Riker scanned the badlands around them, the rock and dirt and dust and sand. "Doesn't look as if it was ever the easiest place to live."

"It wasn't," Durren said "Always hotter and drier than most of Thiopa. But the Endrayans managed, even before Evain started preaching about the old ways$1, "How?"

"How did they live here? By working with the world and not against her. Simple." He pointed out to gray hills. "Look ..."

Open pits scarred the ashen land like fatal wounds inflicted so long ago they were past bleeding. "That's what the Nuarans did?" Riker asked. He got no reply, but he didn't need one. The sorrow in Durren's voice, the anger in Mikken's eyes, told him what he needed to know.

"There's something I don't understand," Riker said.

Durren looked at him. "If there's nothing out here that anybody wants, why has Stross declared war on Endraya?"

"Because of us. Because we won't give up our right to live the way we want."

"Durren," Tritt suddenly shouted "Stop!"

"What?"

"Out this-there."

The track bed ran past a watering hole, which was nearly dry. But a handful of large animals were lying on their sides in the mud. Durren throttled the motor back to reduce speed.

"They're dead, Tritt."

"n-n-no-I saw them move. I g-g-got better eyes than you."

With a sigh, Durren brought the rail car to a full stop. Tritt jumped down and trotted across the few hundred meters to the pond. The others watched but made no move to follow.

"Why are you letting him do this again?" Mikken complained. "Means something to him."

"What's he doing?" asked Riker.

Mikken scowled in annoyance. "Putting the ealixes out of their misery."

"The water," said Durren. "The government and the Nuarans used it up, made the weather dry it up-or poisoned it."

"We found out about the poison when people drank the water and died," Mikken said. "Toxic dumping from the mining operations. But the animals can't test for toxic waste, so they drink it and die. Except sometimes, they're not quite dead and Tritt has to stop and kill them. He gets along better with animals than he does with people. So he feels he has to do this whenever he sees some that aren't dead yet."

"Not an easy way to die, drinking poisoned water," Durren said softly. "Eats your insides. I've seen it happen to people."

They could see Tritt shooting the dying animals, but the sound of his blaster was too faint to be heard over the drone of the wind and the hum of the motor. He walked back over the scrub weeds and low dunes and climbed up the ladder. Durren pushed the throttle to midspeed and the car leaped ahead.

The captain's seat was, for the moment, empty.

In fact, so was the whole center well of the bridge.

The three seats normally occupied by Picard, Riker, and either Counselor Troi or Chief Medical Officer Pulaski were all empty. As ranking officer, Lieutenant Commander Data was nominally in charge. But with no pressing crisis, he simply remained in his low-slung seat at the Ops console up near the viewscreen. He seemed preoccupied with running calculations on his computer terminal. Ensign Crusher glanced across from his adjacent station.

"What're you working on, Data?"

"A theory, Wesley. But I lack certain information. I shall try to get it from Dr. Keat when I return to Thiopa."

"When are you beaming down?"

"As soon as the captain returns to the bridge."

Wesley watched the planet that filled the main viewer. "I don't get it." "Get what?"

"How anybody could let outsiders turn their planet into a toxic dump."

"Shortsightedness."

"I guess. In one of my history courses I learned about how we humans almost turned earth into a polluted mess, and we didn't even need any advanced aliens to help us."

Data's head bobbed owlishly. "Yes, humans have a long record of self-inflicted disasters. It is amazing your ancestors survived long enough to develop s.p.a.ceflight- "Do you think the Thiopans will survive all their problems?"

"Unknown, Wesley."

"Is that what your theory's about?"

"Yes."

The forward turbolift opened and Captain Picard stepped onto the bridge. Data swiveled toward him as Picard sat in the command chair. "Captain, request permission to beam down to confer with Dr. Feat."

"Granted. Oh, and you may show her that weather control file from our memory banks. Do your best to get something in return."

"Yes, sir." The android left the bridge and a young female ensign took his place at the Ops station. Only a few years older than Wesley, she had honey-gold skin and Polynesian features framed by l.u.s.trous raven hair. Wesley greeted her with a shy smile. When she smiled back, he had trouble taking his eyes off her.

"Mr. Crusher," Picard said sharply, "mind your station."

