The warp core gave the engineers fits, refusing to initialize despite their most creative efforts. Titan’s sensor nets, ironically the most durable of the state-of-the-art systems, were back online, their operators trying furiously to penetrate the soup of exotic particles that held the ship in the subatomic equivalent of a tar pit.
As more of the mystery signals were tagged and deciphered, Troi spent increasing time shuttling between Tuvok and Jaza’s coordinated effort to pinpoint the broadcast source and Ensign Modan’s station in the linguistics lab.
If nothing else, Vale was grateful that their predicament had forced Troi squarely into her role as diplomatic officer, leaving Counselors Huilan and Pral glasch Haaj to manage the emotional well-being of the crew.
Ra-Havreii remained a problem, but no longer a serious one. Once Riker had spelled out in no uncertain terms precisely how little leeway the engineer had when it came to upgrading versus repairing, the chief engineer had beat a polite but clear retreat back to his quarters.
Under normal circumstances Vale would have forced him back onto the floor with the rest of his people. Yet, somehow, in spite of his self-imposed mini-exile, Ra-Havreii managed to stay on top of the repair schedule, disseminating the necessary orders and recommendations via the comms. Department heads-particularly chief engineers-were afforded a degree of latitude in how they ran things in their corners of a starship. The Efrosian’s tendency to ruffle feathers notwithstanding, Vale had to concede that he was getting the job done.
The impulse engines, while still unable to shift Titanmore than a few thousand kilometers in any direction, managed to remain a point or two above the red zone.
Good enough, she thought, leaning back in her chair for a quick look around the bridge. Ensign Lavena, having wrestled first with her helm control console and then with the overloaded chipset meant to facilitate that control, seemed finally content with her lot. She and Ensign Revtem Prin Oorteshk, the beta shift navigator, were occupying themselves with increasingly esoteric theories as to how they might shift the ship’s position should drive capability never return.
Vale enjoyed Oorteshk whenever it was present. It gave off an agreeable odor of mint when it was pleased, which was, apparently, most of the time. It spoke by vibrating the reedy protuberances around its oral cavity, giving its words a breathy, almost childlike tone and lilt.
“Controlled plasma eruption from one of the nacelles,” said Oorteshk. “Big enough blast, we spin out of this swamp too quick, I think.”
“And spin and spin,” said Lavena with a snort that created a flow of small bubbles behind her hydration suit’s faceplate. “No directional control. No friction to slow us down or stop us.”
“Sure, we stop,” said Oorteshk. “We explode second nacelle, force counterinertial reaction. Too easy.”
“So your solution is to blow both the nacelles and leave us adrift in some other equally unmapped part of the Beta Quadrant?”
“Contact other starships, wait for pickup,” said Oorteshk. “Spend interim swimming with Lavena.”
“I’m not sure your epidermis could take the salt content in my pool, Oort,” said Lavena.
“For Aili Lavena, many dangers could be risked.”
Vale smiled. For a sexless being, Oorteshk was a hell of a flirt.
The captain was pretty well locked into a triangular tennis match, between working with Tuvok and Jaza on the sensor modifications, Ra-Havreii with power distribution, and Vale’s own seven billion crew-related tasks. His hands were full, and from what she could tell, he was happy to have them so. And with Troi equally engaged by the crisis, whatever was going on between them had been sidelined for the time being, as well it should be. But Vale’s concerns remained, and not just for the sake of the ship, but for these two people she considered her friends.
“The captain’s and Deanna’s solution to their problem seems correct,” Huilan volunteered in their most recent clandestine turbolift chat.
“They’re too busy to be working on it,” said Vale. “I’m not sure that actually solves anything.”
“Their scents are less mingled, true. But both their rates of respiration are within the norm.”
“So, they’re breathing okay.”
“They seem to require distance from one another, Commander. Titan’s current predicament provides that.”
“How much distance can they get?” said Vale. “This isn’t that big a ship.”
“We’ll have to watch and see what develops between them.”
Excellent. More waiting for the other boot to kick.
“And Dr. Ra-Havreii,” said Vale wondering just how long she could extend her current round of “spot checks” before the captain began looking for her. “What’s the prognosis there?”
For once Huilan’s perpetual smile seemed to fade a bit. His ears drooped ever so slightly and he let out a sigh that Vale thought was about two sizes too big for his body.
“S’ti’ach have a game,” he said. “Volition. We all play. We mix fast-breeding bacteria to see which will out-evolve the others. Many new forms are created and die in the span of a few minutes.”
“Sounds interesting,” said Vale, and thought, not to mention morally questionable. “What’s it got to do with Ra-Havreii?”
“The winner of the game is the one with the most complex surviving bacteria,” said Huilan. “Observing our chief engineer was like watching the championship match of Volition.”
“If one more person tells me he’s complex-”
“Then let me say simply that I begin to see why Deanna kept his therapy for herself.”
“I notice he’s still dictating things from his quarters,” Vale said.
“Which seems also to suit both his staff and the ship,” said Huilan. “Obviously isolation is not a permanent solution, but for now, at least, his eccentricity seems to be serving the repair effort rather than hindering it.”
“So,” Vale said, resigning herself to Huilan’s hands-off approach. “We just tread water with Ra-Havreii.”
“For now, yes.”
“And we just trust that Will and Deanna can solve whatever’s going on between them on their own?”
“In my experience with primates, that way is often best.”
“ ‘Primates?’ ” said Vale, not sure if she and all the other humans on Titanweren’t being insulted.
“With mates of any sort,” said Huilan.
Chapter Four
REPORT OF PRELIMARY ANALYSIS AND EXTRAPOLATION
prepared by COMMANDER DEANNA TROI
(CDO, U.S.S. TITAN )
SUBJECT:
PLANET ORISHA
(STARFLEET DESIGNATION: Elysia Incendae II)
CLASS: M (variant)
Captain, as requested, after collating 35% of the data culled from the alien signal bleed, we believe we have enough information to provide a foundation for any action you may decide to take vis а vis First Contact. Be advised that this is only a preliminary assessment and that subsequent data retrieval may necessitate reformulation of any plan based upon these findings.
FINDINGS:
A) Planetary Characteristics
Elysia Incendae II is a Class-M planet with a variant oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere with a gravity of 5.1 on the Federation standard scale of measurement and orbiting Elysia Incendae (Class-G stellar body) at one hundred forty-two point six million kilometers.