Data was at the computer panel in his quarters long after the reception had begun in Ten-Forward. But he was completing the a.s.signment the captain had given him earlier, to find out more about the subs.p.a.ce wave that had disabled the Hawking.

He discovered that thirty-three years prior to their survey mission, the Federation science vessel Yosemite had investigated the Badlands. The Yosemite was the first ship to explore the interior of the plasma storms, yet it was too large to penetrate more than 100,000 kilometers inside. So the Yosemite had explored the border regions and the vast sensor shadow surrounding the plasma storms.

When the Yosemite emerged from the Badlands she stalled, and it took several days for them to clean the clogged plasma from their warp nacelles. They remained inside the sensor shadow of the Badlands so they could continue to monitor the plasma discharge rate through special probes they had planted along the border.

They had almost completed the job when a subs.p.a.ce incursion, lasting nearly two seconds, had disrupted their power systems. After repairing their vessel, the crew of the Yosemite had completed their science mission without any additional incidents.

Since their probes had recorded many high-level discharges within the sensor shadow, the science team of the Yosemite theorized that the energized plasma created subs.p.a.ce incursions. It was similar to the way warp engines used plasmacreated from matter and antimatterto generate the intense asymmetrical spatial distortion that imparted velocities through subs.p.a.ce.

Captain Indul, of the newly commissioned Yosemite, stated in her log that it was possible the ship had attracted the subs.p.a.ce discharge. She compared it to a lightning rod that formed the arcing point in a terrestrial electrical discharge.

Data created a simulation from the Yosemite's data and ran the same scenario for a vessel the size of the Hawking. When he compared the results to the logs during the power disruption of the Hawking, the data were identical.

Data believed that explained what had occurred to disrupt the systems of the Hawking. Captain Indul had theorized that direct hull exposure to the plasma fields increased the likelihood that a discharge would occur. Data intended to investigate that possibility further.

However, when he consulted the Yosemite's medical logs, there were no reported incidents of illness among me twenty-four crew members. Data soon determined that a subs.p.a.ce plasma discharge would not be a biological hazard.

Which indicated that Commander Riker's illness sprang from another cause.

Data downloaded his findings and completed his report, then sent it priority to both Captain Picard and Dr. Crusher.

Then he prepared himself for the reception. He was not worried about Commander Riker in the way a human would be. But he was concerned.

Before leaving his quarters, Data paused to tap his comm badge. "Data to Commander Riker."

"Riker here."

"Do you require any a.s.sistance, Commander?"

Riker chuckled weakly. "Data, I'm flat on my back in sickbay. I wish there was something you could do about it."

"Perhaps I can be of some use," Data said evenly. "I will come to see you after the reception."

There was a pause, then Riker said, "Thanks, Data. I'd appreciate that."

Data closed the channel. Before leaving, he made sure that Spot had plenty of water and that the nibbles she preferred this week were piled in her bowl. He wasn't human, with all the love and sorrow that implied, but at least he could be a responsible sentient being.

Dr. Crusher entered the latest diagnostic into the medical console. "Compare to diagnostic of Riker, William T. taken at 0430."

Crusher leaned back against the padding of her chair and closed her eyes. She had been working on the problem since the shuttlecraft had returned, and she still didn't have a solution that she could live with. Data's report, with the explanation of what had happened to the Hawking, only made things worse "Doctor?" Crusher opened her eyes to see Captain Picard standing at the door. "If this isn't a good time..."

"No," she said, sitting forward and straightening her coat. "Just taking a breather."

Picard entered and sat down opposite her desk. He looked tired, too.

"Did you just come from the reception?" she asked.

"Yes, such as it was." Picard tried to smile but couldn't. "It started out beautifully. Then there was a scene between Ensign Ro and the Carda.s.sian named Pakat."

"Oh, my ..."

"Pakat thought she was making ... romantic advances, and he responded in kind."

"Oh, my!"

"Apparently Carda.s.sians interperate irritation as some form of... flirtation."

Crasher was trying to absorb the image of a Carda.s.sian flirting with Ensign Ro, and found she couldn't. "I'll try to keep that in mind."

"Do," Picard dryly advised.

Crasher was sorry she had missed it, but she was much too worried about Riker to think about anything else. "Jean-Luc, I don't know what to do about Will."

"Yes, I read your last report. You still don't know the cause of the cellular degradation? What about the radiation exposure you recorded?"

