Boogeymen Part 15

"We're going to Tantamon Four," Picard said. "Maybe they want something on the Enterprise. Perhaps they want the s.h.i.+p itself."

The idea obviously came as a shock to Shubunkin. He frowned. He looked at the viewscreen. Anything not to be looking at Picard and Riker. Then he met their eyes and said, "I'd just be guessing. Why not ask Baldwin?"

"We're asking you," Riker said.

Shubunkin drew himself up and became very professional. He said, "I'd have to say no. Despite the argument that you saw, Captain Picard, Baldwin and I agree on many things. One of them is the primitive nature of the Tantamon Four natives."

Picard said, "The Orma seem to be primitive, but they have enormous telekinetic powers. They carry their technology in their brains."

Shubunkin shook his head and said, "I don't think that's the case on Tantamon Four. I don't think Baldwin thinks so. By the way, where is Baldwin?"

"Sleeping," said Picard. He explained what had happened as far as he understood it.

"No," said Shubunkin. "That is not the doing of the Tantamon Four natives."

Picard had expected that, and Shubunkin's comment gave him a certain satisfaction. Nothing else seemed to make sense. He said, "What about the teardrop s.h.i.+p?"

"What about it?"

"Could something on that s.h.i.+p be controlling the Enterprise or the people aboard?"

"In what way?"

"We were hoping you could tell us," Riker said.

Shubunkin stood up and said, "Despite what you may think of me, sir, I'm good at my job. But I am not a magician. I've had access to Baldwin's infowafer for less than a week. There are many things about the teardrop s.h.i.+p I have not yet discovered."

"Please, Lieutenant," Picard said, "I a.s.sure you we all have the highest regard for your abilities."

"Thank you, Captain. Will there be anything else?"

Riker said, "In Professor Baldwin's infowafer, is there any mention of a computer virus?"

Still a bit stiffly, Shubunkin said, "Not that I'm aware of. Of course, I've only scratched the surface. Why?"

Picard said, "Thank you, Lieutenant Shubunkin. You had better return to your work. We'll be getting to Memory Alpha sooner or later. You want to be ready with your report."

"But-"

"Thank you, Lieutenant. Number One, Mr. Crusher, come with me. Mr. Worf, you have the bridge." Picard moved quickly to his ready room, Riker and Wesley following, leaving Shubunkin glaring after them. Picard heard Worf suggest that Shubunkin move along.

Picard touched a companel near his desk. "Dr. Crusher?"

"Here, Captain."

"Anything to report?"

"A few things of interest," Dr. Crusher said carefully. "It's like a dormitory down here."

"Please come to my ready room."

"On my way, sir."

Picard sat down behind the desk and said, "Mr. Crusher, both Data and Mr. La Forge are hard at work on the virus program, so you are here representing the science department."

"Yes, sir," Wesley said with all the seriousness of a young man who knew seriousness was called for.

"Somebody's at the door," a Boogeyman said, and everybody jumped.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to that," Picard said. "Come."

Dr. Crusher walked in looking harried and tired. As she entered, she realized she was carrying a tricorder and slipped it into one of the big pockets of her smock.

"Sit down, Dr. Crusher. I hope that you have something interesting to tell us."

"Interesting, yes. Helpful, I'm not so sure." She sank onto the couch across the room from Picard's desk and said, "I've cross-referenced the records of all personnel in a trance." She smiled wanly. "It took a long time using only tricorders."

"Go on, Doctor," Picard said gently.

"All of them have telepathic indexes that are much higher than normal. Counselor Troi's is the highest, but others are almost as high."

"But why are they in a trance?" Riker said.

"That, Commander, I do not know."

"Could something outside the Enterprise, something like the teardrop s.h.i.+p on Tantamon Four, be responsible for it?"

Dr. Crusher looked surprised at the question and then shook her head. After a deep sigh, she said, "But I do know this: alpha and delta waves indicate they are all in deep sleep, the kind you might experience in the middle of the night if you were getting a good rest. Activity in the hypothalamus is normal. However"-she sat forward on the couch, excited by her own revelations-"activity in the Martinez node of the thalamus makes a medical tricorder light up like a Christmas tree."

"What goes on in the Martinez node?" Riker said.

"As far as we knew before, primitive emotional responses."

"And now?"

"I don't know." She ma.s.saged her forehead as she went on. "The activity is entirely unexpected. I've never seen anything like it. The Martinez node seems to be coordinating a complex interaction between the cerebellum, which deals with movement, and the thalamus, which is the site of a crude form of consciousness. They are all very busy, but I have no idea what at."

After a short silence, during which Dr. Crusher slumped back on the couch, obviously very tired, Picard said, "Is it possible that the Martinez node is being stimulated by alien influences?"

Wesley said, "If so, it's hard to see why. All those people are doing is sleeping."

