Chapter Eleven

CLOSE YOUR EYES,

Beverly Crusher ordered, and Troi did.

 

The doctor closely studied Trois left eyelid under a lighted magnification lens she had swung into

place.

 

Hmmm. Captain, I dont care what the analyzer says. This shading looks a little off to me.

 

Fix it, then,

Picard told her.

I trust your eye more than I do that analyzer, Doctor.

 

Will Riker was sitting up on the next bed over, watching what was going on. He now looked like a Krann

male. The bridge of Rikers nose had been built up, but not much, and the filtrum above his upper lip

had been filled in. His beard had been removed and its roots inhibited, and his skin color had been

changed to a shade the color of rich cream containing just the barest splash of coffee. Rikers hair was

its normal color, but the irises of his eyes had been dyed a warm yellow. He, like Troi, was already

dressed in dark clothing identical in style and color to the attire theEnterprise party had seen the

Krann wearing during their time aboard the flagship.

 

Dr. Crusher set down the epidermal infiltrator shed been using on Trois eyelid.

You can open your

eyes now, Deanna,

she said after a last, long look.

Im done.

 

Troi now looked much like Riker, except that her skin was a touch darker than his, and her newly

shortened black hair had been given golden highlights. The irises of her eyes were now a pale green.

 

Looking over, Troi saw Riker and grinned.

Light he was, and golden-eyed,

she misquoted.

Will, its

been years since Ive seen you without your beard.

 

Ill have it back soon enough, dont worry,

Riker said, stroking his chin.

Feels pretty bare, though;

its been a while. Too bad you didnt see any Krann with facial hair, Captain.

 

They may not be able to grow any,

Picard said,

or the Krann might consider it out of fashion or

taboo. We cant take the chance of you being the only person aboard the flagship with a beard, Will.

 

Losing my beard is a small price to pay for galactic peace,

Riker replied bravely.

What a waste,

though. Maybe I should have donated it to Data. He seemed a little uncomfortable when he left.

 

Oh, stop,

Beverly Crusher told him.

Data seemed pleased enough when I got through with him. Ro, too.

Nice job, Bev.

She reached around and patted herself on the back.

 

Dont dislocate that shoulder, Doctor,

Riker said.

I dont know what wed do without you.

 

Transporter room three to captain.

 

Go ahead,

said Picard.

 

Commander Data and Ensign Ro have beamed down to the surface of Planet Three, sir.

 

The captain nodded.

Very good. Bridge, take us back to our position off the Krann Fleet. Best speed.

 

Two sets of Krann clothing had been placed in neat piles on one of the unused beds.

Mr. Worf did an

admirably thorough job of recording the physical characteristics of the Krann we saw and met with while

we were aboard the flagship,

Picard said.

The clothing is a copy of the usual Krann style of dressa

two-piece black suit varying little in ornamentation from individual to individual. Everyone we saw was

wearing the same thing, more or less.

 

You only see that in totalitarian cultures,

Beverly observed.

Its a bad sign, Captain.

 

Indeed,

Picard said.

However, keep in mind that we saw hardly anything aboard that flagship rather,

we were not permitted by the Krann authorities to see much of anything. Thats a lack that you two will

correct, I hope. We need to know a great deal more about these people than we do.

 

The door to sickbay opened, and Geordi La Forge entered the room.

Theyre ready now, Captain,

the

chief engineer said. He handed Picard two shiny, silver-colored buckles about six centimeters by four.

 

Picard took one of them and held it up, studying it closely.

Excellent, Mr. La Forge,

the captain said

approvingly.

This is very good work.

 

Thank you, sir.

 

Weve been worried about the Krann being able to listen in on our message traffic,

Riker said.

I

assume youve dealt with that problem, Geordi.

 

La Forge nodded.

That we have,

he said.

These communicators operate on subspace frequencies we

presume the Krann dont know about, cant detect, and wont be able to monitor. These units have a

shorter range than standard communicators, and they require more power, but that shouldnt be

troublesome.

He held a small, dull object between his forefinger and thumb. It looked like a cough

lozenge.

The buckles themselves run silent, for security reasons. This is the audio pickup. It fits in

the canal of your left ear and is visually undetectable, unless youre being body-searched.

 

In which case, the jig is up anyway,

Riker said wryly.

 

Thats what I thought,

said Geordi.

With this pickup bug, those around you wont be able to hear

message traffic from this end. To transmit, tap the buckle and talk as you normally do.

 

How long is the power cell good for?

Riker asked.

 

Two days at this range,

Geordi replied.

Less if the range increases, but it wont. Well be

maintaining station close by, and in any case, you and Counselor Troi wont be away that long. Since we

dont care whether the Krann can monitor our message traffic with Nem Maak Bratuna, Data and Ro have

standard-issue communicators disguised as belt buckles compatible with their Lethantan clothing. These

subspace models Ive rigged for you and the counselor dont have nearly enough range to reach us here

from Nem Maak Bratuna. The power pack alone would be about the size of your head.

 

How closely do you think the Krann are monitoring our communications, Captain?

Troi asked.

