Star Trek: The Next Generation - 119 - Armageddon's Arrow Read Online Free PDF Page A

know the problem with going somewhere no one’s ever been? It takes so damned long to get there.”
    Sitting at a table near one of the forward viewing ports of the Enterprise ’s crew lounge, Lieutenant T’Ryssa Chen smiled as she watched her dining companion, Lieutenant Commander Taurik, look up from his breakfast of mixed fruits and regard her with the Vulcan equivalent of a perplexed expression, which consisted of him cocking his right eyebrow. For a moment, Chen was certain she had prompted a lecture on the nature of vast interstellar distances and the limited capabilities of modern vessels to traverse such expanses. Instead, Taurik’s reply was far more understated.
    “Indeed.”
    His response only made Chen’s grin widen. “That’s it? ‘Indeed’? I lob an easy setup like that, and all you give me is ‘Indeed’? You’re not even trying.”
    Despite his self-discipline, she still saw the faintest tease of a smile tug at the corners of Taurik’s mouth. “I saw no reason to refute your statement. Though colloquially stated, your observation is valid.” Then, as if remembering his role in whatever game she seemed bound to involve him in on this occasion, he added, “I should think that you in particular would be excited at the potential our mission carries.”
    Here we go , Chen mused, claiming victory. “Me in particular?”
    Taurik nodded. “You are a contact specialist. With few exceptions, our assignments since your arrival aboard the Enterprise have not provided you with many opportunities to perform the duties for which you were trained. Our current mission promises to offer at least some prospects for making first contact with new civilizations.” He returned his attention to his meal, but only for a moment before adding, “I am happy for you, T’Ryssa.”
    “You’re happy ?” Chen caught herself, realizing her voice had raised in volume enough to attract glances from crew members at nearby tables. For his part, Taurik seemed unperturbed by her near outburst. “ You’re happy?” she pressed. “You’ve been hanging around me too much.”
    Without hesitation, the engineer replied, “It is not unreasonable to hypothesize that prolonged contact with you may be inflicting as yet unidentified effects on my thought processes, emotional reactions, and responses to various external stimuli.”
    Chen bobbed her eyebrows. “Tell me more about the various external stimuli.”
    After glancing around them as though confirming that no one was overhearing their conversation, Taurik leaned closer. “No, I do not believe that I will.”
    “Then I’ll just have to come up with my own.” Chen eyed him with no small amount of mischief.
    Taurik used his fork to spear a piece of yellow-orange fruit she could not identify. “I suspect that your imagination will provide no small number of possibilities,” he said, before bringing the fruit to his mouth. He punctuated the remark with another lifting of his eyebrow, a simple gesture that threatened to send Chen into a fit of uncontrollable laughter.
    Teasing and—occasionally—even flirting with the Vulcan engineer had long ago become one of her favorite hobbies, though it really had become fun only after Taurik began playing along. Despite the composed façade and rigid emotional discipline expected of anyone possessing their joint heritage, and which Chen herself tended to eschew, he harbored a gentle and even shrewd sense of humor and wit. She found those traits appealing, even alluring, and it was but one of many reasons she had come to admire him in the time they had known each other. This remained true even after their brief, clumsy attempt at a more intimate relationship before settling into a comfortable, mutually respectful friendship.
    “Why are you smiling?”
    It took Chen a moment to realize Taurik was talking to her, and that she had allowed herself to become lost in a host of pleasing memories. Feeling her cheeks warm in embarrassment,