Mengred strolled in. "You've done an excellent job of trying to destroy that wall panel, android."

Data lowered his foot. "I have repeatedly requested immediate a.s.sistance."

"Sorry, we've been very busy." Mengred went toward Riker. "What is wrong with him?"

"Unknown," Data said, placing himself in a position where he could intervene if the Carda.s.sian made a threatening move.

"He will be taken to the medical lab," Mengred said, snapping his fingers and gesturing. His burly aide and a Carda.s.sian in a security uniform picked Riker up.

Data noted that they did not use their transporter to send Riker immediately to the sickbay, as they would have done on the Enterprise. They simply hauled Riker off the bed by his arms and legs while another guard fetched an antigrav pallet.

Data prepared to accompany them.

"You will stay here, android," Mengred told him.

Data quickly stepped around the aide holding Riker, blocking him from moving forward. "I must stay with Commander Riker."

"Why?" Mengred asked him.

Data perceived a thoughtful quality to Mengred's question. "Because I am now in command of this away mission, and I insist on accompanying this officer to sickbay. If you refuse, I will make an official complaint to Starfleet Headquarters and the Detapa Council on Carda.s.sia Prime."

"All that just to go with him for a medical examination?" Mengred pressed.

"Yes," Data said simply, feeling no need to address him as "sir" since he held no military rank.

"Very well," Mengred agreed.

Data followed the men carrying Riker from the cell. They placed him on an antigrav pallet that was stained and dirty from cargo. Data helped guide the pallet, staying near Riker's head in case he spoke.

Several security guards brought up the rear, their phaser pistols drawn and aimed at him. Data a.n.a.lyzed this new development and concluded their caution resulted from his demonstration of strength. It was highly likely the Carda.s.sians considered him a threat after the damage he had done to their duranium-tritanium wall.

Mengred accompanied them, staying well behind Data. When he turned, the Carda.s.sian was watching him every move, every step, every blink of his eyes.

Data continued forward. The next time he looked back, Mengred was still watching him. The Carda.s.sian did not attempt to conceal his interest in Data. But he completely ignored Riker, who groaned at every jolt in the pa.s.sage through the corridors.

Data gathered useful information during their transit through the warship. He flagged Mengred's interest in himself as information to be considered in his tactical evaluation of the current situation.

Riker was pushed into a laboratory and lifted onto an activated diagnostic table. Data stood next to the table, examining the remainder of the room. It appeared to be a biology laboratory, with counters around three walls. The central table was attached to the computer console.

'This is your medical facility?" Data asked.

"Carda.s.sians don't get sick," Mengred told him. "Injuries are handled in the aid center, but this appears to be a more complex situation which calls for a combined biological and medical facility."

Data refrained from comment. The room was equipped for active and pa.s.sive scans, and his sensitive neural network detected both in use. The diagnostic table was emitting high-frequency electromagnetic waves in complex patterns.

Only Mengred and the Carda.s.sian biology officer, who never offered his name, stayed hi the room, while guards were posted at the door. Data endured the continual scans, remaining next to Commander Riker. From Mengred's reaction, Data deduced that the scans were investigating his composition as well as Riker's biological condition.

Since none of Data's schematics were restricted, and many aspects of his construction had been debated in cybernetics symposiums across the Federation, Data did not protest. If the Carda.s.sians wanted a full record of his physiognomy, they could have obtained it in easier ways. But then again, Carda.s.sians were notoriously suspicious and would probably believe that important information was being withheld.

Data knew the reason he was unique was much simpler than thatonly Soong had been able to reproduce a viable positronic network. Data's own attempts with his daughter Lal had been both exhilarating and tragic, when she lived only two weeks.

"What are you thinking right now, android?" Mengred suddenly asked him.

Data looked up at Mengred, who was sitting back in a padded chair, watching him. The biologist was stiffly performing scans and comparing them to human readings on the computer console.

"I must contact the Enterprise," Data informed him. "I request that you immediately proceed to the communications window."

"Oh, your ship has already been contacted." Mengred smiled. "Did I forget to tell you that? The Enterprise should be arriving soon."

From Riker's bedside, the biologist announced flatly, "His cellular structure is exhibiting spontaneous decay. I can stabilize bis systems with klysteamine."

Data immediately rejoined the biologist. "I would like to see the molecular composition of the klysteamine, and your recommended dosage size."

The Carda.s.sian scientist didn't want to move away from his console, but Mengred ordered him to comply.