 

Several of the things Presider Hek said clearly indicated to me that he knew the content of our space-to-ground radio communications with the Lethanta,

Picard replied.

I think they are probably unable to

monitor our normal communicator traffic, Counselor, but probably is not good enough for the sort of

operation you and Will are to be conducting. We have to be cautious. The Krann have had centuries to

play with signal interception techniques, and I imagine that by now theyve become rather good at it. If

we use subspace frequencies, I dont expect the Krann will be able to listen in. Up to this point, after

all, theyve had no experience with subspacenot even any knowledge of it.

 

How do we wear these things?

Riker asked, taking them from Picard and handing one to Deanna.

 

The buckles attach electrostatically to a treated area of your Krann jacket just below the collar on

the left side,

La Forge replied, touching an area around his collarbone and just to the left of his

throat.

Thats where the Krann have an extra fastener, apparently so they can close the top of their

jackets if they want to. These buckles work like standard communicatorstap them to open a channel, or

just answer if youre called. Theyll also let us keep track of both of you with no troubleand, just in

case, an emergency transporter recall routine has been built into the ROMware.

Geordi suddenly grinned.

 

You can even use them as buckles, if you want to.

 

Worf to Captain Picard.

 

Yes, Lieutenant?

 

Sir, I have completed the latest sensor probe of the flagship.

 

Pipe the results down to sickbay, if you will.

 

Aye, sir.

 

Picard walked a few steps over to a convenient display unit and, after a very brief delay, the screen

glowed and a three-dimensional matchstick representation of the flagship built up quickly. Cubes and

squares and blobs of color then began popping up here and there, denoting the apparent purpose of that

particular area of the flagship. Text flowed rapidly up the right side of the display.

 

Picard looked at a huge red area at the tail of the craft.

Half the aft section of the ship must

consist of engine and engine alone,

he mused.

Remarkable.

 

Riker studied the diagram.

I dont see any indication of fuel storage, Captain,

he said.

I suspect

they dont have much fuel left. They may have drained themselves dry to get here as quickly as they did,

figuring they could refuel after theyd dealt with the Lethanta. I expect that the fuel tanks were

carried outboard and rebuilt into something else as they were emptied.

 

I agree,

Picard said.

The Krann waste nothing.

He pointed at a large gray area roughly amidships.

 

What have you been making of this, Will? Weve seen it after every sensor sweep. The configuration

remains remarkably consistent between our probes.

 

The gray color indicates no important function, of course,

Riker said, scratching his bare chin.

I

dont believe that for a moment, though. That area reads just like empty cargo space but, as you say,

the Krann arent wasteful. They couldnt afford to be. Theyd soon turn an empty cargo bay into

additional living space or something else useful. That whole area lookstoo innocent.

 

Are they somehow shielding whatevers really there from our sensors?

Troi hazarded.

 

I believe they are, Counselor,

Picard said,

but I couldnt begin to tell you how theyre going about

it. Makes you think, though.

 

That should be where you put us, Captain,

Riker said, tapping the screen.

Right on the edge of that

gray areain that small alcove there.

 

Agreed,

Troi added.

We need to take a look around in there for ourselves.

 

I concur,

Picard said.

If that area contains some sort of a threat to us, we need to prepare

ourselves for it. Further, we still havent managed to find an explanation concerning the origin of the

three warp blips that brought us here in the first place. We need to know if the Krann have cracked the

secret of warp drive. The answer to all our questions may lie right there, somewhere in that gray area.

 

If it does, Captain, well find it,

Riker said.

 

I know,

Picard told him.

Id like you two to be ready to beam over to the Krann flagship in ten

minutes. Ive still some arrangements to make with the operator on duty in Transporter Room Three.

 

They materialized in a confined area filled with neatly marked and labeled storage bins. The area was

utterly clean.

 

They listened carefully. No one else was anywhere around.

 

Riker sniffed.

This smells like fresh air,

he said, surprised.

If I didnt know any better, Id swear

I was smelling some weather coming inrain, I mean.

He sniffed again.

Thats exactly it. It smells

like its going to rain. I think I can even smell flowers.

 

They may do that on purpose, Will,

Troi guessed.

The Krann may find it helpful or even necessary to

have their environmental conditions mimic planetary ambient factors as closely as possible. It may be a

public health measurephysical, mental, or both. Theres a great deal we dont know. After all, we dont

make multigenerational star trips. I wonder what Beverly might have to say about it?

 

Maybe we can get her over here later to take a look,

Riker said.

Lookevery wall I can see is painted

a bright color, and the lighting is warm and indirect, even in this utility area. I dont see us going

to that kind of trouble, not in what amounts to a locker room.

He paused, smiling a little.

Damned if

it doesnt feel like spring in here,

he said after a moment.

I feel like going for a walk in the

woods.

 

Theyve got nothing but time, Will, hundreds of years between planetfalls,

Troi said.

You can do a

lot of finicky maintenance when youve got that kind of time, even on a huge ship such as this one.

 

I suppose,

Riker said.

