“Great joy and gratitude,” Troi said quietly. “From both of them.”
Q sniffed disdainfully as the gracefully moving aliens pushed further away from the planet, heading for the depths of space. “So dull, once you know the answers.”
Picard whirled on him angrily. “Do you use other life forms for recreation?”
“If so, you’ve not provided the best.”
“Leave us! We’ve passed your little test. We’ve danced to your tune, and we no longer enjoy the melody.”
Q smiled appeasingly, holding out his hands in a gentling gesture. “Temper, temper, mon capitaine . . .”
It hadn’t worked very well before. It didn’t work now. “Get off my ship!” Pickard’s roared.
At least Q had a sense of timing. He bowed toward Picard mockingly and chuckled. “I do so only because it suits me to leave. But I will not promise never to appear again.” The blistering white flash of light carried him away, leaving the bridge complement alone with Zorn.
“Now, about Farpoint Station,” Picard began.
The Bandi administrator seemed lost and forlorn, his face haggard with despair. He gestured toward the main viewscreen, which Data had brought to focus on what had been Farpoint Station. The Bandi city remained, damaged by the creature’s attack. Beside it, the yellow desert winds of the planet stirred dust in the empty space where the station had once been. “There is no Farpoint Station, Captain. You will have to report to Starfleet that the Bandi have nothing to offer them.”
Picard studied the screen for a moment, then he turned to Zorn thoughtfully. “You still have an ideal location for a station.”
“Location, yes. Nothing more. We had hoped Farpoint would be our link to the outside worlds . . . a way for our people to flourish again. I see now. We chose . . . an incorrect way to accomplish it. To our detriment.”
“Starfleet is still interested in Farpoint. With work and cooperation from you and with Federation assistance, this could still be a valuable staging planet for us. Are the Bandi willing to try?”
Zorn looked up, hope starting to erase the worry lines on his face. Truly, all they’d ever wanted was the opportunity to live on, to extend their racial heritage, and to grow by touching other cultures. “I think,” he said slowly, “we would be very willing.”
“Good,” Picard said, smiling. “In that case, we have a great deal to discuss.”
“I will be honored,” Zorn said. He bowed humbly toward Picard, but the captain waved it away and gestured the administrator toward his command chair to confer with him.
Riker noticed Data running a program at Science Station I and moved up the ramp toward him. Data glanced around as the first officer joined him. “I was just taking a final reading on the creatures. I find it interesting that their conversion of energy into matter is so total that our instruments were unable to detect them as life forms when they were in that state.”
“Very interesting, Commander—”
“Just Data, sir.”
Riker smiled and went on. “Data. I wanted you to know I found your performance of duty absolutely faultless.”
“My programming is of exceptionally high quality, sir,” the android replied serenely.
“Yes. What I really mean is—I didn’t find it as difficult as I thought to work with you.”
“I could say the same, sir.”
Riker persisted. “I’m trying to apologize if I said anything that offended you before.”
Picard’s mellow voice broke in quietly. “Well, Number One . . .”
“He must approve of you, sir,” Data said softly. “Or he would not call you Number One.”
Riker looked at Data and found the steady yellow eyes were oddly sincere. I wonder how he manages that? Riker thought. But the captain had summoned him, and he moved quickly down into the command well. “Yes, sir.”
Picard had risen from his command chair to escort Zorn into his ready room. “It certainly has been an unusual welcome aboard. But there’s still a lot to do before we can leave orbit.” He noticed the bemused expression on Riker’s face as the tall man slid into the first officer’s chair. “Some problem, Commander?”
“Just hoping this isn’t the usual way our missions will go, sir.”
Picard screwed up his face in mock consideration and finally shook his head. “Oh, no, Number One. I’m sure most of them will be much more interesting.”
