Hey there. Piccolo Sky with another new fanfic out of the blue. For those of you who read "The Creeps", this is the same deal. A friend of mind gave a fanfic request for a Christmas present, and this is what I put out. The guideline was it had to be a fic featuring Data and Q.

Hope you enjoy it!

"Pop Quiz"

"While returning, our coverage area will pass by the Apis cluster. The second planet on the eighth star of this cluster has been noted to support intelligent life on a Class M world comparable to the intellect of most planets within the Federation. However, the civilization on that world is still in the course of development; currently in a state similar to the first half of 20th Century Earth. Long range sensor sweeps indicate that they are only now beginning to make inroads into discovery of atomic power. Therefore, the Prime Directive mandate states that we are to avoid making contact. As they no doubt have sophisticated-enough telescopes and telemetry equipment to potentially detect the Enterprise, we will be giving Theta Apis II a rather wide berth and confining our sweeps to the mid-range sensors to avoid the possibility of any signal transduction upsetting anything on that world."

"Captain, we have arrived within sensor range of Theta Apis II."

Data was normally accustomed to Captain Picard immediately proceeding with the order to begin with sensor sweep in these situations. However, this time, there was a short pause associated with it. The android blinked once, and began to turn his head slightly toward the captain's chair, yet before he could say anything else, the captain answered.

"…Begin sweep, Mr. Data."

At once, he returned to his console and went to work. However, the android made a note of the hesitation. He had noticed this sort of reaction with many of the other members of the crew. Many of them had seemed to be rather distracted at points or lack a great deal of their normal rigor or enthusiasm. Based on Data's experiences, he theorized this was a direct result of the recent news that Starfleet had transmitted to them regarding the report coming from Deep Space Nine and confirmation of the hostile race known as the Dominion.

Truth be told, their existence alone had caused many of Data's internal "alert levels" in regards to various races and events to escalate. (Not the least of which was the report that the Dominion preferred to destroy one of their own vessels destroying a retreating Galaxy-Class starship, a model identical to that of the Enterprise-D, than simply let the ship withdraw.) He was not sure if this was the same as "anxiety" or "discomfort", however. His own ability to perform his duties was not impacted, but he supposed that might have been because he was an android. He was better able to commit resources of his positronic net in such a way to insure nothing was negatively impacted. However, he knew from experience that these sort of reactions in others often led to reduced performance and errors in judgment, all based upon thoughts regarding likely scenarios in the future or even remote ones.

It caused the android a small amount of fascination. How a person could alter their mental state so dramatically over a possibility that had not yet come to light. Granted, he was aware that making judgments based on a good prediction of the future was key to being able to operate in a variety of fields, not the least of which was being a Starfleet Officer, but this seemed to be a "tradeoff" to that ability. The tendency to only see the negative potential outcomes…what was traditionally known as "pessimism". Too much devotion to that could ruin whatever ability one had for making judgments…

Data was interrupted out of his thoughts as sensor information began to stream in. To him, he had plenty of time to ponder these things before actually seeing the data results. To everyone else, pretty much the instant he pressed the commit control, information started to flow in. But the android found he had an entire 0.11 seconds to think about these matters before needing to return to his duty.

He also had time to stream a number of results for a moment before Commander Riker from his own chair called out to him.

"Anything of note, Mr. Data?"

"None since the last reported sweep, sir." The android responded. "I am detecting slightly elevated levels of radioactive particulate matter on Theta Apis II indicating further radioactive material enrichment has occurred, but nothing to indicate that said levels are high enough for generation of fuel for mass production or implementation of fission reactors or atomic weaponry. It is likely it was enriched only for research and prototype purposes. Further information cannot be detected from this range, so I cannot rule out the possibility of rocketry."

Suddenly, the android's brow furrowed.

"…Wait a moment, sir."

From nearby the captain's chair, Riker straightened a bit. "Satellites, Mr. Data?"

"Negative, sir. This is not originating from the actual planet. This is in regards to a different astral phenomenon within the system, namely the presence of a comet of considerable size. Roughly 16 sextillion kilograms, or, for reference, a little less than one fourth the size of Earth's moon."

"What about it, Mr. Data?"

"Based on its current trajectory and speed, and accounting for the influence of other gravitational bodies within the system, current estimates is that this comet will strike Theta Apis II within 168 hours."

There was a moment of silence as Riker and Picard looked to each other after hearing that, carrying out a "silent exchange", before the captain glanced back at Data.

"Can you estimate the impact it will have on that world, Mr. Data?"

The android manipulated a few controls while his own systems ran some calculations.

"From this range, it is difficult to assign a concrete value to the exact extent of potential damage. Within two days we will be within mid-sensor range for a more thorough analysis. Yet using existing data and findings from earlier sweeps of the system, the impact, while at an angle, will likely dislodge a significant portion of the planet's mass as well as shift its orbit considerably closer to Theta Apis. Whatever life on that world manages to survive the sudden gravitational and orbital changes will likely die within the next 45 minutes following impact as a result. At this point, it is likely the only life that will survive will be of the microscopic and protobacteria level."

"In short," Riker threw in with a grim look. "This is a 'planet killer', like the one that struck Earth to kill the dinosaurs."

"That would be an asteroid, commander, and had a much smaller impact that this comet will." Data explained. "This is more analogous to the astral phenomenon that struck Earth while it was still forming and led to the formation of Earth's own abnormally large moon from the dislodged fragments."

"Thank you for refreshing me on my astronomy, Mr. Data." Riker answered somewhat sardonically. "Do we have any information regarding the current makeup of that world?"

"The last sensor sweep indicated ecosystems comparable to early 20th century Earth. The native population of humanoids comprises 1.2 billion."

A moment of silence went over the bridge. A number of the crew members looked to Picard. Surprisingly enough, Data found himself turning and looking as well. As for the captain, he stared out for a moment, clearly thinking. Afterward he exhaled and began to rise from his chair.

"Number One, you have the comm. I will be making contact with Starfleet about precedence on contact with non-aligned worlds. I will hold a meeting as soon as I've discussed the matter."

Soon after, the captain turned and made for the turbolift. Riker hesitated a moment, but then rose and made for the captain's chair. He looked down to the android soon after. "Continue your sensor sweep of the sector, Mr. Data."

"…Aye sir."

As the android turned and went back to his task at hand, he made a note in his personal log about something else intriguing…

It seemed he too had "paused" before giving an immediate response that time.

It was about four hours before Captain Picard called the meeting. That was a bit abnormal. They weren't so far out into space that a transmission couldn't quickly be made with Starfleet. Data realized that he must have discussed the matter at length and not merely made a checkup on standard protocol for this sort of situation. In truth, it had been dwelling on Data's "mind" a bit himself.

At any rate, everyone was now assembled, and so the captain began.

"As most of you know by now, the main reason I called this meeting was due to Lt. Commander Data's discovery of a comet inbound for the world of Theta Apis II that will likely destroy all life, both sentient and otherwise, on that world on impact. All of this will transpire within a little more than 150 Earth hours."

"I've run some simulations based on the results of the sensor sweeps that Data provided to me." Commander LaForge spoke up from his chair. "We'll have to move in quickly at this distance, and it might be a bit of a stretch, but I think we can use the ship's own tractor beam to 'inch' the comet's path just enough to where it bypasses the world. Granted, this is something quite a bit 'bigger' than what I'm used to, but I think we can make use of the comet's own-"

Picard held up a hand to stop him. "Thank you, Mr. LaForge." He cut off, and then gave a tired exhale. "But that won't be necessary."

A number of puzzled looks resulted from that, as the captain folded his hands, suppressing a grimace, and then explained.

"I've made direct contact with Admiral Abdoh to review individual cases where the Prime Directive's terms have been tested. I've gone over the various times it was called into question over the years and tried to argue the point, but his conclusion is that the only circumstances in which a Starfleet vessel would be able to intervene in a manner of this magnitude at this stage would be if the civilization had reached a certain point in which it could independently make contact with races on other worlds or had otherwise reached the conclusion that there was life and technology greater than its own. None of these criteria have currently been met." He paused momentarily to exhale. "Therefore the situation is being classified as 'natural phenomena'."

Riker looked up a bit at that. "1.2 billion people being killed by a comet is 'natural'?"

"This would be happening regardless of our intervention or lack thereof, or that of any other starship or race." Picard answered.

"Captain," Data began to respond. "We have quite a length of time ahead of us to analyze the situation in advance, recalibrate the tractor beam, and use it to divert the course of the comet utilizing its own properties, as Mr. LaForge was explaining. The entire process could ideally be streamlined to no more than a 20 minute operation."

"I'm afraid that's only 'half' of the equation, Mr. Data." The captain responded. "At this point we have no idea what sort of technology the people of Theta Apis II have to begin their own exploration of their surrounding space, but it's reasonable to assume that they have telescopes and some form of equipment for detecting energy and waves of cosmic order. It might be primitive but my understanding is in the length of time it takes to get within range of the comet to enact any sort of plan to shift its path or destroy it, the Enterprise will be in range of that technology. There is no way we can conceal the Enterprise from view or hide our influence. There have been historical cases in the past where seemingly 'advanced enough' civilizations to recognize the presence of extraterrestrials native to their own world simply 'flying by' was not enough to influence world affairs only for 'cults' to form devoted to worship of alien deities. In some cases the result ended up being religious warfare of a national or even global scale for those civilizations, not to mention impacting the course of their development once they gained the ability to tour the stars as well."

"I don't mean to 'quibble', captain…but does Starfleet understand that any questions of the morality of the impact of our presence on this civilization are moot if we do not intervene at all?" Riker protested.

"…I mentioned as much, with a bit more tact, Number One, to the admiral. He said the rules stay as they are. In all likelihood, if it wasn't for Mr. Data's sensor sweep and us being recalled to the Federation at this point in time, this event would never have been seen until it was too late. While there are a host of 'exceptions' to the Prime Directive that would allow us to intervene at this time, at this distance we cannot be sure if we meet any of them. And we won't know until we grow closer. While he is willing to reevaluate the situation as more information becomes available about the level of civilization of Theta Apis II, orders from Starfleet are to continue as planned back to Sector 151. And for the moment, I will not deviate from those orders given the situation that took place involving the U.S.S. Odyssey."

There was a moment of silence around the room. No one seemed too eager about this entire matter. Data could pick up on it. Clearly the emotions of "unease" and perhaps "irritation" mixed in with it. The android himself was well versed with Starfleet's Prime Directive. He knew what some of those 'exceptions' were. If the Enterprise could disguise itself as an astral phenomenon or in some other way deduce what sort of technology Theta Apis II possessed to detect starships and then hide from it would be one course. Another would be if the people of that world demonstrated the ability to make contact with the Enterprise without outside interference. However, as Picard had mentioned, the bulk of these methods required more information, and the only way to obtain it was to bring the ship closer. For many items, there would also have to be an Away Team. Neither option seemed likely to be acted upon, and it would take days before they would be in range. By then, it would be harder to make a move on the comet without alerting Theta Apis II to their presence. Data believed the proper expression for such a thing was "a Catch-22"…or, to use a more vulgar term, "damned if you do; damned if you don't".

At length, Picard exhaled. "Everyone is dismissed. We will proceed on the current course."

LaForge sighed once before rising. Worf showed little as he too arose, although one could see him frown a bit more than usual as he did so. Riker held the longest, actually looking at Picard for a few moments, before he too rose and began to walk out. The captain himself held a bit, watching them go, expressing little else, but then put his hands on the chair and started to rise…only to pause.

Data was still seated.

"…Mr. Data, is there something else you wished to discuss?"

"Sir, I've done additional analysis in regards to the sensor sweep results I forwarded to Mr. LaForge." The android proceeded. "In addition to the properties of the comet that might be pertinent to the tractor beam, I also noted that if the course of the comet was altered just slightly at the correct trajectory, by an impact and not necessarily towing, it would likely be able to be bounced off of Theta Apis II's atmosphere."

Picard paused momentarily, and then nodded. "…That's well and good, Data, but if we would still need to cause the impact it still falls victim to the same shortcoming as using the tractor beam. We would still have to get in range to push a suitable object using the tractor beam into it."

"Not necessarily, sir. A photon detonation might accomplish the same ends. It would have to be at the right spot at the right time, and we would have to know whether or not the orbit of the comet was decaying or if it was spinning, but it would be possible."

Again, the captain paused. "A photon detonation would leave quite a sizeable trace behind of our presence. Including trace particles that I'm certain the people of Theta Apis II are centuries from being able to produce as they have yet to produce a true particle accelerator."

"That may be true, sir, but it could be mistaken for any form of radioactive particle that had been thrown through space rather than a man-made weapon."

"…Even if we did that, Data, we would have to be in range to fire on the comet, which could very well put us within range of whatever detection equipment the planet possesses."

"I believe if Mr. LaForge and I started now," The android responded. "It would be possible to refit an existing torpedo using the materials on hand for a long-range impact. It would not be too dissimilar from adapting devices for use as a probe."

Picard stared at him momentarily, saying nothing.

"…Mr. Data, you seem to have taken a special interest in this planet." He stated after a few moments. "I don't think I've heard of you being this concerned in a planet not a part of our current mission in some time."

The android himself paused on hearing that. He looked down for a moment, as if assessing himself, and then back up to the captain.

"I will not deny that I find myself devoting more of my internal resources and 'thought' to this as of late, captain. If you were to ask me what to attribute this too, I could not tell you at this time. Only perhaps that it is the result of crossing a threshold in my attempts to become more human. I see myself as an individual, even though I am an artificial life form. I am well aware that there are many within Starfleet who view me as 'less' than a sentient being. My rights as such have been called into question on more than one occasion. I see individuals such as those on Theta Apis II, who we possess the ability to assist, and yet we are being told to stay clear at least partially on the grounds that their civilization is not yet sufficiently advanced to merit contact. In a way, sir, that seems to me such as the excuse that humanity once used to justify the genocide of various non-human species on Earth. Since I myself am considered a 'non-human species', I see something of a connection in this situation."

Picard took all of this in and thought over it. When Data finished, he lowered his own gaze and gave a nod.

"I believe I see your point, Data. And you are right. 'Empathy' is considered one of humanity's greatest traits."

This seemed to confuse the android. "…Sir, with the exception of Counselor Troi, who is half Betazed, I was not aware of any other human on board the Enterprise with access to empathic powers."

"Perhaps I should have been more specific." The captain answered. "Yes, Counselor Troi's ability is termed 'empathy' as she is considered an 'empath'. But it is considered a valuable skill to any human, or sentient life form for that matter, to be able to understand the feelings of others and respond accordingly. It is the beginning of how one is able to sympathize with individuals. It takes a variety of forms. Not simply the counselor's ability. If you simply see someone behaving differently than normal and are able to deduce from that behavior that they are feeling sad, and you respond by offering them a kind word or gesture to cheer them up, then you are being 'empathic'. Some would say this ability actually separates sentient life from nonsentient life. The ability to understand the emotions of another individual and respond in a way accordingly is considered a hallmark of civilization."

Data thought about this for a moment, and then looked up.

"Sir, would the fact that you heard me discussing various methods of deflecting the comet and asked me why I had taken a special interest in it an example of this?"

A slight smile appeared on the captain's face. "It would indeed, Data. In regards to what you have been telling me, the best chance we will have to be able to intervene in the affairs of Theta Apis II now doing minimal damage will depend in great part on whatever method we can devise to intervene without being detected. Therefore, I need you to devote most of your energy into finding out if the civilization of that planet has any method of detecting the Enterprise and, if so, how we might get around it. If we can do that, that will 'open up options' to how we might step in."

"Understood, sir." The android answered, and almost immediately arose from his chair to return to his station and begin doing just that.

Sadly, bad news was all that Data was able to yield from his redoubled efforts.

As soon as he got close enough to better analyze the contents of the comet, he discovered the gas that it was emitting was currently being heavily ionized by a wave of solar "wind" from Theta Apis. The end result emitted a cloud of highly charged electrons from the comet that would effectively act to nullify any photon detonation from a sufficient range. One of the newer individium torpedoes might work…but the Enterprise was currently not armed with any and wouldn't be until after rendezvousing with Starbase 151. It would be far too late by then.

Other findings weren't any more promising. It appeared the planet was just now capable of launching small rockets. They had yet to launch their first satellite…or, if they had, it must have failed before this point. So there was little chance of them having one in the air, let alone one that could have detected the Enterprise of its own accord. Aside from that, the combination of the comet's tail plus the solar wind also would make it particularly hard to use "speed" to their advantage on a quick run to jump in, do something to deflect the comet, and then pull out again. Especially if Commander LaForge ended up able to implement the design that Data had proposed. The tractor beam would not be able to move an object of that size no matter how modified to make use of the comet's own properties in such a short period. All estimates were currently at a two hour operation. All in all, this was far from promising.

Data continued to work for 25 hours straight whenever he wasn't conducting his other sensor sweeps. Considering how fast the android could switch tasks, it wasn't hard. He had plenty of time to devote to trying to resolve the current issue, but meeting with no luck. Surprisingly to him, his thoughts frequently turned to what Captain Picard had mentioned. He wasn't exactly sure if his reasoning was completely why he was devoting so much time to this world…but he strongly suspected it had something to do with it. As an individual, as well as an officer of Starfleet, Data had long since decided that he would rather promote and sustain life within his position rather than take it. And he had encountered a number of species over the past seven years that had seemed to have fewer rights than most and been the victim of "a more advanced species looking down on them". Perhaps it was exactly as the captain said: that he was developing this trait known as "empathy".

Unfortunately, his personal feelings meant little. He was hitting only dead ends. While being an android he did not experience fatigue (at least not from the mere activity of being alert and fully active), Data knew of the term that his fellow crewmates had used in the past: "Let me sleep on it". While Data did not see how his "dreams" that he had managed to develop would assist in this particular case, he was aware of the fact that human insight tended to strike not when they were focused upon a problem but rather when they occupied their mind doing something else. Deciding to take that to heart, when his third shift change came by, Data elected to take it and return to his own quarters.

The android was further intrigued to find that he was not able to shift his way of "thinking" on the way back to his room. When he first started on board the Enterprise-D, if the captain would have told him to focus on a separate task, it would have been a trivial matter to simply order his positronic net to requisite the needed resources away from the old matter and onto a different one. But he found himself having a hard time doing so at the moment. He knew this was a human trait, and normally he would be happy with it. However, it was counter-productive right now. A great many lives might depend on him being able to come up with a solution, and if that hinged on him getting his mind off of it, then he had to do so as soon as possible.

Data was beginning to marvel at the irony of how he was in a situation where he had to think of a way to save a world by not thinking of a way to save the world as he reached his door, pressed the controls, and stepped inside. He thought of calling for Spot to test out the human tendency to calm down by petting a cat on one's lap.

However, his sensors soon went a bit wild the moment he stepped into his chamber…mostly because his chamber was not there. Instead, what looked like, to the best of Data's historical knowledge, a late 19th Century college classroom in England filled with numerous desks, students wearing the traditional robe, and extensive chalkboards at the front of the room with a number of charts on multiple subjects hanging down in front of it had replaced it. Many of the students looked to him as he entered. However, at the front of the class, wearing circular lenses, a mortarboard and black robe, and a rather disapproving look, was what caught his attention. From the looks of it, to most people, it would be a headmaster.

Data's memory banks, however, knew better on looking over the facial features. To confirm the fact, he turned slightly behind him. Sure enough, the Enterprise was gone. He was looking through a doorway into a school hallway in much the same style as the room, before looking back in to the figure.

With 99.9978% certainty, he was looking at the favored human incarnation of the being known as Q.

"Well, well, Mr. Data…late again I see." He addressed in his normal smarmy voice, clearly in character of a headmaster. "I trust you have a better excuse this time for not having your homework assignment ready besides 'my dog ate it'. Would you kindly take your seat at the front row before disrupting class any further? Today's lesson is about to begin."

Data looked around a bit more at that, but all he caught were a few snickers from the classroom, and one or two making a face at him, before he turned forward again to the front.

"Q?"

"That's Professor Q to you, young man. Or 'headmaster'." The entity responded. "Use that tone of disrespect again and I'll keep you after class to write it on your slate 1,000 times."

He snapped his fingers…and with a flash of light, Data found himself holding onto a 19th Century writing slate, along with a bit of chalk.

"Now, let's not loiter. Time is precious…" Q went on before snapping his fingers again.

In another flash, Data looked about himself, finding that he was sitting in the front row flanked by two students. One was more "muscular" and seemed to be the bullying type based on the glare he was giving Data. The other was an attractive female batting her eyes and waving at the android teasingly. All Data realized was that it seemed out of place for a female to be in this class given the time period. He looked forward a moment later to Q.