Well, shall we? The exit should be over this way. Our survey showed this

portal leads to a short passageherewe arethat opens up onto a large gangway that eventually takes us

into the gray zone. Theres the hatch.

He grinned.

Im actually looking forward to this.

 

Dont expect too much, Will,

Troi cautioned him.

Every passageway we saw on our way to the conference

with the Presider was stark, confining, and utterly functional. Everything was bare metal. We didnt see

a lick of ornamentation between the landing bay and the meeting room.

 

This may be more of the same,

Riker said.

Despite what we saw back there in the storage room, I

wouldnt expect the Krann to spend much of their time on cosmetics. From what you and the captain said

at the mission briefing, they seem to be an austere peopleall business, no time for frills.

 

They now stood in front of the hatch. There was a small, tapered red handle set into the middle of the

door.

See that?

Riker asked.

I think it should open for us if I dothis

 

Will?

Troi suddenly said.

Be careful

 

The door smoothly slid aside, and there was a sudden blast of light and a roar of noise.

 

Eh?

Riker grunted, poking his head through the hatchway. He was looking at a high, wide, brightly

lighted and colorful corridor filled with hundreds upon hundreds of gaily dressed people of all ages

bound on unknown errands or no errands at all. A broad, grassy strip dotted with benches divided one

side of the corridor from the other. There seemed to be a convention that everyone heading in the same

direction walked on the left. Open areas of various sizes were set into the walls and ran up and down

the sides of the corridor. The people inside the stalls were conducting some sort of businessretail

sales, mostly, from the look of things.

 

Deanna?

Rikers tone was puzzled.

I was expecting something a little bit different from this. It

looks like Mardi Gras out here.

 

I dont understand it,

Troi said, shaking her head. She looked up and down the corridor. The ceiling

was at least twenty meters over their heads, and there was no knowing how long the corridor was, as both

ends curved gently up and away into the distance.

We saw nothing even remotely like this on our way in

or out. We must have been prevented from seeing it.

 

I think this corridor must circle the entire flagship, just under the hull,

Riker said.

Notice the

curvature? It seems just about right for this section of the ship. You could walk around the whole

thing, if you wanted to.

 

A casually dressed older man strolling by the open hatchway caught sight of Riker and Troi standing

there.

Hey, you two!

he called to them happily.

Arent you just alittle overdressed?

 

Not knowing what else to do, Riker smiled and waved at him, and Troi followed suit. The man waved back

and walked on.

Were going to have to get out of these clothes,

Riker told Troi in low tones.

None of

these people is wearing an outfit anything like these. Everyones dressed very casually. Were way too

conspicuous. Perhaps weve broken some cultural rule without knowing itlike wearing a tuxedo to the

beach, maybe.

He sighed.

We could have beamed over wearing our off-duty clothes, and wed have been

all right. Theyd have been close enough.

 

Do you want to transport back?

Troi asked him.

 

No,

came Rikers quick reply.

You dont learn anything that way. Lets find out what we can do about

our situation first.

He pointed.

I think I may see something helpful about sixty, seventy meters down

that way.

 

Whatoh, yes,

Troi said with some relief.

I do, too, now that you mention it.

 

Off in the near distance, two Krann dressed in the same dark outfits as Riker and Troi were heading down

the broad arcade in their direction. They were as conspicuous as a pair of burned-out bulbs in the

center of one of those garish antique signs that cultural anthropologists kept on exhibit at the Las

Vegas Cultural Preserve. Despite their somber dress, the Krann couple was chatting animatedly and,

obviously, laughing at something one of them had just said. Suddenly the two drifted off the causeway

and into one of the open stalls that lined it.

 

Riker and Troi began walking in that direction. Despite their initial apprehension, their dark,

confining attire attracted hardly more than a glance as they passed several score gaudily dressed Krann.

 

They quickly spotted the two Krann they were seeking.

 

One male, one female,

Troi said.

 

Not so hard to tell them apart, either,

Riker said.

 

The darkly dressed Krann were standing around the largest of several bins inside the stall. The male was

holding up a blue and yellow garment dyed in colors that almost seemed to glow in the ambient light. The

item of clothing looked to Riker like a pullover shirt. There were other Krann in the stall men, women,

and a few childrenbut all of them were dressed in comfortable-looking clothes dyed in bright, clashing

colors. As they watched, a Krann familyit could only have been thatgathered together a number of items

and walked out of the store.

 

Its a clothing outlet,

Riker said.

Something like that, anyway. These people are shopping.

 

Yes,

Troi said.

I can see related goods on those shelves lining the walls. Its like a bazaar, but

with a lot less commotion.

She thought about it.

Maybe this is the kind of thing you do when you have

a large population, but you dont have replicators. You put everything in a central location and pick

out what you needand only what you need.

 

As the twoEnterprise officers watched, the Krann male in dark dress suddenly turned away from the bin

and, noticing them, gave them a grin and a big wave. Seeing that, the woman with him turned too and,

smiling, gestured them over in friendly fashion.

 

Well, here goes nothing,

Riker muttered.

 

Right behind you,

said Troi.

 

Smiling as broadly as he could manage, Riker strode into the stall, Troi close behind him.

