"I'd like to see that," said Barclay. What he really wanted to see most was firm ground to walk on, but there didn't seem to be any of that. Even if there were, walking was impossible on Gemworld. If they had no gravity on the ship, they could at least use magnetized boots, but those were no good here.

After a while, it felt as if they were entering the heart of a planet. Sun continued to filter down, dancing with the prisms in subdued rainbows instead of brilliant ones; but the weathered, pastel crystals attested to eons and eons of wear. Reg had no problem imagining thick seas washing over these monuments when they were new, a billion years ago. Among them, he felt no bigger than an amoeba.

Watching Melora zig and zag through the forest of monstrous prisms was also a surreal sight. Reg was reminded of romantic paintings of mermaids frolicking in the ruins of Atlantis. The deeper they went, the more the light took on an unreal quiver from all the refractions, like a mirage. Everyone in the shuttlecraft was perfectly silent, as if they had just entered a cathedral.

The chirp of the captain's combadge came like a shout intruding in a dream. "Pazlar to Captain Picard."

"Yes, Lieutenant."

"We're almost there, sir. The attendants will secure the shuttlecraft. Since you'll be weightless, may I suggest you just hold hands when you step out."

"Understood," answered Picard.

They glided slowly toward an encampment of Elaysians which looked little different from the dozens they had pa.s.sed enroute, except that the nets covered a slit in the immense crystal. Reg was reminded of the mighty redwoods he had seen in California. This great monolith might once have been red, too. Now it was a pale pink color, like rose quartz.

As they slowed to a stop, Elaysians surrounded them, roping the shuttlecraft so tightly that it couldn't drift a centimeter in any direction. Data popped the hatch, and there was a mild rush of air as the pressure equalized. There was also a dry, chalky scent in the air which reminded Barclay of talc.u.m powder and childhood. It was very disconcerting to peer out and see nothing below the open hatch but air.

Melora stuck her head in and smiled as she floated in the doorway. "The Exalted Ones are waiting. Normally there are a great many protocols we would observe, but these aren't normal times. If you'd care to exit, Captain." She backed away and held out her hand.

Picard stood and moved toward the open hatch, looking more confident than Reg hoped to look. He took Melora's hand and stepped through the hatch into nothingness. Other Elaysians hovered nearby in case he needed help, but the captain looked graceful as he floated in midair, holding his hand out to Troi.

The Betazoid bravely stepped out, giving a little gasp as her feet left the security of gravity. The captain steadied her, and she turned to Reg, held out her hand, and waved expectantly.

Involuntarily, he shrunk back in his seat, folding his arms tightly against his chest. Data noticed his reaction. "You cannot possibly fall."

"I know ... I know." Barclay gave an anxious sigh, then he finally stood up and moved toward the open hatch. Just as he started to step out, he hesitated, and his toe caught on the lip of the hatch. His forward momentum propelled him out the door headfirst, his feet following, and Reg whooped in alarm as he somersaulted into the air.

Elaysians rushed to his aid, their hands grabbing his arms and legs, scaring him even more. Reg tried to relax and let the experts set him right side up, but he didn't relax until he felt Troi take his hand.

"That was quite an entrance," said Melora with amus.e.m.e.nt. "You'll get used to the low gravity."

"I don't think so," answered Reg, his voice trembling and his limbs as stiff as the prisms towering around them. "Just drag me along-I'll be fine."

Data joined him, and it felt oddly rea.s.suring to grip the android's cool, smooth hand.

"Ready," said Pazlar. She used the hoverplatform to drag the linked visitors through the slit in the crystal into an immense rose-colored hall. To Reg, all of it appeared to have been hollowed out by natural forces.

When his eyes got used to the dim, rose-hued light inside the crystal, Reg gaped in amazement. All around the rough-hewn walls were jellyfish-like beings floating up and down in streams of bubbles. A contingent of Elaysians floated in a corner, looking like a heavenly choir, while spiny, long-legged Alpusta bobbed nervously on their webs in another part of the hall. In the center of the cavern was a dense cl.u.s.ter of spindly crystals, which blinked with a startling array of colors as if they were being illuminated from within.

