Indistinguishable From Magic Part 2

The drifting s.h.i.+p was essentially a thick saucer, with a deflector array cut into the leading edge. Two humped fairings on the aft section were attached to a flattened "W" of a wing-like structure, and the warp nacelles were mounted on either side of that.

The outer hull, which in its day had shone bright with steel and silver, was now the dead gray shade of Earth's moon. It looked as if it was made of frozen rock, the nowmatte plating pitted with micrometeoroid impacts.

"NX-cla.s.s," Picard said softly, his eyes glued to the image. "Just as you predicted. I never thought to see one of those in the wild, so to speak."

"It looks ancient," Worf rumbled.

"It certainly seems well-worn to say the least," Picard agreed. "Magnify. Let's see if we can get a view of her registry, and identify which s.h.i.+p she purports to be."

The view on the screen zoomed in to the top of the saucer section, forward of the bridge. The hull plating was scored and pitted, the surface layer of the metal chipped away, but enough of the registry and name remained to be legible.

"NX-07," Picard murmured, "Intrepid." "Intrepid."

"Or a copy thereof," Worf reminded him.

"Hm." Picard wasn't ready to revisit on that theory. "Worf, you said that all of the NX vessels' fates are known, and accounted for. What do the records say happened to Intrepid Intrepid? If she isn't listed as missing in Starfleet's records, what presumed fate had been a.s.signed to her?"

Worf glanced momentarily at a display. "She is recorded as having been destroyed by a Romulan mine-shortly after hostilities had ceased at the end of the Earth-Romulan War. Very little wreckage was ever found, and only four bodies were recovered."

"She doesn't look destroyed to me." Picard stood, and stepped closer to the screen. "What made Starfleet think that a Romulan mine was responsible for the loss of Intrepid Intrepid?"

Worf tapped at his display. "Captain Lambert was in the middle of a transmission to Starfleet when contact was lost. The subject of the call was to the effect that the Intrepid Intrepid had observed the detonation of a Romulan mine nearby, and that he intended to investigate the extent of the field." had observed the detonation of a Romulan mine nearby, and that he intended to investigate the extent of the field."

Picard turned in surprise. "Wouldn't this have const.i.tuted a violation of the ceasefire treaty?"

Worf shook his head curtly. "The field is thought to have been laid early in the war. The detonation witnessed by the Intrepid Intrepid was probably one of the last mines auto-destructing as part of the treaty stipulations." was probably one of the last mines auto-destructing as part of the treaty stipulations."

"Then there definitely was a Romulan minefield in the Intrepid Intrepid's vicinity?"

"Yes, sir. The Vulcan s.h.i.+p Ni'Var, Ni'Var, one of the vessels that searched for the one of the vessels that searched for the Intrepid, Intrepid, confirmed that a minefield was in place at the edge of the system. It had already been decommissioned by the time they got there. Standard Romulan procedure would have been to decommission emplaced weapons by self-destruction," Worf went on. "They have never enjoyed the risk of others studying their weapons technology." confirmed that a minefield was in place at the edge of the system. It had already been decommissioned by the time they got there. Standard Romulan procedure would have been to decommission emplaced weapons by self-destruction," Worf went on. "They have never enjoyed the risk of others studying their weapons technology."

Picard nodded, and sat, never taking his eyes off the image of the Intrepid. Intrepid. "So it was a.s.sumed, given all the available evidence, that a mine had self-detonated right under the "So it was a.s.sumed, given all the available evidence, that a mine had self-detonated right under the Intrepid, Intrepid, and destroyed her." and destroyed her."

"Yes sir. The Ni'Var Ni'Var is also the vessel which recovered the bodies of four of the is also the vessel which recovered the bodies of four of the Intrepid Intrepid's crew."

"Only four bodies, but no real wreckage? Didn't that strike anyone as a little bit odd?"

"It was theorized that a new model of mine was responsible, designed to leave as little trace as possible. Of course when signals were sent through diplomatic channels to try to ask the Romulans about that, there was no reply." It was clear from Worf's tone that he was neither surprised nor impressed by that fact.

"The s.h.i.+p looks ancient enough, but . . . How does it look from a tactical point of view?"