Hello,

he

called out.

 

Greetings,

the Krann woman replied.

Off shift a bit early, I see. Your distributor must be down,

too.

 

Yes,

Riker said, nodding ruefully.

Theyre working on it but, you know …

 

Sure,

the woman said.

Second time this year for us. We didnt want to wait for them to get ours

running again, either. Last time it took them the whole next shift. We have somewhere to go.

She looked

around.

I think there must be a facilitator around heresomewhere …

 

Riker looked around.

Theres never one around when you need one,

he said knowingly.

 

The Krann woman laughed.

Isnt that the truth?

She looked through the bin, fussing.

Hull, this thing

is a mess. How are you supposed to retrieve the samples you want? I mean, look. Thepasterjacks are all

mixed in with theopinopps!

 

Told you we should have done this yesterwatch,

the man with her said mildly.

 

There was suddenly a gentle voice behind them.

Does anyone see anything they like?

 

Riker turned. The voice belonged to a short, balding Krann male who was dressed in an elaborately casual

outfit dyed in colors only slightly less bright than most of the clothing in the bins. He was smiling

pleasantly at Riker.

 

Maybe that green and yellow item over there,

Riker said, pointing.

 

The man blinked.

Foryou?

 

Riker realized he had made a mistake of some sort.

No, of course not,

he said, thinking quickly.

For

her.

He indicated Troi, who was not standing at his side.

 

Oh. Oh, well, certainly! My apologies.

The facilitator handed Troi the garment. It was cut much like a

jacket, and it seemed to be about her size.

Its a fine choice for your spouse.

 

I like it,

Troi said. She looked around.

Where?

 

Over there,

the man said pointing toward the back of the stall. There were a couple of doors set into

the wall.

You two are going to want some other things first, though, arent you?

He smiled again.

 

Cant fly on just one jet, you know.

 

Certainly not,

Riker said, chuckling.

Were far from done, of course. Perhaps you could, er, show us

something? If these others dont mind? They were here first, after all.

 

Oh, no, go ahead,

the Krann woman called over her shoulder. She was already digging through another

bin as her mate stood by.

Were doing just fine.

 

Very well, then.

The facilitator led Riker and Troi over to a set of smaller bins.

Anything here

would be appropriate spontaneous wear for you, as Im sure youll realize. Those repositories over there

contain some more items your spouse might want to take a look at. We have a fine selection immediately

available, as you can see, or you might be interested in our programming something for you while you

wait … ?

 

You know what?

Riker said suddenly.

If youve got the time, Id really like you to outfit my spouse.

Im sure you could do a terrific job. After all, its a special occasion for us.

 

The facilitator blinked again.

You mean

 

Riker grinned widely.

Thats right.

 

Wonderful!

the facilitator said, genuinely pleased.

Well, ofcourse Ill help. This is a very, very

special day for you two. Im just sorry your distributor failed. What a time forthat to happen!

 

Dont we know it,

Riker said ruefully.

Anything you can do

 

will be done. Dont give it another thought. Now let me see.

The facilitator put a finger to his lips

and squinted at Troi, who tried to relax and look pleasant.

I think I know what I want to do,

the

facilitator finally said,

but itll take a bit of programming.

 

We wouldnt want to put you to any trouble,

Riker said hastily.

 

No trouble at all,

the facilitator said.

First, Ill need some basic patterns. Youll both need a lot

of red, of course. That bin over there should have a few things I can work with. Excuse me. Ill be

right back.

He walked quickly toward the other end of the stall.

 

Will?

Troi whispered.

What are you two talking about?

 

I have no idea,

Riker replied pleasantly,

but its our very, very special day, and were getting

exactly what we needor at least I hope we will. Just play along.

 

The Krann woman in dark dress came over to them.

I couldnt help but overhear,

she said. Clearly, she

was pleased for them.

The lists are just solong , and especially at a time like thiswell, youre

fortunate people, you two. You and your spouse must be very happy.

 

We are,

Riker said.

Arent we, dear?

 

Oh, ecstatically,

Troi agreed.

 

Bet you cant wait for all this to be over, eh?

the Krann male with her said. He winked at Riker.

 

Uh, right,

said Riker.

 

Permit us to introduce ourselves,

the man said, bowing slightly.

I am Kerrn Starboard Atmosphere

Monitor. This is my spouse, Nawha Starboard Gas Analyzer.

 

As you can see, Kerrn and I have a lot in common,

Nawha said.

 

Riker bowed and identified himself.

Dex Portside Sanitation Systems Supervisor. This is my spouse,

Pralla Portside Consumables Monitor.

 

Ah,

Nawha said.

You have a lot in common, too.

 

Like attracts like, I suppose,

Troi said.

Were very pleased to meet you.

 

A pleasure to encounter you,

Kerrn said. He bowed again, this time more deeply, and Nawha followed

suit.

Were honored by your presence here,

he continued.

Supervisory personnel usually dont frequent

this corridor.

 

I think we might have been missing something,

Riker said, making a show of looking around.

This is a

very pleasant place.