Despite all the other wonders, Barclay had a hard time taking his eyes off the Lipuls. They seemed to be studying the visitors, although they had no eyes that he could determine. Was he imagining it, or did the Lipuls' rhythmic movments seem to correspond with the blinking crystals in the center?

Pazlar dipped into to a respectful bow and loudly addressed the a.s.semblage. "Exalted Ones, this is Captain Picard, Commander Troi, Commander Data, and Lieutenant Barclay from the Enterprise. They are my shipmates, and they've come a long way through great danger to help us. Even now, their ship lies badly damaged inside the protection of the sh.e.l.l. In this time of crisis, we will have to work together to help each other."

Suddenly Reg realized that the crystals in the center were pulsing in unison with Melora's voice, as if they were translating. Pazlar turned to the Lipuls floating in the solitude of the crystal. "If not for the dreamships, we would never have known about this grave threat. Now you must tell us everything you know-about the rift, the dark crystals which break for no reason, and the lack of contact with the Federation."

A strange, synthesized voice issued from the sparkling cl.u.s.ter in the center. "You have done well, Daughter. We had no idea the rift was such a danger to the starship, or we would not have summoned you. Although our contact is infrequent, we have long valued our membership in the Federation. Like you, we have managed to create a peaceful union of many very different species. Our differences bring us strength and vitality."

Barclay glanced at the captain and saw him smiling in agreement at that statement.

The lights in the crystals grew still for a moment, then shimmered in unison. The voice went on, "Will the one named Data come forward and touch us, for we do not recognize his species."

Data swiveled his head away from the clump of crystals and exhaled loudly. The gust of air moved him just enough to hover over the sparkling translator. He bent down and touched a thin shard, which turned vibrant blue at his touch.

"I am an artificial being," explained the android.

"Nonsense," replied the strange voice. "You are made of elements and natural materials which we know. You are a natural being, not artificial."

"Thank you." Data smiled at what he obviously considered a compliment. "I have a theory that the singularity which threatens your world is a dimensional rift."

"That is correct," said a normal voice from the rear. The away team turned to see a male Elaysian wearing yellow robes instead of the more common white ones. He pushed off from the cave wall and soared over the visitors' heads. Showoff, Reg thought.

"Captain Picard, I am Tangre Bertoran, Peer of the Jeptah." The white-haired Elaysian said his t.i.tle as if they should all be impressed, thought Reg. He kicked his bare feet in the air as he talked. "The dimensional rift is causing serious problems for Gemworld. It is directing a stream of dark matter at the planet, and this has accelerated the growth of the crystals severalfold. Gravity has doubled, and we fear it may quadruple. The new growth is not stable-it breaks off, as you have seen.

"Most of this dangerous, new growth is concentrated in the core of the planet, but all over Gemworld crystals are breaking. This has cut off travel routes and arteries, trapping and killing our people. Our communication system, which depends upon the crystal for transmission, has broken down. To relate it to your world, it's like a major earthquake in every city at once."

Bertoran folded his arms, as if expecting the visitors to do something immediately to rectify the situation. "And I needn't mention the danger to the entire sector if a dimensional rift stays open."

The captain nodded gravely. "We know the danget-it nearly destroyed our ship. But we're going to need a lot more information about this rift. What caused it?"

"How would we know?" snapped Tangre Bertoran. "One day, it just appeared."

"But you have been collecting dark matter," interjected Data. "Perhaps that is related."

Bertoran gave the android a condescending smile. "Very few scientists in the Federation know anything about dark matter, although some believe it const.i.tutes seventy percent of the universe. The sh.e.l.l has collected dark matter in small amounts for thousands of years, converting it to a phosphor-rich fertilizer. We never know how much we'll get, but we're grateful for all the energy sources we have. Although you can't see dark matter with even your best sensors, it's all around you. It was never dangerous before the rift appeared."