"There is no obvious sign of weapons damage," Worf said. "No torpedo blast points, no phaser scorch marks, no carbon scoring."

"He's right, sir," Choudhury agreed. "Sensors don't read any elevated particle levels that would suggest any form of energy weapon impact."

"But, after two hundred years, any such levels would almost certainly have returned to normal anyway."

Choudhury frowned. "The best way to tell would be to take a boarding party across, and conduct more detailed close-up scans for any residual particle stress patterns in the structures. But . . ."

"I would caution against a boarding party, sir," Worf interrupted. "At least until we've conducted more thorough scans of both the s.h.i.+p and the area. It could still be some kind of fake."

"Conduct the most thorough scans possible," Picard ordered, "both of the s.h.i.+p and of the surrounding area." Picard returned his attention to the Intrepid Intrepid. It was worn and gray, cold and dead, but it retained a certain beauty, as everything that survived long enough seemed to do. Perhaps it was in the nature of the universe for time to transform into art everything it touched, or perhaps it was just his own personal bias showing. Picard knew that he would be a liar if he said he didn't feel the pull of the s.h.i.+p out there, or if he said he didn't want to board her, and tread those ancient deck plates.

He smiled, and called out, "Commander La Forge, report to the bridge."

2.

Intrepid looked fossilized. Where the looked fossilized. Where the Enterprise Enterprise gleamed and shone with light like an angel swooping to greet its aged ancestor, the gleamed and shone with light like an angel swooping to greet its aged ancestor, the Intrepid Intrepid was a dark stone, looking as if it had been carved from a single piece of ore. Her hull was dull and matte, pitted with scratches and holes, and her viewports were as black as the void all around, as if the s.h.i.+p was interwoven with it, and part of the void itself. was a dark stone, looking as if it had been carved from a single piece of ore. Her hull was dull and matte, pitted with scratches and holes, and her viewports were as black as the void all around, as if the s.h.i.+p was interwoven with it, and part of the void itself.

In spite of all of that, she was beautiful.

La Forge could feel his breath catch in his throat when he came onto the bridge and saw her there, framed in the main viewscreen. He had recognized the shape at once, of course, but bringing himself to believe his eyes took a little bit longer. "That can't be what it looks like . . ."

"My thoughts exactly," Worf rumbled.

"According to our scans, it can indeed be what it looks like," Picard said firmly. "An NX-cla.s.s vessel hundreds of light-years and two centuries from where, history tells us, she was destroyed by a Romulan mine."

Geordi patched the sensor readings that Choudhury had been taking through to the bridge's engineering station. "It doesn't look like there's any sign of what actually did happen to her."

"Indeed. She is something of a mystery." La Forge could hear Picard's interest and excitement in his tone. The captain always enjoyed a historical puzzle, as much as Geordi enjoyed an engineering one. He let himself smile, infected by the love of a good mystery.

"There is a lot of weathering by micrometeoroids and radiation, but no sign of anything like a major collision, no sign of weapons damage . . . and no hint of energy remaining in the Intrepid Intrepid's systems."

"Not that our sensors can register."

La Forge was already thinking ahead. "There may be something in internal storage, but we'll need to go and take a closer look to be absolutely certain one way or the other."

"That's what I was hoping you'd say, Geordi. So far there's no sign of other vessels in the vicinity, but I'd like you to a.s.semble an engineering team and go across and investigate this . . . derelict."

"And see if we can wake her up?"

"First and foremost to ascertain definitively whether this is indeed the vessel it appears to be. If so, to find out how she came to be here."

"And if not . . ."

"If not . . . then I should very much like to know what this s.h.i.+p actually is, and for what purpose it was put here."

Geordi understood. "In case it's a sprat to catch a mackerel, huh?"

"Precisely." Picard turned to Choudhury. "Jasminder, a.s.semble a small security team to accompany Mister La Forge's team. It's unlikely that there would be a threat over there, but . . ."

"But why take the chance?" Choudhury gave an approving nod. "I'm on my way."

The corridor was momentarily illuminated by the transporter beam; stray molecules that had been captured along with the travelers, giving up their energy in the visible spectrum as they dissipated. Geordi La Forge barely had time to register the light on the Intrepid Intrepid's interior surfaces before it faded.