Data ignored the biologist's scowl and examined the klysteamine structure, accessing his own databanks to run a comparison against Starfleet standards. The Carda.s.sian klysteamine was refined at a cruder quality level, but it had no additional chemical structures. Data determined that even if the Carda.s.sian had misdiag-nosed the symptoms, this dosage of klysteamine would merely reduce inflammation of the tissues and bring down Commander Riker's feverexactly what was needed right now.

Data filled the injector himself and administered it to Riker. His temperature was 104.5dangerously high.

"If Commander Riker dies, it will be due to your negligence," Data informed Mengred.

"He's not going to die," Mengred said, dismissing that with a wave of his hand. "You also contain medical knowledge?"

"I have access to a wide range of information." Data checked Riker's temperature again with the bioscanner. It had already dropped one-half a degree.

"And you truly feel responsible for that officer?" Mengred asked curiously.

"Yes."

Data stood stiffly as Mengred stepped closer. "A machine that thinks and talks like a human. Amazing...."

Mengred continued to ask questions, and Data answered. The latest Starfleet orders were to cooperate with the Carda.s.sians within the limits of the current treaty. Under section 233.5, the treaty specified that information exchange would be encouraged. Therefore, Data replied courteously and did not protest the continued covert electromagnetic scans. But their negligence of Riker's condition seemed to be calculated, and that indicated the need for caution, so Data provided as little concrete information as possible.

Mengred seemed to be mostly interested in Data himself. He asked about things Data had done, what he thought, why he had joined Starfleet, and why he had become a commander.

Throughout, Mengred kept referring to him as "android" until Data finally corrected him. "My name is not android. It is Data. I am a sentient being like yourself."

"Remarkable," Mengred said as if to himself. 'Truly remarkable."

Data turned away to check Commander Riker's temperature. Over the past hour, it had dropped two-and-a-half degrees, bringing him out of immediate danger.

"Gul Ocett to Mengred."

A flash of irritation pa.s.sed over Mengred's face. "What is it?"

"We have the Enterprise on long-range sensors."

Mengred glanced at Data. "Very well."

Data politely said to Mengred, "I believe that ends our discussion."

Mengred smiled. "For now."

Ensign Ro seethed inside. Her anger had been building ever since Captain Picard had acceded, almost without protest, to Starfleet Command's order to take on two Carda.s.sians.

Ro was remembering why she had gotten into so much trouble in Starfleet even before her court-martial. But she had to say something, when they went around asking for trouble! After all, what good did it do to allow Carda.s.sians on board the Enterprise? Starfleet had everything to lose. It was complete arrogance, the arrogance of a people who hadn't been defeated for a few centuries. The Bajorans knew better. They knew you could always be beaten.

If the Federation territories had ever been occupied and their people enslaved, they would hesitate to allow untrustworthy Carda.s.sians on board the finest Starship in their fleet.

"Captain," Worf said from the tactical station. "I am reading a Carda.s.sian Galor-cla.s.s warship on long range sensors."

"Set an intercept course."

"Aye, sir," Ro said reluctantly. Worf had reported that the security lockdown was in place, but Ro was willing to bet on the Carda.s.sians finding a way around even the toughest security protocols.

"Their shields are at full power," Worf announced. "Weapons are on-line."

"Open a channel," Picard ordered.

When the image of a female Carda.s.sian Commander appeared on the viewscreen, Ro restrained the urge to spit at it. She knew the Carda.s.sians were playing Starfleet for fools, and for her the contempt went both ways.

"Captain Picard, I am Gul Ocett," the Carda.s.sian said bluntly. "Your officer is sick."

"Commander Riker?" Picard asked, rising to his feet. "Why were we not informed?"

"Your android stabilized the commander," Ocett retorted. "Prepare to receive the shuttlecraft Hawking. As per Starfleet-Carda.s.sian Agreement Stardate 45117.6, your officers are accompanied by Jos Mengred and his aide Pakat. They will remain on your ship until Stardate 45120.6 while you conduct the survey of this sector."

Ro stifled an exclamation. It appeared that the only reason Picard was allowing the Obsidian Order on board was in exchange for his officers. That revealed a glaring weakness that would surely be exploited by the Carda.s.sians.

Picard alerted sickbay. "Dr. Crusher, report to the main shuttlebay. Commander Riker is injured."

"On my way," was Dr. Crusher's immediate response.