"Perhaps there is a malfunction in the sh.e.l.l," suggested Data.

There were audible gasps in the rose-hued cavern, and the Lipuls and Alpusta became more agitated, moving with rapid jerks. Bertoran recoiled in horror, then he spun around, pushed off, and flew away from them. Accusatory glares came from most of the Elaysians, and Pazlar rushed to the captain's side.

Troi and Barclay leaned in to listen.

"Captain," said Pazlar with a pained expression, "the sh.e.l.l isn't just a machine, especially to the Jeptah. It's a holy relic from the days of the Ancients. It's the Sacred Protector." She glanced at Data and lowered her voice. "Sometimes you can't call a machine a machine, even when it is."

"I apologize," said Picard. "We'll all use more tact." He loudened his voice to address the chamber. "We ask for your pardon. Commander Data meant no disrespect to the Sacred Protector. But certainly any investigation of dark matter must include your darkmatter collectors."

"It's the rift you have to worry about!" shouted Tangre Bertoran. "We Jeptah will attend to the sh.e.l.l as we always have."

Barclay could see the captain's resolve harden even as his expression softened to its most diplomatic. "Our fates are linked together. The Enterprise can't leave Gemworld, and no other ships can come here as long as that rift is open. If you're destroyed, we're destroyed. To fight this thing, we have to be open and honest with each other. If we require access to the Sacred Protector, you will have to give it to us."

Bertoran raised a finger with a triumphant smile."And if we require your ship, you will give us access, right? Perhaps the best way to dispense with the rift is the most direct. Why don't you apply some firepower, and decimate it with quantum torpedoes? Our scientists feel that might work."

"That might work," agreed Picard, "but without a doubt it would be a suicide mission."

"We lose one ship and a volunteer skeleton crew," said the white-haired Elaysian with a shrug. "That's better than losing a planet of billions of souls."

Suddenly one of the Alpusta sprang forward on a rapidly elongating web. The remarkable creature stopped directly in front of Bertoran and bobbed up and down, blocking his view and clearly interrupting him. The Alpusta extended another web into the cl.u.s.ter of crystals in the center, and the shards pulsed with earthier, duller colors for a moment.

A scratchy, metallic voice intoned, "Captain Picard, you will have access to any system you desire. Current needs override old traditions. The Jeptah are on many of the teams which serve the Sacred Protector, but they serve at the will of the Exalted Ones. We will meet you at the Ninth Processing Gate on the sh.e.l.l in one shadow mark."

"Thank you," answered Picard, not pushing for details.

Tangre Bertoran and several other Elaysians didn't hesitate to show their displeasure by linking up and flying from the immense cavern. Melora looked concerned by this development, but she remained at the side of her shipmates, staring straight ahead.

Without warning, something moved high above them in the shadows of the crystal cavern. Reg looked up, as did Deanna, Pazlar, and the captain. What appeared to be a brown blanket, or maybe a carpet, fluttered slowly down, its fringed edges curling in the air. This flying creature, which seemed to have no front or back, head or tail, dropped down and undulated over the cl.u.s.ter in the center. The shards glowed more brightly than they had for any of the others, as if its life-force were double the others.

"Yiltern," whispered Melora.

The amazing creature suddenly elongated into a thick rope and flew swiftly toward the exit. As it pa.s.sed over the visitors' heads, Reg gaped in astonishment-what appeared to have been one seamless creature was actually a flock of tiny bat-like things, flying so close together it was as if they were connected by a single mind. As they approached the narrow slit, the flock reformed into the flying carpet shape, did a ninety-degree turn, and slipped gracefully out.

The scratchy voice sounded again. "the debate is over. You are dismissed."

