From: mattm@apple.com (Matthew Melmon)
Subject: World of Two Moons - III
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1992 00:17:44 GMT
Organization: Apple Computer, Inc.
Followup-To: alt.startrek.creative


Part III


Information.  It was his name.  His purpose.  To analyze and 
provide information.  And he was very good at it.  An artificial 
being developed to augment the capabilities of creatures designed 
by the chance collisions of a billion years.

Data had, at his fingertips, the universe as the Federation knew 
it.  Every star.  Every planet.  Everything.  A sea of information 
so vast, no mortal being could absorb it.  Even Data could not 
master it all.  But he did not need to.

Moons and water.  

And life.

These criteria would limit considerably the number of worlds he 
need consider.  Wesley could not have discovered a new star given 
his available resources.  Furthermore, he could not track the 
source of the telepathic beings 'transmissions.'  He must have 
deduced the location of the planet from available knowledge.  If 
Wesley could do it, it stood to reason that Data could.  Unless 
the basis for the choice depended in some part upon a thought 
process alien to an artificial creature.

A guess.


____________


Doctor Crusher sighed.  There was nothing she could do.  Troi was 
not regaining conciousness.  And the doctor had no idea why.  
There was no reason for it.  As with Guinan, nothing was 
physically wrong with the Counselor.  

Nothing but a coma.

Beverly looked at the Captain.

"I don't know, Jean-Luc.  I just don't know.  She shows no sign of 
physical trauma.  She should be fine.  I can keep her like this 
indefinitely.  But..."

Picard noded.  But should they?  Was she really dead?  Would her 
mind recover?  Doctor T'Sellar brushed her hand across Troi's 
forehead.  Picard waited for the enigmatic Vulcan to speak.  They 
were a mysterious, powerful race, these Vulcans.  The Federation 
was fortunate to have encountered them.

"She is trapped in a state of contemplation," said the Vulcan 
after several moments.  "This condition is not unknown to us.  It 
is actually common among the very holiest of our people."

"A trance?" asked Doctor Crusher.

"Yes.  One of this depth is almost never achieved by any but the 
greatest monks.  Her mind has completely left this plane.  No link 
to the body remains.  Perhaps her Betazed training will serve her.  
Perhaps not."

"If not?" demanded Picard.

T'Selar knew the humans would not understand.  They did not see 
this as a fascinating development.  They saw it as a horror.  A 
tragedy.  And her experience with humanity taught T'Selar that 
they did not take fundamental truths well, where such truths 
conflicted with their own desires.  If Counselor Troi's training 
was not sufficient, she would never return to her body.  She would 
be lost.

"If not, she has - for all purposes - died."

That was the answer.  And already she could see the signs of 
refusal growing in their faces.  Denial of reality.  This denial 
was often a source of pride in humanity.  A willingness to face a 
bleak future with hope.  But T'Selar saw it only as a source of 
needless frustration.  

To much energy was spent on these hopes.

They did not understand.

The chirp of his communicator cut Picard off before he could 
speak.  Data had finished his task.

"Captain, I have isolated seven worlds which have mulitple moons, 
bodies of standing water, and are known to support life, or have a 
high probability of being able to support life - and are within 
the estimated ranges for Cadet Crusher's primitive Bird of Prey."

Picard nodded, though he knew Data couldn't see him.  There was 
nothing left for him to do, here.  The Doctors would be able to 
choose the best course of action without him.  He said as much.  
The two doctors watched him go.  Beverly turned to T'Selar.

"So, what do we do?"


____________


The dreams had grown stronger.  More intense.  Longer.  Wesley 
knew he was moving in the right direction, but what would he find 
when he got there?  

Who cared?

It would be something different.  Something beyond...  Beyond 
what?  He didn't care.  Very soon, he would be landing on this 
strange world of two moons.  And then he would know.


____________


Picard listened intently to Data's analysis.  What had been an 
amusing development had taken on a terrifying, sinister edge.  Two 
members of his crew had been attacked.  Guinan with horrible pain, 
and Troi with the loss of her soul.  And Wesley.  What would 
become of Wesley, if they failed to solve the mystery?  And what 
would prevent this being from striking again?

And what could they do about it?

And which world?

So many questions.  But the answer to the last was imperative.  
They couldn't begin to seek the answers to other questions until 
they knew what they were dealing with.  So, which world?

Three with no known life.  

One world with a soup of early, primitive microbes.

One with several sophisticated civilizations, around the level of 
feudal Japan or imperial China.  Under full isolation by order of 
the Federation as a developing world not yet ready for contact 
with inter-stellar travellers. 

Two member worlds of the Federation, crawling with all manner of 
life, from every corner of explored space.

Could there be some unknown being on one of the three worlds 
hospitable to life, but showing no signs?  Could there be 
something lurking in the primordial seas of the fourth world?  Or 
the fifth?  

Or could someone, something, have infiltrated the Federation?

"Recommendation, Mr. Data?"

"Of the set, Captain, it is most likely that a powerful telepathic 
being would be found on either of the two member worlds.  Not only 
would such a creature have the opportunity to develop there 
naturally - but relatively open facilities for inter-planetary 
travel increase the population pool essentially to all Federation 
space."

"And it would be easier to hide," added Commander Riker grimly.

"And it would be easier for an incoming ship to be detected.  Even 
one that is cloaked," said Picard, "Wesley would know that."

"That is correct, Captain," replied Data, "but Wesley has no 
reason to suspect we would be able to limit his destinations to 
water-holding worlds with two or more moons."

Picard nodded.  It did not feel right to him. But Wesley couldn't 
possibly suspect they were on his trail.  Of course, whatever 
attacked Troi and Guinan knew.  And, of course, whatever attacked 
the two women and whatever 'seduced' Wesley into this game were 
likely one and the same.

Picard didn't know what to do.

But he had to decide.  He was the captain.

"Commander Riker, alert both member worlds of the situation.  
Instruct them to use every available resource to track the Bird of 
Prey.  Commander Data, assist them in developing detection 
algorithms."

"And us, Captain?" asked Riker.

"Set in a course for the fifth world.  Maximum warp."

Data cocked his head to one side.

"Captain, that world is under maximum quarantine by order of the 
Federation.  It's civilization is not to be disturbed by any 
contact with inter-stellar..."

"I am aware of that, Commander Data.  Now, execute your 
responsibilities.  I will be in sick bay."

Picard stood.  This would distribute the available resources over 
the widest possible number of worlds.  There was no need for the 
Enterprise on either Federation planet.

And Picard had a strange feeling looking at the projected image of 
that fifth world.  A feeling he was right.  The Enterprise 
shuddered as he stepped into the turbo-lift.  The warp engines 
were bending the fabric of space.  They were off into the unknown.

Not completely unknown, thought Picard grimly.  Something out 
there can kill across the void of space.