"If you want to pass this assignment, you'll need all the 'tutoring' you can get, after all." He concluded.

Data looked around himself again, and then back to the entity.

"This is…somewhat confusing." He stated aloud.

This made Q break character, smiling and giving a snicker. "Oh, is it? You're only now 'catching on' to that, Data? I must be losing my touch considering this is about the eighth time or so we've run into each other and only now are you stating it…"

"Not your behavior." The android answered. "I am normally accustomed to you making contact with Captain Picard during your encounters with the Enterprise."

"And if this was purely a 'social call', I'd be 'sharing the fun' with the entire crew. Personally I think Worf would look good in a dunce cap seated in the corner…" Q responded. "But, unfortunately, duty calls. This isn't merely a friendly visit, Data. I'm actually 'on business' this time."

Another snap of his fingers. At once, a white flash made the other students vanish, and Q himself was enveloped in light for a moment before emerging in his normal Admiral Starfleet uniform. On doing so, he stepped out from behind the desk and sat on top of it, folding his hands and looking to the android.

"I haven't forgotten your own 'tutoring' of me, by any means." Q began to explain. "I honestly never would have thought a 'fellow sojourner' in the world of humans would be able to show me so much about it. And while I must say…" He formed a sickened grimace. "…To this day I still cannot, for the omnipotent immortality of me, figure out why you'd want to be any more human than you are now…I figured a bit of quid pro quo was in order.

"Hence what happened when the Q Continuum decided to 'shift gears' a bit in studying the human species. They were quite impressed with the result of how Captain Picard did on the whole standard Space-Time-Anomaly-Threat-To-Your-Existence-Past-Present-And-Future Pop Quiz. But that only is a measure of potential. And potential, like any good river, can branch in any number of directions. What they want to see is exactly how humanity plans on steering itself in the future, especially since it looks like the Dominion is about to put the Federation and everyone else in your 'Alpha Quadrant' to the test. And what better way to see what humanity prides itself in more and aspires to than its creations?"

Q raised his hand and snapped his fingers…at once vanishing in a flash of light. Data was perplexed, but suddenly several of the charts rolled down on their own accord. They displayed famous works of art in pictures. The one that Data's eyes rested on was a copy of the Mona Lisa. However, rather than the normal lady in the portrait…Q's own face was superimposed, and soon began to speak out to him.

"'Art imitates life', that's what they say. The original great artists used their medium as an attempt to create a concept of the ideal man. So, naturally, whatever mankind wants to pursue as its ideal should reflect into something both a wonder of engineering and a work of art…the most lifelike android capable of being created."

He flashed out of the picture, restoring its original version, only to pop his face on a nearby picture, this one of Rodan's "The Thinker".

"So, I scratched my head for a good suggestion, and you popped into mind. Turns out it will work out rather well. You'll get to learn a lesson in humanity in the process. Everyone wins, eh? What do you think of that?"

Data took the opportunity to arise from the chair and stand. "If my understanding is correct…you wish to submit me to a similar test that Captain Picard underwent to see how I fare?"

A flash went out, this time putting Q in Van Gogh's self portrait with the bandage around his head.

"Oh, do keep your ears open, Data. You could hear what I said when you came in, couldn't you? And what about what was weighing so heavily on your mind or whatever is in your head? Tell me…what is it at this moment you want more than anything else? Something to do with a certain comet heading on a certain pathway to knock a certain sixth of a certain planet into oblivion?"

The android reacted to that. "…The comet inbound to Theta Apis II." A pause. "You didn't cause that incident, did you?"

Q vanished and reappeared as streaked lines in a painting of "The Scream", letting out a cry of alarm.

"Why, Data! I am shocked, simply shocked, after our time together that you would suggest such a thing. No, that comet was inbound long before I popped in here. I'm just simply making use of a good opportunity."

Another flash, and Q was once again standing before Data in front of the classroom.

"Here's the 'lesson'. In just a short while, I will snap my fingers and relocate you to the surface of Theta Apis II, right now at this point in time…with roughly six days to go before the Permian Extinction looks like a partly cloudy day compared to what will happen to it. As it turns out, exactly what you're looking for, a way to save that world, is right there in front of you. Now, I won't be so 'obvious' as to put the answer right in your lap, as that's part of the learning experience, but I'll make sure to put you nice and close to it. I'll even do the liberty of giving you the appearance and identity of a notable researcher on that world so you'll fit right in. But don't worry…"

Q smiled.

"You'll only look like this person to everyone around you. You'll still be the same android from your own perspective with all the appropriate faculties. After all, I'm not so cruel as to actually condemn you to a humanoid body. I'm testing you, after all. Not torturing you. I'll even be there to give you a few 'helpful hints' from time to time if I see you 'get stuck'."

The android paused on hearing all of this. After all, it was quite a bit of information, even for him.

"If I understand you correctly, you will be placing me on Theta Apis II to try and find a solution to saving the populace of that world." He reiterated. "For the sake of argument, what would happen if I were to not find the solution prior to the comet's collision with the planet?"

"Well, I wouldn't be much of a friend if I left you to be pulverized, now would I?" Q answered. "I'll remove you in the blink of an eye, of course. But I'm afraid the fate of the people of Theta Apis II will be entirely in your hands. Which means, it goes without saying, whatever you do on that world will affect their fate in 'real life'."

Data blinked again.

"Something you don't understand about the rules of the game, Data?" The entity asked after a time.

"Based on previous encounters, I have little reason to believe that this situation could not potentially result in something that will benefit the inhabitants of Theta Apis II." The android responded. "That said, I fail to see how this will be beneficial to my attempts to become more human. At least any more so than remaining on the Enterprise."

Abruptly, Data felt an impact in the back of his head. It was light, but he blinked and turned around even as another flash went off, and found the remains of a paper airplane falling to the ground. He looked up to the source…and found Q in a outfit similar to the students from behind sitting in one desk.

"Focus, Data. Part of any worthwhile lesson is figuring out some things on your own. You can't expect to get all the answers just by being 'told' them. Some things you have to do for yourself. You showed me that one."

The android considered this momentarily, only slightly puzzled by the paper airplane trick, before turning back around. Sure enough, a flash later, and Q was back in front of him. After a moment, he gave a nod. "I suppose that is an accurate assessment. Very well. When do we begin?"

"Well, as time is ticking away for Theta Apis II, now seems like a good time." The entity answered. "Let's get this field trip started…"

Q raised his hand and snapped his fingers once again.

Q had disappeared in an instant. Instead, Data found himself looking out of a curtained window onto a street looking like a setting from Europe in the early 20th century.

The android blinked, and then looked around a bit more. His settings had definitely changed. The classroom was gone along with the Enterprise. Now he found himself sitting down in what looked like a small café, or was no doubt an equivalent to it. He seemed to be at a table for four set next to a window, but it seemed as if the general place settings within this building were for four to begin with and he wasn't actually waiting for anyone. The rest of the interior had the look of an eatery. There was a high counter in the back that separated the area Data was in, which seemed to be for patrons, with the kitchen in the back. Looking over to that and scanning over the appliances, the android did not detect any specific makes or models from any period in Earth's history although a number of the devices appeared to be corollaries to what would be found in an Earth kitchen at a café at this time. In particular, he noticed what he assumed was the same function as a cash register and a display case for pastries, although he saw only two at the time. He also noticed the softer "home-like" décor and place settings that predated more "official" cafes.

Data turned and looked in front of him. In addition to a cloth place setting, all that was there was a steaming cup of some hot beverage. He assumed it was somewhat analogous to coffee or tea. Yet he also took note of his change in attire. While his skin was still the yellowish color and artificial texture, Data realized his clothing had been altered to lose his normal Starfleet uniform and replace with something that he assumed was the equivalent of a "suit" in this planet's time period.

He was continuing to analyze this when a figure walked up to him. He looked up slightly and was just in time to see a woman who he assumed had the same function as a waitress come up with what looked similar to an urn or coffee pot. However, on seeing that Data's drink hadn't been touched, she stopped herself on pouring it, and then turned and moved on.

The android looked around a bit, but saw he was practically alone in the establishment. Only the waitress and what looked like two other people in the back, based on the sound, were present. However, as he looked about, one of the two men, who wasn't dressed like a chef and seemed to likely be the owner, looked up.

"Sure I can't persuade you to take a pie with you back, doctor?" He asked. "I'm just going to end up throwing it out tonight when we close."

Data blinked again and looked to him. "Pardon me?"

"The pie." The man answered, gesturing to the display case. "It'll be free."

The android paused momentarily. He thought of inquiring more for a few moments, but he realized now that he was currently on Theta Apis II and that he had little concept of his surroundings, where he was, what the situation was at his present location, or even the form that Q had placed him in. After doing a quick assessment, he figured the better course of action was to investigate his surroundings a bit further before making inquiries. Perhaps it would allow him to not make a cultural "faux pas". This looked to be very similar to Earth's 1940s-1950s, but appearances could be deceiving and there was no guarantee Theta Apis II fell perfectly under the realm of the "Earth-like" worlds the Federation had encountered over the years.

"I will have to decline at this moment, but thank you for the offer." Data answered.

"You're wasting your time, Gus." The waitress spoke up here, moving to the back to put the pot down. "You think they're going to let them bring in a pie into that installation?"

"Oh, there's nothing wrong with pie…" The older man, Gus, answered before turning to the register.

"All of that top secret stuff? You can bet they won't." The waitress went on. "They're far too careful for that sort of thing. Probably think the Melchons bugged it or something…"

"How? Baking a short-range radio into the crust? My slices aren't that big, Merida…"

Data didn't pay too much attention to these comments. Instead, he looked around himself a moment. He didn't come up with much on his own person. He found a watch that kept time units he wasn't aware of and what he assumed was a wallet that contained identification for himself, but he wasn't sure what was currency and what was an ID as he had no idea what the number sequence was or if the picture was supposed to be of what he appeared as to everyone else.

Of more interest to him was that he seemed to have some sort of briefcase with him that was tightly clasped. It was combination locked, but he decided to implement a bit of his strength and broke them to open it. They weren't that hard, as it turned out. Made using only primitive alloys, although it was probably fairly sophisticated for this time period. It turned out it was rather full of papers. Many of them were documents, but quite a few were schematics of a type, and almost all of them were printed with what looked like a sealed letterhead as well as contained text arranged in a tabular format, such as with technical data. The android still couldn't make much sense out of the text values, but looking over the actual images it didn't take him long to realize their nature.

Weapons and munitions. Mostly of the type still using gunpowder and explosives rather than energy or atomic manipulation.

Based on the comment of "doctor" earlier, he assumed that meant he was some sort of military researcher.

"Um…Dr. Gerkin?"

Realizing the voice was directly toward him, Data looked up to the voice, and found the man from earlier, Gus, who had apparently finished with the register and moved to the pie display, was staring at him and motioning.

"I thought Central Command didn't allow you to review Classified documents anywhere on base that wasn't an approved area?"

Data took note of this information, and began to infer things from it. Apparently he was indeed a military researcher and, based on the context, it seemed he was on some sort of military complex or "town" at least. That meant he was likely "expected somewhere". Based on what he had heard from Q earlier, that automatically began to make him think of the purpose of this "exercise". If he was a researcher, that meant he likely had access to this world's cutting edge technology. It might be the "way" that the entity had mentioned earlier, which meant he had to find wherever he "worked" as soon as possible.

With that in mind, he immediately shut his briefcase again. He had only broken the lock, after all. Not the clasp.

"I was not aware of that regulation. Thank you for informing me." Data answered as he closed the case and began to rise.

Gus, however, looked more confused. "…Not aware? I thought you were always a stickler for these sorts of things, doctor. I guess you scientists types really do forget 'common things' though…" As Data arose, however, he looked to the untouched cup, and then rubbed his chin.

"You…didn't happen to forget that you have to pay for your drink before you go though, did you?"

The android halted just as he was turning to leave with the briefcase. He blinked a few times, but then reached into his pocket again and removed his wallet. While he wasn't sure what currency looked like, and Starfleet's lack of currency made it an experience he was not familiar with, he ended up going for slips of paper that were thin, well-aged, oily from passing hands, and appeared to have duplicates. He pulled out one and passed it to Gus, thinking he might accept that.

The store owner took it, looked at the value, and then immediately went to the register, no doubt to get change.

"If you please," Data spoke on him doing so. "Would you mind telling me the value of that note, and how much you will be giving me in change?"

Gus paused and looked to the android, raising an eyebrow. However, Merida spoke up from where she was.

"I've never seen the doctor so 'forgetful', Gus…but just do it. That thing in the sky has got everyone on edge."

Now Data's interest was definitely piqued. The moment he heard that comment, he immediately reasoned that the woman had to be talking about the comet. However, he still managed to keep his ear open as he heard Gus explain that he had handed him a one and he was getting ninety-five hundredths as change. He realized he didn't have much time and he clearly had a lot to learn before he could hope to be effective. After replacing the change in his pocket he immediately stepped outside.

As soon as the android emerged, he took note of his surroundings. There were minor variations here and there, but when your civilization was on a Class M world, there tended to be a natural "progression" of architecture and organization to be more effective. Apparently, Theta Apis II was little exception. The style resembled an urban area in Europe, say in England, France, or Germany, of a somewhat dense street. It looked fairly new and many of the buildings were one or two stories at most, but it was densely packed with mostly stone, brick, and cement for his surroundings rather than steel and glass, and most vegetation came from flower boxes or ornamental plants hanging outside windows. Roofs were still shingled, cruder paints were still being used, and there were signs of some age in the form of cracks, fractures, and imperfections up and down the road that stretched in front of the café, going up and down a block both to Data's right and to his left, obviously expanding into a city area. Aside from that, there was the normal compliment of stores, shops, and amenities as well as public utilities such as pay phones and garbage cans.

Yet it didn't take Data long to see there were some rather stunning differences. Most of all, and the first thing he noticed, was that the city was a "ghost town". Based on track markings and oil spots on the roads, it was reasonable to assume this world used motorized vehicles and had achieved internal combustion. Yet the android saw no vehicles, parked or in motion, heard no engine sounds, and didn't detect any post-combustion chemicals in the air. For that matter, there was little in the way of footsteps or individuals out either.

After about thirty seconds of looking around, Data caught another person walking down the street, having turned a corner further on ahead. Soon after there was another. However, in either case, each footstep they made was audible. The android only needed to take in the dimensions of the street and road to realize that this was unnatural.

After looking at this, he turned and began to walk down the road, his own footsteps echoing loudly in the shoes they wore on this world. While doing so he moved his head skyward for a moment. As on many Class M worlds, the star Theta Apis acted as a "sun" and seemed fairly Earth-like to general appearances. There was also a faint outline of one of the world's moons against the darker part of the horizon. But in addition to that, Data was also able to make out a faint white dot. And considering the fact the rest of the sky was clear and sunny, there was no mistaking it for a cloud. The comet had to be visible even during daylight hours to this world now. That meant any scientist with a telescope had to have picked up on it long before now…

Perhaps the state of the city had something to do with that.

Data looked back down. The road was still mostly blank up ahead. On his left appeared to be a station similar to a shoe-shine stand, with a single man looking rather bored as he dusted off his chair and looked about for someone to patronize him. Further up the street, however, he noticed another individual had come up from around the corner. This one was a young man. While Data had no idea of the life span of the individuals of this world, he appeared to be teenage by human standards. He was also holding his jacket closed, as if concealing something, and then looking around frequently, as if he was frightened of exposing something.

After a few moments, however, he seemed to think he was "in the clear". He immediately rushed up to a wall nearby that seemed to be the designate areas for posters advertising materials or events. At once, he pulled out a paper from inside his jacket and put it up, and then got out a small canister of paste and began to apply it as fast as he could. Data was still far off as he noticed this, and he watched it for a short time silently as he walked up past the shoe shiner…

Suddenly, the sound of an engine roared out from nearby, down the street nearest the junction where the young man was. He went stiff immediately, clearly scared, but remained and worked faster, trying to complete his task as quickly as possible. The engine roar grew louder and seemed to get closer, like a motor vehicle approaching. The young man finally finished, but, apparently, from the angle of the street, the motor vehicle had spotted him. A moment later, the young man turned and bolted right before a vehicle came around the corner. Data only had a split second to look, but based on the duller colors painting the vehicle along with the emblem of something that looked like a national symbol, not to mention the fact those inside it were not only clad in what looked like uniforms but also were sporting what looked like some sort of mounted weapon, he assumed they were some form of military. And moments later, they opened fire. Bits of plaster and brick erupted where the young man had been as they attempted to shoot him without success, and as the vehicle whipped around the turn, tearing after him, the young man took off as fast as he could for the nearest alleyway and ducked down it right before the vehicle completed the movement. Realizing they had "lost their shot", the men inside quickly gunned the engine and squealed off. A moment later, they turned another corner, looking like they were trying to head him off on the other side. In any event, the sounds of the engine slowly died…but not before another storm of bullets rang out in the distance.

Data himself had managed to do a quick analysis of the caliber and power of the weapon they were using and had deduced even a stray shot was no threat to him. Yet it seemed the rest of the few citizens that were out knew it was far deadlier to them, and had either dove for cover or screamed and ran. What little life had been on the street faded rapidly, and the android himself stopped and considered these things for a moment. Obviously, whatever had been put up on the wall was a source of contention on this world…

"Enjoying Theta Apis II, Data?"

At once, the android looked back to the shoe shiner. While when he had seen him earlier he was an unknown native of this world, the voice he heard just now was clearly Q's. And on looking at the man, sure enough, while the clothes and style was still the same, it was Q looking back at him, still in the position of dusting off a portion of his stand before rising.

"As promised, I decided to give you a few 'pointers'. You'll waste far too much time on matters that aren't the problem at hand otherwise…" He said as he stood up. "This world is in the previous state of civilization that Earth was. The era of the 'nation-state' still reigns supreme rather than the individuals of this world thinking of themselves as 'one planet'. You're currently in the nation that calls itself Esan." He gestured down the street, toward where the bullets had ravaged the wall and the dust was still settling. "Rather rough place, wouldn't you say? All the 'finer points' of the more oppressive dictatorships from much of Earth's history…and with a megalomaniacal government headed by a fanatic to boot. So lovely to see these barely-sentient creatures quibble over their world like microbes trying to shove each other off of a speck…" He said with a wistful smile.

Data took in this new information. Unlike many of his crewmembers would in a similar situation, he didn't bother registering too much confusion or unease at Q's abrupt appearance. He had learned from experience that this appeared to be Q's "modus operandi" and it was best to "roll with it". He turned his head back to the wall once, and then back to Q.

"If this is truly a dictatorship as you say," The android went on. "Then my experiences and knowledge of history would indicate that that young man was doing something contrary to governmental authority."

"Oh, on any other week or month you'd probably be right, Data." Q said as he began to approach him again. "Rest assured, Esan tolerates very little in the form of dissent and has incarcerated or even had certain individuals 'disappear' within its own territory in secret…all the while doing the same more 'publicly' everywhere else. This place isn't all too dissimilar from governments in Earth culture that decided they wanted to spread the 'joy' of their new kingdom or nation or fiefdom to every nation they could…whether those nations wanted it or not. This particular country already either seized or occupies eight surrounding countries. It's enough to where the other more powerful and industrialized nations of this world are gearing up to do their own little version of World War. Which one? Eh, take your pick. Odds or evens. They had just launched the first few little skirmishes that were going to break out into full blown 'countries of Theta Apis II, pick a side and defend it to death'…"

He smiled a bit more as he came to a stop, then pointed skyward to the small dot.

"But that was, of course, before that showed up in the night sky…although at this point it's in the day sky as well. At first it only caught the attention of an astronomer or two, but the species here obviously has enough brain cells between the lot of them working to realize it's getting closer and it's on a collision course." He kept walking, moving on past Data and headed down the street. It wasn't long before the android turned and began to follow after them. "Seems that 'global war has been called on account of apocalypse'. Both Esan and all of its enemies are currently scrambling with their 'top minds'…" He gave a snort here as if he had just heard a tremendous irony. "…to think up a way to stop it and they're increasingly coming up short. Even as we speak every last government on Theta Apis II is getting the 'diagnosis' that their planet only has six days to live." He turned his head a bit.

"Time for your 'thinking exercise', Mr. Data. Can you make a good guess on what impact that's happening on society?"

The android walked on silently a bit further. He looked around the roads a bit, and thought back to the young man putting up the sign. By now, the two were crossing the road, but it hardly mattered as no one was around to make them "look both ways".