The Lipuls in the walls faded into the murky gel in which they lived; in a moment, they were all gone. The Alpusta disconnected its web from the cl.u.s.ter of crystals and recoiled on its other web until it had rejoined its fellows. Hushed whispers and suspicious glares came from the remaining Elaysians. In the center of the vast cavern, the glowing cl.u.s.ter grew dark, and even the refracted sunlight in the cavern seemed to grow dim.

"Link hands," said Melora softly.

The visitors wasted no time and followed her suggestion. They floated quietly from the heart of the aged crystal. Reg wasn't sure if they were silenced more by Gemworld and its inhabitants or by the scope of the problem confronting them. Either way, it was hard not to fear that they were in over their heads.

Commander Will Riker stood on the bridge of the Enterprise, marveling at the unusual images on the newly repaired viewscreen. Scores of technicians worked on the hull of the Enterprise in bright sunlight and blue skies, unenc.u.mbered by s.p.a.cesuits and lifelines. They worked quickly because no one knew when the next avalanche might come, but at least they worked with relative ease. A few of them used jetpacks to cover wide areas, and the others maneuvered to the open hatches with magnetic boots and exo-hull gear. Under these ideal conditions, thought Riker, their molecular patches on the outer hull would no doubt hold until they could reach a starbase.

This place would make a perfect starbase, Riker decided. It would be the only one in Starfleet where a full-size ship could hang in weightless suspension in a cla.s.s-M atmosphere. It was a natural, although he could never see the reclusive inhabitants giving their permission. On the other hand, the whole planet seemed a bit unreal and impermanent, even if it had lasted for billions of years. The dimensional rift and the strange gravity spikes-these might be the beginning of the end for a planet that had outlasted its natural time.

Riker paced the bridge, avoiding the technicians who were replacing the entire conn station. Despite the progress of the work crews both inside and out, he would be glad when they could clear the area and put up the shields.

"Commander," said the voice of the female Deltan on tactical. "Starfleet has finally acknowledged our message, version four-one-nine."

Riker sighed and gave her an unabashed grin. "Good job, Lieutenant." They had been trying since their arrival to get a brief message through the interference caused by the rift. The message wasn't so much a call for help as a warning to stay away. Normal subs.p.a.ce channels hadn't worked, but one of the obscure emergency frequencies finally had. He only hoped that Starfleet heeded the warning.

At that thought, the smile faded from Will's clean-shaven face. If Starfleet did heed their warning, then they were all alone here. They either had to save Gemworld or fall to pieces with it.

Chapter Seven.

AT THE CORE OF GEMWORLD, a tiny shuttlecraft drifted slowly among cl.u.s.ters of dark, misshapen crystals. The ship was dwarfed by twisted prisms and spires, growing in chaotic profusion. Every few seconds, chunks of the crystal broke off and floated outward, like cold embers from a dead fire. Only the shuttlecraft's shields protected it from the deadly shards, which evaporated in colorful sparks along its hull. Clouds of black debris followed the shuttlecraft where the crystals had disintegrated.

Deanna Troi stared out the window and found it impossible to believe that these huge, black ma.s.ses had not been here a few short weeks ago. Now they looked as if they were about to expand, crashing the old, bleached crystals which ringed the once hollow core of Gemworld.

It was crowded inside the shuttlecraft, with Data at the controls, Captain Picard on copilot, Reg Barclay, Melora Pazlar, and herself all craning forward from the rear seats. As beautiful and elegant as the structures above them were, these looked ugly, diseased, and weak. Yet they were growing at a tremendous rate, making the broken shards seem like casualties in a war of attrition.

Data studied his instrument panel intently, then he peered out the window. "I am very interested in the nutrient strands which are feeding the crystal. I wish we could get close enough to see exactly where they lead."

"My people checked that out," said Pazlar. "The strands are growing spontaneously from older irrigation systems that were supposed to be dormant. There's no control from the programs that are supposed to regulate them-they're taking the nutrients from the regular flow. It's as if a plant that was dead came back to life, only mutated in some horrible fashion."