 

Well,

said the facilitator, coming back,

my little pavilion heredoes try to give the best service in

this entire module, and worddoes get around.

He held up something that looked very much like a skirt

that had been splattered with fifteen colors of paint and smiled.

What do you think?

he said, sure of

an enthusiastic response.

 

Perfect!

Nawha said, clapping her hands together.

Pralla, hes found thevery thing!

 

Oh, I agree,

Troi replied enthusiastically.

Its perfect! Now what could possibly go with it?

 

Well, Ill take care ofthat ,

the facilitator said.

If youll just come back this way?

 

I just dont understand fashion,

Kerrn said as the facilitator led them all toward the other end of

the stall.

Just give me a simple nine-color outfit suitable for any occasion, and Id be out of here

before the old one hit the recycler. Cant stand shopping, myself. Know anything about floatball, Dex?

 

Havent been following it lately, no,

said Riker.

Ive been too busy lately. Used to be a big sports

fan, though.

He watched as Troi stood on a small platform at the back of the stall. There was a gentle

hum as bright lights bathed her from above and below. The facilitator then entered a series of numbers

onto a touchpad set into the wall, using some sort of tag on the fifteen-color skirt as a reference. He

then punched in another series of numbers without referring to anything at all, entering the digits and

commands as if by instinct.

 

Well, were all set,

the facilitator said, pleased.

Ive added a few excusable frills, purely in the

spirit of the day.

After a moment, a small display lit up next to the touchpad. It showed a miniature

female figure draped in the outfit that had just been designed by the facilitator. The outfit looked

like something designed by a Highlander on hallucinogenics, but here, among the Krann, it seemed to

represent the height of fashion.

 

Rosco, you are agenius!

Nawha cried.

Itsjust the thing! Pralla, Roscos outdone himself, dont you

think?

 

Oh, yes,

Troi said as enthusiastically as she could.

Ive never seen anything like it. And so

effortlessly, too!

 

Well, now,

the facilitator said modestly.

Mustnt give me my own boat just yet, you know.

 

Kerrn and Nawha laughed, and Riker and Troi joined them close behind.

 

I take it, then, that you like it?

the facilitator asked Troi.

Do you wish to order this ensemble?

 

His hand hovered near the touchpad.

 

Can we think about it?

Riker asked quickly.

I mean, this is our special day.

 

Well, yes, it is,

Rosco said, a hint of huffiness coming into his voice,

and its not getting any

younger, you know. Why, its almost celebration hour.

 

Whats the problem?

Kerrn asked, puzzled.

Hes done the work.

 

Well, we need to talk it over anyway,

Riker insisted gently.

Its beautiful work, Rosco. You can be

proud of it. Very proud indeed.

 

Well be back soon,

Troi said.

 

Rosco pursed his lips.

Return here or not, it doesnt matter,

he said haughtily. He punched a series

of commands into the touchpad, and the display went blank.

Ive randomized the design, and I shant

recreate it. Go somewhere else if you need such services today.

He waved them out of his stall.

Please

leave. Go. Have a good watch, butgo .

 

Were leaving,

Riker said abruptly.

Good-bye to you, Kerrn, Nawha.

 

Er, good-bye, you two,

Nawha said for both of them. She seemed as puzzled as her spouse.

 

Riker and Troi left the stall and began walking up the concourse.

 

I dont understand,

Kerrn said to Nawha as they watched them go.

Did we offend them somehow?

 

Supervisors,

Rosco sniffed.

Came down here to slum, I think, and have a little fun with us. Well, we

dont need that kind aroundhere . We work hard, and we plot a direct course. Not like them.

He shook

his head sadly.

Ive never had this kind of thing happen to me in my entire life. Shows you what the

fleets coming to, so close to planetfall. There are no standards anymore.

He paused and then, with an

effort, brightened.

Well, then,

the facilitator said pleasantly.

What can I do for you good people?

 

The first thing Riker and Troi noticed as they walked down the concourse was that there were now a good

many more Krann dressed in dark clothing.

 

Ive got it,

Troi said.

The dark clothing is a standard work uniform. Remember what Nawha said about

coming off shift a little early? Apparently the shift she was talking about is over now. That explains

why the same dark uniform was all we saw people wearing in the hospitality module. Everyone there was at

work.

 

Well blend in a lot better now,

Riker said.

Im glad we werent breaking some sort of taboo.

 

There may be taboos to break, Will. It seems to me that these people have a love of ritual costuming.

For instance, according to Rosco back there, were supposed to wear a lot of red for whatever

celebration were supposed to be celebrating today. Not many people are, though.

 

Damn,

Riker said.

I wish we hadnt offended that shopkeeper. Hed done us no harm, and hed gone to

some trouble for us. We insulted him somehow without realizing it.

 

And we shocked Kerrn and Nawha, too,

Troi pointed out.

I dont know what we did. Whatever it was, it

must have been quite a gaffe.

 

Perhaps Rosco thought we were questioning his skill somehow,

Riker said.

