by Dayton Ward
His smile widening, Hjatyn replied, “Indeed we do, Captain, beginning with the obvious one: Where are you from, and how far have you traveled to find us?”
Picard did not doubt the Dokaalan would comprehend the staggering distances involved in traveling from the Federation to this area of space, or even in understanding the basic concept of the technology employed to make the journey, but there would be a time where discussing all of that would be more appropriate.
“We have come here on behalf of the United Federation of Planets,” he said, “a shared society of many cultures from many different worlds who have joined together in the spirit of mutual cooperation.” He indicated Troi. “Counselor Troi was born on a different planet than Commander Riker and myself, and my crew is comprised of representatives of many other member worlds, as well.”
He noticed Hjatyn’s warm expression falter a bit as the minister said, “While my enthusiasm at your arrival is unbridled, Captain, I also hope you will understand my need to be cautious. Several of my aides advised against this meeting, offering instead the need to be suspicious of your motives.” He held out his thin arms, indicating the conference room and, by extension, the rest of the Enterprise. “One look at this vessel is enough to tell me that, were you so inclined, you could conquer our people with minimal effort. Therefore, I must ask what your intentions are now that you are here.”
Picard recalled the reports submitted by Lieutenant Vale and Dr. Crusher regarding some Dokaalan’s reactions to learning the identities of their unexpected benefactors. While some of the miners rescued by the Enterprise were most receptive to their new visitors, many more had expressed doubt, suspicion, and even fear.
With that in mind, he replied, “Some of the people we rescued from your outpost have expressed concern that we may be here as invaders, and I hope that I can put that worry quickly to rest. We have traveled a great distance to see what is here, and we do so in peace. There is much more here than we expected or even hoped to find, and my crew and I are most anxious to learn all that you can teach us. However, should you ask us to leave and never return, then we will do just that.”
Noting the palpable silence as Hjatyn seemed to ponder his words, Picard glanced to Riker and saw the subtle change in his first officer’s expression. He too was worried that everything that had come so far had happened for naught. The look in Counselor Troi’s eyes seemed to mirror Riker’s but Picard could not be sure. Was she sensing Hjatyn’s unease?
He forced his own features to remain fixed as he waited for the Dokaalan’s response. In truth, the Enterprise already had completed the mission as set out by Admiral Nechayev. Still, he would be saddened if understandable yet misplaced xenophobia guided the first minister’s decision and prevented him and his crew from making the most of this opportunity.
Thankfully, it did not come to that.
“It seems to me, Captain,” Hjatyn said after a moment, “that given the resources at your command, were you of a mind to harm us you would have done so already, and not bothered with the compassionate action of rescuing my people. My instincts tell me that you are telling the truth.” Smiling, he added, “Besides, did we not invite you here, after a fashion? I am told that you discovered two of the three unmanned space vessels my people dispatched prior to our world’s destruction.”
Picard nodded. “Yes we did, though the story surrounding their separate discoveries is a lengthy one. Suffice it to say that the first probe was found long ago, but it was determined that the available technology and resources were insufficient to reach your planet in time.” Choosing his next words as carefully as possible, he added, “With that in mind, those in positions of leadership at the time deemed other priorities to be in greater need of attention. Several events, some with long-lasting repercussions that were both positive and negative, transpired in the period soon after the probe’s discovery. I’m afraid to say that the matter was soon forgotten, at least until the second probe was found only a short time ago.”
“I think I understand what you mean, Captain,” Hjatyn replied. “To be honest, I am not even sure if anyone involved with the probes’ construction or their launch from Dokaal survived the catastrophe. Most people today have either forgotten about the probes or never learned about them. As you said, other concerns became more important after a time.”
It’s certainly understandable, Picard thought. From the reports Vale and Crusher had given, most of the miners rescued from the outpost possessed no knowledge of the probes. Perhaps the story had been relegated to myth, or simply forgotten in the face of struggling for mere survival.
“What is amazing,” Hjatyn said, “is that someone has found one of the devices only now, after all this time. Even more astonishing is that it was still in a condition which allowed you to hear the plea of our people.” Smiling, he added, “I think I am beginning to appreciate just how far you have come to find us, Captain.”
“It seems that your people already had an appreciation for the vastness of space before your world was destroyed,” Troi said. “After all, the probes were equipped with engines that allowed them to travel faster than light. Did you have a space exploration program in development prior to the disaster?”
Hjatyn replied, “Of a sort, yes, though it never progressed to the point of manned flights beyond the boundaries of our solar system. Several science and engineering specialists who escaped the catastrophe tried to re-create and even build upon the technology lost with our planet, but their attempts were unsuccessful. Oh, they were able to develop a prototype engine, two actually, and a plan was even put in motion to send two ships away from our system in search of other life. They were launched on separate trajectories and each succeeded in leaving our system.
