Star Trek TNG - 02 The Peacekeepers by Gene Deweese

Author:Gene Deweese [Gene Deweese]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Science Fiction
ISBN: 9780671736538
Publisher: Star Trek
Published: 2014-01-24T16:00:00+00:00

Geordi kept the surprise from his face. He wasn’t sure what he had been expecting . . . but Shar-Lon’s dead brother Shar-Tel was definitely not it.

“As a matter of fact, your brother did say you were dead,” Geordi said. “Right after I asked him if I could talk to you. I take it he has a reason for not wanting that to happen?”

“He would have,” the man said, his smile turning grim, “if he knew I was still alive.”

“He doesn’t know?”

“I’m reasonably certain he doesn’t. But that’s a very long story, and before we get into it, I’d like you to answer a question.”

“If I can, and if you’ll answer a few of ours.”

“Gladly,” Shar-Tel said, “Now, my question: Are you the people who left that thing orbiting our planet? And if so, what is it, and why did you leave it?”

“Your brother believed we were the ones,” Geordi said, still cautious.

“My brother, unfortunately, believes a great many things these days, not the least of which is that he was deliberately chosen to save our world, using that thing we stumbled across.”

“And you don’t?”

“Do I look like a fool?”

Suddenly, for reasons he couldn’t explain to himself, let alone to Data if he should ask, Geordi laughed. Maybe it was nothing more than the fact that the man’s slender build and almost hairless scalp, not to mention his suddenly sharp tone, reminded him of Captain Picard—or, rather, Captain Picard as he might be in another thirty years—and that reminder made him feel good.

“No, we’re not the ones who left it here,” Geordi admitted. “As for what it is, that’s something we’d very much like to know ourselves. We have a few wild guesses, but that’s about all. Anything you can tell us would be greatly appreciated.”

Shar-Tel frowned for a second, but then he grinned and turned to the others. “You’d better get back, before my brother misses you and starts making some guesses as to what you’ve been up to,” he said. “He didn’t recognize you, did he?”

“No, he didn’t see our faces. But Vol-Mir may have some explaining to do. He had to improvise something to keep Shar-Lon occupied long enough for us to get in position, and he said Shar-Lon was more than a little suspicious when the ‘emergency’ turned out to be a false alarm.”

Shar-Tel grimaced. “Don’t compound the problem. Get back there, now. I’ll be all right.”

The men nodded and, with varying degrees of relief, replaced their helmets and reentered the airlock. As it hissed shut behind them, Shar-Tel said: “I suspect your story is as long as mine, so we had better get down to business.”

“Before we get too involved,” Geordi said, “I have a question myself. Can you or your people take us back to the Repository when we’re finished here?”

Shar-Tel’s frown returned and his eyes darted toward the closed airlock. “Why?”

“So we can try to find our way back to where we belong.”

“Oh? Does that mean you didn’t come here intentionally?”

“Geordi,” Data interrupted, clicking off his Translator.

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