The Romulan Prize Part 12

"Perhaps not," Picard said, "but whoever constructed this ark apparently succeeded in simulating day and night. You will observe that the light is slowly fading."

Valak looked up and frowned. "The light is fading," he agreed, "but I see no source for it."

"Nor do I," Picard said. "Perhaps it is being diffused throughout the interior of the ark with automated solar mirrors. Or there may be an artificial power source. However, night is most a.s.suredly about to fall inside this vessel."

"Then let us waste no time," said Valak. "Split up and look for the away team. Meet back here when it grows dark."

"We've been wandering these d.a.m.ned corridors for hours!" Kalad said, with exasperation. "There must be a way out somewhere!"

"We've been going around in circles," Ro said. "We pa.s.sed these sculptures before."

"And that's the garden atrium we went into earlier." Dr. Crusher pointed, then sighed. "I'm getting tired."

"It's getting dark," Troi said as she walked out into the garden atrium and looked up.

"Dark?" said Kalad. "But I thought the light in this vessel was artificial."

"Then someone is turning down the lights," Troi replied. "See for yourself."

The rest of them walked out into the garden atrium. It was indeed getting dark. Dr. Crusher sat down on one of the benches. "It looks as if we're going to have to spend the night here."

Kalad tried his communicator again. "Kalad to Syrinx. Kalad to Syrinx. Please acknowledge."

There was no response. "Aarrgh!" The Romulan snarled in frustration.

"They're bound to send someone down to look for us," Troi said somewhat uncertainly.

"Perhaps they already have," said Ro. "But how would they ever find us in here?"

"It is possible that we inadvertently tripped some type of security device when we first entered this complex," Data said, "thereby activating a mechanism that sealed the entrance."

"Either that or someone sealed us up in here on purpose," Dr. Crusher said.

"That was the second possibility I was about to mention," Data said.

"Do you really think there is a chance of that, Data?" Ro asked.

"There is always a chance," the android replied. "How remote that chance may be is a matter for conjecture. Without accurate tricorder readings, it is impossible to ascertain whether or not there are any life-forms aboard this vessel. However, the automated functions of this ark appear to be operating smoothly, and these gardens are being maintained. Those two facts do suggest the presence of sentient beings."

"Then why don't they show themselves?" demanded Kalad angrily.

"Without more specific information, that is impossible to determine at this time," Data replied.

"I am growing tired of your flat, unemotional responses," snapped Kalad. "We are trapped in here, and you prattle on as if nothing were the matter! Does nothing arouse any feelings in you?"

"No," said Data. "I am an android. I have no feelings. And I do not prattle. I was merely replying to your question to the very best of my ability."

"Bah!" The Romulan turned away from him angrily. "I am tired of seeking a way out of this place! I am going to blast my way out!"

"That may not be wise," said Data. "We know nothing of the composition of this structure, and the energy beam of your disruptor may cause-"

"Silence! I have had enough of this! If you are afraid, then you can all wait here. I shall come back for you after I have blasted open an exit. And if you value the lives of your comrades aboard the Syrinx, you had all best be here when I return!"

"Where would we go?" Dr. Crusher asked wryly.

"Humans!" Kalad said contemptuously. Unholstering his disruptor, he left the atrium and strode back out into the corridor.

They sat for a while in silence. "It's getting darker," Troi said, looking up through the shaft of the atrium. "It seems so strange to see buildings suspended overhead in the evening sky. But I suppose one would grow accustomed to it eventually."

"I hope we won't have to," Ro said. "You think we're ever going to get out of this?"

"We've been in tight situations before," said Dr. Crusher, "and the captain's always found a way to pull us out of them."

Ro took a deep breath and exhaled heavily. "I wish I had your confidence."

"They will send a team down to search for us," said Troi. "I am certain of it."

"And if they do not find us?" Ro said. "Remember that, to Valak, we're expendable."

"There's Kalad," Dr. Crusher reminded her.

"One warrior?" Ro said. "I doubt that the Romulans consider Kalad irreplaceable. If they did, Valak never would have sent him down here with us. We're the guinea pigs, remember?"

"The captain would never allow Valak to simply leave us down here," Dr. Crusher said.

"With the Romulans in control of the Enterprise, the captain may not have any choice," said Ro. She sat down on the bench beside Crusher. "It looks as if we're really in a tight spot this time."

"Well, unless Kalad can blast a way out of this maze, it appears that we will be spending the night in here," Troi said.

Data frowned. "It occurs to me that we should have heard Kalad firing his disruptor by now."

Dr. Crusher looked up. "That's right," she said. "He's certainly been gone long enough."

They all exchanged apprehensive glances.

"You don't suppose he would simply leave us here?" said Troi.

"He could not have blasted his way out without us hearing his disruptor firing," said Data.

"Unless he managed to find a way out," said Ro. "Perhaps the entryway where we came in has opened up again. We'd better go check, Data. I don't trust that Romulan."

"I'll go with you," Troi said. "Perhaps you had better come with us, Beverly."

Crusher smiled and got up. "All right, we'll all go. If he's managed to find a way out, I'm all for getting out of here. I'm utterly exhausted."

"With all the stress we've been under and all the walking we've done, I'm about worn out myself," said Ro. "How are you holding up, Deanna?"