“According to messages we received, tragically, the crews of both ships died during their flight from unknown causes. At the time, our scientists theorized that traveling faster than light was somehow harmful to living beings, and the technology was abandoned.” Indicating the Enterprise officers with open arms, the minister added, “Obviously, that was a mistaken conclusion, or perhaps it is only correct with respect to the Dokaalan. Either way, it is unfortunate for us.” The elderly leader smiled at that, and Picard found himself warmed by the expression of emotion. Yes, he decided, despite the earlier tragedy, a good thing had happened here today.
Leaning forward in his seat, Riker said, “I imagine you had your hands full as it was. According to some of the people we rescued, you’ve had to make do with what are essentially temporary facilities since your planet was destroyed. That you’ve managed to survive this long is remarkable.”
“Necessity has always proven to be a fine motivator, Commander Riker,” Hjatyn replied. “When Dokaal exploded, we were faced with sustaining not only the existing mining contingents but several thousand evacuees as well. We had to reallocate our limited resources to accommodate our increased numbers. Many of our original outposts still exist, though they have been pressed into service for far longer than their original designers ever intended. They are in constant need of repair, and many lives have been lost due to accidents or structural failure. Such incidents have become more common in recent years, which is why there has been a concerted effort to construct new facilities, such as the central habitat and control complex that now serves as the heart of our community.” Shrugging, the aged Dokaalan added, “Though our level of technology is primitive compared to yours, I think you will be most impressed by the ingenuity of my people.”
“Of that I have no doubt, First Minister,” Picard said. According to the analysis provided by Data and La Forge, Dokaalan technology in many respects was on par with that of Earth during the late twenty-first century. Had they continued with their research into faster-than-light travel, or perhaps been inspired by the presence of an extraterrestrial race as humans had once been, that comparison might have even been closer. “In my travels I have learned that there is always something to be learned. Also, once I notify the Federatio
n of your situation here, I’m sure there will be no trouble obtaining aid for your people.”
To the captain’s surprise, Hjatyn seemed for a fleeting moment to be troubled by the proposition. It was only a flicker in the elderly leader’s eyes, one which he covered quickly enough. “We have always been a self-sufficient people, Captain, even before our planet was destroyed. I am not sure the idea of long-term outside assistance will be palatable to them.”
Before Picard could further any debate, the minister held up a frail hand. “However, there will be time enough to discuss such a kind and intriguing offer.” The captain and his officers stood in deference to the leader as he rose from his own chair. “Forgive me, Captain, but at my age I grow fatigued easily. With your permission, I will return to my vessel. There are still many preparations required to give you and your crew a proper reception, after all.”
“As you wish, First Minister,” Picard said, putting on his best diplomatic smile to cover the momentary unease he had felt. “We can meet again at your convenience.”
“Excellent,” Hjatyn replied. “I am so looking forward to introducing you to the rest of my people, Captain. I hope that you will want to meet them and see all that they have accomplished, just as I hope to see more of this breathtaking vessel and meet your crew.”
“I’m sure we can see to that,” Picard replied.
The Dokaalan leader nodded in satisfaction. “Though we must certainly pause to remember those who have fallen, this will still be a wondrous occasion for celebration.”
After asking Commander Riker to escort the Dokaalan delegation back to their ship, Picard waited until the doors to the lounge had closed and he was alone with Troi before turning to her. “Counselor, would I be mistaken if I said I thought Hjatyn seemed a bit uncomfortable during the meeting? Did you sense any duplicity or deliberate withholding of information on his part?”
Troi nodded. “His mind is incredibly focused, Captain, but he was holding back something. He could simply be acting with caution, as I did sense his relief when you accepted his request to end the meeting. It’s possible he still views us as a threat, but that type of reaction is normal in first-contact situations. Such an event is often unsettling, after all, even when the exchange is welcomed by the contacted party. I’ve detected similar anxiety in some of the miners we rescued, though many more are enthusiastic at meeting us.”
Frowning, Picard considered the counselor’s words. He had participated in enough first-contact missions to be familiar with the type of trepidation she described, but that did not soothe the gut feeling he had experienced while observing Hjatyn during the meeting. Was there something more than simple fear there?
“These people haven’t had the benefit of a normal civilization for a long time,” he said, still trying to rationalize his own misgivings. “After being on their own for so many years and succeeding in marvelous fashion despite the odds against them, it seems natural to me that they would apprehensive with any change in their routine, be it good or bad.” Picard knew from practical experience that feelings such as the Dokaalan seemed to be displaying, justified or not, could injure relations with a new species to such an extent that years might be required to repair the damage.
I certainly did not travel this far for that to happen, he thought.
“Considering how long it took us to get here,” he said, “I am not in a terrible rush to leave just yet. With that in mind, we will simply have to work that much harder to alleviate their worries.”
As he rose from his chair and headed back to the bridge, however, Picard could not shake the feeling that there was something more going on here.
Getting paranoid in your old age, Captain?
The thought teased him. Could some sort of residual bitterness, brought about by the circumstances that had brought them here in the first place, be making him overly cautious and causing him to second-guess every action? Perhaps.
Then again, perhaps not.