Wesley's face turned crimson. "Yes, sir." After a few moments, when his blush subsided, he glanced over his shoulder.

"Captain?"

"Hmm?"

"About Commander Riker ... we're running out of time."

"Are we?"

"Your twelve-hour deadline ..."

Picard got up and stood behind Wesley's seat.

"I haven't heard any orders to leave orbit, have you?"

"No, sir."

"Then I'd concentrate on my duties if I were you, Ensign." The voice and expression were stern. But a rea.s.suring hand rested on Wesley's shoulder for just a moment.

"Do androids eat and drink"..."[*thorn]

Kael Keat leaned across her desk, golden whiskers twitching tentatively as her wide pale eyes gazed at Commander Data.

"It is not actually necessary for sustenance. But I was constructed to accommodate ingestion of solid and liquid food."

"To make you more compatible with the humans you were designed to live with?"

"Apparently so. Since humans have some of their most interesting conversations at mealtimes, I am glad that eating is one of my functions." "Do you actually get hungry?"

"No."

"Do you taste things?"

"Oh, yes, and I do have definite preferences."

"You are just the most fascinating ... well, I was going to say "thing," but biological or not, you are definitely a person."

Data flashed a thoroughly pleased smile.

"Thank you, Dr. Keat."

"Don't be so formal. Call me KaeLike"

"Very well, Kael. Is there anything else you would like to know?" "Are you joking?"

"Joking? No. As my shipmates so often observe, I could not tell a joke if my life depended on it, if it walked up and introduced itself to me, if I tripped over one, if it ran up and bit me on the-was "I get the idea, Data," Kael chuckled.

"Back to your questionI would love to know everything about you-how you were built, how you function, how you get along with a shipload of biological beings-"She stopped when she saw a faint cloud of disappointment shadow his face. Or was she imagining it? "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm talking about you as if you're a behavioral science experiment."

"In a way, I am. My existence is, to some extent, an ongoing case study." "Does that bother you?"

"No. Should it?"

"It would bother the h.e.l.l out of me, knowing my every action and interaction was being watched and cataloged by somebody."

"But interaction with humans and with other lifeforms is endlessly intriguing. Although I am being closely observed because of my unique origins, I am always observing my observers. They are my teachers, even when they are not aware of it. I believe it is possible to learn something of value from every lifeform we encounter."

"What a wonderful att.i.tude."

"The variety of behaviors exhibited by living beings is astonishing. I find this especially true of humans, since they are the species with which I have had the most extensive experience."

"Do you understand these people you live and work with?"

"Not entirely. The complexities of love, hate, greed, sacrifice..."

"So you learn from both the good and the bad?"

"Oh, most definitely. I do understand why human artists, poets, and writers make such frequent use of the most intense emotions, both positive and negative."

"We've certainly got plenty of those flying around here on Thiopa," Kael said ironically.

"Think you've learned anything from us?"

"From you."

"Really? What?"

"I have learned more about love and dedication from your devotion to science and truth."

Kael blinked in embarra.s.sment. "Well, it's very nice of you to say that. And speaking of science and truth, there are things you want to know about Thiopa, right?"

Data nodded. "If I may, I would like to see your planetary meteorology records."

"Meteorology records? Temperatures, rainfallthat sort of thing?" "Exactly."

"How far back?"

"As many years as you have on record."

"Do you mind if I ask why?"

"I need additional information to test a theory."

"What kind of theory?"

The android's yellow eyes blinked in hesitation.

"I am not quite ready to discuss it with anyone, Kael."

"Well, when you are ready, will you tell me about it?"

"Certainly."

"Then you're welcome to see whatever weather records you need."

"The overthrow of the government?" Riker's eyes darted quickly from Durren to Mikken, then back again.

He couldn't believe what he'd just heard.

"It's the only way we can find our way back into the circle," Mikken said fiercely, his powerful hand curled around his blaster, as if wing a lover. "We've been forced to it by Stross and his forty years of collaboration with the sc.u.m Nuarans."

"Is this Sojourner policy, Durren?"

"No. But plenty of our people want what Mikken wants."

"What about you?"

Durren squinted, scanning the desolate beauty of the mountains guarding the horizon before he replied.