looks as if you are going on another great adventure.”

”I guess it's kind of a habit,” Baldwin said good-naturedly.

”Good luck, Eric,” Picard said. ”I look forward to your report.”

”So do I. Let's get this over with. And don't let Counselor Troi say good-bye to me, or I'll change my mind and stay.”

Troi's mouth twitched and almost became a smile, but she said nothing.

”Energize,” Picard said.

After Baldwin was on the planet, Enterprise stayed in orbit around Tantamon IV for almost half an hour. During that time Picard thought about what his s.h.i.+p had just been through; but now that the excitement was over, his mind kept returning to the Dixon Hill scenario and to Rhonda Howe. He wondered if she had been flushed from the system along with Wesley's Boogeymen.

Troi interrupted his thoughts, saying, ”I feel it, the same way I felt when I went into the warp trance, but different too, less frantic.”

Data, at Ops, said, ”Teardrop s.h.i.+p taking off, sir.”

”On visual,” Riker said.

The teardrop s.h.i.+p rose around the curve of Tantamon IV. Sensors followed it for a moment, and then it was gone.

Wesley said, ”It's there and then it isn't.”

”Warp without warp drive,” Shubunkin said.

”We will have to make do the old-fas.h.i.+oned way,” Picard said. ”Best speed for Memory Alpha.”

”Aye, Captain,” said Wesley. He was grateful that at warp eight the Enterprise would not take two weeks to get there, but it was still a milk run.

When his watch was over, Wesley went down to see Ensign Winston-Smyth. She was not in her cabin, giving him cause to be grateful that the computer was up again; he would never have known where to look for her if it hadn't been. He found her in Ten Forward sitting by herself in a dim corner of the room sipping a sunny yellow drink that had a paper parasol in it.

”Ensign?” said Wesley.

She looked up at him and tried to smile welcome, but he could see it was an effort. Her face had no more expression than an empty petri dish.