Star Trek: The Next Generation - 119 - Armageddon's Arrow by Dayton Ward Page A

“I was thinking the same thing.”
    “From what I can tell,” the science officer continued, “we have one male and one female. I don’t know about the . . . the six who didn’t make it. As for the two survivors, their life readings are very low, likely owing to the cryogenic process, but without a basis for comparison I have no way to know what’s ‘normal’ for these people.”
    Chen asked, “Can they be revived?”
    “That may not be prudent,” Worf warned. “We know nothing about them. Bringing them out of hibernation could be a risk.”
    Nodding, La Forge replied, “Plus, we don’t know anything about their physiology or environmental needs.”
    “Their atmosphere looks to be compatible with ours,” Elfiki said, “but there are other considerations. Hopefully we can gain access to any relevant medical information, and see where that takes us. If our scans are right and they’ve been in hibernation for over a hundred years, we don’t know what kind of debilitating effect the process has had on their bodies.” She held up her tricorder. “My scans show no significant atrophy of muscles, bone, or tissue, but they may still be too weak to walk or even sit up once they’re revived.”
    La Forge gestured to the closest of the cylinders. “We don’t even know how to bring them out of hibernation, anyway, but the process has to be accessible via their ship’s computer. Something had to be programmed to wake up these people at some point.”
    “Number One , ” said Captain Picard over the comm frequency, “I’ve already alerted Doctor Crusher that her services will be needed over there. She’s assembling a medical team to accompany her, and we’ll be dispatching another shuttlecraft in short order. Notify Lieutenant Šmrhová if you have any other personnel or equipment needs.”
    Worf replied, “Aye, sir. I would like to continue our investigation. We still have not reached anything resembling a bridge or engineering.”
    “Or any of the systems overseeing the giant cannon,” added La Forge, “but from what I’ve seen so far, there’s definitely enough to keep us busy for quite a while.” He glanced down at the transparent cylinder and its slumbering occupant. “Hopefully, these guys can help us fill in the blanks.”
    And let’s hope we don’t hate what they tell us .

7

    Stepping through the doors leading to the Enterprise ’s childcare center, Picard found it odd that he might consider this room to be more relaxing than the bridge. However, it was precisely that feeling which came over him as he stood near the door and took in the scene around him.
    “Captain,” said Hailan Casmir, the center’s primary supervisor, as he rose from the chair behind his desk to greet Picard with a warm smile. “It’s good to see you, sir.” An Argelian, Casmir never seemed to lack for an upbeat attitude and even good humor. Picard had enjoyed his company from the first time they had met, when Casmir’s wife, Lieutenant Taro Trinell, came aboard the Enterprise as a new member of the engineering department. A civilian, he wore a loose-fitting, cobalt blue tunic over dark gray pants. His blond hair was long and fell to his shoulders, and he favored a trimmed beard that reminded Picard of his friend and former first officer, William Riker.
    “It’s good to see you, too, Hailan,” Picard said.
    “I understand things are getting interesting aboard that ship over there.”
    Picard nodded. “Indeed. We’re only just scratching the surface, it seems.” It did not surprise him that news about the away team’s progress aboard the mysterious alien vessel already was spreading through the ship. After weeks of uneventful travel just to get to the Odyssean Pass, any break in the routine was going to attract everyone’s attention. “While I can do without the firefights,” Casmir said, “it’s times like these that I wish I was a member of the crew so that I could go and have a look around for