"As well as could be expected, I suppose." Troi smiled. "I wish I had Data's stamina."

"Actually, Counselor, it is not really a matter of stamina," said Data. "Stamina relates to physical endurance, and as such-"

"I know, Data, I know," Troi said with a weary smile. "It was merely an idle comment."

They went back into the corridor and looked both ways, but there was no sign of Kalad. "Where could he have gone?" asked Dr. Crusher, with a frown.

"I don't know," said Ro. She tried calling him. "Kalad!" There was no response. Her shout echoed down the long corridors. "Kalad!" She waited a moment, and then tried once more. "Kalad! Can you hear me?"

Nothing.

"I don't like this," Troi said apprehensively.

"He couldn't have simply disappeared," said Dr. Crusher.

"Something's happened to him," Troi said.

"Perhaps we should spread out and look for him," said Data.

"Absolutely not," said Ro. "We should all stick together. Remember, we're not armed."

"That's not exactly a comforting thought." Dr. Crusher sounded worried.

"I think we should go back to the point where we came in and see if that doorway has opened up again," said Ro.

They walked back down the corridor toward the place where they had come in, but they found no opening to the outside.

"Are you sure this is the same spot?" asked Ro.

"I'm sure this is where we came in," said Troi. "I remember those sculptures."

Ro shook her head. "They all look pretty much alike to me."

"No, these are the same ones, I'm sure of it," said Dr. Crusher.

"Well, there's still no opening," said Ro, running her hand along the wall. It felt completely smooth. "It's as if there never even was one in the first place."

"We do, however, know there was an opening," said Data. "Therefore, that means it was sealed in such a manner as to present a perfectly smooth and seamless surface."

"Great," Ro said wryly. "So how does that help us?"

"At the moment, perhaps, it does not," replied Data. "However, it would seem to explain why we have seen no other doorways. There may be similar sealed pa.s.sageways all around us, only we cannot detect them."

"That doesn't make any sense," said Ro. "Why would anyone make doorways you can't even see? And how is it possible to construct a door that seals so tightly there's not even the faintest trace of a crack or a seam?"

"I did not say I knew how it was done," said Data, "I merely pointed out that it clearly has been done. One logical possibility, however, is molecular engineering."

"You mean nanotechnology?" said Dr. Crusher.

"Precisely. To date, Federation scientists have only scratched the surface of what could be accomplished with nanotechnology. Properly developed, the techniques of molecular engineering could produce sophisticated nanocircuitry capable of programming the functions of this structure on an atomic level."

"You mean the molecular structure of this wall could actually alter itself to create a doorway?" asked Troi.

"Theoretically, it is possible," the android replied. "In fact, given the knowledge and the technology, this entire structure could have been designed along such lines."

"So what are you saying?" asked Ro. "This building can a.s.sume any shape it wants?"

"It would be more precise to say that the molecular components of this structure may have been designed with a certain limited flexibility dictated by the desired function," the android replied.

"In other words," said Dr. Crusher, "a solid wall could rearrange itself on the molecular level to form an open archway or a door, but not a chair or a staircase, because that's how it was designed."

Data c.o.c.ked his head. "A rather curious and simplistic way of putting it, Doctor," he said, "but essentially correct."

"Great," said Ro. "So where's the doork.n.o.b?"

"Doork.n.o.b?" said Data. "Ah, you mean the mechanism that controls the function." He shook his head. "I fear I do not know."

"You're a lot of help," said Ro.

"I perceive by your tone that you are being sarcastic, Ensign," Data said. "I fail to see the reason for sarcasm, however. I am doing the very best I can, given the little information we possess."

"She didn't mean to snap at you, Data," Troi said. "It's just that we are all tired and frustrated."

"And on top of that, it's getting dark in here," Ro said.

"I would feel a lot safer if Kalad hadn't disappeared," said Dr. Crusher. "At least he had a disruptor."

"Well, whatever happened to him, the disruptor didn't seem to help him any," Ro said.

"We still do not know for a fact that anything has happened to him," Data pointed out. "He simply went off and had not returned."

"Deanna's had the feeling that we've been watched ever since we came in here," Ro replied. She shook her head. "No, something happened to Kalad all right. He never would have left us alone this long. If he lost us, he'd have to answer to Valak."

"What are we going to do?" asked Dr. Crusher.

"Well, we can't stay awake all night," said Ro. "We don't even know how long the night is in here. We'll have to find somewhere to bed down as best we can. We'll take turns standing watch."

"That will not be necessary," Data said. "Since I require no sleep, I am perfectly capable of standing watch all night long."

Ro glanced at him and sighed. "Of course. Sometimes I forget you're not really human, Data."

"Thank you," Data replied.

Ro smiled wanly. "You're welcome."

"That garden atrium would make as good a place to sleep as any," Dr. Crusher said. "We could stretch out on the benches there. Right about now, that seems almost as good as a warm bed."

"I am not sure I would go that far," said Troi, "but I suppose it will have to do under the circ.u.mstances."

"Let's just hope the circ.u.mstances are temporary," Dr. Crusher said as they headed back toward the garden. "I don't much care for the thought of being trapped in here much longer."