"Steady as she goes," Riker said.

"Increased power to the structural-integrity field," Data reported.

As they moved closer, they could see that the plasma was constantly churning. Riker felt as if they were about to dive into rapidly boiling water. The shuttlecraft shuddered harder as the discharges affected the stability of subs.p.a.ce.

'Transferring auxiliary power to the forward shields," Data said calmly.

"Slowing to one-quarter impulse power. Five seconds to the plasma field," Riker reported back to the Enterprise. His voice shook from the vibration of the shuttlecraft.

He knew the captain and bridge crew would be watching the Hawking on the viewscreen, through the lines of static that appeared whenever they entered the shadow of the Badlands. Riker preferred the view from the shuttle over the one from the bridge.

The Hawking shook harder. He could feel the att.i.tude adjusters slip under his hands.

"Entering the Badlands," Data announced.

Streamers of re-ionizing plasma gas obscured the viewscreen.

The white-and-gray gauzy streamers lessened as the shuttle went in further, clearing every now and again to show a vast layered field of pink and orange clouds. The layers were joined together by funnel-shaped flares, moving like a mirror image of a tornado, narrowing in the center and widening to a swirling vortex above and below.

"Sensor range is limited," Data reported. "The plasma is interfering with our imaging systems. I am increasing the bandwidth to compensate for the interference."

The shuttlecraft rocked violently for a moment, then settled down to a continuously b.u.mpy ride. Riker told Data that he was trying to use thrusters to stabilize.

"Reading high levels of magnetic turbulence," Data reported, his voice slightly altered by the force of the vibrating ship. "Hull pressure reaching dangerous levels."

One plasma flare swerved quite close. Where did that come from? Riker wondered wildly. One minute it wasn't there, then the next it was sideswiping their hull.

"Increasing speed to one-half impulse," Riker said grimly. Under conditions like these, he needed more power.

As their speed picked up, the shuddering grew worse. Riker banked around the twisting plasma flare and headed toward the upper layer of clouds. There were more whirling flares off their port where the plasma was denser. Riker changed course again to get clear around them. The shuttle was still riding rough, as if there were timing delays in the Optical Data Network relays.

"Shields at 78 percent," Data announced. "Shuttlecraft Hawking to Enterprise. Come in, Enterprise."

Riker was too busy getting the rhythm of the plasma storms to pay much attention as Data went through the standard communications protocols for an away team that has lost contact with their ship. No one had really expected communications contact to be sustained inside the plasma storms anyway.

"Nothing within 100,000 kilometers," Data reported.

"We need more sensor range," Riker muttered. "If there is anything in here, we'll hit it before we see it."

"Understood," Data said, manipulating the sensor controls. "I will attempt to modulate the emitter pulse to increase sensor range."

They flew on, both concentrating on their work. The light was muted inside the shuttle compared to the glowing plasma field on the viewscreen. It was occasionally lit brighter by flashes of ion discharge.

"Sensors reading 250,000 kilometers," Data reported. He sounded almost regretful when he added, "At that aperture the beam is narrowed approximately to a 12-degree arc directly in front of the shuttlecraft."

"Great," Riker muttered. "We might as well shine a handlight out the portal to see if anything is coming."

Data blinked, his glowing yellow eyes turned to Riker. "Commander, I fail to see how the use of a handlight would improve our situation."

"That's a joke, Data."

Data shook his head, focusing back on the control panel. "I see. Once again, I have misjudged a situation in which a joke would be appropriate."

"It's not really appropriate now," Riker smiled briefly.

He enjoyed being able to baffle Data once in a while. It was impossible to do it when it came to facts and figures, but the simplest things could sometimes make Data seem like a childrather than the most intelligent creature Riker had ever known.

Data had done a good job, as usual. The enhanced sensors were much better, even if they did narrow their field of view. Riker compensated by flying a zigzag pattern.

They were quite deep inside the plasma when they came upon a thick cl.u.s.ter of flares. Riker threaded the needle between two whirling funnel clouds. He had a better feel for their wide swinging movements now.

But then streamers of plasma drifted across the viewscreen, partially obstructing the view. "Data?"

"We appear to be approaching an area of relatively thin plasma," Data reported.

The heavy clouds thinned, and the layers pulled apart. There were no plasma flares for as far as the sensors could read.

"Sensor range increasing," Data noted, magnifying the view.

"What have we here?" Riker mused, opening up his search pattern. After a few moments, he said, "Is that what I think it is?"

"It is a gas giant with six iron-core moons in orbit," Data confirmed.

"A gas giant..." Riker repeated, gazing at the aquamarine and green stripes that banded the planet. He gave it a wide berth, wanting to avoid intense gravity fluctuations, which would be amplified by the plasma fields.