"Considering the fact that the level of fear and anxiety among the people working at the café were experiencing, yet also taking into account the lack of people out and about, and finally accounting for the scene that was just witnessed…I am guessing that the comet is not 'general knowledge' but is quickly becoming that way, and that suspicion alone has reached the point where society is impacted."

"Wonderful, Mr. Data. Sadly I'm all out of gold stars at the moment…" Q answered as they reached the shot wall and he gestured to one spot on it, in particular the sheet that had been pasted. Data looked to it and began to read as he continued. "The Esan government has the best scientists in the world at the moment working for it…including Dr. Gerkin who you may have guessed by now I'm having you play the part of for today's episode. They concluded two weeks ago that this planet was doomed. They tried to brainstorm a few solutions, but sadly most of those scientists are more of the 'think-up-ways-to-kill' types and not so much the 'think-up-ways-to-keep-alive' types. But it's not like there's any bomb shelter or Noah's Ark that can survive a good part of your planet being knocked into space in the first place, is there? About five days ago the lesser astronomers with the next cheapest telescopes and the like made the same conclusion at the universities. Suffice to say the Esan government has had its hands full shooting those places up to try and keep a panic from breaking out."

He let out a snicker.

"It's as amusing as watching a lab monkey continuously trying to squash a square peg into a round hole and just not giving up on it. As a mimicry of a somewhat 'more advanced' species, Data, I'm sure you can tell this not only has driven the citizens into a smaller panic but helped draw their attention toward the 'Fire in the Sky'. By now even the amateur astronomers are beginning to sweat and getting the word out through young men like the one you saw, who was trying to 'spread the word'. Most people are either staying indoors due to the sudden 'violent steak'…well, more violent than normal streak…that their government has adopted or are beginning to take the theory that they're all going to die horribly-yet-quickly within a week very seriously."

Data has finished scanning the paper by now, and realized it essentially was anti-government propaganda which pointed out the incoming comet and how they were being lied to. As 'exaggerated' as the attempts to silence this were, Data had to admit there was a slight bit of pragmatism in them. For now, this country, dead silent as it was, seemed to still have order. Yet as that comet got nearer it would go into greater and greater panic. Right now, whoever was in power was going about trying to stop the panic from totally degenerating society. It was an ultimately meaningless gesture but if anyone was still "clinging to hope" then they realized they wanted their civilization to at least spend their last few days not living like scared animals.

He turned back to Q…and suddenly found a number of objects thrown into his arms.

"Now then, you'll be needing these…" The entity stated as he shoved them into Data. The android was surprised, but looked down at them. "Can't have you blundering your way trying to figure out how to 'play the game' so long you never get a chance to start running and jumping before you get the Game Over… As you know, you're Dr. Gerkin. Noted physicist. One of the best in the country and personally tapped by the Esan government to join their main military think tank to help bring glory to its people." He shrugged. "The fact that they threatened to kick your niece out of their universities and have your drunken brother killed in prison might have had something to do with it too. Your clearance pass is already in your wallet…the green card, by the way…so you can easily get into the most secure research facilities owned by the Esan government. On that note, this town you're in right now is actually a government community designed to service a nearby base as well as the facility where you work. Most of those who shop and eat here are researchers like you and military officers or families of workers. That's another reason it's so "dead"…because even those who don't know what's going on are getting suspicious over what they've been overhearing."

He gestured to a folded up bit of paper. "That map there I took the liberty of putting in your language and directing to the government-funded house where you live as well as your place of work, the Red Haven." He gestured to a book next. "That's a basic primer on reading the language that I took the liberty of rewriting to my own 'revision'. Your positronic net will need to only scan the pages for about three minutes to know how to read the bulk of the language." He gestured to a small notebook. "I gave you some notes about people who interact with Dr. Gerkin and customs you'll have to observe in that one. It also had a few pointers on how you can quickly think of their numbers and terms in 'Federation ways' so you don't stumble along thinking of whether or not they're talking about an apple or an orange."

Finally, he pointed to what looked like a primitive wristwatch. Data looked to it and noticed something odd. It had far more numbers than any Earth timepiece but had Earth numerations on it, and it seemed to have a "cartoonish" version of Q on it with arms acting as the hands.

"And there's the most important piece of all. That special watch there, Data, tells you exactly how much time you have left before Theta Apis II makes Ceti Alpha V look like an overgrown beach. It has a special little button on it for if you 'give up early'. Press it and you'll automatically return to the Enterprise. And whereas Federation technology might have to worry about little things like accidentally pressing the button, I'll be aware of the 'intent' behind it so don't worry about bumping it or anything. Just keep in mind once you leave the planet you aren't coming back."

The entity leaned back. "Well now…that's good for a 'start', wouldn't you say? From here on in it's all up to you, Mr. Data." He smiled a bit more. "Pencils ready…bluebook open…"

He held up his hand.

"Begin."

A snap of his fingers later, and he disappeared.

Data was left standing silently a moment. Even with all of Q's "help", he realized he had very little to go on. All that he had heard so far was simply to give him "background" information about the situation at hand, and he still had a great deal to learn even if this book and "cheat sheet" helped give him an edge. There wasn't anything in there that sounded very much like it would assist with the comet. Only about how he wasn't in the most 'friendly' or 'cooperative' of governments at the moment.

Yet the android realized he wouldn't get very far standing around and thinking these things over. He had limited time and he still needed to gather more information. Looking down again to the watch, he finally broke and used a moment to put the other items away in his briefcase before taking the watch and placing it over what he would consider his "favored" wrist. That done, he removed the map again, opened it up, and scanned it. A moment later, he put it away and got out the primer. As he did, he began to walk again while flipping it over and studying it.

He had to be able to read landmarks if he was going to direct himself to the 'Red Haven'.

Luckily, it turned out Q's primer was more than decent, and with a little practice on the papers in his briefcase, Data soon had a fairly good grasp on the local written language. Easily enough to find his way to a street crossing, read it, and then use that to pinpoint his location on the accompanying map. Following that, it was a small matter of planning his route and then taking it.

There were few other people out as he went along. The few he saw looked to be in ill moods, and many of them frequently looked to the dot in the sky. Occasionally, there were the distant sounds of gunfire or tires squealing, at which point everyone but Data would flee inside nearby buildings and remain there for about fifteen minutes. What few stores he saw that were open were void of patrons for the most part. Much like the café he had been in, other than the staff there was no one, and if there were more than one they were talking a bit nervously with one another. Other than the presence of the occasional group of soldiers driving around with the same kind of vehicle than earlier, or, at one point, a group marching down the street, there was little else to indicate what type of society the android was in.

As it turned out, where he was headed was a bit "on the outskirts", well past the rows of buildings and more toward the exterior of the town. As he emerged to the periphery, he was able to get a better look at his surroundings, however. This town appeared to be located in the middle of a rather arid and barren landscape, with nothing but flat ground and scrub for miles before terminating into rocky hills and mountains. In other words, somewhere rather remote and secluded, no doubt far inland and very far from other potential military targets. Walking down the road out of town, Data went for about the equivalent of a kilometer before coming to a stop at a checkpoint to a fenced off area. There were soldiers posted there who gave him something of a reaction on seeing him without a vehicle, but they ended up letting him in anyway. Assuming that he was normally riding in taxis or the like, there was none of that on the streets today.

A bit further ahead and Data reached the main complex. Mostly it was military buildings, but all were off a style close to the ground and looking rather fortified. Clearly they were designed to take a heavy bombardment…at least by their standards. Blockbuster bombs would have reduced it to rubble, let alone photon torpedoes or even phaser fire. But the android doubted anything approximately that strong even existed on this world.

Q's map directed him to one building in particular. It was one of the larger complexes, as he could tell from the layout of the surrounding area. It probably stretched deep underground as well. However, at the moment, he noted that it was surrounded by stationed soldiers wearing the same marks and insignias as he had seen earlier. Most were standing guard, but the higher officers seemed to be arguing with civilians in suits, much like Data was dressed. However, like him, they also had identification to clear them. They wore theirs on their jacket lapels as they argued. That meant these must have been other researchers, as he was supposed to be.

As he neared the area, he made out that there were other scientists on the periphery, who seemed to be standing and waiting amid the guards. A few looked nervous, but most of them just seemed irritable and impatient…or worried.

Data walked right up to one of them in a small group. The researcher turned to him a bit as he approached. He did a take before turning fully to him.

"Thon…you're here." He grimaced soon after. "I thought for sure you'd be off the base by now…"

The android was confused only a fraction of a second before he recalled that had been the first name located on his identification. He came to a stop near this researcher and looked forward. "May I ask what is going on at this facility?"

The scientists blinked once, and then shook his head. "Sheesh, you're even more 'mechanical' today than usual… Anyway…" He gestured ahead. "We're out, Thon. Shutting 'Red Haven' down. There's no point left. There's still a chance that comet will miss us, but each new report says it's still on target. There's no more wars to fight or weapons to build. I'm spending the last of my life with my wife at home, breaking open the fine wine and spending time with her in bed every hour on the hour. Half of the staff didn't even bother showing up…" He grimaced. "…I don't pity them. The government still is shooting anyone who goes around spreading rumors. But I'd give it two more days before they give that up too. Anyway, I want those two days so we're trying to get them to let us off base."

"I thought you'd be trying to get to Polis and take your niece to see your brother, Dr. Gerkin." A younger researcher from nearby spoke up. "That's all you've been talking about for three days. And you had your chance earlier when the west blockade went unguarded. Now the only way any of us are getting out is if they let us out."

"I don't think it'll take much," An older one answered. "So long as no one else is dumb enough to try and run for it."

Hearing this news actually disappointed Data quite a bit. Based on what Q had said, he assumed he would leave the "answer" to how to help Theta Apis II in reach. And based on how he had circled this place on the map, he had figured it would hold a crucial clue to finding an answer, especially since this was apparently the sort of facility that had a lot of cutting edge technology. Perhaps, as primitive as this world was, there was something in here that could be used to help with the situation…

"Is there any way I could gain access to the facility now?" Data asked.

The three men gave him a puzzled look in unison.

"…Don't tell me you're trying to keep your work going, doctor."

"Dr. Gerkin, what are you saying? Forget your work on rocketry. This planet has six…nearly five…days to live. Think about what you're going to spend doing it with."

"You're not thinking one of those rockets you're working on is going to do anything against that comet, are you?" Another asked. "We're still three weeks from test launch to send one of those 400 miles, let alone into orbit. And even if we did you don't think a bunch of tin is going to knock it down, do you? We can barely fit a bomb big enough to knock down a building in one."

In spite of these claims, Data made a mental note of this. Still, if such was true, then he realized that there was little even he could do in such a short frame of time to implement a launch. And since this planet was still using conventional explosives, no doubt, that was hardly an option. But it made him want to "get in" and take a better look.

"I still desire access. Is it possible?"

The three men paused for a moment, but then one exhaled, shaking his head.

"Going to join up with Dr. Hollund and see if you can't 'save the world in the 11th hour'?" The original scientist said. "Well, I'd say you're making a mistake, but it's your time. Do what you want with it. Cain's the only one who said he's staying at Red Haven. They're kind of waiting on the CO of the base right now, but he's not answering his phone. Doesn't surprise me… He's probably already AWOL. Has a family himself, after all… Once they realize that, the last bit of order in here is going to collapse pretty damn quick. We're lucky this is a 'base town' or we'd have to worry about thugs or looters… Anyway, that'll happen in the next few hours I'm sure. Once that's done, you and Hollund can have the run of the place."

"Think about what you're doing though, Thon. We've got less than six days…"

Data ignored that part. "Are all materials related to my research present in that facility?"

Now he really got confused looks.

"…Doctor, you're acting weird."

"Wonder if the stress got to him…"

"All of our classified materials are in there, Thon. You know that. Base would only allow you to take so many things home with you."

On hearing that, Data went to his map. As he recalled, Q had marked out where he was currently residing. Somehow he doubted that the entity would do so idly. He had to know Data did not require food or sleep, and that time was of the essence. Therefore, the only reason he would have marked that on the map would likely be because it was also a clue of some sort. Perhaps Dr. Gerkin had indeed left a crucial bit of evidence or clue there, or some of his technical schematics or work that held an idea he had been working on.

Hearing that, the android gave a nod. "I see. Thank you for your cooperation. I shall collect whatever schematics are there and then return to begin my research at once."

This, naturally, left the scientists looking rather puzzled. But Data didn't spend any more time. He turned and immediately began to walk back the way he had come.

Sure enough, as the scientists had indicated, once he got far enough away some guards tried to stop him from walking back out of the base. Before they were done, they actually opened fire on him. Data never even missed a step from the low-caliber bullets, and the soldiers were left a mixture of confused and frightened as they stared blankly while he walked back to town.

Data may have been tireless enough, but he wasn't used to having to walk or run places. And being an approximation of a human, he pretty much could only go so fast. After the altercation at the base, he didn't want to risk getting the attention of more soldiers by showing off obviously non-human tendencies too much.

Where he resided was actually a fairly good distance from the complex, back inside the city proper. And at his current speed, it took quite a bit of time to get there, especially considering how far he had gone. It was past midday when he finally reached a series of identical houses on a fairly new block. He had the address marked for which one was his specifically, and he had to walk past a few to get to it. Each house was nice, with outer brickwork, a "rock lawn" as opposed to natural grass or flowers, and two storied. They looked actually a bit on the "comfortable" side as opposed to purely functional and pragmatic. They also seemed, for the most part, empty. Either whoever lived in the bulk of the homes was out or they had already been abandoned.

After a short stroll, Data found the number of the house that was his. And sure enough, he had the key as well. One of the older styles that relied more on systems of tumblers, and he probably could have broken open if need be, but he decided to go ahead and use the key. Walking up to the front step, he inserted it into the lock, gave a turn, and opened the front door.

Much like the café he had "started out" in, the interior had a small amount of rustic charm and a "homely" feel of an older décor style. Data wasn't too much for aesthetics, however. His sensors immediately began to process the style and see what looked too cumbersome or non-functional. He noticed the house was furnished and slightly decorated with tables, chairs, vases, paintings, and the like, but all of them seemed to be a "stock" variety rather than actually brought in. When he first walked into the main foyer of the house, he saw nothing out of the ordinary to indicate any "personal touches". There was a potted plant that was cared for and the area around the stairs was neat, but not much else. He soon began to venture inward. Looking to his left, he saw a living room that was also well cared for but barely showed any usage. To his right, he noticed another room that seemed like it had more of the doctor's touches. It was filled with a large number of books, and without venturing in at the time to look at them in more detail, the android saw that they were marked with titles that had to do with physics, astrophysics, history in regards to rocketry, and chemistry.

Yet around that time, he began to hear something up ahead. He turned his head and saw there was a doorway to a back room. He could make out one large device through it that was similar to the one he had seen in the café. That immediately made him think that this was the kitchen area. However, he heard distinct footsteps and motion moving about inside. Realizing the door had been locked, Data was a bit apprehensive, and began to step forward. A moment later, he passed under the threshold and looked inside.

It did indeed seem to be a kitchen area even if Data wasn't familiar with an analogous Earth, Klingon, Ferengi, or any other device as the ones inside, although they all seemed to primarily operate by gas or electric current passed through a resistor. This area looked clean and "new" as well, but the android only looked at it a moment before turning his head to the individual in the room.

A woman in an outfit that looked designed for protecting from getting dirty or grimy was washing dishes that were located in what Data assumed was either a wash basin or sink. She cleaned for a bit longer before she seemed to become aware of his presence. On doing so, she turned and gave a nod.

"Good afternoon, doctor. I wasn't expecting you home so soon." She said. After a moment, she grimaced as she turned back. "Rather…I was entertaining a bit of a fear that you would…" She shook her head a moment after. "Sorry, sir. Forget I said anything."

Data was again puzzled. He looked about the kitchen again, and then back to the woman.

"Greetings. May I ask who you are, please?"

The woman stopped in the middle of her work, and slowly turned to the android.

"…What are you talking about, doctor?"

"May I have you name?"

The woman blinked. "…Glinda, doctor." She answered. She exhaled a moment later and resumed her work. "I heard stories about how brilliant men forget everyday items, but…I thought you would have remembered my name after greeting me with it this morning."

By now, Data had more than enough time to review Q's notes, and it took only a split second to realize this must have been Glinda Empine from the sheet regarding figures in Dr. Gerkin's life. According to what Q had presented him with, she was the doctor's housekeeper. This planet was still in a primitive era where almost all household chores had to be done by hand and much of the tasks of the sentient life in the more 'civilized' regions involved common housework and cleaning. Hence, it would make sense to have a housekeeper. This particular one was issued by the Etan government. They wanted the scientists to devote their full time and schedules to research and science, not wasting it doing household chores.

"I'm sorry, Glinda." Data responded, deciding to try and 'play the part' a bit. After all, this wasn't altogether different from one of the simulations of the Holodeck. Even "safer", in a sense. "May I ask what you meant about that statement before?"

The woman stiffened a bit at that. She swallowed. "Oh…er…think nothing of it, sir."

The android paused momentarily. "You seem frightened."

"I'm not, I just…I heard…" Again, she shook her head. "Nothing, sir."

Data again hesitated. "…Based on what I have witnessed this morning as well as your reaction, I would assume you heard some rumor that constitutes information that is off limits from the Etan government, and that you are afraid if you disclose it you will be liable to prosecution or even persecution by the military stationed in this base."

Glinda seemed a bit stunned by the words, but not for long as she swallowed and shrank back a bit. However, Data spoke again soon after.

"Rest assured I have little interest in notifying the government about such small matters, and you need not fear for your safety from telling me anything."

The housekeeper hesitated again. However, it seemed she had some trust for the doctor innately. Finally, she swallowed a bit.

"…I've heard rumors, and I won't say from who, that what's been going on…the comet that the dictator keeps telling everyone to not worry about, that is just going to pass close to our world…" She paused. "…That they're covering it up. That it's going to hit this planet in a few days and when it does it's going to kill everyone and everything."

By now, a different kind of fear was coming over the woman. Not so much of the government, but what she just said. And that was more than to be expected, after all. She wasn't saying a very comforting thing, regardless of culture.

"I…didn't want to believe it until now…but I've noticed changes around town. People not coming out anymore. The government actually stopping people from spreading the story…even shooting them…and right after that non-aggression pact. I mean…if it was just a rumor…then why are they doing this…?"

Data said nothing in response. However, the woman, who was growing more tense all the time, calmed herself here and looked to the android.

"Dr. Gerkin…you…haven't heard anything about this, have you? I didn't mean to see, but…but I saw a lot of your memos near the phone lately were about the comet." She immediately put her hands up. "I didn't mean to! I was just cleaning, and…and there they were…"

"There is nothing to fear. I have no interest in reporting you to the authorities, Ms. Empine." Data immediately answered. "And I regret to say that the Etan government has told me nothing in regards to the comet, let alone anything I can share with you."

Data didn't subscribe to "lying" that much, although he could stretch the truth on occasion. What he said was accurate: the Etan government had told him nothing in regards to the comet, and he likely had more information than they did. And the first part, that he had no interest in getting the housekeeper shot, was also accurate.

At any rate, Glinda soon sighed in relief. "Thank you, doctor. Anyway, why are you home so early?"

"I will only be here a moment." The android responded. "I was just interested in claiming any notes or materials here that I might have left behind."

"All of those would be in your locked study room upstairs. I haven't touched those or tried to force the door." The woman answered. "Anything else I saw lying around I piled up on the small table up there in case it was anything unclassified."

Data gave a nod. "Thank you." He wasn't sure if he had the key, but if he did it wouldn't be a problem. "Please continue."

With that, the android turned and exited the room. It didn't take long for Glinda to return to her work, but he left her to it. He still had his own task to attend to, after all, and the walk here had already eaten up quite a bit of time.

While there was a wealth of new information for Data to obtain from the study, which was littered with note, files, notepads, books, and information to the point it was overflowing the desk and shelves in there, very little of it seemed immediately useful. It served to give the android an idea of what was available to the Etan government in terms of materials and what stage they were at in terms of chemistry, physics, metallurgy, and most other sciences, but nothing seemed too useful toward saving a world or stopping a comet. There was quite a bit of information there, but it only took Data about 35 minutes to read most of it and commit it to memory. After that, he headed back out.

Although there was a vehicle that Data assumed was the same as a "cab" along the way, he didn't hail it. Instead, he continued to walk. While it was slower, he realized that it would make more sense for more people to have dispersed of the military authorities by the time he got there. Hopefully, there would be none of those who tried to shoot him. (He was fortunate enough that the shots had been in the back, and that Glinda hadn't asked about them.) Again, it was a long walk, and the afternoon had gotten quite a bit later by the time he reached the front of the base. There were still guards there waiting to "buzz him in", but they only did a half-hearted job, and it looked as if they were packing up to depart. No one caused him any more trouble, and some of them didn't even seem to pay him much mind.