He and the entire away team were wreathed in white, like ghosts in old fiction; their faces turned bloodless blue by the gentle lighting around the edges of their helmets' faceplates. The white EV suits were molded to the individual, making them tight-fitting but comfortable, and were designed to prevent the wearers from becoming the ghosts they already resembled.

Choudhury was the first to activate the sims beacons set onto her helmet, the others following a second later. La Forge had brought three engineers with him, all with equipment belts around the waists of their EV suits. Choudhury had brought two security guards with her. The seven of them were now standing in the central corridor on B deck, and Geordi was surprised by how narrow it was in comparison to the companionways on the Enterprise. Enterprise. The walls, overhead, and deck were all a dark gray, though the specs Geordi had downloaded suggested that there were once color variations. The walls, overhead, and deck were all a dark gray, though the specs Geordi had downloaded suggested that there were once color variations.

"No atmosphere," Choudhury announced, consulting her tricorder. Her voice came through the helmet speakers quite crisply. There was no gravity either, but the suits' magnetic boots held them to the floor quite effectively. Choudhury announced, consulting her tricorder. Her voice came through the helmet speakers quite crisply. There was no gravity either, but the suits' magnetic boots held them to the floor quite effectively.

"No surprise," La Forge responded, glancing at his own tricorder's display. "Temperature is the same in here as it is outside the s.h.i.+p. There must be quite a few breaches, probably all very small."

"Weapons fire?" Choudhury asked. Choudhury asked. "I mean, old-style projectile weapons?" "I mean, old-style projectile weapons?"

La Forge shook his head, forgetting that his helmet wouldn't respond with the movement. "The system's Oort cloud, more likely."

"s.h.i.+elds and navigational deflector control must have been down."

"s.h.i.+elds? Not in those days. They had to polarize the hull plating back then. s.h.i.+elds were, well, not exactly science fiction, but definitely something that was not not in Starfleet's a.r.s.enal." He turned, directing his beam in both directions along the corridor. "As for the navigational deflector, I'm guessing that must have been out of commission long before the s.h.i.+p got to this system." in Starfleet's a.r.s.enal." He turned, directing his beam in both directions along the corridor. "As for the navigational deflector, I'm guessing that must have been out of commission long before the s.h.i.+p got to this system."

Choudhury's two guards moved to either end of the corridor, their phaser rifles held ready, but not raised. The engineers spread out, consulting their equipment. Taurik, closest to La Forge and Choudhury, showed them the readings on his tricorder, which had been configured to read radiation levels. "Commander, the radiation on board is above background level, but not severely so. The decay pattern suggests it has been higher in the past." "Commander, the radiation on board is above background level, but not severely so. The decay pattern suggests it has been higher in the past."

"Not much higher, though." La Forge watched a line track across the tricorder's screen, and brought up some recorded benchmarks to compare it to. There was a trace for background radiation, a trace for the s.h.i.+p's own EM background, and a trace for the output of the parent star of the system they were now in. He tapped his suit's comm unit. "La Forge to Enterprise." Enterprise."

"Go ahead, Geordi," Picard's voice answered. Picard's voice answered.

"Captain, the radiation pattern here is consistent with the Intrepid Intrepid having drifted across this system for two hundred years." having drifted across this system for two hundred years."

"And the micrometeoroid damage?"

"If the s.h.i.+p drifted in through the Oort cloud, with no s.h.i.+elding, that'd probably match up too, Captain. Though we'd have to double-check the composition of the cloud."

"I'll have that arranged," Picard responded, then Geordi could just make out his voice ordering someone to launch a probe, before returning to address the away team. Picard responded, then Geordi could just make out his voice ordering someone to launch a probe, before returning to address the away team. "Geordi, is it your opinion that the vessel is genuine?" "Geordi, is it your opinion that the vessel is genuine?"

"We've only seen some corridor s.p.a.ce so far, Captain, but it's definitely old. If this isn't actually the NX-07 then it must be a reverse-engineer job contemporary with the original. I don't have any doubts that this s.h.i.+p has been drifting here for two centuries. It's definitely not not a modern vessel placed here for our benefit." a modern vessel placed here for our benefit."