Look for STAR TREK fiction from Pocket Books
Star Trek®: The Original Series
Enterprise: The First Adventure · Vonda N. McIntyre
Final Frontier · Diane Carey
Strangers From the Sky · Margaret Wander Bonanno
Spock's World · Diane Duane
The Lost Years · J.M. Dillard
Probe · Margaret Wander Bonanno
Prime Directive · Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens
Best Destiny · Diane Carey
Shadows on the Sun · Michael Jan Friedman
Sarek · A.C. Crispin
Federation · Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens
Vulcan's Forge · Josepha Sherman & Susan Shwartz
Mission to Horatius · Mack Reynolds
Vulcan's Heart · Josepha Sherman & Susan Shwartz
Novelizations
Star Trek: The Motion Picture · Gene Roddenberry
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan · Vonda N. McIntyre
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock · Vonda N. McIntyre
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home · Vonda N. McIntyre
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier · J.M. Dillard
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country · J.M. Dillard
Star Trek Generations · J.M. Dillard
Starfleet Academy · Diane Carey
Star Trek books by William Shatner with Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens
The Ashes of Eden
The Return
Avenger
Star Trek: Odyssey (contains The Ashes of Eden, The Return, and Avenger)
Spectre
Dark Victory
Preserver
#1 · Star Trek: The Motion Picture · Gene Roddenberry
#2 · The Entropy Effect · Vonda N. McIntyre
#3 · The Klingon Gambit · Robert E. Vardeman
#4 · The Covenant of the Crown · Howard Weinstein
#5 · The Prometheus Design · Sondra Marshak & Myrna Culbreath
#6 · The Abode of Life · Lee Correy
#7 · Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan · Vonda N. McIntyre
#8 · Black Fire · Sonni Cooper
#9 · Triangle · Sondra Marshak & Myrna Culbreath
#10 · Web of the Romulans · M.S. Murdock
#11 · Yesterday's Son · A.C. Crispin
#12 · Mutiny on the Enterprise · Robert E. Vardeman
#13 · The Wounded Sky · Diane Duane
#14 · The Trellisane Confrontation · David Dvorkin
#15 · Corona · Greg Bear
#16 · The Final Reflection · John M. Ford
#17 · Star Trek III: The Search For Spock · Vonda N. McIntyre
#18 · My Enemy, My Ally · Diane Duane
#19 · The Tears of the Singers · Melinda Snodgrass
#20 · The Vulcan Academy Murders · Jean Lorrah
#21 · Uhura's Song · Janet Kagan
#22 · Shadow Lord · Laurence Yep
#23 · Ishmael · Barbara Hambly
#24 · Killing Time · Della Van Hise
#25 · Dwellers in the Crucible · Margaret Wander Bonanno
#26 · Pawns and Symbols · Majliss Larson
#27 · Mindshadow · J.M. Dillard
#28 · Crisis on Centaurus · Brad Ferguson
#29 · Dreadnought! · Diane Carey
#30 · Demons · J.M. Dillard
#31 · Battlestations! · Diane Carey
#32 · Chain of Attack · Gene DeWeese
#33 · Deep Domain · Howard Weinstein
#34 · Dreams of the Raven · Carmen Carter
#35 · The Romulan Way · Diane Duane & Peter Morwood
#36 · How Much For Just the Planet? · John M. Ford
#37 · Bloodthirst · J.M. Dillard
#38 · The IDIC Epidemic · Jean Lorrah
#39 · Time For Yesterday · A.C. Crispin
#40 · Timetrap · David Dvorkin
#41 · The Three-Minute Universe · Barbara Paul
#42 · Memory Prime · Gar and Judith Reeves-Stevens
#43 · The Final Nexus · Gene DeWeese