By the time he returned to the enclosure from earlier, he noticed the crowd was completely gone. Both the guards as well as the scientists from before had departed. That area of the installation looked totally abandoned. Data himself went up to the front door and found a hand-written sign waiting for him there.

Dr. Gerkin – Dr. Rossa said that you wished to stay behind. All security locks have been disabled. Dr. Hollund is already inside. It's just you two now. It's been a pleasure working with you. Perhaps I'll see you on 'the Other Side'. ~Dr. Keay

Pushing past this letter, Data went inside.

The area was essentially a modified "bunker", at least from the looks of it. It wasn't the "warmest" of atmospheres, and immediately Data proceeded through what had to be a military checkpoint in front of an entrance. This world lacked even the basics of metal detectors, but it seemed to be an area where one would be "patted down" and have to present a badge before entering. Only a formality now. Beyond that there were several doors stretched down a long hallway. Some were offices. Some were "think tanks". Many of them, however, were labs of a sort. That was evidenced by the large hallway and the metal shutters adjacent to each lab. It appeared they were meant to be able to wheel out large pieces of machinery that had been crafted in the lab. It seemed at least some "assembly" was allowed here, but that most components would go off site.

There were several floors to this installation, but all of them went underground. Data descended those floors, went past further checkpoints, opened several heavy doors that were locked, and went further and further down. The labs grew bigger as he descended. All was closed and quiet, however. Each move he made echoed loud and long throughout the abandoned facility. There was no telling how many people had worked in here before, but now there was no one.

It wasn't until the bottommost floor that Data heard the sounds of movement. It was coming from the last, and largest, hallway. He looked down, and saw, through the repeating monotony of doorways, there was a single one that was open with a light on inside. He began to approach this one, and as he neared, the sounds of his own clicking footsteps became drowned out by the sounds of frequent ruffling of papers, as if someone was desperately searching for something.

Data continued to approach until he reached the open doorway, at which point he looked inside. The room within was a mess. It was littered not only with papers, notes, and open books everywhere, but also a large amount of early electronics. All of it was big and bulky, made from oversized materials that were crude and imperfect by 23rd century standards. There were a few chalkboards that had been sketched on erased and resketched at least a hundred times, and many plates of half-eaten food and drink that had not been disposed of. Some of it was moldy. But most notable was what was in the center of it.

A very large array of machinery…so large that one could literally walk around inside of it going through the various oversized electronic components to service individual parts. The android couldn't tell instinctively what the purpose was, but looking around it appeared to be some sort of telemetry equipment…

There was a single individual there, looking around frantically at a stack of paper pads. Each one he looked over, he growled and threw aside, adding them to a growing pile on the floor and picking up another one. He looked as if he hadn't slept or shaved in a long time, and his actions showed signs of extreme fatigue. But he wasn't stopping. He almost madly looked through one pile of paper after another. He didn't even seem to notice Data at first.

The android looked a moment, and then walked in a bit further. On seeing he still hadn't noticed him, he called out. "Dr. Hollund, I presume?"

"Eh?" The man answered before looking up. On seeing Data, he immediately went into motion again. "Dr. Gerkin! Thank the gods at least one other so-called 'genius' in this overgrown weapons depot hasn't given up yet… Don't just stand there, man! We're running out of time every second we stand around idly! Find my notebook from the 18th! We can't afford to waste testing out any more frequencies we've already gone through!"

Data was a bit puzzled at this, but rather than stand around and ask further questions at this time, detecting the "irate" state this man was in, he stepped inside. He went over to the nearest discarded notebook (which wasn't hard), picked it up, and looked over the front of it before flipping through it. Based on his understanding of numbers, it looked like the book was filled with nothing but numeric data…but it also had what he assumed was a date on the top of it. With that in mind, he began to look through other notebooks for one with a number for the 18th.

"They think I'm crazy, Gerkin…they think we're crazy…" Hollund said as he continued to look through notebooks. "Well, if now isn't a time to be crazy or desperate, I don't know what is! Damnit…we might have already had a way out if it wasn't for them continuously cutting my funding… All they ever cared about was us building bigger tanks and bombs. Things that could help them change the world when we should have been making things to change the course of our civilization. Now we've only got about five days left to do it ourselves…"

"I have found a notebook for the 18th."

Hollund quickly turned and went over to the android as he held it up. However, on looking at it, the man growled.

"No, no, Gerkin! Get your head out of the clouds! This is from three years ago! I need the one for this month!"

"My apologies." Data calmly answered, knowing from his studies that a calm answer tended to calm down others when shouting, and resuming his looking. Soon, Hollund broke off, shaking his head, and went back again.

"No…no, I apologize… Stress is getting to me…" Hollund went on. "It's just there's so little time… It's important that we succeed as soon as possible… My machine is our only hope. But I need to know which bands we've already tried or we'll be wasting whatever time we have left…"

"Pardon me, doctor." Data interjected as he kept searching, actually applying a hint of his "android speed" to look through more notebooks. Luckily, he knew from the notes Q gave him what month and year it was currently, so he'd be more effective. "But I thought you were only working on long range telemetry to be relayed off of satellites if and when the nation of Etan could launch its first."

"Yes, yes, yes…but that's irrelevant now, Gerkin. My machine can be put to a better use." Hollund said as he kept looking through the notebooks. "This may be a shot in a million…a billion…even a trillion but it's the only reasonable shot we've got. As soon as I have the proper listings of 'empty' frequencies I'm going to start wheeling my machine upstairs in sections, assemble it on the grounds, and devote every last minute of life this planet has to broadcast into space. If I hurry I think I can move it and assemble it all in 24 hours. That gives a good four days of sending out frequencies."

Data paused in his work and looked to him. "Sending out frequencies into space, doctor?"

He sighed. "I know, I know it's next to useless…something from the comic books…but it's something, Gerkin. There's a teeny, tiny, remote chance that if I send out as many signals on as many frequencies as possible into as many directions as possible…that maybe, somehow, somewhere, someone out there is listening. Someone will actually pick up on that."

"Someone?"

"A different civilization, Gerkin. Like I've been telling you all for years…worlds with technology and societies greater than our own. Worlds with spaceships capable of easily moving from one world to another. With weapons capable of shattering comets. Someone who can help us, doctor. Someone who can save us." He exhaled as he kept looking. "I know the chances are infinitesimal. Even if I make contact, there's no guarantee they can understand us. Even if they understand us, there's no guarantee they're friendly and willing to help. Even if they're friendly and willing to help, there's no guarantee they can. But damnit, man…it's better than just sitting around waiting to die!" He turned to Data. "You understand that better…than…"

Dr. Hollund trailed off and stared. Data was using his enhanced speed to go through about eight different journals a second at this point. However, after only a moment longer, he found what he was looking for. Blinking once, he rose and went over to the dumbfounded scientist, holding out the journal.

"Here it is, doctor."

The man stared a moment, then only slowly and stiffly took the journal from him. He blinked a few times himself, shaking his head, and then looked away.

"I…I must be more stressed than I thought… I think I'm starting to hallucinate…"

"Perhaps a period of rest is in order."

"No…no…" Hollund immediately answered, shaking his head. "The time for rest is over… We've no time for it…"

The android paused momentarily.

"…In that case, perhaps it would be more advantageous for you to show me the inner workings of your machine, Dr. Hollund. Then if you collapse from fatigue or are forced to eat or rest, I can proceed with whatever work you wished to accomplish."

Hollund hesitated a moment, thinking about that, but then began to nod.

"Yes…yes, that's a good idea. Good thinking. It'll take a bit more time but it'll be worth it. I'll start explaining it while I'm charting these frequencies…"

It took several hours, and it was well past nightfall by the time he was done, but Data now knew the device "inside and out". No doubt, he had raised several questions to Dr. Hollund that had confused the man more than once, but the android wasn't interested in learning just the basic or even the advanced operation. He had to know the science behind it. What power it was using and how much it could tolerate. What the specific materials were made of and how powerful they could be. He wanted to know what these were capable of. And he used what spare cycles he had during this time to also look up what other materials were available on base.

Through taking in all of this information, he slowly but surely began to put an idea together…

As the evening went on, Dr. Hollund showed more and more fatigue. He began to make small mistakes. He had trouble remembering things. He would write a great deal down only to erase it again. He looked like he was nodding more than once. Data, on the other hand, was functioning at full capacity without difficulty. However, the change soon became obvious not only to the android, but also to Hollund.

The scientist leaned over and grasped his eyes for a moment. "Feels like I haven't blinked in a week…" He groaned.

Data looked to him momentarily. "If I may, doctor…I believe that a break period is in order."

Hollund shook his head. "No…I can't stop now…too much is at stake…" He slowly answered. A moment passed, and he frowned. "But…then again…at this point I think I'm messing up so much that I'm probably causing more delays by not taking a break." He looked to Data. "I don't want to sleep until we get the transmitter moved topside and then get broadcasting. After that, I can leave you to it and we can sleep in shifts. But…" He exhaled. "…I suppose a short break for food and drink wouldn't hurt. The numbers on these pages are starting to 'run together'."

The android gave a nod. "Very good, doctor. I'll continue to work here. There are a few components I'd like to get a look at."

By now, Hollund was too tired to dispute that. He merely nodded distractedly as he pushed himself out of the chair and to a standing position for the first time in hours. He paused to stretch and let the blood flow back into them, and then stiffly began to walk for the door. After a moment, he was gone.

Only when the scientist had vacated did Data arise from his own position and move over to the device. He stepped inside one of the "gaps" and began to look at various components, already calculating in his positronic net the likelihood of replacing them based on the materials that were present inside the laboratory. He had already done many such calculations, and he just wanted to confirm a few final things…

"Well now, Mr. Data, would you care to update me on your progress?"

The android, again, didn't register surprise in spite of the sudden changes to the room and area he was sensing, but he did look up and turned to his let, and saw the familiar form of Q, still in the red Starfleet uniform, looking at him casually with arms crossed.

After a moment, Data began to walk out of the device. "I have discovered that this long range telemetric device that Dr. Hollund is working on employs technology, in spite of the crude materials, that is advanced for the comparable time period on Earth. It seems even with this quality he has determined a way to 'accelerate' radio signals, at least in a focused beam. Such technology didn't appear in the Federation until the 2100s. Therefore, Dr. Hollund's earlier assessment, that beaming signals into space would have an infinitesimally small chance of contacting someone, is not quite as unlikely as he predicted."

"Do tell." Q said as he went over to the nearest chair and sat down. He looked over at a several-hours-old breakfast pastry that had been ignored and, after a moment, decided to pick it up. He took a bite, and immediately gagged and spat it out, gesturing with his finger to turn the pastry into a chocolate sundae and eating that instead.

"While it is likely Dr. Hollund could never contact anyone with the device as-is, I am knowledgeable enough with this world's materials and technology to be able to enhance it. I also know where to aim it so that it runs into the same trajectory course as the Enterprise. Ever since the incident with the mechanical life form in 2273, all Federation starships maintain detection of basic radio waves as part of their standard sensor sweeps. It would only be a matter, once the device is on the surface and properly assembled, of two hours to send a signal to the Enterprise."

"Mmhmm." Q said with a nod as he ate another bite, eating around the cherry on purpose. "And if you did that…?"

"If Theta Apis II was able to signal the Enterprise under its own volition using its own tech, such would be a gesture of Theta Apis II making first contact with the Federation. Such would upgrade its status on the table for civilization development, and would authorize the USS Enterprise-D to intervene in the upcoming disaster."

"Well, well, Mr. Data…" Q said as he plucked the cherry off of his sundae, turned it into a copy of the old pastry, and put it back where it was before, then standing up. "Looks like you're fully on top of this. And it didn't even take a full 24 hours. Seems you've got this little 'quiz' in the bag. Well then…care to share your findings with Dr. Hollund when he gets back so I can just whisk you away back to the Enterprise? I reason even his sleep-deprived, primate-level brain would be able to handle at least that task."

Data didn't answer. He bowed his head a moment, getting one of his "thoughtful expressions", before looking back to the transmitter. He continued to stand and stare for a few moments.

Q turned his head. "What's the matter, Data? You've just saved the civilization of this world. Shouldn't you hurry up and get this transmitter going so that there's plenty of time for the Enterprise to act once it arrives?"

The android looked back to him.

"That's just it. Timing is, for the most part, irrelevant at this stage." He went on. "I performed many calculations en route to this world. The ionization field around the comet prevents photon detonations from either breaking it apart or from deflecting it. Phasers might be effective at 'slicing it apart', but as they are designed for cutting and piercing rather than impact, the comet cannot be deflected by them, and slicing the comet into pieces might cause one of the resulting fragments to have an even more disastrous impact against the planet even if the Enterprise had sufficient time to cut it into pieces. Any operation involving the tractor beam, in addition, would take a great deal of time on further analysis…likely too great to actually save the world. After all, if the Enterprise was contacted now and shifted to maximum warp, I have calculated this planet would only have four hours before impact on arrival. I cannot guarantee that the tractor beam would be able to be enhanced in such a way to remove the comet or deflect it without further analysis. Based on Starfleet protocol, the course of action would be to begin to beam out individuals on the planet to relocate to a new world."

"And what's so terribly wrong with that?"

"The Enterprise, stretching its limits and resources, given the current crew, could handle, at most, 2,500 refugees of Theta Apis II."

"And?"

"There are 1.2 billion individuals living on this world."

Q paused a bit, smirking a little. "…Ah. Well, as they say, 'such is life'. True, it may be an incidence of a massive genetic bottleneck, not to mention the 'emotional tragedy' that sentient mortals fixate so much on… 'Oh, I've lost my family and friends and home and world and everything that was dear to me…blah, blah, blah…'. And of course there's the whole 'moral quandary' in there about who gets to pick and choose the less than 0.001% who get to live and who gets to die. Now is not a time to be 'squeamish', Mr. Data. Do you want to let a few sentiments get in the way of preventing the only chance of survival this civilization has?"

The android was silent. He thought over these things a bit longer. After a moment or two, he looked up.

"Q, I am not convinced that this is the 'answer' you spoke of."

"Oh, you're not, are you?" The entity answered. "Are you sure?"

"You told me 'a way to save the world' was in front of me. Saving 2,500 individuals of the sentient life form on this planet and ignoring the others, to say nothing of the plants, animals, bacteria, and other life forms, is not what I would consider 'saving the world'. I wish to look for an alternate solution."

"Is that your 'current answer', Mr. Data?"

The android nodded.

"Then by all means, continue." Q answered. "I suggest you start by not wasting any more time in this room if you're convinced this 'isn't the answer'. Old Dr. Hollund will be passing out at the 'what-passes-for-coffee' station on this world right about now, so you have a good two hours to look for something else in here. Happy hunting."

With another flash, Q disappeared.

While the entity had been known for causing mischief in the past and his disdain for "sentient mortals" was still clear, Data honestly didn't think Q was attempting to trick him or mislead him. As he said earlier, he would offer "pointers" from time to time, and he believed now was one of those times. With that in mind, Data immediately began to step out from the transmitter to look elsewhere…

Data didn't have to look far. He was already on the bottom level of the facility. Just a bit further, he noticed the last few rooms that were "opened" had to be done so by force. It looked like cutting torches had been used to melt the locks clean off. He headed for the one that showed the most "cutting" and stepped inside, and soon found there was an additional checkpoint in here.

But it was what was beyond it that got most of Data's attention.

Apparently, many of those radioactive isotopes that had been detected from long range scanners were located right here. There was only a reasonably small amount of it and Data assumed that there had to be some sort of particle accelerator buried underneath this facility to make more, although it was probably for very small amounts for testing or prototyping rather than production.

What also interested Data were the various devices located inside the laboratory. He could tell after looking over a few of them that many were designed for "controlled explosions". Putting that together with the radioactive materials, it soon became clear that this was the Etan government's "pride and joy", and the objective that Earth had in a similar time period.

They were trying to develop an atomic bomb.

Not being an expert on such an archaic and outdated technology, Data couldn't be certain about their progress or chances of making a weapon. However, from a purely "technical" standpoint, the android realized they had gotten fairly far. They at least knew the concepts of a supercritical mass and had been producing sufficient fissionable radioactive materials for such a purpose. Rather than using the "implosive" type device, it appeared they were trying to do something more akin to the Little Boy weapon that was used on Hiroshima in the early 20th century. A far cry from the weapons in use during Earth's "Cold War", and an even farther cry from the nuclear warheads used in the first Federation/Romulan war. However, there was no question what they were developing would be the strongest weapon ever conceived by this world. And he managed to learn quick just on the few notes scattered around…

He had learned quite a bit over the course of two and a half hours, when he heard a shout from behind him.

"Gerkin!"

The android looked up calmly and back to the door, seeing a rather irate Hollund standing there.

"What in the name of the gods are you doing in here?! You let me fall asleep and stay that way for almost three hours! Didn't I tell you time was of the essence?" He began to storm inside. "And what are you doing in here anyway?! We need to get my transmitter topside!"

"Dr. Hollund," Data answered, still calm and composed. "Are you aware of what this weapon is?"

The scientist, while still angry, hesitated a moment. He looked to the device and then back. "I've got an idea, yes. This wasn't my department, though. Some sort of new bomb that utilizes splitting atomic nuclei. It was supposed to be a lot greater than a normal weapon."

"Do you know how far the device was from completion?"

Hollund frowned a bit more. "I haven't the foggiest. Dr. Rast and Dr. Mordenkainen were the ones who were the major experts and they're long gone. I thought I heard something about a 'potential test' in two months… But what does that matter?"

The android turned fully to him. "Dr. Hollund, do you think this device could be used as a method of dealing with the incoming comet?"

The scientist snorted. In spite of that, however, his earlier mood has eased up. "Don't be a fool, Gerkin. Two months from the first test is hardly a 'perfected weapon'. And even if it was, this thing doesn't have nearly the payload to be able to do anything about a comet that large. And even if it did, a fat lot of good it does us here on this world." He gave a dismissive wave at the device. "My radio has a better chance of saving us than this hunk of scrap, and that is saying something."

"I wouldn't be so certain." Data answered. "According to my records, our group was only about three weeks from attempting another rocket launch, this time to try and attempt a full orbit of this world. It is my understanding that the pad and bulk of the rocket have already been placed."

The man groaned. "…So?"

"This rocket was given an extra large payload compared to previous tests. It was preparation for an attempt to place an artificial satellite in orbit on the next attempt."

"Again…so?"

"I believe I could make some modifications to the existing blueprints that would enable the rocket to have enough power to go into the path of the comet carrying this weapon with it."

Again, Hollund gave a snorting chuckle. "You've gone mad, Gerkin. You've been working on that rocket for months trying to get it just right, and now you want to throw it all to the wind to try and scrape something together in a few days? And you want to play 'nuclear physicist' while you're at it to try and finish a weapon that wasn't even ready for a test? And what good do you think it will do? This little 'pea shooter' against something of that size?"

"Based on my rocketry information, it might do a great deal." Data calmly answered, still not changing. "But to be certain, I will need to see more information. Was any researcher here doing specific studies on the comet?"

Hollund frowned again. "Dr. Finile, but…"

"Could you show me to his materials?"

The scientist sighed. "…This is a waste of time and we're losing more time by the second-"

"If I do not find what I'm looking for, I will assist you with completing your project and I assure you that we will have success." The android responded. "But I believe we will have greater success through this endeavor."

Hollund raised an eyebrow. "You 'assure' me? How can you make that claim, Gerkin?"

"As you have pointed out already…time is short." Data answered. "And the sooner I see this information, the sooner I can be done and proceed with your project."

The man hesitated a moment, frowning some more, but groaned. "…Only because I didn't get enough rest, Gerkin, and I need you to hurry up and be done with this. I think this is a fool's errand, but then again mine's not that better… If it will get you back on task, then fine. His workstation was a couple rooms back. I'm surprised you didn't talk with him more and know this already, though…" He said as he turned and began to walk back out again.

"So am I." The android responded. "I hope this does not mean his data will not be helpful."

Hollund paused at that, looking confused, but he sighed, shook his head, and led on anyway.