"Understood. Picard out." La Forge could hear the relief in the captain's voice, and a hint of the same pleasure that Geordi felt, at the increasing certainty that this was a genuine piece of history. La Forge could hear the relief in the captain's voice, and a hint of the same pleasure that Geordi felt, at the increasing certainty that this was a genuine piece of history.

"Where do you want to go first, Commander?" Choudhury asked. Choudhury asked.

"The bridge and engineering. Taurik, engineering takes up the aft sections of D and E decks. Take Vargas with you, and check out just how cold the engines and the power systems are. I'll take Khalid and look at the bridge."

"Aye, Commander."

Choudhury addressed her people. "Go with Taurik, just in case. I'll accompany Commander La Forge." "Go with Taurik, just in case. I'll accompany Commander La Forge."

As Taurik, Ensign Emilia Vargas, and the two security men set off toward the aft end of the corridor, Geordi led Choudhury and Ensign Leon Khalid a few steps in the other direction. He stopped at a man-sized access panel. "There's no power for the tubolifts, so we'll have to climb." He felt around the edges of the panel, the EV suit's gauntlets making it harder to get a grip, and heaved with all of his strength.

The panel remained closed. "It seems to be fused shut. Khalid, hand me a pry bar." The ensign drew a stout metal bar from his equipment belt and handed it to La Forge. With some effort, Geordi popped the panel free, and Choudhury helped him move it aside. They shone their lights into the s.p.a.ce beyond, which was a black hollow like the socket of a recently pulled tooth. The lights picked out the glinting lines of a ladder at the back of the s.p.a.ce, leading upward.

"This should take us up to A deck."

"Perhaps I should go first," Choudhury suggested. Choudhury suggested.

"If you want, sure." He gave her a phaser-cutter. "At the top, you'll have to cut through the door."

"Understood." Choudhury ascended the ladder, and, after a moment, Khalid and La Forge followed her. It was only a four-meter ladder, but by the time Geordi reached the top he could see the light of the phaser-cutter. A roughly oval section of the door, its edges still glowing, toppled outward with a heavy thud that La Forge could feel through his boots. Choudhury ascended the ladder, and, after a moment, Khalid and La Forge followed her. It was only a four-meter ladder, but by the time Geordi reached the top he could see the light of the phaser-cutter. A roughly oval section of the door, its edges still glowing, toppled outward with a heavy thud that La Forge could feel through his boots.

The three of them ducked through into the bridge, careful not to stumble. The crisp clarity of their sims beacons in the sterile chamber picked out horseshoe-shaped stations on either side of the forward part of the bridge, with the helm console between them. The main viewscreen was smaller than Geordi had expected, and totally matte-black. The captain's seat should have been in the center, of course, but only the base of its mounting was there. More stations were set behind the center position, including a table-like affair recessed at the rear of the bridge. There was no sign of the crew that Geordi could see.

There were a surprising number of handholds around the bridge, and the control consoles had a lot more b.u.t.tons and switches than La Forge had seen in a long time. It was a good thing, he realized, as they'd never even see the label on a smooth LCARS console if it was as dead as these boards. Maybe, he thought, they had the right idea back in the day.

He moved to the center of the bridge, standing over the stump of the mount for the captain's chair, and turned a slow three hundred and sixty degrees. One part of his mind was concentrating on directing his light at points of interest, looking for any sign of a member of the crew, or for any sign of energy, or for clues as to what happened to the s.h.i.+p. The other part of his mind was just drinking in the fact that he was standing on the bridge of an NX-cla.s.s s.h.i.+p, inside a piece of history. He got a sudden flash of what Counselor Troi's abilities as an empath did, as he felt, or at least imagined he felt, Captain Picard's envy at his being over here.

"There aren't any visible breaches here," La Forge noted. "and the Enterprise Enterprise's sensors didn't register any lifeboats or escape pods as missing, so what happened to the crew?"

Choudhury managed to make her shrug visible through the EV suit. "Maybe another s.h.i.+p took them off at some point?" "Maybe another s.h.i.+p took them off at some point?"

"Before or after the Romulan minefield?"

"Before or after she ended up here?"