Chapter Twenty
AS IT HAD for more than a day, the image on the bridge’s main viewer featured uncounted asteroids drifting past the screen’s edges. It also depicted the two Dokaalan ships that had accompanied Hjatyn’s vessel to the Enterprise, guiding the starship through the dense field.
Picard noticed that the screen’s resolution appeared to be sharper than it had been for most of the time since their arrival. Much of the static and grain that had become almost a fixture of the system’s visual imaging was gone. “Mr. La Forge, I take it that your attempts to improve our sensor readings have been successful?”
“To varying degrees, Captain,” the engineer replied from his console at the rear of the bridge. “We don’t have the range we’re used to, but up close I’ve managed to filter out most of the interference. We might still have some problems if we get too close to a large source of radiation, like one of the bigger asteroids, but we’d have to be a lot closer than I think either one of us would want to be.”
“According to my readings,” Vale said from the tactical station, “that might be just what we’re in for. I’m picking up a massive asteroid that appears to be along the course we’re navigating, and if this is right, I’m also detecting more than sixty thousand life signs there.”
“Sixty thousand?” Riker repeated. “That has to be one hell of a big rock.”
Vale replied, “Initial measurements show the asteroid as being fourteen point eight kilometers across at its widest point.”
“Considering the level of their technology,” the first officer said, “that’s a pretty bold achievement. It took nearly a century before that many people were living on our first lunar colony.”
“And these people didn’t have the Vulcans looking over their shoulders the whole time, either,” La Forge added. “Today we’ve got more than fifty million people living on the moon. Imagine where the Dokaalan might be after the same period of time.”
Though Picard knew the chief engineer made the comment in jest, it was true that much of humanity’s drive to succeed in the decades following first contact with the Vulcans was due in no small part to a desire to show their mysterious benefactors what human ambition and ingenuity could accomplish simply if given the chance. As a student of history born and living in the twenty-fourth century, he benefited from the hindsight of those who had recorded the events for posterity. He understood the Vulcans’ reasons for not interfering in Earth’s development and maturation into a peaceful society. Things were markedly different for the people living during those tumultuous years, however, trying to forge a better world from the ashes of the one their ancestors had nearly succeeded in destroying. Long after enthusiasm and determination had been exhausted, feelings of resentment and frustration toward the Vulcans often fueled the passion of those who laid the groundwork for the society enjoyed by Federation citizens today.
He imagined a similar attitude taking hold among the Dokaalan people. Although engendered more by a basic survival instincts rather than the influence of an outside party, the results would be the same. Facing bitter defeat, the Dokaalan had banded together and raised a collective fist in defiance of the universe itself, proclaiming that they would thrive regardless of the obstacles laid before them.
Picard was only beginning to smile at the rousing image the thought conjured when one equally awe-inspiring appeared on the main viewer.
“Would you look at that,” La Forge said from behind him.
Dominating the image was what at first appeared to be a gigantic asteroid, dwarfing every other mass of rock visible on the screen. Despite its rough surface, which was peppered with craggy peaks and dark chasms, Picard thought he recognized a sort of symmetry to the massive body. In addition to its natural terrain features, he also noted the network of artificial constructs crisscrossing the surface. Large buildings sprouted from the rock, linked by a maze of connecting tunnels that wove around, over, and sometimes through the rolling mountains that formed the asteroid’s topography.
“Wow
,” he heard La Forge say, and turned in response.
“What is it, Geordi?” Picard asked as he walked to the rear of the bridge, and the engineer waited that interval before continuing.
“You’re not going to believe this,” he said, indicating the upper right monitor at his station. “That isn’t a single asteroid, Captain, but a whole bunch of them that have been brought together.”
“What?” Riker said as he rose from his chair. “You mean they’ve actually pushed asteroids together to make one big rock?”
Turning in his seat at the ops station, Data said, “Theoretically, it is possible, Commander. Many hypotheses have been put forth examining the benefits of such a venture. In the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries on Earth, several such plans were conceived that would utilize the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, but it was ultimately deemed to be too dangerous and cost-prohibitive an undertaking, particularly when it was determined that the sum total of available material would equal less usable land mass than Earth’s moon. Outposts were constructed in the belt in much the same way that the Dokaalan have done here, but plans to create a planet from the asteroid belt eventually were discarded altogether.”
“Well, this is no theory,” La Forge said. One of the engineering station’s monitors depicted a computerized schematic of the asteroid, and the engineer pointed to a series of colored areas he had highlighted. “These are magnetic interlocks, embedded into different asteroids so that they’re concealed as the rocks come together. Though the technology is much more primitive, it’s not really that different than the system connecting the Enterprise’s saucer section with the secondary hull.”
Turning back to the main viewer, now close enough that the ship’s sensor readings were providing much more detail on the mammoth construct, Picard could plainly see the web of fissures spread out across the face of the rock. It would have been easy to dismiss them as nothing more than cracks, but now he could distinguish the lines of different asteroids, of all shapes and sizes, that had been brought together, the crevices between them looking like the outlines of individual pieces all working together to create a colossal three-dimensional puzzle.