It took a bit longer than Data could have done on his own, even with Hollund helping him. After all, it would have taken him only a few moments to flip through the records and get all the information he needed. However, the android realized he would be more effective with at least one individual assisting him, and so he took the moment to explain what he found to Hollund. In truth, he had gained most of the information he needed from the long-range sensors back on the Enterprise. He would have preferred if he could have returned to it for a few moments; just long enough to use the more advanced equipment there to finalize his findings. Not having that luxury as Q said he would not be able to return, he instead had to rely on whatever information was obtained on this world. It was far more crude than what the Enterprise was capable of, but it did have the advantage of being "closer" enough to make out things the long-range sensors had not.

After getting numerous details about the path of the comet and restraining Hollund from walking out more than once, clearly getting more anxious and irritable at this, he finally talked him into coming over to a table and showing him some of the pictures.

"So you can see, based on Dr. Finile's findings of the wavelength of light coming from the comet, it appears as if a great deal of hydrogen gas is erupting from it. And based on the ionization taking place, one would assume that the gas would bear a great deal of deuterium and tritium within it."

"I'm not sure how you can conclude that…that…'ionization' whatsit…" Hollund answered with a grumble. "But what does this have to do with anything?"

"I will address that momentarily. Note the path of the comet. It is not making for a direct impact but rather a 'glancing blow'. Do you agree?"

"Hardly matters based on what it's going to do to our world, but yes."

"So if the path of the comet could be diverted at the proper time by just a few degrees, there is a good chance that it would 'skim' off of the atmosphere rather than make any sort of impact at all."

Hollund, for the first time, paused on hearing that, seeming to realize what he was saying. Yet it quickly faded.

"That may be true, but it doesn't matter. We're still missing two parts: a force big enough to deflect it and a way to hit it before it's too late."

"I believe we have both." The android answered. "As I indicated before, it's possible that the rocket could be reconfigured to make impact with the comet prior to the path being impossible to divert. It will take a great deal of time and energy and we would have to start extremely soon if there's to be any hope for success, but I believe it's possible. We would have to start the calculations soon and I will need additional date about the nature of the comet to make it work, but it is far more feasible than a radio signal potentially being picked up at random by an extraterrestrial entity."

Data had to make sure to included "at random". Technically, there was still a greater chance the Enterprise would pick it up and he wasn't big on "lying"…although he believed he was getting the hang of "half-truths".

Hollund hesitated again, but still shook his head. "Useless. That half-assembled bomb there couldn't possibly have enough power to make an appreciable difference on the course at this stage. We'd need twenty of these and to start hitting it weeks ago."

"Which brings me back to my point about the hydrogen gas." Data responded. "If the bomb can be made to start working using the available enriched materials, it might be possible to use the bomb not purely as an explosive device, but as a source of incredible heat and pressure. Enough to force the deuterium and tritium to interact and form helium nuclei. Possibly enough to start a chain reaction."

The scientist paused again. For the first time, his irritation at the delay seemed to divert completely. He actually went open-mouthed a moment.

"…A fusion explosion. One that would have a far, far greater yield than the bomb alone would…"

Data waited for a moment as the scientist thought of these things. The man's mind seemed to ruminate over it, starting to finally see how this all came together. And when it did, a light of hope started to grow in his vision he hadn't had before. After a moment, he moistened his lips.

"This…is still an incredibly small chance… With the little data we have on hand…the amount that we need to get done…most of which will have to be pure guesswork…" He muttered. "And you're right, even if we start now there's a good chance we won't get close…but…"

He paused again, growing more excitable as he looked back up to the android.

"It could work. Great gods, it might just work. Even if it doesn't, it's a better shot than anything else we've got so far…" He tightened his hands a bit and looked about. "We…we need to get started right away… Where is that damnable rocket, anyway? I hope you know something about how to finish this thing because I certainly don't… Yet you seem confident to know how."

"Not just yet." The android responded. "Before this plan has any chance of success, we must know exactly what to do before we get started. We only have time for one attempt and the angle of the rocket, the time of impact, and the location of impact against the comet must be precise. For that, we need more information on the incoming comet. I was unable to find what I was searching for in here. It seems Dr. Finile's data is not completely present within this room. We must find the rest. We do not have the time to both measure accurate measurements from the comet and perfect both the bomb and the rocket in time."

Dr. Hollund had been rising at this point, but he paused again here. His face looked a bit troubled, and he turned away and mused a moment. However, his eyes widened soon after as he looked back to the android with realization.

"He told me he had done most of his work out of home as of late. He must have taken most of the technical data home. Most of those military types wouldn't be able to make heads or tails of the numbers anyway so I'm guessing it was never 'classified'…"

"Do you know which home is his?" Data asked as he began to rise. "I shall run there as fast as possible and go inside. I believe it would be an act of a 'necessary crime' to break into the house and look for the information at this time."

"I'll do better than that." Hollund answered as he turned and began to run for the door. "I'll take you to the vehicle I got the head of security to leave me. He wasn't going to be using it. It'll be faster to drive."

It seemed taking one of the vehicles was a much better course of action than trying to go back on foot. Although at top speed Data could be rather quick, he still couldn't compare to the speed of one of the motorized vehicles. And although he had a definite plan of action in mind now, time was still short. They needed all the help they could get to have any chance of success. Data was a science officer, after all, not a miracle worker, and this entire plan would have a much better chance if Geordi or any other Starfleet engineer was present. As it was, some of the time would have to be devoted to teaching Hollund how to perform certain tasks, narrowing the window even more.

There was no one stopping them from taking the vehicle, and there was no one stopping them at the gate either. By that point, Data noticed the base was nearly abandoned. He had assumed that would be what was going to happen earlier, but now it definitely looked deserted. Morning was beginning to break as they drove back to town. Yet as they neared, there were no lights on and no sign of early-morning activity. The town had been "dead" enough yesterday, but as they drove into the city proper…they saw more disturbing sights.

Apparently, there had been some sort of violence last night. The first block or so were alright, but then it looked as if there had been a struggle. Signs of homemade fires (likely made from high proof alcohol and rags), tire damage, broken store windows, a few loose bricks…and lots and lots of bullet casings and holes. And it wasn't much farther from here that they noticed something even more distressing: a dead body. It was soon joined by more.

Driving down a bit further, they saw more corpses littering the streets along with more damage. The bodies were the only people out. There was no sign of anyone else. While there were no "piles" of dead, there was a body here and there, many of them looking like they had been chased down. The android, who wasn't driving (leaving that task to the more experienced Hollund), noted that many of them seemed to have some sort of papers on them similar to the ones the young man from earlier had been passing out. Others looked as if they had been trying to loot stores when they were gunned down. In spite of that, however, he noticed two things. There was no way that every single person in town had been shot based on the small number of bodies, but there were also no signs of any police or military now in addition to any other people.

Hollund grimaced as he saw a body right in the road in their path. "…This isn't possibly everyone in town, and it doesn't look like an invasion. That means there had to be a riot last night…and the government no longer cares how many of our bullets it spends killing its own citizens." He looked around a bit. "…I hoped someone would at least have the decency and courage to come out and cover these people up…"

"Are you wishing that we should stop and do so?" Data asked.

"Eh? Of course not, we don't have time for that." Hollund answered. "I just…just wish they would… But it looks like the military's gone now. Maybe they pulled out some time after the riots or during the night… Or maybe they just started going AWOL in droves. Can't blame them between this mass killing and that…"

He gestured to the sky. Data himself had looked up there before and noticed, although only slightly, the comet was definitely larger today. By now it was no longer a speck but something more overt and distinctive, and definitely nearing. What "suspension of disbelief" that people could have had that everything was going to be "alright" was gone. Assuming rumors of the comet bringing death to the entire planet weren't already everywhere, they had to be spreading like wildfire now. Perhaps this last act of violence had been a horrendous move to try and shock people into staying indoors for the last few days and avoid rioting.

The scientist frowned and shook his head. "Pointless. All of it. Why not just let it go?" He sighed. "Unless we succeed, of course, Gerkin. And, unfortunately…these deaths are just creating roadblocks. I think I can spare enough decency, to say nothing of time, to drive around them at least…but if we succeed we need to do something about this. This is a military town with decent people. Let's hope the rest of the nation and the planet hasn't gone completely barbaric by the time we launch…"

He gunned the engine a bit as he drove between two more bodies. Data said nothing more but looked out at one of them as they passed. It looked a lot like the proprietor of the café he had been in the morning before.

The neighborhood where Dr. Gerkin's house was located was mostly untouched. If there had been any unrest, rioting, and violence, it hadn't been in this neighborhood. For the most part, it still looked perfectly normal. And because of that, Dr. Hollund put the car up to full throttle for the last few blocks before they finally arrived. He quickly drove them down a little ways and then came to a stop in front of one of the homes, which was about four houses down and across the street from "Data's".

The scientist practically leapt out of the vehicle without turning off the engine. "I'll head in here. Give me a few minutes. I'll call you if I need a hand. I don't want someone stealing the vehicle or we'll lose even more time…or some looter with a weapon standing in our way."

He said these things while in motion, moving away from the vehicle and almost turning as he did so. After that, he rushed right up to the house. He tried the door first but, on it not opening, he simply went for an ornamental stone on the lawn and proceeded to smash in the window in the front, then quickly knocked out the glass to come inside.

Data began to remove himself from the vehicle as he did so, just to stand alongside of it rather than remain within. He didn't believe that there was a risk of looters or rioters attacking them, although if they did he preferred to make himself a more "tempting" target. That way they would likely be subdued more quickly. By the time he exited, Hollund was already climbing inside, and the android looked up and down the street. After all, if there were any members of the military left, they might construe this as something illegal.

"Psst. Oh, Data!"

The android, hearing the voice of Q, didn't question much of the oddness of the occurrence or the fact that it seemed to come from right in front of him. Unlike the other members of the crew, he could adjust his positronic net to not be so "easily shocked" and to not take too many things about "reality" for granted. He looked forward and, sure enough, he saw Q instead of his own reflection looking at him through a side view mirror on the vehicle.

"Think now might be a good time to run back to Dr. Gerkin's?" He asked him, in a tone that indicated a bit something more… "It might be easier to grab some notes for Hollund to read rather than trying to giving him a course in Rocketry 101 while working. Just a hint."

In a flash of light, he was gone.

Data paused a moment. In truth, the possibility had occurred to him that it might make sense to try and grab some of Gerkin's own notes to assist Hollund in getting "caught up enough" to be a help, but he had decided mostly against it. Many of those notes were flawed. As a science officer, Data had far more accurate thoughts in mind. Plus, he realized they needed to get to work making a much more volatile fuel type than what they were using right now if the rocket was to have any chance of getting far enough to hit the comet at the right point, and since most of Gerkin's information was using an inferior fuel type, he didn't think the old notes would be of that much use.

However, he honestly didn't think Q had told him that information lightly.

The android took a moment to look back into the broken window. No sign of Hollund and no word from him either. As he had just entered, it would be some time before he would even find the notes , let alone the ones he wanted to take. And there was no sign of anyone, military or otherwise, up and down the street or in the city proper. If he would have time to "sneak away", now would be a good time. Waiting for him to return would delay things further. With that in mind, Data elected to act. Turning away from the house and the running vehicle, he quickly brought his speed to bear and began to run down the street, back to "his" house.

In no time at all, Data was down the street and at the walkway, which he quickly took. Already, his processor was deducing where the notes he needed were located based on what he had read yesterday. He didn't think too many of them would be of use, but there were a few in the study that might help Hollund a bit. With that in mind, he quickly moved to the front of the house and grasped the doorknob. He found it unlocked. He knew he hadn't locked it yesterday on leaving, but he wondered if Glinda had forgotten to do so. According to his records, it was generally expected for housekeepers to lock up after themselves. A third possibility, the fact that the house may have intruders of a sort, entered his mind as he pushed the door open, but he decided to give it the benefit of the doubt.

On opening up and stepping inside, he received a bit of an unexpected "fourth" possibility.

A child, girl humanoid by the looks of her, was smiling as she was going about the foyer with what Data assumed was this world's version of a "feather duster". She seemed to be having a "happy" time with it, clearly treating her chore as partially a game.

The android was speechless as he entered. He tried to think of a likely reason why a girl would be in the house and dusting. Yet as the door swung to behind him, the girl looked up a bit, seeming to notice him for the first time, and then grinned.

"Hi, Dr. Gerkin!" She called out cheerily. "You came home too early! We're not done cleaning yet!"

The android blinked, clearly puzzled by this. He was about to ask the child what her reason was for being there and to elaborate, but before a word could be said, he already heard the click of footsteps approaching. Based on the sounds, he could assume it was Glinda based on his records of yesterday.

Soon afterward, the woman rushed into the room. On looking at her, Data could tell something had definitely changed. Although she had done her hair and face as before and was once again in a housekeeper's "work clothing", she definitely looked like she had moved "in a rush", and also looked like she was trying to suppress a large amount of tension and anxiety. She definitely seemed fearful at first on walking in, although she tried to smooth it out quickly and force a smile, more like yesterday.

"Oh…er…oops!" She called out in a tone that seemed somewhat more "child-orientated". "Looks like Dr. Gerkin stayed out all night and came in early, Jezze. We'll just have to finish cleaning while he's here."

"We were going to surprise you." The girl, Jezze, answered as she finished dusting and turned fully to him. "Both mommy and I were going to work hard all day and make the house more bea-u-ti-ful than ever for you. She even said I got to skip going to school today so I could help." She frowned and pouted a bit. "But you're home way too early… Mommy said you hadn't slept in your bed but I hoped you had already left so we could be done before you got back…"

"Er, Jezze?" Glinda suddenly spoke up, stopping the girl and causing her to turn to her. "Could you go into the kitchen for a bit? Mommy has a whole stack of plates she just washed that need drying."

"Aw…" The girl whined. "Dusting is a lot more fun…" She moped. However, she did as she was told. She turned and walked out of the foyer, passing by Glinda, and soon going through the hall toward the kitchen far in the back. Before she got there, however, her footsteps had largely faded and she began to sing a nursery rhyme of a sort to herself. When that happened, Glinda's own face turned downcast again. Her anxiety returned, and she looked a bit nervously to Data. The android himself, who hadn't even had a chance to speak since coming in, turned his head slightly.

"Ms. Empine, I am confused. Why did you bring your daughter here to assist in cleaning today?"

The woman paused a moment. She still seemed rather anxious and troubled, but finally she inhaled and exhaled.

"Doctor…please, after last night…" She trailed off here and sighed. "…You may have been at your lab all last night so you don't know. But please…last night…" She slowly inhaled and exhaled again. "…Last night I went into my daughter's room when the first gunshots woke her up and I had to sit up with her for five hours, lying and saying there were fireworks going on in town, and that people shouting 'it's the end of the world' were just using figures of speech. And I woke up with a case of shattered nerves seeing one group of soldiers after another hijack vehicles and go out of town as fast as they could, most of them acting like maniacs themselves."

She swallowed and looked up.

"I'm not a fool. I realize it. Everyone does. That comet…it's going to hit us, isn't it?"

Data was silent a moment. He very quickly ran an evaluation algorithm mentally of the pros and cons of telling Glinda the truth. With the military pulled out, rioting clearly beginning, and only four days remaining, he decided that it made little difference.

"It will be a 'glancing blow', but if you're asking whether or not the results will be catastrophic to this world…yes."

"How 'catastrophic'?"

"…It is extremely unlikely any life besides the most primitive bacteria will survive."

Glinda stared back a moment, and then, in spite of the situation, made a weak smile and a snicker. "…I don't believe you, doctor. You just said it's the end of the world, and you're reporting it like it's a quote on the value of a company." She hesitated, but then exhaled as she lost her smile. "…But I don't blame you. Not at all. Not anymore." She grimaced a bit and looked around, sighing and putting her hands up in a helpless shrug.

"I mean…look at me. Here I am at your house, the same as always. I thought of skipping it…staying home…but then I realized there's no point. I've got nothing else. Part of the reason I took the job to work near the base was because it's just me and Jezze. Most people just live here temporarily but I've got nowhere else… Even if I owned a vehicle there's nowhere for me to go. And I don't want to just drive around aimlessly until it's too late…"

Data continued to listen patiently, and eventually Glinda shook her head and looked back to him.

"School's canceled. They didn't announce it, of course, but…no one's there. I left early to check and then I lied and said Jezze can stay home. I'm…trying not to let her know about it. I guess I should be honest, but I don't want her to spend the last few days we have scared to death…" She paused, and then swallowed. "…How long do we have, doctor? Do you know?"

"Four days." Data responded. "However, before you think that all is hopeless, I should tell you that I'm working on a way with Dr. Hollund to save this world."

A light immediately went into Glinda's eyes before her face widened. "A way to…" She began to echo, some faint hope trickling into her voice. "Seriously? That…that comet is as big as a small moon, I heard… How can we-"

"I'm afraid going into the details at this point would take too long." Data responded. "Time is very short if our plan is to have any success. I only stopped in momentarily to pick up Technical Manuals 78AS-9-12 through 18. I need to meet up with Dr. Hollund soon and return to the laboratories at Red Haven at the military base. We must leave soon and begin shortly."

"But…" She began to protest, clearly wanting to know more. However, she cut herself off soon after. She seemed to realize what he was saying. She opened her mouth again, seeming to want to at least know some details, but closed it again soon after. "…Alright. I definitely won't stall you, then. You should hurry. I want to know more, but not if it's going to ruin anything. Please, by all means."

She quickly moved to one side, as if worried she was in his way. However, Data immediately went for the stairs and began to climb them, moving up toward the study. While he wasn't usually used to saying things while in motion, he had seen it happen enough times he decided to call out.

"If you and your daughter will feel 'safer' here, you are free to continue 'cleaning the house' as long as you want and to remain here as long as you want."

Glinda still looked hung up on what he said and curious as well as anxious, but she gave a nod. "Thank you, doctor."

He continued to walk up a bit further. However, he only got a few more steps before a call went up to him.

"Doctor?"

This actually made the android pause, and he looked back down.

"…Can you tell me how good the chance is of this working?"

"I will know better within 24 hours." Data answered. "But I'm afraid I won't be returning. I advise you and your child to stay indoors either here or at your home for the next four days."

The next few hours were a buzz of activity. Realizing time was short, Data had went ahead and started revealing more of his "physical" abilities as well as his mental ones as he and Hollund went over the notes and information gathered and began to draw plans using paper and the slates present at Red Haven. By now, there was little question he was doing superior performance to a human under similar situations, and the scientist, as frazzled and focused as he was on the impending doom coming, couldn't help but stop and notice it. He questioned it once or twice, but in the end finally let it slide. Data figured he would prefer to focus on the task at hand, which was far more serious to him anyway.

After having sketched out a great deal of rough schematics and plans, involving both the bomb itself as well as the rocket path, a crude diagram of the entire plan began to take shape. There were no electronic calculators in this world. It seemed there were rooms full of mathematicians designed to perform large calculations or some sort of slide-rule equivalent for that sort of thing. Fortunately, Data's own ability to "crunch numbers" was superior to that of any group of humanoids on this world. The android currently pointed to a sketch of the rocket on the globular surface of Theta Apis II.

Taking a moment to look to the watch Q gave him, he began to sketch numbers. "Based on our current resources, I believe we must load the rocket with the Batch 9, Lot 12 fuel blend to be able to make it to the desired point of impact. We must take several factors into account. The rocket must not only have sufficient time and fuel to reach the point of impact, but it must also not have such intense fuel that it deforms its structure. It must make impact. Simply placing it in space has far too many errors. And naturally it must not detonate early."

"You were saying four months ago that compound was far too unstable. That it blew up the models only 200 feet after liftoff." Hollund protested. "That's why we had to use the less energetic blend."

"We do not have the luxury of many substances to choose from." Data answered. "And that batch and lot is the only one both with sufficient thrust capabilities as well as in sufficient amounts. That said, I believe by mixing in the equivalent of one-sixteenth part of Batch 7, Lot 3 and two-sixteenths parts of Batch 9, Lot 13, the result will stabilize the compound to still obtain the desired yield as well as render it stable enough to accomplish the trip."

Hollund raised an eyebrow at that, but sighed and shook his head. "Forget it… If I'm accepting that you're suddenly a nuclear physicist as well as an astronomer, Dr. Gerkin, then what's accepting that you're suddenly an expert chemist too on top of that?" He leaned up a bit. "All this work is very precise and I'm not sure how much of it I can do 'independently' without your guidance assuming you know what you're talking about…but forget that for a second. The comet will strike in-"

Data gave the appropriate number, although in terms of time that the Enterprise would use, the time was 88 hours, 12 minutes, and 45 seconds, all based on Q's watch.

"So we've got the rest of today and three days."

