Star Trek: The Next Generation: Metamorphosis by Jean Lorrah

Author:Jean Lorrah
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Science Fiction, Star Trek, Fiction
ISBN: 9780671684020
Publisher: Pocket Books
Published: 1990-01-02T08:00:00+00:00

accomplished so far?" "Officially cleared on

navigation. I am scheduled to test out on Ops

tomorrow."

"A good start. What are you worried about, then?

You'll be back to full duty status in a few

days."

"Not if Lieutenant Worf and Counselor

Troi have any say in the matter." "Worf s not

as tough as he pretends," Geordi reassured

Data. "He'll growl a lot and talk about

IC-LINGON superiority, but if you show reasonable

com- petency he'll pass you. Hell, I pass

his checks, even though he takes great pleasure in

wiping up the holodeck with me before he grudgingly

clears me for continued duty. He doesn't

expect of the regular crew what he demands of his

security people."

That was true. Data realized with intense relief

that he was already as good as Geordi at unarmed combat.

That left weapons. Thank goodness ordinary crew

members were not required to be expert with a

variety of exotic weapons, as the security

personnel were. If Data could conquer phasers,

he would pass. Which still left Counselor Troi.

"Data, don't push yourself so hard," Geordi

said. "When you get checked out on everything else,

you'll feel confident-and Troi will sense that. She'd

be wrong to clear you for full duty before you've had time

to adjust. Think about it: would you want the

responsibility for leading an away team right now?"

"No," Data admitted. "Especially not after

the fatal mistake I made last time."

"What do you mean?"

Data got up and walked to the mirror. "Look

at me, Geordi. You can see it better than

anyone else. My . . . self-indulgence

destroyed the balance of the Enterprise senior crew.

There is nothing I can provide as a human that you and

Picard and Riker and Pulaski do not already have between

you. As an android I had strength, speed, and

instantaneous access to information. Now I provide

nothing special at all."

"Nothing but your skills, your experience, and the

indefinable things that make you you, was Geordi said.

"Data, you have no reason to feel guilty. Good

God, man, do you think I would have given

one second's thought to the value of my special

vision to Starfleet if I'd been in your shoes?

If I'd earned my fondest wish, the way you

did? If you think anyone resents your taking your

chance, forget it. Now come on-we're off duty.

Let's go to Ten-Forward for a drink, and see who's

around for some more cheerful conversation."

In the lounge, Data spotted Darryl Adin

sitting alone at a table near the viewports,

looking out at the stars. While Geordi ordered

drinks, Data went over to him, saying, "Sdan will

complete the computer repairs in a few hours, and you

will be free to go."

Dare looked up at Data with a sardonic

smile. "It doesn't matter any longer. A

message from Brancherion reached us today: as we did

not arrive in time, the people we were to train and organize

were forced to face their enemies without us. And won. It

turns out we were not needed after all." "Have you another

assignment?" Data asked.

"Oh, yes. There is always work for the Silver

Paladin. Starlleet won't be very happy about this

one, though." He pulled a small tricorder from his

pocket and inserted a message clip. com"...allyr

ship's security delivered this to me, still

scrambled to my code. But Captain Picard has

the right to know.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.