Star Trek: The Next Generation - Dark Mirror by Diane Duane

Author:Diane Duane [Duane, Diane]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9780671794385
Amazon: 0671794388
Publisher: Star Trek
Published: 1993-01-02T08:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 9

“Mr. Barclay,” Picard said as they came to the turbolift, “I don’t know about you, but assassination attempts make me sweat. I wouldn’t mind a shower and a change.”

“Yes, sir,” Barclay said as they stepped into the ’lift. “Deck eleven.”

The ’lift took off. Barclay eyed the scratch on Picard’s chin. “You were lucky to get away with so little, sir. Please be more careful.”

Picard’s mood was not entirely sanguine. “Is that strictly professional concern? Is there anybody on this ship who would really care dreadfully if I died?”

“We wouldn’t like to lose you, Captain.”

“Ah, but you get perks for taking care of me. Isn’t that so?”

“Captain, you’ve never been less than generous. Some people say you’ve been more generous than you had to be.”

A virtue at last? Picard thought sourly. Or just my counterpart making sure he gets value for his money?

“And then there’s Dr. Crusher, of course,” said Barclay as they stepped out of the ’lift.

Picard nodded. Here as in his own Enterprise, old family connections, old tragedies, got talked about just as everything else. If there was anything he was certain these two ships would have in common, gossip was it. “Yes, of course. Well, never mind. At the moment, I guess we should be grateful there aren’t more attempts—eh, Mr. Barclay?”

“Yes, sir,” Barclay said ruefully. “But that’s what we’re here for… we’re as much of a deterrent as anything else.”

“Point taken,” Picard said as they came to his quarters. “Keep guard, will you, Mr. Barclay? I don’t care to be disturbed just now.”

“Yes, sir.” Barclay stationed himself by the doorway. Picard walked in, paused, touched the control to lock the door as it shut. Interesting, he thought, that he didn’t check this space out before he let me in. Apparently the captain’s quarters are expected to be secure. Or else someone has them under scan. The thought made his hair rise again. Could everything that had happened so far be an act, masking the fact that someone had seen the snatch of this ship’s Picard happen and was just biding time, waiting for the right moment to take him out of circulation? Could it mean—But no. He shook his head. There was such a thing as being too paranoid, even here.

He headed into the shower, turned it on, then bent briefly over his communicator. “Mr. La Forge,” he whispered, “this is urgent. The ‘inclusion’ apparatus responsible for our being here is in the engine room. Enterprise”—he assumed Geordi would know which one he meant—“must not remain in this locality. Equally urgent: intent is that Enterprise will be restaffed with others, then returned. Also, transport has been noticed. End message. One acknowledgment if you two are all right, two if there’s a problem.”

The badge buzzed once under his fingertips and did nothing else.

There’s a relief, Picard thought, and started stripping out of the uniform, carefully removing the badge and medals. Geordi had been confident enough that this area couldn’t be scanned, but Picard still preferred paranoia: if

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