"Incorrect." Data responded. "Based on the fuel type we have, the rocket's ability to leave our atmosphere, and the time needed to strike the comet at the proper point with sufficient time to allow full deflection, we must allow no less than…" The number he gave was equivalent to 24 hours, 32 minutes, and 25 seconds prior to impact, meaning they should attempt to launch within the next 64 hours.

Hollund nodded, but frowned. "So now all we have to do is finish a bomb not ready for testing for months, load it on a rocket not ready for launch for weeks, load it with dangerous, discontinued fuel, fire it far outside its desired parameters, to accomplish something that might not even have the desired explosion even if everything else goes right. And we have to do this all with only two men who are going way outside of their fields."

The android gave a nod. "That is correct."

"…We should make a call to our regional director." Hollund stated after only a moment. "He might still be there. If there's anyone available…heck, even a driver…we could get some more help. We'd have a better chance…"

Data, amazingly enough, gave pause.

"…I fear the nature of our work would be too complex to allow for that, Dr. Hollund."

The scientist gave a shrug. "Maybe they can get us in touch with some of the others, then. Heck, even some extra hands would help."

"I feel we are sufficient for this endeavor. And considering how long it took just to get this far, I feel more input would only slow us down."

Hollund gave him a look. "…You're joking, right? This concerns everyone in the world, doctor. You want to risk it all on two men? Surely the government can give us something…"

"I fear we have already spent too much time outlining the plan." Data simply answered. "We must get to work at once. Please…let us go to the rocket and get to work doing the finishing details and loading it with fuel."

The scientist frowned. He held a moment, but then sighed. He began to rise soon after. "…I think we could spare at least a short while to see if anyone was available, Gerkin…but alright. I want to see how long it takes us just to do the first task. Still, first chance we get, we need to call for help. Lifting that damn bomb to the freight elevator will be hard enough…"

"I appreciate your focus, Dr. Hollund." Data said as he immediately began to follow after him.

The man merely grunted as he walked for the door.

Even with Data's natural ability in this situation, it was going to be cut very close.

Just getting to the rocket site took an hour and a half. It was located even farther out in the more barren areas of the valley, and there were numerous locked blockades to break through to reach it. They had to force their way through some, but still getting the vehicle out there wasn't easy. When they arrived, it was still light out, but as time progressed there were clearly issues of what equipment was available. Pretty much everything present at the site required electrical power and crews to work, from the tools to the lights to the fuel lines. And with only two men running around trying to do everything, as well as function as control systems and needing to make sure everything was safe, it wasn't easy. Normally they'd have entire teams of technicians helping them out.

The rocket itself wasn't much to look at. Far more crude and basic than a Runabout's primary engine, let alone anything better that Starfleet could make. Data was fortunate enough to have records of Earth's own history of rocketry as well as advanced notes, not to mention the fact that rocket had mostly been assembled. And with his ability to work far more quickly than a normal human, he quickly went about applying the finishing touches, leaving Hollund to act as a "one man crew" for all of the basic tools they had present. Still, it was quite an endeavor. Normally they'd have several engineers working at a time, not one trying to wear "every hat". And so it took a considerable time length…long enough for it to be dark when done.

The next task was getting the proper fuel on board. But before that, the mixing had to be done. It wasn't as easy with chemicals this reactive to just "dump them together and stir". It had to be done using the equipment on hand, and moving around the hoses, nozzles, valves, gaskets, and everything else associated with it just to begin mixing wasn't easy. Even when it was all in place, getting it running to work properly was slow and required waiting around for about three hours. Data and Hollund used the time to fine tune the rocket and try to modify key "weak" components so it wouldn't burn out. Even when it was done, there was the issue of getting it all properly pumped and loaded. And since the fuel was still rather unstable, the two had to "tone down" the pumping mechanisms to only slowly feed it into the rocket. Luckily, at that point, they could leave it to fuel and start heading back. Unfortunately, it was already past midnight by then. Data realized this was supposed to be the "easy" task, and yet they had spent 18 hours at it.

Indeed, Data had to hope that what bits of information he was piecing together regarding the bomb would be not only an improvement on the prototype design, but would also be faster to build.

However…such a thing got his processor thinking again about earlier. When he had found himself dismissing Dr. Hollund's request to call for additional "hands" in carrying out these tasks. In fact, he had even dismissed the call be made to the Etan government to simply inform them of their plan. Doing so would have resulted in at least national action even if no assistance was sent (assuming any was available). Yet still, it would have done a great deal to suppress panic and reinstill hope. Perhaps enough to get the military working again on "keeping order". Yet Data had found he had remained silent. And now that they were headed back, the android found he had even more time to think this over…

"Why so 'glum', Data?"

In spite of having disabled most of his warnings, the android still found himself looking up rather sharply in response to the sound of Q's voice from right next to him. It seemed he had replaced Dr. Hollund and was now driving the car, but he didn't even bother looking at the road as he kept his gaze completely on the android. Soon, he made a fist and gave him a fake "punch" in the shoulder.

"One would start to think you don't know how to enjoy yourself. It seems you found an 'alternative' to the radio idea. And while this one carries a lot more risk and I'm not about to tell you whether or not it will succeed, if it does work out you no longer have to worry about that whole moral quandary of 'saving some and leaving others to die'. It will all be taken care of. And without needing to worry about getting the Enterprise involved. Not bad, wouldn't you say?"

The android only turned his head in response.

"Based on the details I have shared with Dr. Hollund, it is reasonable to assume that should this plan succeed, he will have documented knowledge of how to build a similar bomb in the future, as well as the fundamentals of how to upgrade this weapon to generate a blast as a result of nuclear fusion rather than fission."

"Well, this planet is rather backward so it might take them a year or so, but they were so far along already on their first oversized cherry bomb…" Q answered with a shrug, taking the moment to remove his hands from the wheel and merely lay on it idly. Nevertheless, the car continued to drive itself. "I'd say that's a fair assessment."

"And the Etan military will likely return quickly and claim such notes and documentation, and use it in the future to replicate the weapon." Data went on.

"Well…" Q said with a half-chuckle. "Come now, Data. If you had the means to turn all of your opponents into scorched earth, you really wouldn't let that 'pass you by', would you? And thanks to that rocket that you're perfecting, they won't have much trouble upgrading it past the 'intercontinental bomber phase' that Earth was so hung up on and proceed right to the 'ICBM stage' that eventually did all sorts of spectacular havoc during that whole 'Eugenics War' craze." He snickered. "Oh, the Q Continuum still gets a laugh out of that one. Human ideas of genetic perfection remind me so much of preschoolers sticking toothpicks in a blob of Play-Doh and dubbing it a 'new creation'…"

"In short," Data went on, ignoring this. "By giving this world the means to save it from the comet's impact…I am ensuring that the Etan government has military superiority over all other countries on this planet."

Q paused momentarily, smiling a bit more and speaking slower.

"Philosophers on Earth do so love to think of what would have happened if Hitler had the atomic bomb first. From the experience of one who is able to warp time and space as need be to see the future, let us just say…the results aren't 'pretty'. But if the Federation truly wants to see them for itself, they'll need only keep an eye on Theta Apis II over the next twenty years or so…"

He grinned slightly.

"That is…assuming there still is a Theta Apis II that's not a radioactive wasteland or an Orwellian nightmare in twenty years. The dictator of their government will have the means to make all sentient life on this world bow to him or be destroyed, all without a single soldier ever needing to leave the comfort of his own borders. From now on it will be their way or the 'total-radioactive-annihilation'-way. So either everyone lives under Etan or, by some chance, a rival nation comes up with a bomb of their own. In either case, you're dealing with someone far less 'scrupulous' with that weapon than Earth authorities, so the chance of causing a nuclear armed conflict are much higher than that for Earth."

Data said nothing in response to this. He turned his head and looked forward again, although now he gaze had lowered to the dashboard before him. As for Q, he moved off the wheel, crossed his arms behind his head, and leaned back, putting his feet on the steering instead.

"So…is that what this is all about, Data? Afraid you're giving this planet the means to become an irradiated cinder? Or, barring a few hundred years of destruction, a Romulan Star Empire? After all, if the planet doesn't destroy itself, the people will certainly be united. United like a bunch of pigs under one farmer herding them into the slaughterhouse, but they will be united. And united worlds tend to start setting their sights on the universe. With 'destruction' and 'conquering' being their primary goal I'm sure they'll start wanting to 'annex' other less developed worlds. Of course, your Federation will be able to smite their entire civilization like bugs if they get too 'uppity', but I'm sure they'll extend plenty of 'olive branches' before then… Who knows what the next few hundred years hold?" He snickered. "Well, besides me, of course. Anyway, that's what your lovely 'Prime Directive' is there for, isn't it? To keep these little moral dilemmas from being an issue. You already know a way to decide, so just say the word and it's back to the U.S.S. Enterprise-D."

Again, the android remained silent. After a moment, Q raised an eyebrow and turned to him.

"Oh, Data…you really must stop being so 'fickle'. Would you argue that there are certain civilizations the galaxy would be better off without? Theta Apis II just happens to be one of them, that's all. And it's not like their destruction wouldn't have been 'destiny' or 'fate' if your ship hadn't happened to pass by when it did…"

"Not every individual or life form on this world is representative of a dictatorship." The android responded.

"Yes, but they'll all 'dance to their tune' soon enough."

"I would be sentencing them all to death by doing nothing."

"You might sentence millions on this world and billions on other star systems to death by sparing them." Q answered. "Look over the history books, Data. Do dictatorships normally 'go quietly' or only 'kicking and screaming'? Taking as many as they can with them?"

The android was silent again. As for Q, he cleared his throat a bit, leaned up, and gave him a pat on the shoulder.

"Well, it's not like you don't have a little less than two days left to decide…give or take depending on Hollund's disregard for speed limits…not to mention the chance that you and Hollund could launch the weapon on your own and destroy all notes afterward. The man doesn't seem to be too keen on military superiority, after all. Just decide before too long. After all, I don't think it would do too much good to brood for the last twenty four hours between when you can launch and when the inevitable happens."

With that, Q snapped his fingers…and in a flash of light Hollund was back. He didn't look like he had noticed a thing. However, he soon turned his head and looked confused when he saw Data staring at him.

"…Something wrong, Dr. Gerkin?"

The android paused momentarily.

"No, doctor. Please continue."

The sun was coming up again by the time the two returned to the base. It was still as deserted as when they left. No sign of any soldiers or guards anymore. Data didn't really expect anyone back, as this area was already high security, but there was the remote possibility that the military would have sent a different group in. And after his discussion with Q, he began to fear that. There was one way, he realized, that he could (as Geordi might say) "have his cake and eat it too". So long as the government didn't know anything about this operation, then after the launch Data could have the rocket plans and bomb plans destroyed. It may only stall the inevitable, but rival nations that could act as a "check" on power would have the chance to develop their own. He would just have to ensure Hollund's silence, and he didn't think that would be a problem.

On arriving back at Red Alpha, Data did see one thing that made him pause. Most of the ground around the area was dirt, making it susceptible to tracks. And he noticed that there was another set of wheel tracks there as well as footprints. Where they had gone to was anyone's guess, as the entire base grounds were extensive, but he could make out a few footprints that weren't military issue. Based on the sizes, he could make a guess…

At any rate, Hollund noticed none of that and quickly began to rush for the entrance. He didn't run, however. The man was clearly exhausted after all the work they had undertaken. As they began to pass through the threshold of the building, Data noticed him yawning and staggering a bit while entering.

"Perhaps you should rest for a few hours." Data asked as they passed inside. "I believe I can handle the first part of the next task by myself."

Hollund grimaced. "You amaze me, Gerkin. All that work and you don't even have bags under your eyes. I don't know what's gotten into you…madness or adrenaline or what…but frankly I don't care right now so long as your plan is sound. I'm not sure if I'm losing my mind…but I know something's definitely severely different about you. The way you're talking…the sudden knowledge you have…how you're working without being tired… I'd swear one of my earlier 'test runs' on my radio worked and I didn't know it…that some sort of extraterrestrial came here…"

Data didn't answer. To be honest, he wasn't sure how he could answer in this situation. It would likely be a violation of the Prime Directive, although at this point he was pretty sure he had committed multiple violations already. Instead, he remained silent for a few moments.

Finally, Hollund snorted. "Forget it. Like I said…so long as your plan works, I don't care who or what you are or how you know these things. I suppose I should be doubting you right now if for no other reason than I know something has to be 'up'…but I don't have the luxury of that. No one on this world does. I've just got to trust you a bit longer." He paused. "And I'll take a rest for four hours and not one second more. But you better wake me up then."

"Agreed." Data answered…right before he and Hollund both came to a stop and reacted in some surprise.

By now, they had passed under the threshold and walked past the first checkpoint, and they found a rather unexpected sight, although it was slightly "less-so" for the android. Right in front of them, arranged on the floor, were a few dolls and stuffed animals, obviously in some form of game or play time. And lying on her belly in their midst, playing with them, was Jezze. Seated on a chair that had been pulled from the security booth nearby was Glinda. She seemed to have just been watching her for a bit, holding onto one of the dolls, but when the two walked in, she looked up to both of them.

Hollund looked rather confused, but his wits were so tired at the moment he didn't immediately respond. That left Jezze the chance to look up and speak first.

"Hi, Dr. Gerkin! Mom's helping out at your workplace today!"

Glinda looked like she wasn't sure what to say. She could only swallow a bit. "Um…h-h-hello, doctor."

At this point, Hollund finally looked to Data. "You know these people, doctor?"

"This is my housekeeper and her daughter." The android responded. He paused only a moment, as Hollund began to look confused, and nearly spoke again. Yet he cut him off turning to him. "Dr. Hollund, please proceed to the lounge and get yourself situated. I will alert you in four hours."

The man was a bit surprised at Data cutting him off, and he looked inquisitively to Glinda, then back to Gerkin.

"There is nothing to worry about. I assure you." The android answered.

Hollund hesitated a little longer, but then exhaled and decided to go with it. It seemed he was too tired to fight the matter much anyway. "…Alright, I'll leave it to you." He answered before turning and beginning to walk past the two. He gave another look to Glinda, but it was more confused than hostile, and then went on past and to the hall beyond. After that, the woman and Data looked to one another. The girl, on her part, returned to her toys…but she only had a moment.

"Jezze?"

The girl look up to her mother.

"Why don't you go wash up? I'm going to make a snack in a bit."

She lit up on hearing that. Quickly, she got to her feet, and then turned and ran into the back. Obviously, Glinda had already showed her to the nearest bathroom. She waved again to Data as she left, although other than looking to her the android didn't respond. He looked back to the woman, who, once Jezze was out of earshot, exhaled, her face looking a bit troubled and fearful now.

"…I didn't know where else to go, doctor. In town…some people took up rioting again when they saw the police and the army are gone. There were shots of weapons being fired last night. Everyone else is either running away or panicking. But I heard women screaming for help last night and it woke me up and nearly woke up Jezze. Your neighborhood is alright but when I saw looters in broad daylight breaking in this morning…I came here. I thought it'd be safer. Even if it wasn't, I'd be around someone I know I can trust." She paused momentarily. "It's…it's alright, isn't it?"

"There are no military personnel present in this facility, if that is what you are wondering. I believe they have deserted their posts." Data answered. "On the other hand, if you are asking whether or not you will get 'in the way', that will not be a problem. Most of the work will occur on the lowest sub-level, although if you intend to remain I insist you do not enter that area."

Glinda seemed to brighten up a bit at that, realizing what that meant. "Oh…oh no, of course we won't. Thank you, doctor. This means a lot to me…to us." She said as a hint of a smile came on her face. "I'm…I'm sorry if we're disturbing you, but…but you said there was a chance this could save the world, and I want to know if and when it succeeds. But even if it fails…" She trailed off here, and bowed her head momentarily.

Data turned his own head. "…Yes?"

She swallowed. "…The truth is I don't really have anyone. When I got pregnant with Jezze…first my boyfriend left me, and then my parents told me to either have an abortion or they'd disown me… I mean, I was the first person in the family to get pregnant at 15… So I had to leave and just go wherever I could make a living. And I spent so long just going around and around, trying to find a place to fit in, where I could make ends meet, where I felt I could stay… And I know most people don't like these jobs in the middle of nowhere, but…but I actually felt I 'belonged' here. Jezze got to go to the nice grade school, I made enough money to put some away, and I felt so much more relaxed just doing the housekeeper work…" She looked up at last, smiling a bit more.

"Just working for you, doctor, has been a bigger help in more ways than one. It really made me feel proud of myself…like I could stand on my own."

She hesitated here, her smile faltering and her look growing a bit dark.

"If…if what you're working on doesn't…doesn't 'work'…I want you to know that before it's too late."

The android was silent for a moment. While he barely knew Glinda, he knew from the expression on her face, as he had seen in others before, that she was heavily attached to him this moment, expressing sincere gratitude and admiration. As a result, after a moment, he gave a slower nod.

"Thank you, Glinda."

Data began to wonder if his attempts to "be more human" were beginning to be a detriment. He wasn't sure anymore, but he sensed he might be working "intentionally slower". And he couldn't afford that. Whatever he decided, time was very short.

This facility was far "behind the times" when it came to proper equipment to handle radioactive materials, so manipulating the enriched materials they had on hand alone was a slow business. Data insisted on doing it mostly himself, as he had internal sensors to ensure the radiation was at a minimally safe level when the lead containers had to be opened and closed. Even so, he was doing this more or less "by ear". He wasn't Geordi by any means, and so his ability to "couple together solutions" from existing knowledge was somewhat subpar, although he believed he had enough data on older warheads to pull this off. Still, with subpar materials and less-than-ideal circumstances, to say nothing of time involved, he had to be careful. The slightest mistake would doom the people in the facility as well as the world, and even Data wasn't sure he could survive a nuclear blast like this at close range. The EMP alone would likely annihilate his positronic net even if his body survived.

True to his word, he awakened Dr. Hollund after four hours, but the man could do little to help him. Even for the parts where he could assist, it was mostly fetching materials and tools, and he was in awe of Data's sudden knowledge. By now there was little doubt in his mind that Data was not the real Dr. Gerkin, but he had enough scientific background of his own to realize what he was doing at least "looked like it would work". And he insisted on remaining and watching all of it for the slightest chance he could help. Only after the first 24 hours passed did he say he wished to return to the airfield to monitor the progress of fueling the rocket. While that left Data some time to work on the bomb himself, and keep its inner workings a secret, the fact is the "fundamentals" had already been shared with Dr. Hollund and he could relate the same to any nuclear physicist on this world and give them crucial keys to get the bomb to work on their own. Even so, Data trusted that he could keep the knowledge a secret.

Glinda and Jezze stayed on the upper levels. Once or twice they went to the lower levels simply due to the isolation of the empty facility, but it was always just to ask how Data and Hollund were doing. She actually made them a proper meal at one point, as a way of "giving recompense", Data expected. Jezze frequently wanted to see what they were doing, but when they refused, she started messing around in the other laboratories. At first Hollund was irate, but as time went on it was clear she could do no damage with the loose tools, parts, notebooks, and equations, and so she was left to it. She enjoyed "playing scientist" as a diversion from her normal toys, and she asked to keep a few tools, which Data, and eventually Hollund, consented to. As it got late, Glinda put her to bed, after having made up the lounge into something more comfortable for her as well as Hollund and Data, although the effort was lost on the android. By then she seemed to realize something was "off" about Data as well, but it hardly seemed to matter. She stayed up all night bringing them the coffee-like drink they had on this world, though the effort was once again lost on Data. Hollund appreciated it, though.

"She's actually a help, Gerkin. Keeping me from needing to run around so much." He mentioned before he left to check on the rocket. Data, on his part, only hoped he stayed awake for the trip. They needed the vehicle.

She provided another service as well: updating Data on the condition of the city. There wasn't much that could be seen from the facility, but that only meant if they could detect anything, it probably wasn't that good. By now, the comet was distinct in the sky and a fraction of the size of Earth's own moon. The tail was clear as well. And at this point, enough rumors had passed and gradually been revealed to be made fact that society was totally collapsing, and not just in places like this. There was no more news and media, so none of them could be sure what was going on around the world. However, it was safe to assume by now, if looting had already begun, that people were beginning to despair and either leaving this place while they could for their homes or relatives (for many had relocated), or were taking whatever was left while they could. After all, with the thought of the world ending coming, there was little inhibition for anyone left… Yet the city itself was mostly vacant. Perhaps the people feared more shootings, but that night Glinda saw only one distant light that was likely a fire, which, all things considered, wasn't too terrible. And it definitely meant Data was free to work on the bomb.