"I am also reading one Cla.s.s-O planet," Data reported, "and one Cla.s.s-M planet. They are in orbit around an orange dwarf star."

"An entire solar system," Riker said in amazement. "Swallowed by the plasma storms. Could there be others?"

"It is probable, considering the size of the Badlands," Data agreed.

Riker shook his head as they flew through the system, gathering readings on the various planets. It was an odd scene; the planets appeared to be floating in the plasma, but the subtle ripples in color and light showed their ma.s.sive movement as they orbited the dim, distant sun. Riker felt like he was in an ancient city that had been swallowed by water. The atmosphere was murky, yet currents flowed around the ruins, choking and isolating them.

He whistled low under his breath, and double-checked the imaging device. He wasn't sure he could describe this accurately in his report. But in this case, one view of the planet swimming past would be enough to send chills down anyone's spine. He couldn't imagine what conditions would be like on the surface of the cla.s.s M planet. Even if there was an atmosphere, this much ionization would surely harm life-forms.

The shuttlecraft bucked as they reentered the denser plasma field. Riker was glad they had the extra warp power to use as auxiliary energy to boost structural integrity and shields. The shifting plasma fields were straining all of their systems.

The solar system was swallowed up behind them by the plasma. Riker circled out and around, but there were no other distinguishable features, other than the endless plasma flares.

'Time to get back," he told Data, knowing that the crew would be waiting impatiently for their report.

Soon afterward, when Riker tried to navigate back to the point where they had exited the solar system, he discovered that he couldn't locate it again. Navigational systems appeared to be working perfectly, but when he ran the previous sequence against the interior map, he realized their bearings were shifting according to the fluctuating gravitational fields.

"We've lost our bearings," he told Data.

Data immediately understood what was happening, and he set to work trying to compensate. "We have lost primary navigation systems."

"Where are we?" Riker asked evenly.

"I am attempting to plot our coordinates according to the adjustments you made to helm control," Data informed him, rapidly calling up the sequence Riker had used.

Riker used thrusters to slip into the thicker plasma gas in the layer above them, hoping to be able to drift and avoid the flares while Data completed his computations. If anyone could navigate without the stars as guidance, Riker bet on Data to do it.

Data attempted to reverse the commands Commander Riker had input to return to the solar system they had discovered. When that proved ineffective, Data concluded that the plasma fields within the storms were in constant internal motion, changing their position in relation to the rest of the field and the surrounding galaxy.

Without precise measurements of the plasma fields and their interlocking currents, it was impossible to determine exactly where the shuttlecraft was in relation to its entry point. So Data attempted to determine approximately where the shuttlecraft was in relation to the closest edge of the plasma storm by calibrating the sensors to read the resonate frequency of the galaxy.

It was a unique and intrig uing problem. However, Commander Riker clearly did not appreciate Data's enthusiasm for the task. Data limited himself to ten-minute updates when he realized Riker was clenching his fists in frustration, unable to do anything about their situation. Riker continued the sensor scans as they floated in the dense plasma, while Data worked out the difficult computations, using both his positronic brain and the shuttle's...o...b..ard computer.

Data sat quite still as he completed the process. Then he calibrated the sensors and determined the location where the resonate frequency was most distinct. "Proceed at bearing eight-one-five mark four-five."

Commander Riker relaxed somewhat. "I was beginning to wonder if we'd ever get out of here."

"Of course, Commander. It was simply a matter of narrowing the sensor feed to one frequency, taking into account the distortion of the"

"Sorry I doubted you," Riker interrupted. He input the navigational bearing Data had provided. "Now, let's go."

Data took over the sensor scans, extending the beam to its limit. Using a pulse system, he shifted the sensor beam in a random pattern, gathering additional data and taking care to note the direction and intensity of the cross-translational plasma currents. They would need a better understanding of the movements within the plasma storms in order to attempt another interior survey. He also kept one bank of sensors tuned to the galactic frequency to keep the shuttlecraft on course.

For a long time Riker was silent, as they flew around the cl.u.s.ters of flares, avoiding pockets of turbulence and the denser areas of plasma, where they had to slow to thrusters. Data noted that the commander breathed a sigh of relief when the plasma streamers thickened. The plasma began to part, revealing a star or two.

"Leaving the Badlands," Riker announced.

Data waited until the starfield filled the screen, then he opened the communications channel. "Data to Enterprise. This is the shuttlecraft Hawking."

The low hum of static was audible to his ears, though Riker probably only heard silence. "The interference within the sensor shadow is too great."

"Let's see where we are." Riker watched the navigational computer run through a sequence of star patterns, trying to determine their location. A map appeared on screen. "Look, Data. We've gone through the narrow part of the plasma storms and exited the 'upper' edge. That's probably why they can't hear us."