We didnt let him deliver

the goods. I had to get us out of there, though. Hed already scanned youto get your sizes, maybe. I

thought some sort of an identity check must be coming up next, and were a little shy of proper ID right

now. I also didnt know how wed pay for the clothes or Roscos servicesor even if we had to, for that

matter. Leaving seemed to me to be the wisest course. I dont know what else we could have done.

 

I thought we were doing rather well up to that point, considering we didnt know what anyone was

talking about,

Troi said.

Today is our special day. I wonder what the occasion is supposed to be.

 

Riker shook his head.

Believe me, I wish I knew. At first I thought that they took us for an engaged

couple whod set the date, but then they seemed to expect you to be my wifeor spousealready, and so I

played it that way. At first Rosco was showing both of us the general merchandise he had to offer, and

then he started concentrating on the wayyou were supposed to look for your special day.

He smiled.

My

guess is that they thought wed just found out that youre pregnant. Anyway, I tried to act like a proud

papa, and they all accepted it.

 

Pregnancy was my first guess, too, but it just doesnt fit,

Troi said.

Why iseverybody celebrating

today? Look around, Will.Everybodys happy. Couples are going here and there, arm in arm and hand in

hand, but its clear that some people are happier than others.

She indicated a couple walking together

a few meters away, seemingly in their own world, holding each other closely.

See? Their celebration is

a special one, a celebration within a celebration. Even the single people are happy, Will, and they have

no obvious reason to be. Its a holiday of some sort, an important one, and it cant be because

everybody got pregnant on the same day. To belabor the obviousand no pun intended, Will, so dont you

go smirking at mehumanoids dont work that way. Were still missing the point of all this.

 

Maybe theyre happy theyre about to invade Nem Maak Bratuna,

Riker guessed.

After all, theyve been

waiting to do so for a pretty long time. Whatever celebrationwere supposed to be having might just

happen to coincide with this larger celebration by the Krann of their impeding victory.

 

I think theyd be off somewhere preparing for the invasion, in that case,

Troi remarked.

They should

be off practicing their space raid drills or something. Surely they wouldnt be here, enjoying

themselves.

 

Not everybody fights in a war,

Riker pointed out.

 

True, but these people dont look like theyre even expecting one,

Troi said.

There should be an

element of sobriety in a wartime population, a bit of reserve, and there just isnt one here. Maybe

thats whats bothering me. It just doesnt jibe, Will.

She sighed in frustration.

I wish I were able

to read them. Ihate being blind.

 

Hold on a second,

Riker said, interrupting her.

See that? The hatchway over there?

 

Certainly.

There was an uncharacteristically wide hatch set into the wall between two stalls. It was

closed, and there was a guard standing in front of it. Unlike the other hatchways they had seen, this

one was not marked in any way. Indeed, the door and collar had been painted the same color as the wall

to either side in an effort to make the hatchway blend into its surroundings.

 

It looks to me as if it might lead into the gray area,

Riker said.

 

The guard has a weapon,

Troi pointed out.

 

I dont intend to do anything right now,

Riker told her.

There may be another way in, further onbut

I think were getting warm. Lets keep looking around.

 

Data and Ro had been beamed into an alley between two small buildings located not very far from

Government House. The first thing they noticed was the smell.

 

Interesting,

Data said, sniffing.

 

Awful,

Ro replied, looking around at the trash.

It smells like the plumbings backed up. At least the

weathers been cold. That should help to keep the stink down. Of course, Ive been in worse places.

 

When the Lethanta had learned that Picard was sending observers to the Krann, they had all but insisted

that he send observers to their planet as well. For the moment, the impending war seemed limited to a

battle of openess, which, Data thought, was the only kind of battle he could whole-heartedly support.

 

We did not see any such accumulations of detritus on our way to Government House,

Data said.

I am

sure I would have noticed them.

 

Ro nodded.

You were given the grand tour, Commander,

she said.

They werent likely to take you on the

garbage run. But one dirty alley does not a civilization make. Shall we?

 

Of course.

They walked together to the mouth of the alley and stepped onto the narrow street beyond.

 

Data and Ro were dressed in nondescript outfits designed to allow them to blend in with the rest of the

Lethantan population. Beverly Crusher had altered their appearances. Ro Laren had needed little cosmetic

work, as her hair, eye, and skin colors were already compatible with the Lethantan mainstream. The

bridge of her nose had been smoothed out and her eyebrows corrected slightly, and she had been given a

haircut. She thought she looked odd, but not nearly as odd as Data.

 

Data looked like a human male built along terrestrial lines. While the Lethanta came in the wide range

of colors and body types typical of humanoid races, it had been faster and easier for Dr. Crusher to

make Data look like a terrestrial Caucasian, and so that was what she had done. Datas skin color and

texture had been changed, and his eyes were now a warm brown. He had also been given the receding

hairline possessed by many Lethantan males of Datas apparent age, and what hair he still had was cut

and combed into an agreeably Lethantan style.

 

Back in sickbay, Ro had watched as Data had taken a hand mirror and studied his new face this way and

that for a long, long moment right after Beverly Crusher had finished with him. No one, not even the

captain, had said a word. Then the android had blinked, set the mirror down, and gotten on with the

business at hand.

