Encounter at Farpoint (21 page)

“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.”

Novelizations

Star Trek books by William Shatner with Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens