Is he in any mortal danger?

No, sir. Not at this time.

Keep me informed every step, Mr. Data.

Aye, sir.

Thoughts of Geordi still chewing at him, Picard pushed on to more pressing matters.

Commander, when I needed communication with the ship Yes, sir. Sorry for any delay. I was transferring all frequencies to my control for security purposes.

The captain looked up at Worf and shook his head.

Quite inopportune, Mr. Data. We needed an open channel.

I am sorry, sir, Data said.

I thought there may be a chance that the Klingons could use our open comm channels if we left them available. They have used similar tactics in the past.

Any evidence of unauthorized use?

Picard asked.

No, sir. But I am pursuing a hypothesis.

Pulling in a deep sigh, Picard nodded. He didnt want to step on any of his officers initiatives, but Data might have caused problems, even deaths.

I understand what you were trying to do, Commander, but youll have to work on your timing. More harm than good might have come of it.

Aye, sir, came the simple reply.

Any word from Riker?

Not yet, sir.

Contact him and have them return directly here. A small energy drain is the least of our worries right now.

Yes, sir.

Can Doctor Crusher leave Mr. La Forge?

Once shes out of surgery, I believe so, sir.

Have her beam down as soon as possible. There have been two deaths.

Picards eyes narrowed on Zhads collapsed form, still crumpled over the Klingons dead body, soaking in a pool of alien blood.

I want to know ifboth were murder.

Stabilize!

Riker pounded the console with his fist.

Come on! Come on! Get up there!

he scolded the flitter as it pitched forward and down, a burst of power burning through it.

He slammed hard against the console as Deanna toppled out of her seat.

What the h.e.l.l was that?

he choked, pushing himself away from the controls, trying to fill his aching chest.

I dont know, Deanna groaned, pulling herself back up into her chair.

Riker scanned the different computer screens and worked to balance the shuttle further. He wasnt used to roller-coaster rides where he could plummet to his death. He also didnt usually yell at his equipment, but with only Deanna here ... well, this wasnt the bridge of theEnterprise .

Sensors show we just pa.s.sed through that anomaly you read. No energy drain down there.

Im reading something else.

Deanna swiveled away from her console.

Theres a sensor beacon here.

The tone in her voice was less anxious than before. Telling him what shed been feeling, getting into words what she hadnt even been able to get into thoughts, must have taken a weight off her shoulders.

Unfortunately, all the weight was now on his.

Riker punched up the visual on his screen. A lump of barren rock at the center of a wild grain field stared back at him. He looked out the port window and saw the same: gray-brown slabs of stone chunked together in the middle of all that wheat.

As if someone dropped their cargo from a quarry ship, he said.

Riker had theflitter circling wide around the outcropping. He punched in a command for a tighter spin, then looked up at Deanna.

What do you think?

I dont think its naturally occurring, Deanna said.

It is broadcasting a beacon, Will. Weak, and certainly not on a Starfleet band, but on someones. If we hadnt been looking ...

Maybe someones trying to hide it, Riker said, thinking aloud. He shook his head and a few strands of dark hair fell over his brow.

But you dont hide something from someone who isnt looking. Anything you want to hide you make sure is hidden when someoneis looking.

She looked at him for a moment as they were quiet. He angled back toward the port and looked down at the boulders and sheets of stone that were suddenly so out of place on a planet of continuous fields.

We should report back to the captain, Deanna said.

Agreed, he needs to know what youve told me ... but this is too good to pa.s.s up. Lets try and take back more information than the planet makes Deanna fidget.

He rubbed the back of his neck.

That didnt come out the way I meant it to, Deanna. All the tension, now this puzzle ... Can we forget that comment with a few other choice ones Ive made in the last few hours?

And I thought I was the empath.

Deanna smiled.

You read my mind.

He laughed, reached for her hand.

Okay, he began, well find out a little more, then head back.

She nodded, gave his hand a squeeze, and turned back to her console.

Square one, Riker said.

What kind of broadcast is it?

Deanna shrugged.

Short. One or two seconds, then it repeats.

Try a standard hail on its own wavelength.

She tapped at the console, then lifted her head.

Nothing.

Riker began to tap his foot nervously, then remembered the pain in his leg. He winced and sucked in a quick breath.

Computers ask standard log-in questions. Maybe this is some kind of a log-in computer prompt, asking for a response or a command, she suggested.

That would take forever to find, Riker said.

Try simple codes.

A moment later she shook her head.

His hand dropped back down to his knee and he rubbed.

My kingdom for a bullet to bite on.

Deanna continued to type something into her board but stooped down to check Rikers bandage.

Is the pain worse?

She asked.

Youre bleeding through my handiwork.

I promise to wash it before I return it.

She shook her head.

Why are you so stubborn?

You love it, he said, bobbing his brows up and down, giving his bearded face a devilish tinge.

There goes your rating as an empath. The only thing Id love right now is amedical doctor looking at your leg.

Well compromise. Well try a few more things. If nothing works, we head back.

She nodded agreeably.

Okay. What next?

Try anything, he said.

Play back its own signal, transmit a binary request for communication, whatever.

He watched her peck away at her console.

Somethings down there, he said.

We cant scan under the rocks, yet we get a beacon fromthem . The signal cant be from the rock itself, can it?

Deanna gave a soft shrug.

Transmitting. Maybe we dont have enough power to penetrate the rock withEnterpri Suddenly Deanna was quiet. Riker twisted to ask Craaaaaaaack!

Riker slammed to a stop in mid-motion, his muscles straining against air that suddenly was thick as wet sand against his chest. He couldnt move ... saw Deanna at his side ... motionless ... turned to stone.

With all his will he tried to push against whatever fist held him in its grip. What was it? He didnt care. He wanted to turn, to breathe, to move.

His muscles ached, his head pounded with pain ... there was no give from whatever held him. Riker felt himself trembling against the strain, but knew he wasnt really moving. Frustration held him as tight as the paralysis.

From the edge of his vision he saw the dim gray rock spiraling up toward the port window.

His vision abruptly fogged to black. He could still hear the whine of air rushing against the shuttle, and there was horror when the awful whine began to fade.

It ended with the crunch of metal collapsing against rock.

He felt a twinge of soreness ripple through his body, then ... nothing.