Star Trek The Next Generation

10

Upon entering the bridge I felt my heart stop. Standing beside Data and Geordi was my father, who was looking over the controls and talking to them. . I couldn't hear their conversation, and I didn't want to. I quickly walked to my station and got to work.

"Ambassador it is an honor to have you aboard." Picard said as he sent him a smile.

"Your ship is quiet fascinating. It is very different from the one I once traveled on." He said as he looked around.

"And faster." Geordi said with a smirk.

"Yes, and faster." He said calmly.

"Ambassador is it true that Vulcan's suppress all emotions?" Tasha asked softly.

"Yes, we believe that it is illogical to show any form of emotion."

"That has to be horrible, to not feel anything."

"It is actually quiet pleasant." He said calmly.

"Well I guess Maria missed a class on Vulcan." Geordi said with a chuckle.

"I could never see Maria missing a class. It is against her character." Data said with a frown.

"Sadly I did miss a class, how to hide emotions 101... miss it once and you get kicked off the planet." I said with a smile.

"Really? Is that why you no longer miss classes?" Data asked shocked.

"She was joking." Picard said with a chuckle.

Riker and the others let out a laugh as Data looked at me confused.

"You do know what a joke is don't you?" I asked playfully.

"Yes, I do... but I do not see how yours is funny." He said as he turned to look at his screen.

He then turned to look at me again and sent me a frown.

"I thought your parents where coming to the wedding, how have we not met them yet?" Data asked with a frown.

"I was wondering the same thing." Tasha said softly.

"I've met her mother, lovely woman." Worf said calmly.

"What about your father?" Data asked calmly.

My father sent me a look and I heard Picard hold back a laugh as he kept his mouth closed.

"Ambassador Spock is my father." I said calmly.

They looked at me shocked and I let out a sigh.

"You never told us you where an ambassador's daughter." Tasha said shocked.

"No one asked." I asked calmly.

"I think I asked before." Tasha said playfully.

I sent her a look and she held back a laugh.

"On the viewer, Captain. Unidentified vessel travelling sub-warp speed, bearing two three five point seven." Data said changing the subject.

"Sub-warp? It's several hours away then? Let's take a look at it. Enlarge to maximum." Picard said as he set down.

"Increasing magnification, sir." Geordi said calmly.

A ship appeared on screen and I frowned as I looked it over. I soon realized what ship it was and I let out a groan.

"Commander Maria, is that the trouble I believe it is?" Picard asked with a frown.

"If you mean a Tarellian vessel, yes it is." I said softly.

"I thought the Tarellians were all dead, What are the poor devils doing here?" Riker asked with a frown.

"Picard to Sickbay. Doctor Crusher to Bridge, urgent. They must not be permitted them to destroy us. Or the planet." Picard said sternly.

"The fact that it's travelling at its present velocity suggests a possible answer." Riker said calmly.

"A damaged vessel, sir. That could explain it."

"If it were unable to reach warp speed, it would have taken all these years to get here." Riker said softly.

"Go on with your briefing, Maria." Picard said looking at me.

"Tarella was class M, much like your Earth, with similar humanoid life forms. Unfortunately they faced the old story of hatred out powering intelligence." I explained softly.

"There were hostilities?" Picard asked calmly.

"Between the inhabitants of their two land masses, resulting in one group unleashing a deadly biological weapon on the other." Data explained.

"And in the end the other became infected as well. Makes one question the sanity of humanoid forms." Crusher said softly.

"Can you identify the origin of the infection, Doctor?"

"The Tarellians had reached Earth's late twentieth century level of knowledge. That's all you need if you're a damned fool. A deadly, infectious virus which at that modest level of knowledge is not difficult to grow." She said softly.

"We learned the rest of the story in security training. Some Tarellians made it to other worlds only to die along with the populations they infected." Tasha said softly.

"It's pretty well covered in Academy training now, Captain. Many of them tried to avoid other civilised worlds as they escaped only to be hunted down and destroyed anyway." Geordi said softly.

"And it was believed that the last Tarellian vessel was destroyed eight years ago by the Alcyones." Picard said as he looked at the screen.

"Yes, Captain." I said softly.

"Exactly when will they reach Haven?"

"Exactly thirteen hours, nine minutes, twenty two seconds, three hundred fifty-"

"Thank you. Which creates a very difficult problem for the Enterprise. Our treaty requires us to protect Haven, and Federation policy requires that we assist life forms in need, which must include the Tarellians. I'll want you to help me find some answers. Thank you. However, there will be ample time for your second assignment, voluntary of course. The pre-joining announcement of Counsellor Deanna Troi and Wyatt Miller." Picard said cutting Geordi off.

I saw Riker leave and I let out a sigh as I left to follow him.

"How are you holding up?" I asked as I leaned against the turbo-lift wall.

"I hate this." He said as he hit the wall.

"So does she. William, you have to understand, she has no say in this. No one in my family has ever had a say in who to marry... besides my aunt, that slut."

"What about you?"

"I'll be lucky if my parents don't have me a betrothal." I said with a chuckle.

"But they disowned you."

"My mother seems to think I disowned her." I said as I crossed my arms over my chest.

"I'm sorry." He said softly.

"Don't be." I said as I stopped the lift and got off.