 

The street they were walking on was fairly nondescript. Low, decrepit-looking buildings lined it on both

sides, and there was trash scattered everywhere. There were a number of people walking about, but no one

seemed to be going anywhere special. A few were standing around talking. There was no vehicular traffic,

but the curbside was almost solid with parked ground vehicles in various stages of disrepair. Off in the

distance, there was the raucous sound of several people yelling curses and threats at each other, and

then there was the sudden sound of breaking glass, and then silence.

 

I think these buildings might be dwellings,

Data said.

Because of the number of people standing

nearby, however, I am not free to use my tricorder to prove or disprove my theory.

 

Dont worry about it, Commander,

Ro said.

They are. I know a slum when I see one.

 

Slum?

The android thought about it.

Ah. I understand. You look thoughtful, Ensign. Might I

inquire?

 

Hmmm? Oh. Probably nothing, Commander.

Ro shook her head.

Something we saw back there was bothering

me, thats all. Something that didnt fit somehow, something that didnt seem right. I just cant put my

finger on it.

 

I understand. Please inform me if you do.

They walked on and soon rounded a corner that opened onto a

wide boulevard.

 

Do you see what I see?

Ro asked.

 

It would be quite difficult to overlook it,

Data said.

 

The buildings along the boulevard were much taller, and a huge sign had been strung across the full

forty-meter width of the busy boulevard between two of them. The banner was made of a light, strong, and

utterly white fabric that billowed in the wind like the sail of a gigantic schooner, and on its face it

bore a single word in blazing red letters five meters tall:

 

PREPARE!

 

I dont think we have to wonder much about what were supposed to prepare for,

Ro said dryly.

At

least we know that the presence of the Krann in this system is no secret to the populace.

She looked

down the boulevard.

That big building in the distance is Government House, isnt it?

 

Yes, it is.

 

Ro nodded.

This avenue were on leads directly to it, so this is the street we want. The Lethanta must

consider this a major thoroughfare. Theres a ton of traffic and lots of people. If I had to hang up a

sign, thisd be the place Id want to do it.

 

The banner has not been up for very long,

Data observed.

It shows no evidence of having been degraded

by the weather or the pollution emitted by the internal combustion engines of the many ground vehicles

on the boulevard. Perhaps this means that the common people were told about the impending attack only a

short time ago.

 

Good point, Commander,

Ro said.

Lets go see if we can find out.

 

That is my intention.

They began walking in the general direction of Government House, which was

several kilometers away and almost invisible through the haze of airborne grit and grime that hung over

the capital city. In contrast to the side street they had just quit, the boulevard bore heavy traffic

heading in both directions.

 

The people they passed on the sidewalk seemed subdued. There were a number of small stores and shops

fronting the boulevard, and most of them were open, but they did not seem to be doing very much

business.

 

They had not gone more than a block or two when they suddenly heard the cry of sirens. Data looked

behind them.

There are a small number of ground vehicles attempting to work their way through traffic,

 

he told Ro.

They are still some distance away.

 

I can see flashing lights,

Ro said.

The law is the law the galaxy over. Think theyre looking for

us?

 

Unknown as yet. I would not worry, however. We can beam back to the ship instantly if we encounter

trouble. We might as well stand here and watch what happens.

 

They looked on as three large ground vehiclesclearly belonging to some emergency or security

forcefought their way through traffic and squealed to a stop just short of the giant banner, blocking

the boulevard and bringing all traffic to a halt. Uniformed men swarmed out of two of the vehicles and

to both sides of the boulevard, where they disappeared into two buildings, each opposite the other, from

which the banner had been hung. More uniforms popped out of the third vehicle. These menData thought of

them as police, as Ro had suggested they weretook up position along the street.

 

A minute or two later, the huge banner was cut loose from its pinnings on the roofs and upper floors of

the two buildings. The sign sank to the street in slow motion, trapping air in its folds as it fell. It

finally settled on the boulevard, tentlike, covering a large number of stalled vehicles and evoking

angry shouts and cries from the people inside them. Several policemen began pulling at the fallen

banner, gathering it together and dragging it to one side of the street, where it lay in a heap.

 

Im beginning to get the idea thatPREPARE ! is not a message condoned by the government,

Ro said.

 

I think you are correct,

Data replied.

I wonder who is responsible for

 

Justa minute, you two!

one of the policemen called. He began walking toward them, and he was scowling.

 

Stop right there!

 

Data looked around. The small crowd that had been standing there with them to watch what was going on

had melted away, and he and Ro were the only onlookers still on the street.

I believe he is speaking to

us,

he said to Ro.

 

No kidding,

the ensign returned.

Well, Commander? Do we run down the street? Do we beam up? Do we

slug him?

 

None of those courses of action seems necessary at this time, Ensign. Let us simply remain here and see

what happens.

 

The policeman came up to them and thrust his face about ten centimeters from Datas nose. He looked

angry.

All right, citizen,

he said.

What did you see? Who put up that thing?

 

I do not know, sir,

Data said politely.

My friend and I were out walking.

He pointed down the

boulevard in the direction from which they had come.