The Hawking could not go to warp until they were some distance away from the Badlands. The gravitational forces of the plasma storms made it impossible to maintain a warp bubble.

So Data recalibrated the sensors to obtain additional long-range data. Since Riker was proceeding directly away from the Badlands, gradually the interference lessened, even though they were still within the sensor shadow.

His program to cut through the sensor interference succeeded as they neared the edge of the shadow. "Long-range scanners detect a vessel at bearing two-six-eight mark five-zero," Data announced.

"The Enterprise ? " Riker asked.

Data considered the location of the sensor blip. Even at warp 8, which was impossible this close to the Badlands, the Enterprise could not have reached the specified coordinates. "Negative. Ident.i.ty unknown. Sensors cannot maintain a lock due to the plasma interference."

Riker shifted uneasily in his chair, and the Hawking went to full impulse power.

As they neared the edge of the sensor shadow, Data noted something unusual. Sensors indicated a localized subs.p.a.ce disturbance. Before Data could warn Commander Riker, he had lost control of the Hawking.

Data instantly focused his positronic brain on a microsecond level to a.s.sess what was occurring. A subs.p.a.ce incursion took place within the Hawking for a total of 2.34 seconds. Sensors overloaded, as did the electroplasma power relays, shutting down major systems. The matter-antimatter injectors, on-line in preparation for warp drive, went into emergency shutdown as the shuttle shifted onto auxiliary power.

The red alert signal began flashing, and the computer announced, "Main power offline. Auxiliary generators engaged."

In the red flashing light, their panels blinking with demands for immediate attention, Riker turned to Data. "What was that?!"

Chapter Two.

Ro laren fidgeted with her uniform collar. It itched. She wasn't used to having something tight around her neck. The prison jumpsuits she had worn up until a couple of weeks ago had been V-necked, gray and ugly.

Ro still wasn't sure she'd made the right decision. Despite four years of training at Starfleet Academy and duty on board a Starship, she had landed in prison for disobeying orders and killing eight people. She didn't trust herselfand in spite of one successful mission with the Enterprise, she wasn't sure why Captain Picard trusted her.

"Retreat out of the sensor shadow," Captain Picard ordered.

"Aye, sir," Ro said, remembering to add the required "sir" this time. She input a bearing just outside the area designated as the sensor shadow and engaged full impulse power. The rendezvous time had long come and gone and there was still no sign of the shuttlecraft Hawking.

"Scan the region for vessels," Picard ordered.

"Plasma interference is reducing the sensor range," Worf regretfully reported. "However, I am reading no vessels in the area."

Picard lowered his voice, but Ro had no trouble hearing his question to Counselor Deanna Troi. "Can you sense anything from them?"

Ro leaned back further, trying to hear. She was unnerved by the Betazoid empath. She was never sure how much the counselor knew.

"Nothing, sir," Troi replied. "Not since they entered the Badlands. Maybe the ionization of the plasma storms interferes with empathic powers."

Ro shivered, wondering if Troi could read her emotions right now. She didn't like being transparent, but that's the way Troi made her feel during their counseling sessions. The questions she asked! Ro wanted to advise her to give upthere was no way to heal her wounds. There was no way for a Bajoran refugee to be "normal" like other people.

Since Ro figured Counselor Troi would report everything, she just kept saying she was grateful that Captain Picard was offering her a second chance. At one point, Troi had asked if Ro really wanted to return to Starfleet. Ro had quickly answered, yes. She didn't bother to add that aside from prison on Jaros II, she had no other place to go. She would rather die than return to a Bajoran resettlement camp to repair broken equipment or grow tubers in the dust.

"Leaving the sensor shadow, sir," Ro announced, bringing the ship to a halt.

"Worf, send out long-range sensor probes," Picard ordered. "Perhaps the Hawking left the Badlands at a different location."

Riker had to swallow several times to regain control. It had felt for a moment like he was being turned inside out.

"We have encountered a subs.p.a.ce field," Data said, sounding like nothing had happened.

"What kind?"

"Currently unknown, sir," Data replied.

Riker was having trouble controlling the Hawking. Intense subs.p.a.ce fields were known to disrupt the plasma flow. He sent the engine sequence into automatic shutdown. Other systems were shutting down, responding to the abrupt reduction in power. With only auxiliary generators, shields were at 30 percent.

"Was that a weapon of some kind?" Riker brought the Hawking to a stop, preferring to remain on the edge of the sensor shadow until they knew more. At least they were far enough away from the plasma storms to avoid being pulled in. "Where's that other vessel?"

"Sensors are still offline, Commander."

"Okay, let's get to work," Riker said.