Ro brought the Enterprise to a halt a bare 100 kilometers from the warship. The two Starships would be fairly matched in a fight. The Enterprise had the edge, as it was much bigger, but the warship was powerful. How powerful, no one but the Carda.s.sians knew for certain.

The Hawking emerged from the shuttle hanger, and everyone on the bridge breathed a sigh of relief.

"Picard to shuttlecraft Hawking," the captain hailed.

The viewscreen shifted from the exterior of the Hawking to the interior. "Data here, sir."

Data was clearly focused on flying the shuttle, but the view also included the entire, width of the shuttle. The huddled form in back was probably Riker lying down on the bench. A Carda.s.sian stood in the shadows to his side, while another Carda.s.sian sat in the navigator's seat, his chair momentarily turned to face the back.

"Commander Riker is quite ill; however, he has been stabilized," Data reported. "Engaging docking sequence."

"Hawking is cleared for docking," Worf acknowledged as he dropped shields.

The other Carda.s.sian turned to face the viewscreen. He didn't say anything. He simply looked from one bridge officer to another, a.s.sessing them. Ro shivered when she saw the insignia on his chest. The Obsidian Order... they were capable of anything, and had license to do everything.

She realized he was looking at her, smirking at the sight of her Bajoran nose and earrings. She fought to keep her hands from clenching and pounding the console.

Then he ignored her, exchanging greetings with Captain Picard.

As the Hawking docked, Ro concentrated on the control panel of the helm and didn't look up anymore. She didn't want to give the Carda.s.sian the satisfaction of unnerving her like that again.

When Picard asked Worf to accompany him to go and meet their "guests," Ro shook her head. Her earrings made faint tinkling noises, but she didn't get any comfort from their weight. She didn't like this one bit.

Chapter Five.

After the Hawking was seized by the docking tractor beam and set down, Data went to the rear to a.s.sist Riker. Data had urged him to remain as he was, but Riker had insisted that Data help him sit up. His legs were too weak to allow him to stand.

As soon as the door opened, Dr. Crusher entered the Hawking. "What happened to you?" she exclaimed, when she saw his condition.

"I don't know," Riker said, adjusting stiffly to see further into the shuttle bay. He had a ringside seat at Jos Mengred's introduction to Captain Picard. Worf was standing at attention behind the captain, an immovable hulking presence.

"Hold still," the doctor ordered, scanning Riker. "Inflammation of the intestinal tract and dermal tissue. Cellular degradation in the muscles and connective tissues. Moderate radiation exposurebut there aren't many free radicals left in your system...."

Riker was too busy listening in on the Carda.s.sian's conversation with Picard to pay attention to the doctor.

"I'm sure this will be an interesting experience for us all, Captain," Mengred was saying. Pakat stood stoically behind Mengred.

"Starfleet is pleased to cooperate with our Carda.s.sian neighbors," Picard said.

"I recognize your name, Captain Picard," Mengred said conversationally. "When that rogue Starfleet captain destroyed a Carda.s.sian facility in the K'alar system, you a.s.sisted the Carda.s.sian Empire."

"Yes, that was almost a year ago," Picard said evenly.

Riker knew that was not the best incident to remind Captain Picard about. Picard had lost respect for Gul Macet, the lying Carda.s.sian captain who had been in charge of the trio of military "observers" hosted by the Enterprise. Macet had known all along that the Carda.s.sian "science station" that had been destroyed was really a weapons-supply depot.

Riker distrusted these two Carda.s.sians as much, if not more than the military officers. Without their armor-plated uniforms, the Obsidian Order agents did not appear as formidable. But Riker knew better than to underestimate them.

"I was pleased when the Detapa Council said we would be allowed to accompany you during your survey of this neutral sector," Mengred said smoothly.

"Yes, of course." Picard seemed stymied by the Carda.s.sian's enthusiasm. "Lieutenant Worf, Chief Tactical Officer, will show you to your quarters. If you would like, he has prepared a tour of the Enterprise for both of you."

"Thank you very much, Captain. That will be delightful." Pakat didn't say a word as Mengred inclined his head in respectful greeting to Worf. "Lieutenant Worf. I have heard much about the ferocity and prowess of Klingons in battle. Is it true?"

Worf clearly had not expected a personal question at this moment. He glanced uneasily at Picard, who nodded for him to reply.

"Klingon tradition honors those who fight well in battle," Worf said bluntly.

"Then our people have much in common," Mengred said eagerly. "I look forward to comparing cultures."