When we came around the corner two blocks down

that way, the sign was already hanging over the boulevard. We saw no one who might have been responsible

for its placement there.

 

The policeman looked closely and intimidatingly at Data.

You from around here, citizen?

he asked the

android.

You talk funny.

 

I am from a place not far from here, sir,

Data said.

However, I have done some traveling.

 

And you say you saw nothing.

 

That is correct.

 

What about you?

the policeman shot at Ro.

 

I didnt see anything, sir.

 

The policeman sighed wearily. Suddenly, he seemed resigned.

Yeah, I know,

he said.

Whoever put that

thing up is long gone. Look, are you two sure you didnt see anyone or anything? There been a preacher

around here?

 

No, sir,

Ro said.

We havent seen any preachers.

 

The policeman looked around on the sidewalk.

No, I guess not,

he said after a moment.

I dont see any

tracts scattered around. Usually people drop em as soon as the preachers or their cohorts hand them

out. This time they just strung up the sign and beat it.

He looked at the white heap in the gutter.

 

Its gigantic,

he said, shaking his head.

What a waste of time and talent. I wonder how they managed

to get it up there?

 

How do they ever?

Ro asked knowingly.

 

You said it.

The policeman unclipped and took in his hand a small device attached to the belt of his

uniform.

Well, let me register your identification cards, you two, and you can be on your way.

 

I have mine right here,

said Ro as she reached for her belt buckle.

 

Suddenly there was a low, terrible growl all around them. The policeman looked quickly around the sky as

the sound rose rapidly in pitch and volume to become the ear-splitting, soul-shaking alert of a siren,

of a hundred sirens.

 

The entire city was howling.

 

Air raid!

the policeman snapped at them.

Get out of here! Head for the nearest shelter!

 

Where is it?

Ro asked.

 

The policeman cursed and pointed half a block farther down the street.

The symbols right there over

that door, you idiots. Get going!

He hurried away, calling to his comrades, who were quickly climbing

into their ground vehicles.

Wait for me!

 

Shelter or home base?

Ro asked Data.

 

Let us conceal ourselves in that doorway for a moment,

Data told her.

I wish to contact the ship.

 

They hurried over to the doorway and stepped inside its shade. The arrival of the police a few minutes

before had effectively cleared the street, and the air raid alert would keep them from returning for a

while. No one would see them.

 

Data tapped his belt buckle.

Data to Captain Picard.

 

Picard here.

 

Captain, is there any sign of a Krann attack on our location or anywhere in proximity to it?

 

No. No, there isnt. The reason for this alert is a mystery to us. Were reading no sign of any unusual

Krann activity. Their lead ships continue on course for Nem Maak Bratuna, but they are still a day

away. Whats going on, Mr. Data? Were noticing a great deal of sudden Lethantan military activity in

your part of the continent. And are those air raid sirens I hear in the background?

 

Yes, sir, they are,

Data said.

The Lethanta appear to believe that they are under attack.

 

Captain, this is Ro. We had been stopped for routine questioning by a local security official when the

sirens went off. The official clearly believed that an attack was imminent, and he ordered us to go to a

shelter.

 

How far away is this shelter, Ensign?

 

A few meters down the street from us, sir.

 

What do you want to do, Mr. Data?

 

I believe we should go to the shelter and see what happens, Captain. We will not learn anything by

returning to the ship at this time.

 

I agree, sir,

Ro said.

 

Then go ahead. Well keep a transporter lock on you and have you both out of there in an instant, if

need be.

 

Understood, Captain. Data out.

 

Together, Data and Ro hurried the short distance to the shelter entrance. It was fairly narrow and was

obviously not intended to handle great numbers of people heading in or out at the same time. There was a

red diamond-shaped sign centered over the entrance. There was a small bit of white lettering on it:HERE

.

 

Data and Ro passed through the doorway and into a small, bare lobby. The only light came from outside.

 

Thiscant be it,

Ro said, frowning.

Its wide open to the street.

 

There is a stairway in that direction,

Data said, pointing into the dimness at the back of the lobby.

 

It leads down.

Seeing there was no one around, he took out his tricorder.

There are two people

located in a confined area some ten meters below us. That must be the shelter.

 

Ro nodded.

That sounds more like what were looking for, sir. Ive been in a few of these things in my

time.

She took out her own tricorder.

Theres a reinforced shell of metal and concrete surrounding the

shelter on all sides, but it shouldnt interfere with our beaming out, if we need to. Shall I lead,

Commander?

 

As you like.

 

When they were halfway down the stairs, they heard a heavy rumbling behind them. Data hurried back

upstairs just far enough to be able to see what was happening.

 

A heavy blast door was descending from a hidden pocket located above the entryway. The grayish light

from the street above disappeared, leaving them only a small scattering of artificial light that managed

to find its way up the winding stairway from the shelter below them.

 

Hey!

came a rough female voice.

Is there still somebody up there?

 

Yes,

Data called.

There are two of us. We will be down there directly.

 

Well, hurry the hell up, then,

the voice complained.

I want to close this damn hatch, and we havent

got all damn day.