"Take your pick." Geordi walked further across the bridge, playing his lights into every corner. With no atmosphere to scatter the light, the discs of brightness projected onto walls and floor were beautifully pure and illuminating, but not very informative. On the starboard side of the bridge, tangled nests of steel basketry cast angular inky shadows. It took Geordi a moment to realize that they were the mangled remains of the bridge's chairs. "I wonder how much force it would take to rip the center seat mounting apart."

"Without leaving any other marks on the s.h.i.+p," Choudhury added. Choudhury added. "A bomb or grenade in here might have done it, but there's no shrapnel damage." "A bomb or grenade in here might have done it, but there's no shrapnel damage."

"Whatever happened in here, it wasn't an explosion. If any of the crew survived you'd think they'd need to have replaced the chairs for their stations. And if not . . ."

"Then who moved the bodies?" she said, finis.h.i.+ng the thought for him. she said, finis.h.i.+ng the thought for him.

"Exactly. Khalid," La Forge ordered the ensign, "scan the structural framework around the bridge, and let's see whether we can get a handle on what stresses it's been under, and when. Also look for any signs of microscopic breaches. If we can pressurize the bridge at least, that'll make checking out the rest of the s.h.i.+p a lot easier."

"Aye, sir," Khalid said, and began attaching deep-scanning nodes to the wall. They would send their questing signals into the structure, and link the results back into a tricorder. It was slower than a standard tricorder scan, but a lot more precise. While he did that, La Forge walked around to the engineering station, and opened a panel. Khalid said, and began attaching deep-scanning nodes to the wall. They would send their questing signals into the structure, and link the results back into a tricorder. It was slower than a standard tricorder scan, but a lot more precise. While he did that, La Forge walked around to the engineering station, and opened a panel.

He probed the circuitry inside with a handheld unit, introducing power to the ancient systems in the hope of seeing where it would flow and where it would leak. It simply didn't react at all. He let out a sigh, thinking that he may as well have tested the energy flow in a rock. Geordi resigned himself to the idea that this was going to take a long time.

While La Forge and Khalid went about their business, Jasminder Choudhury made her own survey of the bridge. It was empty, sterile, and, in her opinion, creepy. Even an empty s.h.i.+p usually had some remnant sense of the people who had been living aboard. Sometimes new s.h.i.+ps even held an intangible mood of expectancy as they antic.i.p.ated the arrival of their crews. Intrepid Intrepid didn't feel like either of those. Choudhury thought that it simply felt like an unreal thing, out of place and not belonging. Worse still, it felt like it couldn't possibly stay, but would disappear from their sight and their memories at the first opportunity. didn't feel like either of those. Choudhury thought that it simply felt like an unreal thing, out of place and not belonging. Worse still, it felt like it couldn't possibly stay, but would disappear from their sight and their memories at the first opportunity.

Just like her crew seemed to have done.

s.h.i.+vering inside her EV suit, she searched in vain for any sign of deliberate violence or weapons damage. There was none, but something else drew her attention. The walls, imploded monitor screens, and console surfaces in this part of the bridge seemed to be coated with something. Choudhury couldn't tell what it was just from looking, but it gave her a most uncomfortable sensation. It was solid, like a thin layer of crisp sandstone, and showed black and gray when she cast her flashlight over it.

"Commander," she said, "there's something odd here."

"Odd?" La Forge put the power unit back in his belt and came over to her. La Forge put the power unit back in his belt and came over to her.

She drew her finger along just above the layer of sediment. "There's a coating of some kind on this half of the bridge. The walls, the consoles, furnis.h.i.+ngs, everything. It's like some kind of fungus, maybe. I mean, something that grew here two hundred years ago."

"Whatever this is, it's been here for a lot longer than two hundred years . . ." He reached out a hand to touch it, but Choudhury stopped him, suddenly sure that she shouldn't let him disturb it. It didn't look infectious, or anything like that, but something in her subconscious warned against messing with it. He reached out a hand to touch it, but Choudhury stopped him, suddenly sure that she shouldn't let him disturb it. It didn't look infectious, or anything like that, but something in her subconscious warned against messing with it.

"Commander . . . maybe we should have this stuff checked for biological agents. Just in case."