About two hours after Hollund left, and at about roughly 26 hours before they had to launch, Data was moving through the "finishing touches". The main part of the bomb had been assembled. The trigger was a bit of a dilemma. This world lacked any form of reliable signal communication, and there was no time to synthesize even basic semiconductors to be able to handle such a thing. Therefore, an alternate triggering device had to be used. He ended up settling for a crude yet durable "impact trigger". At the speed the rocket would be moving on collision with the comet, it would be more than sufficient to set off the bomb. There were issues of proper aiming to set it off, but if Data's calculations and enhancements weren't enough to make the rocket accurate for a good impact to begin with, it wouldn't matter.

However, after completing the trigger and leaving himself with nothing left to do but close up the bomb and rivet it shut, so that it could be packed up for transport and loaded into the rocket, he found himself hesitating…now that he had a moment to think.

Even if everything else went "right", he realized there was still a chance the military could learn how to perfect their bombs from this. After all, they were the furthest along on the technology and it made sense. And they would have access to all of his notes. Assuming the Etan government "bounced back" from this, he didn't really trust them not to torture the truth out of Hollund. If there was sufficient time, he would seek out a "nonviolent" country to launch this weapon from. It might actually help ensure a longer peace on this world by placing a check on larger countries. Still, he realized he couldn't afford to delay much longer. As soon as the vehicle was back, they'd have to get this on the move. A lot could go wrong setting up the rocket, after all.

It was around that time, however, that Glinda walked in and gave a knock on the door.

"Dr. Gerkin?"

Data looked up slightly and back to her, seeing her framed in the entrance, pushing the door a bit more to get a better view.

"I know you told me not to come in earlier, but…"

"That's quite alright." Data momentarily cut off. "I have finished with the radioactive portions of the project, and the particle levels are to a safe threshold. What is the matter?"

Glinda gestured a bit behind her. "Down the hall there's a signaller ringing. I don't honestly know who would know the number other than Dr. Hollund…"

Data paused momentarily, thinking this over. Someone was calling there? After a time, he dropped what he was doing, which wasn't hard as he was mostly staring at the weapon before now, arose, and went to the exit. Glinda soon turned and led him on, and in just a few moments they were down the hall a few doors and in one of the "less secure" rooms, which had a device similar to a landed phone line inside of it. Sure enough, as he went there, he heard some sort of noise coming from it that signified to pick it up. Apparently this world used similar methods to ringing their communications lines as Earth did. He went to the device soon after and activated the receiver and transmitter, then listened.

Luckily, whoever was on the other end spoke first. "Hello? Dr. Gerkin?"

At once, the android recognized the voice. "Yes, Dr. Hollund. I am here."

"Glad you could hear the phone ringing from in there…"

"Actually, Glinda advised me, but that's not important right now. What is the reason for your calling?"

There was a pause on the other end as the android heard a tired sigh. "Well…you might as well know now rather than later, Gerkin. I came to the airfield to check on the fueling…and the pumping system completely broke down. Just gave out…blew a valve or a gasket…I don't know. I can't fix that sort of thing. And the rocket was only a quarter full when it happened. We're damn lucky that it had safeguard controllers to lock it up before we lost our fuel too…"

Data paused momentarily. This was a serious delay. He knew nothing of how the pumping mechanisms worked. To even begin to fix it, he would need time to analyze it. Special parts might have to be crafted. And all that in addition to moving the bomb and getting it loaded…not to mention refueling…

"Return to Red Haven at once, doctor. We must load the bomb immediately and then return to get to work repairing it."

"That's what I called about, doctor." Hollund answered. "You've been doing well, but…you haven't slept in three days. And even if you can keep this up and somehow know how to fix this, we may not have time. So…I decided to take a chance and placed a call to the government, telling them about what we're doing and what it means for this world."

Data went silent and still as a statue on hearing that.

"I didn't really expect a government to be there and…well, truth be told, it was kind of falling apart based on the background noise. Whoever was left didn't really believe it at first, but…after telling them a thing or two about the weapon you were making…they agree. They've only got a couple divisions left but they're putting one at our disposal along with whatever scientists are still around. Half of them are headed here to fix up the pumping mechanism and the other half are headed for you to get the bomb. They said they'll be there in about two tenth-cycles."

The android remained silent. Hollund chuckled a bit.

"Sure…they were a bit mad about us not calling for help sooner, but when I said things were urgent, they seemed to buy it. Already they've got the press working on getting the message out. Things have sure gone to hell around the rest of the world…but this is giving people some hope back. Good, because even if it fails, we shouldn't go out 'crying and screaming'…" A pause. "Anyway, I hope you're ready by then. See you in six hours, I hope. And hopefully we'll both be ready to go."

Again, nothing.

"…Dr. Gerkin? Are you there?"

"…Yes, Dr. Hollund. I will see you soon."

The android hung up the transmitter without waiting for a response.

For a moment, he stood there silently. He looked ahead, not moving "externally", but his positronic net on fire with new information. He stared at the wall without moving a muscle.

"Dr. Gerkin? Is something wrong?" He heard the voice of Glinda say after a moment.

Data didn't answer. He was still musing over everything.

Then, he heard a different voice. "Yes, Data. Is something wrong?"

The android looked up to this, and turned around to see Q, back in the red Starfleet uniform, leaning against the doorway and looking in at him. He gave a shrug.

"I expected a touch of relief from you at best. After all, you don't have to worry anymore about deciding whether or not to alert the authorities yourself. The cat's 'out of the bag'. But then again, I suppose that really isn't the matter at hand, is it? Your concern is the fact that the Etan government now knows all about the weapon."

Data said nothing.

"And you've probably guessed that a nice, resourceful, and autocratic group like them knows full well not to waste such a golden opportunity." Q continued. "That there's no doubt a few engineers and physicists are coming in with that group to start looking at all the inner secrets of the device. Oh well…you tried to keep it a secret, but it seems some things just aren't in the cards."

The android looked up. "The device is too near completion, and there are too many records available. In addition, Dr. Hollund knows most of the key details necessary to allow other nuclear physicists to finish the other prototype."

"Yes indeed." Q responded. "So…what does that mean for you?"

Data didn't answer. He didn't even move for a moment. After a few seconds, he turned his head and began to look around himself.

Q let out a chuckle. "If you're thinking of destroying all of your written notes and plans that you passed along to Dr. Hollund, the only way to be 'thorough' is to destroy Dr. Hollund along with them. But even if you do carry that out, you have the working prototype right there for all the world to see…or at least 'enough of it'. And rest assured…the dictator for Etan wants them to have a good idea of how it works, and is making sure the men it's sending either knows how the weapon works, either from the weapon itself or you, before it allows it to go off. And they'll make sure they have it as well. So…on that note, what do you plan?"

The android looked down a moment. Again he was quiet. Time slowly passed.

"…There is one remaining alternative."

"Please, go on." Q said with a small smile.

Data hesitated before explaining it in his normal voice. "I could destroy the bomb itself, either the prototype or rig it to detonate while en route to the comet. I could even detonate it here and have it destroy all evidence of how it was built. However…all of those options entail the same associated cost."

"Namely that if you destroy the bomb, you destroy this world and its people with it." Q answered for him. "It's their only hope now, and the price of keeping them from advancing into the nuclear age is nothing less than their extinction. Well…that seems like a rather clear choice, does it not?"

"Etan will become this world's sole nuclear power."

"Yes."

"The future of its civilization will be dictated by them."

"Undoubtedly."

"And if they continue to advance, they could kill others through interstellar war one day. They might even advance enough to become foes of the Federation in a few more centuries. Billions more than the population of this world could die, to say nothing of other non-sentient life forms."

"True, true, and true." Q answered as he stood up and crossed his arms. "Well now…is that what this comes down to then, Data? Is this the ultimate 'solution' that you've arrived at? That you are willing to let Theta Apis II 'die'? That you wish to let the current residents 'go extinct' so they don't endanger others in the future?"

Again, Data didn't answer. He wasn't sure how he could answer. This was similar to the hypothetical situations presented in the ethics and philosophy classes at Starfleet Academy. But unlike the case studies or scenarios, he didn't have the luxury of hindsight. And he had since learned in Starfleet that emotions played a role in the decisions…morality…things like "hope" when it came to dealing with sentient life forms, who could act for good or ill purely by seemingly "random chance". Could he afford to just "look the other way" when it came to the future of this world and its inhabitants? But would he be stalling the inevitable if he did, both for this world and many others?

He didn't know…but he didn't have much time to decide. It would be a few hours at the most before those men arrived, and once there he would either have to disable them or it would be too late to affect a change. He had to decide soon.

Abruptly, a flash went off…and Q was gone, replaced by Daphne again. She only looked at him a moment before noticing his expression, and was concerned.

"…Dr. Gerkin? Are you alright?"

Data looked back to her for a moment, still trying to decide, still trying to figure out what to do. Yet as he stared…one thought came to mind.

One record before all of this began, that he now decided to act upon.

"…Glinda, I have been working non-stop for a few days now." He told her. "I believe I would like to 'take a break' for a short while. Could you show me to the lounge you have set up?"

As this was a rather "mundane" request compared to many others, she gave a nod.

"Sure. It's right this way, doctor."

The lounge didn't have much to it, but it seemed Glinda, when not watching Jezze or having anything else to do, had made it somewhat "comfortable" looking. She had taken the few cushioned chairs and couches and made them into decent beds, and had even scared up enough other chairs and furnishings to give it a "dining room" look. There was no kitchen in the facility although she had cobbled together some military-issue cooking apparel to make one in a ventilated side room, so all in all it had a small "homey" feel to it.

One area was clearly reserved for Glinda and Jezze. It had been made up after last night, had several of her toys present, all picked up, and was probably nicer than many other refugees or displaced people could obtain in this world. Some of the toys were on the ground, and Jezze was currently playing with them. Glinda sat nearby with a small stack of books, no doubt ones she had picked out, and Data was seated next to her. While he had no need for the hot beverage they drank on this world, he sipped a cup none the less out of "tradition".

As for Jezze, she still seemed to mostly be smiling and happy. At the moment, she had one sort of doll with an occupation unknown to Data, and one of an animal of an unknown species (as well as color) was on Glinda's lap nearby.

The girl went up to her with the doll and set it on her knee. She soon spoke in her best attempt at an adult.

"Ok, Mr. Cleese! Open your mouth and say 'ahh'!"

Glinda immediately opened the mouth of the creature. "Ahh!" She said in response.

"Oh no! Your teeth are full of cavities!" Jezze answered. "You haven't been brushing like I told you and you've been eating too much candy, haven't you?"

"Oh, but I love candy, doctor!" Glinda answered for the creature.

"I'm going to have to pull all of your teeth out!" Jezze said with a grin, as if expecting a humorous response.

"Oh no! Anything but that, doctor!"

"Well…maybe not that, but I'm going to have to drill your teeth for three years to get rid of all those cavities! And then no more candy for you!"

"No! Candy's my favorite!"

Jezze looked to Data with a grin, showing off her own teeth. "Mom says I'm a good girl for not eating too much candy, so I'll never get cavities and I'll never have to go have the dentist drill my teeth. See?" She grit them to show them off even more so.

Data leaned forward slightly and looked them over, then leaned back, shaking his head. "While your teeth are still in developmental stage, and have slight irregularities and points of concern, I am not detecting any major issues that would lead to medical problems."

Glinda gave the android a confused look, but Jezze merely started giggling. "You say crazy things, doctor! Mom says you're a scientist. Does that mean you talk like that all the time?"

Data blinked. "…Only when I feel that my audience can understand sufficiently what I am trying to say."

"I want to be a scientist when I grow up!" Jezze said. "I want to make candy that doesn't make you sick or ruin your teeth. Then you can eat all you want all day long!"

The android nearly commented that it is never a good thing to ingest food over a 24 hour period, but his programming related that this was a child unaware of adult concepts and doing so would be a wasted effort, so it was better to be silent for now. Besides, he did notice a momentary change in Glinda when she said the phrase 'when I grow up'. No doubt she, like many on this world, was beginning to think they would never see their children grow up…

"Mom says you're going to stop the comet." Jezze went on after a moment.

Hearing this not only again changed Data's focus, he looked up slightly. Soon after, he turned his head to Glinda, who swallowed a bit, looking nervous again. After a moment, she gave a shrug. "It…it's getting so big…she started asking about it… But I told her there's nothing to worry about. That it's a big ball that's coming this way but Dr. Gerkin and Dr. Hollund are going to make sure nothing bad happens. They made a big machine to get rid of it."

"That's really neat!" Jezze said with a smile. "How are you going to do it?"

Glinda looked a bit more nervous. "Um, Jezze…Dr. Gerkin doesn't-"

"It's alright, Ms. Empine." Data answered, then turned to Jezze. "I hope to use a weapon from this facility to, in essence, 'knock the comet away', so that its path does not intercept this world."

"You mean like a gun or a bomb?" The girl asked.

The android nodded. "Yes."

Her face fell a bit. "I don't like those things. At school, they make us do drills where if we hear a gun or a bomb we have to drop and get under the desks. I know most of the kids like it because they think it's fun, but I always knock my pencil off and it always breaks when it hits the ground, so I have to go sharpen it again. Plus, Ms. Sazi and the other teachers always act real scared whenever they hear guns… They tell us only bad people get shot, but I think they're afraid people who aren't bad get shot."

Again, Glinda looked a bit uncomfortable at that, but Jezze soon smiled wider.

"That's why I want to make candy! Everyone likes candy and no one gets mad at it or yells and shouts like they do on the transceivers! I'll make enough money to make mom rich so she can live in a big mansion and never have to clean houses again!"

Hearing this, Glinda couldn't help but smile a bit, in spite of what she was saying.

Jezze looked to her soon after. "Mom, can we go outside for a bit?"

This made the smile fade again. "Um…sweetie…I told you we'll go out after Dr. Gerkin uses his machine…"

"Please?" She asked. "It's so boring in here! Everything looks so dull! Just for a little bit?"

Glinda seemed regretful. She looked up to Data. "I'm…afraid it might not be safe…"

"It will be fine, Glinda." The android immediately assured her. "We have nothing to fear from the comet today based on my calculations."

She held a moment, clearly not wanting Jezze to see it any more than she had to. She didn't really want to see it herself, for that matter. She looked back to the child, who was still eager, and bit her lip a bit. But after a time, she finally sighed.

"Alright…just for a little bit, though."

By now, the comet was growing to half the size of Earth's own moon. The approach was rather "sluggish", but also inevitable. It created something of a "tint" around it. But aside from that, the world was still "normal". The sky had a few clouds in it but nothing serious. More than enough of it was still clear, which was a good thing for this world. The last thing they needed was inclimate weather ruining the whole operation…if Data decided to go with it.

There was some sort of toy that was disk-shaped. Based on Data's own knowledge of 20th century history, he realized it was analogous to a Frisbee that was used in that time. Glinda set herself up on one end of the lot and threw it to the girl, who ran to catch it and then threw it back. The custom wasn't all that different from how those on Earth played with it, or catch with balls. The android lacked the time to sufficiently research the practice, as well as the need. But he assumed it could have been used for a major sport on this world.

At any rate, he stood near Glinda. He watched at first, but after a few tosses when it turned out most of Jezze's own throws were wild, he helped in catching them, and soon turned out to be better at it than Glinda. However, the girl thought everything was in good fun, and continued to toss it back and forth. Best of all, however…she was standing far enough away to where Glinda and Data could talk privately again.

She said nothing at first. She continued to let the disk be tossed to her and tossed back. After she tossed it back a fifth time, however, she spoke out to him.

"I didn't overhear anything, but…what's going on?"

"The Etan government is sending over personnel to assist with the operation. Apparently there was a problem at the launch site and Dr. Hollund called them as he didn't feel we could succeed alone."

Glinda tensed at this, looking up a bit. "Does…does that mean your idea…might not work?"

"The plan itself should still succeed. Time will be shorter, yes, but we should still be successful within the time frame."

The woman exhaled and looked away, a bit in relief. "…Thank the gods." She said quietly as the disk came back and she threw it again. She swallowed. "Do you…have any idea what's going to happen? That it will work?"

"Unfortunately, I still cannot guarantee success. But the possibility of success, based on my latest data, is greater than 50/50."

The woman hesitated again, but nodded. "I guess that's as good as we're going to get, huh?"

"Ms. Empine."

Glinda looked back to Data, who had turned to face her. In spite of that…he still caught the next throw without turning and passed it to her.

"If my plan and Dr. Hollund's succeeds, what do you feel will be the result for this world?"

The woman again looked puzzled. "…Well, you'll save the world, of course."

"I meant after that. Where do you think this world is headed? What do you think the Etan government intends for it?"

Glinda hesitated a moment, and then grimaced and looked away. A moment later, the disk was tossed to her, she took it, and threw it back, but still remained silent afterward a bit longer.

"I really don't know." She said after a moment. "Normally I wouldn't talk about this in public, but…I suppose…" She snickered. "Right now be the last time I can 'speak freely' for a while… I really was nervous about what had been happening before the comet arrived. I knew Etan kept picking more and more fights with everyone else. Most people seemed like they loved the sense of pride and power, but…I'm worried we'll go too far. And when we do…"

She looked up to the smiling Jezze, far from them on the other side of the lot.

"…I'm afraid of what this will mean for Jezze. And me. And everyone else." She exhaled. "We let things get bad, doctor. I feel like we should have spoke up more while we could…before it got to the point where everyone is scared to say anything at all. To be honest…after everything that happened the other night…I kind of wished the comet would hit…or at least 'stick around' long enough for there to be no more of Etan… But we're both citizens here, whether we like it or not, and I want to see my daughter grow up. I guess that's what I care about more than anything right now…"

"I understand, Ms. Empine." Data answered rather basically as he caught another disk and passed it. "But that does not truly answer my question."

The woman was silent once again. The disk returned, and then threw back.

"…I suppose I'd simply be covering my ears and shutting my eyes if I said this doesn't mean they'll go right on doing what they were doing. They'll keep looking for excuses to pick fights and go to war, and if anyone talks against them they'll 'disappear' just like everyone before them. And it'll keep on going until either we 'run the world' or the world destroys our country."

"And you accept that?"

She shrugged. "I can't do much more than accept it. Not when I have Jezze. But even if I didn't, I'm not a martyr, and the government is willing to kill anyone it has to in order to put down a rebellion."

"You admit you don't support them."

"Yes, but that's nothing too 'different'." Glinda answered. "No one really likes what they're doing. We're just to the point where we have to 'go along' regardless." She sighs. "I'm kind of used to being 'out of control' of things… You're lucky, doctor. You're smart enough to change the world if you want." She paused again. "…But I suppose if you're stuck under the Etan government too, that doesn't really mean anything."

Data was silent a few moments. After a time, however, the housekeeper exhaled as she caught the disk and threw it back.

"…I think a lot of things are going to change after today. I don't know what everyone else in the world is doing…but right now they have to think everything is over. If your plan works, everyone's going to get a 'second chance' at life. I think that's going to make a big difference. At least as far as I'm concerned…"

She hesitated, but then smiled…genuinely for the first time Data had seen her.

"…I think I'm going to help Jezze open that 'candy business'. It'd be nice to make something everyone likes for a living, don't you think?"

The android hesitated, seeming to genuinely think this over. Eventually, he nodded.

"What about you, doctor?" She asked. "What do you think after all this is done? If it works…will you just go back to working for the military?"

"I am not certain." Data responded. "However…I definitely will have a new way of looking at things."

Glinda smiled a bit more before looking back to the disk game. "I don't think we're the only two, doctor."

A few moments of silence passed as they kept playing with Jezze. One would think the conversation was over at that point. Soon, it would be time to go back in and wait for the arrivals.

"Thank you, Ms. Empine."

Glinda looked up at that, back to Data, who was still focusing on the game.

She was puzzled. "What for?"

"Helping me 'get my mind off things'." The android answered, a bit hesitantly, as if wondering if the phrasing was "correct".

Glinda stared a moment, a bit puzzled by this answer, but ended up smiling and nodding. "You're welcome."

Two hours later, the men arrived. In spite of the situation, they seemed to be the last few "dyed in the wool" members of the Etan government. They were all business, all official, perfectly militarily drilled, and operated fast, immediately going downstairs and to Data. They even spotted Glinda and Jezze and looked rather sore to see them there, as if such a thing would matter if the bomb failed. The lead officer even took a moment to chastise Data once for it, but their main concern was the bomb. He soon got an even larger chastisement for having already sealed it up, as they claimed they heard the bomb would still be under construction when they got there and they would have a chance to examine the inner workings. But that was all. Working together with Data and some loading equipment on hand, they slowly managed to wheel the large bomb into the hall, toward the freight elevator, upstairs, and onto a truck. Glinda and Jezze watched the whole time. The woman wanted to come to see the launch, but the soldiers were against it and she had to watch Jezze anyway. Instead, she wished Data good luck as he loaded up and went off to the field.