"Doctor?" Picard said.

"I'm with Wesley. First contact is always a surprising business. Some unknown individual or race might be doing this, but it is difficult to see how they benefit."

As a challenge, Riker said, "We are cruising at warp eight without the warp engines."

Dr. Crusher's eyebrows went up. She looked over at Wesley and he nodded. She said, "You think there's a connection?"

"The Boogeymen and that virus are giving us big trouble, but they are not supernatural."

Wesley allowed himself a smile. "Sir, are you suggesting that the Enterprise is haunted?"

"No," said Riker very seriously. "I'm just suggesting that I can't see a connection between our speed and our computer problems."

Dr. Crusher nodded, considering.

"Dr. Crusher," Picard said, "as far as we have been able to determine, people fainted and the Enterprise slipped into warp at about the same time. Isn't that correct, Mr. Crusher?"

Wesley nodded. "I heard Commander Riker call out Counselor Troi's name the same second I noticed our new velocity."

Picard said, "Also, the trance of our people is very much like the mental state of the humanoids aboard the teardrop we encountered out in the Omega Triangulae region. What is your opinion, Doctor?"

Dr. Crusher squared her shoulders and sat up a little straighter. She said, "My opinion, Captain, is that from the little I know about warp technology, nothing on this s.h.i.+p can make us go faster than the speed of light except the warp engines themselves. On the other hand, there's still a lot about the human brain we don't know."

"Succinctly put. Number One?"

"What about the influence of the s.h.i.+p back on Tantamon Four?"

Dr. Crusher shrugged. "Unknown."

Riker nodded and said, "Except for the activity in the Martinez node, all the sleepers are sleeping normally?"

"As far as we can tell, yes."

"Then I suggest we sedate them. Knock out the Martinez node."

Dr. Crusher nodded. "As one of my old professors used to say when unusual procedures were suggested, 'It couldn't hurt.' "

"Mr. Crusher?" Picard said.

Wesley had been deep in thought, and he jumped when Picard called his name. "Sorry, sir. I was just wondering where Professor Baldwin got that virus program."

"Maybe he wrote it himself," Riker said.

"Maybe," said Wesley. "If Mom-Dr. Crusher agrees that sedating the sleepers won't hurt them, then it sounds like a good plan to me."

"Agreed," said Picard. "Doctor, make it so."

They went back out onto the bridge, and Wesley took his post at the conn. After a brief hesitation, Dr. Crusher stepped into the turbolift. Picard wondered how long it would be before the turbolifts did not work at all. He said, "Situation normal, Mr. Worf?"

"In a manner of speaking, sir."

The turbolift opened, and La Forge crawled from inside it.

"Trouble, Mr. La Forge?" Riker said.

As he got to his feet, La Forge said, "Yes, sir, but I'm getting used to it. I have an update, sir."

"Good news, I hope."

"News, anyway. Data and I discovered that the machete program didn't clean out the Boogeyman-virus combination because the machete program didn't recognize the virus as a program."

Wesley turned around to look at La Forge who had everybody's attention, even Worf's. Picard said, "An unusual program, is it, Mr. La Forge?"

"You bet, sir." La Forge began to make shapes in the air with his hands. "I've never seen anything like it. The machete program just rolled right over it. Or the combination Boogeyman-exotic virus program managed to hide from the machete program, I'm not sure which. The machete program is not designed to hunt for a moving program, only to erase sitting ducks."

Picard thought about Baldwin, his virus, and his desire to disappear. He said, "Could this exotic virus have come from the teardrop s.h.i.+p Professor Baldwin was studying on Tantamon Four?"

"Absolutely. It could have."

"Find out if there is anything comparable on that infowafer Professor Baldwin brought on board."

"Aye, sir."

Riker said, "Make sure that Shubunkin knows your request for the infowafer comes from the captain."

La Forge smiled. "Aye, sir." When the turbolift doors opened, he looked into the chamber warily, then got on.

The comlink twinkled-fortunately the twinkle had not yet changed into an announcement from a Boogeyman-and Dr. Crusher said, "Captain?"

"Here, Doctor. What have you found?"

"I chose ten subjects at random, Captain, and shot them as full of morphox as I dared. Rapid eye movement stopped immediately, and they went into a deep, dreamless sleep. But the activity in the Martinez node continued."

"No way to shut it off?" Riker said.

"It's a very primitive part of the brain, sir. I see no way to get at it short of murdering the subject."

Picard said, "Thank you, Doctor. We will find another method."

"Aye, sir. Crusher out."

Picard said, "Any change in velocity, Mr. Crusher?"

"No, sir. On course for Tantamon Four at warp eight."

"d.a.m.ned curious," Picard said.

From behind him came the rumbling voice of Lieutenant Worf. "Sir?"

"What is it, Worf?" Riker said.

"I know why we're going back to Tantamon Four."