"But where are the nutrients coming from?" asked the captain.

Melora looked down. "Ultimately, all nutrients come from the sh.e.l.l. All this unrestrained growth is causing the sh.e.l.l to overproduce nutrients to maintain these new strands."

"Which came first, the chicken or the egg?" said Barclay thoughtfully.

Pazlar looked puzzledly at him. "I don't understand that reference."

Reg smiled sheepishly. "I mean ... has the crystal growth caused the sh.e.l.l to go crazy? Or has the sh.e.l.l caused the crystals to go crazy?"

"The sh.e.l.l can't 'go crazy,' " snapped Melora brusquely. "The rift and the bombardment of dark matter ... that's what's causing all of this."

"We cannot make a determination at this time," said Data. "The increased thoron radiation makes it dangerous to stay here for very long, and it is impossible to get any closer."

"It's hard to imagine this was once solid ore, like a conventional planet," said Troi.

"I remember it as wide, open s.p.a.ce ... a place to learn to fly," said Melora glumly. She still appeared to be in shock from the disfigurement of her fragile, jewel-like world. Until they had seen this obscene, unchecked growth, none of them had really appreciated how bad things were.

Picard glanced at the chronometer on his instrument panel. "If I'm not mistaken, one shadow mark is a bit less than an hour."

"That's right," answered Pazlar.

"Then it's time that we meet our hosts at the Ninth Processing Gate."

"Perhaps I could navigate for Commander Data," said Melora.

"By all means." The captain rose from the copilot's seat. Both he and Barclay needed to help Pazlar to her feet. Since the Elaysian had been flying freely most of the day, she no longer wore her anti-grav suit. Even the slightest movement was difficult for her with the shuttlecraft's artificial gravity.

After Melora got situated in the copilot's seat, she directed Data in a steady but cautious climb through the jungle of crystals. It was a relief to get away from the black cl.u.s.ter at the heart of the planet, but it was impossible to look at healthy crystal without seeing how deformed it could become. This aged planet had led many lives, thought Deanna, and she couldn't help but wonder if it were on its last.

While they ascended to the upper levels, Captain Picard contacted the ship and received some good news. Their message had finally reached Starfleet, outlining their own dire situation and warning Starfleet off from any rescue attempts. Repairs were also going better than expected, and crews would soon be finished working on the hull. The Enterprise still didn't have warp drive, but that hardly mattered at the moment. They weren't going anywhere as long as that dimensional rift loomed just outside the planet's protective sh.e.l.l.

"Data," said the captain, "I know we told them it wouldn't work, but would a brace of torpedoes have any effect on the rift?"

"Unknown," answered the android. "We know very little about the anomaly. It is interesting that dark matter is spewing out rather than being sucked in. This would indicate that any destructive actions could backfire. It also indicates an equalization is taking place."

"Equalization?" asked Troi.

The android nodded. "Just as air flows from one room to another if the air pressure is unequal, dark matter might be flowing into our dimension to equalize some sort of imbalance. Perhaps the imbalance was caused by the inhabitants collecting and converting dark matter for their own use."

"I doubt it," said Melora. "We've been doing that for centuries-why would it cause such problems now?"

"That is a good question," said Data. "I have not had enough time to study Gemworld, but I can make one observation: it is unique. Gemworld is a singularity unto itself, unlike any other known body in s.p.a.ce, and its long-term effects on the cosmos are unknown."

Pazlar scoffed angrily. "Do you think we did this to ourselves?"

"Inhabitants have been known to do irreparable harm to their own planets, through accident or neglect."

"Not us," insisted the Elaysian. "We have a long history of preserving our planet. We've kept our culture simple, so there's no pollution, and we have nurtured every form of life. Everything we've done has been to extend the life of Gemworld. The Exalted Ones would never allow anyone to harm it."

"Nevertheless, harm is being done," said Data bluntly.