"The radicals disappeared extremely quickly," Dr. Crusher explained. "Likely it came from the invasive scans the Carda.s.sians use. But there's something more serious going on here." The computer signaled that the diagnostic comparison was over. She examined the results for a moment, then turned the monitor so the captain could see.

'This indicates the rate of cellular degradation," she explained, pointing to a rapidly rising spike. "That's exponentially faster than any known EM exposure could cause. And there're other symptoms ... ringing in the ears, itching and swelling of his toes and fingers. These symptoms fit nearly seven hundred thousand known ailments in the Starfleet medical database."

Picard shook his head. "I had hoped the runabout logs would shed some light on what happened."

"According to the Hawking's internal sensors, they encountered no unusual levels of electromagnetic energy. No anomalous readings at all, except for the odd subs.p.a.ce incursion that disabled the shuttlecraft."

Picard nodded. "And Data found an explanation for that in the Yosemite logs."

Crusher leaned forward. "So I ran a comparison of Riker's symptoms with case studies a.s.sociated with Carda.s.sians. Unfortunately, I came up with Myers disease."

"Myers?"

"Amba.s.sador Myers spent a month on Carda.s.sia Prime during the early negotiations of the peace treaty. He became sick wife many of the same symptoms vestibular disturbances in his neurons creating periods of disorientation and overstimulation of the nerves of the skin. The balance centers of the inner ear that contain otoliths were also affected, causing bouts of nausea and dizziness."

"Is this disease infectious?"

"No, according to every indication I can find, you have to ingest the microorganism."

"Ingest?" Picard asked.

"Riker says he drank some water while he was on the Carda.s.sian warship. Data reports giving him additional water while the symptoms grew worse."

"They don't cleanse their supplies?" Picard asked in surprise.

"Well, Carda.s.sians who get into s.p.a.ce have already been exposed and are immune to the disease." She tightened her lips briefly. "Most of their medical literature boils down to 'survival of the fittest.' "

"Carda.s.sians are notorious for valuing only the healthy members of their society." Picard considered the situation. "Do you believe the delay in treatment may have adversely affected Riker's condition?"

"Undoubtedly. He should have been treated immediately. That could have r.e.t.a.r.ded the cellular degradation, though it couldn't have stopped the infectious agent from taking hold. But you should see him. He has terrible sores on his upper body, and I had to shave his beard off."

Picard glanced toward the sickbay. "What do the Carda.s.sians say about this so-called Myers disease?"

"Apparently, they can carry the microorganism in their bloodstream without knowing it. Most Carda.s.sians find out when they go into s.p.a.ce, since it's triggered by pressure or gravity changes."

Picard stood up and walked over to the wall to avoid looking at her for a moment. Crusher understood, and she braced herself for the worst to come.

"So what is the treatment for Myers disease?" Picard finally asked.

"I can treat the symptoms, ease the pain somewhat. But Jean-Luc, there is no cure. It's an episodic, progressive disease that returns in short cycles. Amba.s.sador Myers can no longer travel in s.p.a.ce because of bis sensitivity to pressure changes and gravity fluctuations."

Picard grew visibly alarmed, obviously thinking about Will Riker, the ultimate adventurer, confined to one planet for the rest of his life. "Have you told him?"

"I don't want to alarm him until I have no other possible explanation. If it is Myers, we won't know for sure for a few weeks, when it recurs. But I may have a preliminary diagnosis soon. I have a few more leads to run down. By morning I'll know."

"Keep me informed," Picard said.

"In the meantime, I think I should talk to him," she said, getting up to join Picard. "He's going a little stir crazy. He needs reminders to just take it easy until I have some real information for him."

Picard hesitated, and she understood why. She would have a hard time speaking to Riker, knowing that he might never recover. If that happened, he would have to leave the Enterprise.

"No Beverly, let me," Picard objected.

That was Jean-Luc for you. He always accepted the responsibilities mat landed in his path, no matter what they were.

"All right, but I've got to ran another scan on him anyway," she said. "So I'll come with you."

Riker kept rubbing bis chin and jaw. After several years of wearing a beard, it felt strange to be cleanshaven. At least rubbing his chin kept him from scratching the itchy spots that had appeared on his arms and chest. Dr. Crusher had sealed up the sores but the nerves were Overstimulated and had not yet completely healed.

Dr. Crusher appeared from her office, along with Captain Picard.