#44 · Vulcan's Glory · D.C. Fontana
#45 · Double, Double · Michael Jan Friedman
#46 · The Cry of the Onlies · Judy Klass
#47 · The Kobayashi Maru · Julia Ecklar
#48 · Rules of Engagement · Peter Morwood
#49 · The Pandora Principle · Carolyn Clowes
#50 · Doctor's Orders · Diane Duane
#51 · Enemy Unseen · V.E. Mitchell
#52 · Home is the Hunter · Dana Kramer Rolls
#53 · Ghost-Walker · Barbara Hambly
#54 · A Flag Full of Stars · Brad Ferguson
#55 · Renegade · Gene DeWeese
#56 · Legacy · Michael Jan Friedman
#57 · The Rift · Peter David
#58 · Faces of Fire · Michael Jan Friedman
#59 · The Disinherited · Peter David
#60 · Ice Trap · L.A. Graf
#61 · Sanctuary · John Vornholt
#62 · Death Count · L.A. Graf
#63 · Shell Game · Melissa Crandall
#64 · The Starship Trap · Mel Gilden
#65 · Windows on a Lost World · V.E. Mitchell
#66 · From the Depths · Victor Milan
#67 · The Great Starship Race · Diane Carey
#68 · Firestorm · L.A. Graf
#69 · The Patrian Transgression · Simon Hawke
#70 · Traitor Winds · L.A. Graf
#71 · Crossroad · Barbara Hambly
#72 · The Better Man · Howard Weinstein
#73 · Recovery · J.M. Dillard
#74 · The Fearful Summons · Denny Martin Flynn
#75 · First Frontier · Diane Carey & Dr. James I. Kirkland
#76 · The Captain's Daughter · Peter David
#77 · Twilight's End · Jerry Oltion
#78 · The Rings of Tautee · Dean Wesley Smith & Kristine Kathryn Rusch
#79 · Invasion! #1: First Strike · Diane Carey
#80 · The Joy Machine · James Gunn
#81 · Mudd in Your Eye · Jerry Oltion
#82 · Mind Meld · John Vornholt
#83 · Heart of the Sun · Pamela Sargent & George Zebrowski
#84 · Assignment: Eternity · Greg Cox
#85-87 · My Brother's Keeper · Michael Jan Friedman
#85 · Republic
#86 · Constitution
#87 · Enterprise
#88 · Across the Universe · Pamela Sargent & George Zebrowski
#89-94 · New Earth
#89 · Wagon Train to the Stars · Diane Carey
#90 · Belle Terre · Dean Wesley Smith with Diane Carey
#91 · Rough Trails · L.A. Graf
#92 · The Flaming Arrow · Kathy and Jerry Oltion
#93 · Thin Air · Kristine Kathryn Rusch & Dean Wesley Smith
#94 · Challenger · Diane Carey
Star Trek: The Next Generation®
Metamorphosis · Jean Lorrah
Vendetta · Peter David
Reunion · Michael Jan Friedman
Imzadi · Peter David
The Devil's Heart · Carmen Carter
Dark Mirror · Diane Duane
Q-Squared · Peter David
Crossover · Michael Jan Friedman
Kahless · Michael Jan Friedman
Ship of the Line · Diane Carey
The Best and the Brightest · Susan Wright
Planet X · Michael Jan Friedman
Imzadi II: Triangle · Peter David
I, Q · John de Lancie & Peter David
The Valiant · Michael Jan Friedman
Novelizations
Encounter at Farpoint · David Gerrold
Unification · Jeri Taylor
Relics · Michael Jan Friedman
Descent · Diane Carey
All Good Things... · Michael Jan Friedman
Star Trek: Klingon · Dean Wesley Smith & Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Star Trek Generations · J.M. Dillard
Star Trek: First Contact · J.M. Dillard
Star Trek: Insurrection · J.M. Dillard
#1 · Ghost Ship · Diane Carey
#2 · The Peacekeepers · Gene DeWeese
#3 · The Children of Hamlin · Carmen Carter
#4 · Survivors · Jean Lorrah
#5 · Strike Zone · Peter David
#6 · Power Hungry · Howard Weinstein
#7 · Masks · John Vornholt
#8 · The Captain's Honor · David and Daniel Dvorkin
Encounter at Farpoint Page 18