In the end, it was extremely close. While they got to the launch site in record time, the place was a mess. The other team of soldiers was scrambling to repair the pumping mechanism as fast as possible. And with only two engineers helping them, only one of whom knew what he was doing, it was a rather fearful affair. The soldiers could only do grunt work, and everyone's tension was so high they fumbled. At one point, panicking led to damaging a gasket that took twenty minutes to replace, which was more valuable time. The whole system of repairing took a grand total of ten hours before everything was running again, and after that they had to "run slow" to ensure no more hiccups. They couldn't afford to break the machinery again. During that time, the bomb was loaded. It mostly had to be done by hand. If there was any machinery that would do the job, there was little time for it. Luckily for the men involved, while they were straining and struggling to get even part of it, it seemed "Dr. Gerkin" could support his side with minimal effort. Slowly they walked it up a basic ramp toward the head of the rocket and placed it inside. Data had to do all the primarily "handling" from there. After all, he was the only one who knew how to keep it from going off. And since the rocket wasn't originally configured to have a "payload", they had to rely on him to get everything right.

By the time the weapon was fully loaded, secured, and ensured as best as could be that it would survive the trip to the comet, the fueling had only an hour left to complete, with two hours left until the launch window "opened". Data used that time to go over the rocket several times, making the best adjustments he could to lower the chance of failure. It wasn't easy. The materials and rocketry they were using had a high margin for error inherently that was impossible to remove. This would be a fairly precise operation for the Enterprise. Using severely outdated technology made matters much worse. But in the end, as the launch window had only ten minutes to go, the android reached the conclusion he had done all he could.

Twenty minutes later, within the proper time frame and with everyone hoping for the best, all preparations were finalized. The mechanisms for prepping the rocket were withdrawn, the launch pad cleared, the final touches made, and everything was set. Data himself threw the master switches, and the rocket launched into the air. Even that alone left everyone gathered breathless. After all…many of these rockets had crashed or exploded on launch, and that was with a stable fuel source. However, the rocket went up and up into the air, continuing to shoot higher and higher…and finally vanished into a dot before vanishing completely. The operation was underway.

Now came the hard part.

Everyone was silent soon after. They realized this would either succeed or they would all die. From the point of launch, impact would happen in 12 hours…although they wouldn't know for certain whether or not they had succeeded for the full 24. With nothing else more to do, everyone loaded up and returned to Red Haven. The trip was slow…a far cry from the hurried pace to get that far…and when they finally did return, everyone was silent as they unloaded. Even the military types had gone quiet. After all, there was a good chance there would be no reason to serve under the Etan government in less than one day.

The first sound that came out when they arrived was that of Glinda, who ran out to see them. She noted she had seen the rocket take off into the air, but still asked about the launch. Data was the only one who answered, saying the launch had gone as planned and now they had to wait. Impact should be in the early hours of the morning, while it was still dark, and the end result of the launch would be roughly the same time as launch tomorrow morning. If it failed…it would also be when the end would come. He anticipated, even if successful, fragments of the comet might wage widespread destruction world-wide, so it was probably best to stay in the shelter until then. She was as quiet as the others after that point, but nodded and went back inside.

That night, the soldiers went into town briefly and came back after having raided a gourmet food shop, and they proceeded to spend the next six hours along with Glinda cooking an elaborate meal. Hollund, on his part, finally slept, while others who didn't work played some contemporary music and drank heavily. A few of them saw Glinda as the only young woman there and possibly their last chance to be with a woman…but Data did not have to intervene. It seemed there were a few men among them still expecting this to succeed who put them down. It looked like violence might break out once or twice due to one or two getting too drunk, but in the end they calmed. They all sat down to a nice dinner afterward and then stayed up late afterward. No one felt like sleeping. A few made confessions about things they had done in their lives. The lead officer admitted he once shot a man he thought was a terrorist and ended up being a government informant, then lied about it to spare himself and his career. Another soldier admitted to participating in a gang rape while in the equivalent of high school. A third broke down in tears and was inconsolable. And in spite of repeated calls to go to sleep…no one slept as they waited for the first twelve hours to pass.

When they finally did, everyone went outside. By now, the comet was as visible as Earth's moon would have been, yet faint enough to stare at. They watched and waited for a whole hour before the window of time Data predicted opened, and then continued to watch and wait keenly after that.

Only a mere two minutes and 37 seconds after the window began…they saw it. Likely, everyone on that world did. A brilliant flash of light from the side of the comet. An explosion…one far greater than expected from the atomic weapon. Data's theory had been correct. It was so bright it made the comet vanish briefly, and some of the soldiers shouted and hollered and fired their weapons into the air at that. But when the flash died and the comet was still there, they began to despair again and one nearly blew his own brains out, before Data and the others stopped them and reminded them the goal was not to destroy the comet but to deflect its path, and that they had several more hours to wait to know for sure.

However, things had scarcely calmed down, and the light had scarcely dimmed…when Data heard a voice behind him.

"So in the end…after all of that talk and worry…you finished the weapon."

The android turned and looked. He was a bit concerned that everyone in front of him was still moving…but he trusted that none of them could see what was going on. Therefore, he simply turned and found, near the entrance to the underground bunker, Q leaning against the entryway.

Data stared back a moment, and then nodded. "Yes."

"Believe it or not, Data, I'm actually a bit surprised." The entity answered as he leaned up and began to walk toward him. "I would have seen someone like Riker or even Picard choose this…but you? I thought you had a mind that was less emotional and more devoted to logic. One who decided things more on a cost/benefit ratio. But I suppose after our 'time together', I should know better."

He reached the side of the android and crossed his arms.

"However, I am a bit confused none the less. You seemed to seriously consider, on more than one occasion, I might add, leaving the bomb unfinished. Definitely enough 'thought' where I'm sure it crossed your mind. And considering who I'm talking to, even if it did so for a miniscule instant, that was likely a serious moral debate to you."

The android considered this a moment, but then gave a nod. "True."

Q paused a moment, but then simply gave a shrug. "Well then, what swayed you? Don't tell me you thought tossing what amounted to a Frisbee around gave you a new appreciation for a totalitarian regime."

"In a sense," Data responded. "One might say what ended up influencing my decision was the Prime Directive."

Q actually looked a bit stunned, before bursting into a chuckle. "Well now, that's seemingly one of the more contradictory things I've ever heard you say, Data. Are you sure you didn't 'blow a few fuses' coming up with that?"

"Not the Prime Directive itself." The android explained. "Rather, what Captain Picard and others would term the 'spirit of the law'. It is not so important what the wording of a law is as what it is designed to represent. As you have noted, art imitates life. In the same way, the 'art' of lawmaking imitates what a culture deems to be the most important virtues. In this case, the Prime Directive exemplifies one of the hallmarks of the Federation: that all cultures should be able to develop and 'mature' free from the intervention of others who could compel them to act or grow within a certain manner. In this case, while I have already committed one violation of that by perfecting their weapon for them, I felt it was for 'the greater good'…namely allowing the culture to continue to develop free from the influence of the comet."

Q let out a small chuckle. "Oh really? And what about your concerns about how doing so could endanger more life? Potentially be disastrous for other cultures? Not to mention the fact that, for better or for worse, Data, you're still influencing their culture by making a hostile regime the first to enter this world's Atomic Age."

The android again paused momentarily, seeming to adjust his thoughts.

"In regards to that, I recall advice I have heard from others such as Counselor Troi: that the best thing to do in situations like this was to step away from the problem for a bit, which is what I did with Glinda and Jezze. And it made me see things in a new light. Both my housekeeper and her daughter are members of the Etan government, but they do not reflect its worst aspects. And while they may only be two, I do not believe they represent a minority. It may be true that they have little swaying power, but those who currently head the regime will not live forever. There will come a time when the future of this nation is decided by people like Jezze, and I do not believe that people like Glinda will allow them to be swayed by the government's opinions into becoming something they are not."

"And you really think that will make a difference, Mr. Data?" The entity answered. "Surely you haven't neglected the fact that only a handful of Nazis tore your own world apart. Or a handful of genetic supermen did the same. You aren't honestly illogical enough to believe that the course of a world isn't, more often than not, swayed by a few extremists over the majority…if for no other reason than they're the only ones who care to put enough 'effort into it', are you?"

The android still looked unmiffed.

"Talking with Glinda reminded me of a story from Greek mythology, about 'Pandora's Box'. About how a single human supposedly unleashed all the evils of the world through one seemingly innocent violation of a rule. I recalled at the end…there was only a single small individual left in the box, who represented the one defense mankind would have against all of the evils: Hope.

"I realized that regardless of what logic dictated or what might happen…regardless of whether or not everything happened contrary to what Glinda said, that neither the Etan government nor the people of this world would change, that things would continue as they always have, that the future would be governed by the violent and tyrannical, and that this world might still be headed for disaster, as would others that might fall victim to it one day…such things were not mine to decide, and not what I had been given power to change. I assumed that this 'exercise' was to do so, but I believe I was incorrect. The only thing I truly ever had control over was the chance this world had of survival. It would be analogous to say that this world itself was Pandora's Box and had been granted to me…and I could either choose to destroy it, or open it for the sake of releasing the one 'good' that was in the bottom of the box.

"The reason the Prime Directive was embraced is because it is based on the belief in the common good of all races and civilizations…that eventually order and understanding will triumph over ignorance and chaos. If it were not so, the Federation would have adopted a policy of eradicating all warlike civilizations they come across, as that is the most sensible course of action. It is because we believe that civilizations deserve a chance to reach a better future for themselves as well as for others that we do not try and direct their growth or development. While I may not know what this planet will choose…I would have robbed it of any choice, good or bad, if I had not completed the weapon. I believe the people of this world had a right to choose. I believe they deserved the opportunity to 'choose good' even if I had to give them many opportunities to 'choose evil' in the process.

"In conclusion, you directed me to take a course of action. I ended up choosing the one that I believe was ultimately perfectly in line with the spirit of not only the Prime Directive but my own 'philosophy', as it were. I chose to give this world the maximum potential options that they could decide for themselves."

Q said nothing in response.

He merely cracked a smile, raised his hand, and snapped his fingers.

A flash of light later…and Data found he was back on the Enterprise, and back in his chamber. Only unlike before, he seemed to have fully passed through the doors and into the room, with the door shut behind him. He blinked twice and looked around himself…but soon saw he was back the way he was perfectly. He detected his reflection in some glass and reflective metal in the room, and he saw he was again himself and dressed in his Starfleet uniform. Even Spot looked up to him idly from a chair. And just as before, the vastness of space and countless stars hurled by outside the window to the exterior.

The only difference from before was one individual: Q standing across from him, more or less in the same position as he had been when he snapped his fingers.

Data turned his head. "I did not declare I wished to return to the Enterprise."

"Oh, you finished the 'exam' early…no sense in waiting for the closing bell." The entity answered with a shrug. "Anyway, I hope you got the point of our little 'lesson', Data."

The android looked down for a moment, blinked, and formed a puzzled expression before looking up again.

"I am not certain that I have. It seems as if you were intending for me to make a moral judgment, but I am not certain if the response I made was the one you intended for me to make. But based on your comment, am I to assume that I made the 'correct' decision?"

Q gave a mild snort. "Oh, you mortals, your constructs, and your trivial little concepts of 'right' and 'wrong'." He dully answered. "You're talking like a grade schooler, Mr. Data. Always wanting to know whether or not they got a gold star on their homework to show their parents. You should know better by now that the best lessons you learn are neither true/false, multiple choice, or short answer. Think a little harder. What did you really gain from all of this?"

Data was silent in response. He thought that over for a few moments before speaking again.

"The item of note that I can pull out is that I went with a course of action that had a relatively small chance of having positive consequences, when logic and odds told me to enact a more grievous choice which, horrible as it may have seemed, might have ultimately been the choice of most utility."

Again, the entity chuckled. "You never cease to amaze me with making something simple sound so 'wordy', Data. You're lucky I'm not grading this as a paper or I'd take off points for conciseness. The point is you exemplified the most nonsensical, mysterious, and yet strange and contradictory powerful trait of humanity: blind faith in the goodness of other people. Was that faith justified? Did you end up being a shining savior to a world about to become as glorious and prosperous as the Federation? Or did you found a new Dominion that will enslave and murder countless billions? I won't tell you, but consider, perhaps, that such was never the point of this lesson. After all, as you said, that's not what you ultimately had power over.

"All you did was see a drowning person and you threw them a rope. Whether that person decides to use it to pull themselves into a boat or fashion it into a hangman's noose is now all up to them. All that matters is that you decided that they deserved a rope to work with."

He smiled a bit as he turned his own head.

"And that mixture of blind faith, principle, and just a hint of unconventional wisdom might just let the Federation not only survive this coming war, but persist for many centuries to come. And apparently they value it so well, they built it into their greatest works of art."

With that, a flash of light went out…and Q was gone.

Data, in spite of his systems being on a "conditioned response" to mitigate this, still reacted in surprise. He looked around a bit afterward, but he was again alone in his room. Only Spot was there, who tensed a bit on seeing Data react, but other than that was indifferent. The android looked around a minute longer before relaxing. After considering things a few moments more…he re-enabled his internal warning signals. He believed that he had effectively seen the last of Q until the entity decided to reveal himself again. But just to make sure, he looked to his wrist and saw the watch was also gone.

Almost immediately afterward, he heard a voice from his communicator.

"Mr. Data, respond."

It was Captain Picard. Immediately, the android tapped it.

"I am here, captain."

"Where have you been? Are you alright?"

Data realized from these comments, and the tension in Picard's voice, that he no doubt had been "missing" from the Enterprise during this time and that Q had not bothered to tell them where.

"I am fine, sir. It seems I have just been returned to the Enterprise."

There was a pause on the other end. Those on the bridge were trying to interpret what that meant as well, obviously. However, Data, anticipating their confusion, soon spoke further.

"I wish to explain my apparent absence from the Enterprise, and I would be happy to do so at your earliest convenience, sir."

A beat. "Meet me in the Ready Room, Mr. Data."

"Aye sir. But I wish to put in a request first." Data answered. "No doubt, my station has been relieved by another member of personnel at this point. I request that they update me on the status of the comet inbound for Theta Apis II and whether or not it makes collision with that world."

Another pause from the other end.

"…Very well, Mr. Data. Request granted."

"Captain's Log, Stardate 48023.8. Commander Data is back on board the Enterprise after what apparently was another encounter with Q. While the situation is unusual, I have no reason to doubt Data's report of the situation. We are now proceeding on course without further interruption, although I find myself rather intrigued by his report…"

It took a considerable length of time to get the whole story.

Data had a bit to learn himself. Apparently, the situation with the Dominion was continuing to escalate, but it seemed at least there was some talk of both sides not engaging in further hostilities…at least for the time being. Apparently, Deep Space Nine was about to be equipped with Starfleet's first combat-based starship they had built in well over two centuries as a precautionary measure. Data did wonder a bit how Chief O'Brien would react to seeing such new technology, but that information was strictly on a "classified" basis at the moment and the android had been told mostly as an FYI.

However, the main concern to the crew of the Enterprise was after they had discovered Data had been absent for an unusually long time, and a follow-up with the ship's computer revealed he was gone completely. That had caused no end of panic for the rest of the crew as they tried to find out what had happened to him. More than once, Q was suspected, but it seemed he indeed had never bothered to tell the rest of the ship. Picard had been seriously debating disobeying orders from Starfleet to return toward inner Federation space to widen the search for what may have happened to him, in spite of the fact that, unlike on that one occasion with Q, a shuttlecraft was not also missing, when he elected to do one final check on the ship…and sure enough Data turned up in his quarters.

Following that, Data had gone into detail and length about his entire experience on Theta Apis II. Over the course of the discussion, it soon became clear beyond doubt to Data that he had not been in one of Q's illusions or alternate realities, but had indeed been on that world. That was evidenced by the Enterprise detecting a blast of sizeable magnitude and nuclear fusion in origin taking place on the comet. It had been some cause for concern as it did not seem natural and the planet shouldn't have been sufficiently advanced to cause it, but had taken low priority in regards to Data's fate. Now that Picard was seated across from Data and getting the "whole story", that was finally coming to an end.

The captain showed no small amount of fascination that Q had, for once, elected only to make contact with Data when previous encounters had mostly been him, but on hearing Q's "reasoning", he accepted it.

On finally concluding, Data looked up slightly. "…Sir?"

"Yes, Data?"

"Do you believe I merit disciplinary action for acting in the way I did? Finishing the weapon and modifying the rocket to launch it into the comet was a direct violation of the Prime Directive; introducing technology that a civilization was not yet familiar with."

Picard hesitated a moment, leaning back in his chair and looking down. When he answered, he spoke slowly and tentatively.

"Given the…unusual nature of the situation, Mr. Data…and considering the scenario you found yourself placed in…to say nothing of the current political state the Federation finds itself in…I'd say that this falls under a situation of extenuating circumstances."

Data turned his head slightly. "Even considering what Q said, sir? That I may have given this world the capability to become a rather deadly force in the future?"

Picard looked up and leveled his gaze at the android. "Do you feel that your decision…" He paused, and then spoke the next part very reluctantly. "…And Q's reasoning about the goal behind this 'lesson'…was still valid?"

"I do, sir."

"Then I would say you acted out of line for a Starfleet Officer…but as a sentient creature who has faith and hope in the ability of civilization to grow and improve with time, you did exceptionally well." He leaned forward. "You see, Data…humans value certain 'flaws' within their thinking and feelings as things that are to be celebrated and not only what 'makes us human', but what gives us tenacity. The ability to see the 'entirety' of a problem, and to ironically be able to do so by not focusing on the problem at all, is what enables our ingenuity. Yet that's only one example. Another good example…one that I think Q helped highlight…is that we have the ability to be faced with nothing but damning evidence and evil in another individual and yet we choose to see only the potential for good. Such is the foundation for trust, understanding…and ultimately what brings peace out of war and relationships.

"The Prime Directive, as you noted, is there not to simply be a subject for moral debate when in a difficult situation, but as a reflection of our philosophy. The thing about 'rules' such as that is not to call attention to the few cases where they go wrong but to respect the principle behind them into all other cases. Because of that…even if the people of Theta Apis II embrace a disastrous regime or emerge as a hostile interstellar force many years from now…I would still say you made the 'right' decision."

Data looked a bit troubled as he bowed his head again.

"I am thinking of a paraphrased quote by Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, sir. Namely…the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. Even if this was the 'right decision', I fear that it was not the best I could have made…and that it will indeed have dire consequences. In spite of your reassurances, I fear that some time in the future, perhaps long after I have deactivated, the end result may have been far worse than letting that planet be struck by the comet."

Picard looked down momentarily, and then gave a nod. "Understandable, Mr. Data. And I wish I could tell you that you were wrong to feel that way. But instead, this is all I can offer. If you had two crucial options, a terrible decision to make, you did what you thought was best, and at the end you are fearful of the choice you made and feel some trepidation or regret that you should have chosen the opposite…"

He inhaled.

"…Then I'd say Q did his job about teaching you what it means to be 'human' astonishingly well."

Data said nothing, but before he could craft a response, a signal came from Picard's console. Immediately, the captain called out.

"This is Picard."

"Sir, the comet has reached the position of Theta Apis II."

Both Data and Picard alike fixated after that.

"What is there to report?"

"That blast we detected from the comet was enough to shift its path to where it glanced off of the planet's atmosphere. It's already clearing the planet and moving on. However, it was not fully spared its influence."

"What do you mean?"

"Several large fragments split off and impacted the world on several sites. The results of each impact will likely be severe, although not threatening to the life on the world as a whole nor environmentally disastrous. Yet one of the fragments in particular destroyed what sensors indicate was the most technologically advanced population center in the world. Likely a capitol of some sort."

The android looked up even more at that.

Picard noticed this, but merely nodded. "Thank you, ensign. I'll be on the bridge shortly and Lt. Commander Data will relieve you of command." He deactivated the console, and then looked up to the android.

"Something strike you about that, Mr. Data?"

"An odd sensation, sir." The android responded. "Is it appropriate for one to feel a great deal of their worry and concern relieved on hearing about what is likely the deaths of many others?"

Picard stared back, realizing what the android was implying, then exhaled.

"I'd say no, Data. But that doesn't mean humans don't feel it anyway."

The android hesitated, but in the end "accepted" this. Not long after, both he and the captain arose from their respective chairs and made for the bridge.

THE END