Riker tried to sit up, but the doctor immediately ordered, "Lie back down. How many times have I told you to relax?"

"I've lost track, doctor. I keep hoping you'll give up." Riker tried to smile as usual as he lay back. But he could tell from Captain Picard's shocked expression that he wasn't fooling anyone.

Dr. Crusher busied herself with the medical scan, which Riker tried to ignore. They had prodded, poked, injected, and sucked tissue and blood from him until he thought he would run dry.

"The doctor says I can get out of here tomorrow," Riker told the captain.

"You may be able to return to your own quarters," Crusher corrected him.

"That's good," Riker said. "Nothing personal, Doctor, but I don't like being around sick people."

Dr. Crusher and Picard exchanged a glance, but neither said anything.

"So do you have any ideas what's causing this?" Riker asked, looking from one to the other.

"My diagnostic should be done by morning," Dr. Crusher a.s.sured him again. "So I'd better get on with it."

Dr. Crusher pocketed the scanner and returned to her office. Captain Picard remained standing next to the biobed.

"What's the situation with the Carda.s.sians, Captain?" Riker had been thinking of little else since the last of the nausea and fever had eased under Dr. Crusher's ministrations. He was starting to chafe at being confined to sickbay. It was frustrating to be too weak to walk without help.

"The Carda.s.sians are observing us," Picard admitted wryly.

"I hope that's all they're doing," Riker said darkly. He winced as he eased into a more comfortable position.

Picard lowered his voice. "I intend to lodge a formal complaint over their negligence towards you, Commander. Data said you were in pain for quite some time before they responded."

"I think it was part of their plan." Riker tried to push himself up straighter. "Sir, the Carda.s.sians are known to use subs.p.a.ce carrier waves to deploy their weapons." Picard was looking down. "I think that's what caused my injury."

"Perhaps," Picard said. "Yet Commander Data has examined the sensor logs of the Hawking, and he has located another instance of a brief subs.p.a.ce disruption when the science vessel, Yosemite, was investigating the plasma storms. Their theory is that close proximity to the leading edge of the plasma storms, where the discharge is erratic and powerful, can affect subs.p.a.ce. These incursions can overload conventional power circuits."

"Yes, but the Carda.s.sians were right there," Riker insisted. "And what about the way they treated us? Data says they were scanning us the entire time."

"You can relax, Will," the captain a.s.sured him. "We're all working to find a solution to this. Meanwhile, you look like you feel better than you did this afternoon."

Riker knew what the captain was saying. He may feel better, but he looked even worse. "I just hope I'm out of here tomorrow, even if I'm in my quartersI can work there." He lowered his voice, glancing around to be sure no one could hear. "The latest intelligence says that the Carda.s.sians have been experimenting with genetic weapons. Is it possible to deliver a genetic weapon through a subs.p.a.ce carrier wave? This problem I've got involves cellular degradation down to the DNA level...."

"I'm sure Dr. Crusher is investigating all the possibilities," Picard a.s.sured him.

Riker kept trying to talk to Picard about the Carda.s.sians, but the captain was strangely reluctant to discuss them. Crusher must have instructed Picard not to get him excited.

"Thank you for stopping by, Captain," Riker finally said, extending a hand.

Picard gingerly squeezed it. 'TII see you tomorrow, Will."

Then Riker was left alone, waiting for Data to stop by after the reception, as he had promised. Riker planned to ask Data to calibrate a Cla.s.s II probe with enhanced long-range particle and field detectors. They could send it to the coordinates where the Hawking had been when it was. .h.i.t by the subs.p.a.ce disruption. Perhaps the probe could track the particle residue back to the source.

He had intended to clear it with Picard, but the captain had more important things on his mind. Riker decided to speak to Data first, to set up the probe; then he would ask the captain.

Riker rubbed the edge of his chin. Waiting patiently was difficult for him, but he had learned at Starfleet Academy how to deal with inactivity. As long as it didn't last too long.

Chapter Seven.

Deanna troi was sipping the last of her Gavaline tea, a favorite of her mother's. She smiled, thinking about their Carda.s.sian guests waking up to a gla.s.s of fresh fish juice. She had learned a great deal about Carda.s.sians last night, and had stayed in Ten-Forward until Jos Mengred and his aide, Pakat, finally retired.

"Dr. Crusher to Counselor Troi."

'Troi here," she said, setting down the cup of tea.

"Could you come to sickbay, Deanna?"

"Now?"