Free Star Trek: The Next Generation: Starfleet Academy #6: Mystery of the Missing Crew by Michael Jan Friedman Page A

You are helpless as well?" he asked.
    The android nodded. “It seems logical that whatever happened to your ship happened to ours, and vice versa.”
    The alien commander looked perplexed. “But if you didn’t set up the field that removed our senior officers … who did ?”
    Data cocked his head slightly. “I confess to having no knowledge of any field,” he commented. “Could you provide us with the relevant data?”
    The alien shrugged. “Under the circumstances, I don’t see why not.”
    A moment later the commander’s image was replaced by an array of computer graphics. Of course, the symbols on the screen were slightly different from those used by the Federation, but there were enough similarities to permit interpretation.
    “Fascinating,” muttered the android. “This is the sensor log maintained by the Opsarra’s shipboard computer—”
    “Opsarra?” repeated Sinna.
    Glancing at her, he nodded. “That is what they call themselves. At any rate, this log shows the events that occurred just prior to the disappearance of the Opsarra’s senior officers. Apparently, their instruments are more sensitive than ours, because…” He pointed to a spot near the left-hand margin of the screen, about halfway down. “At this point they detected a rather large energy field.”
    “Large enough for a ship to pass through?” inquired Sinna, though she already seemed to know the answer.
    “Indeed,” Data responded, “large enough for several ships to pass through, if they are the size of the Yosemite . In fact, I believe that is what happened. Both our vessel and the Opsarra’s entered the field at roughly the same time, and experienced roughly the same conditions.”
    Lagon grunted. “Are you saying that this … this field … is what caused the disappearance of the crew? And disabled the ship’s systems?”
    “That would seem to be the logical conclusion,” the android told him, continuing to scrutinize the symbols on the viewscreen. “What is more, there is evidence that the field may have interacted with the Yosemite ’s intraship communications network … possibly, in an attempt to locate the Yosemite ’s crew via their communicators.”
    Sinna looked at him. “Then what you said earlier … about our lack of communicators having saved us from disappearing with the rest of the crew…”
    The android nodded. “This does seem to support that observation. However, it also leads us to a couple of much larger questions. First, who made the field? And second, for what purpose was it made?”
    “You’re forgetting the biggest question of all,” Sinna reminded him. “And that’s how we can convince the field makers to give our people back.” She turned to the alien graphics on the viewscreen. “ All of them.”
    “You’re assuming they’re still alive,” commented Lagon.
    Data turned to the Yanna. “Though I lack instincts in such matters, Lagon, I believe that our comrades have been allowed to survive. After all, there are simpler ways to destroy unwanted intruders, if destruction were the only requirement. It seems to me that the energy field is a humane defense—an advanced sort of transporter mechanism devised by a race that values its isolation.”
    “In that case,” asked Felai, “why wouldn’t the entire ship have been transported?”
    The android shook his head. “It may be that the field creators’ technology is simply not capable of so large a task.”
    Odril leaned forward. “For the time being, let’s say you’re right. Do you have a plan in mind?”
    “I confess that I do not,” Data answered. “However, it seems clear that we must get the attention of the field creators—and alert them to the fact that neither we nor the Opsarra mean them any harm.”
    Lagon snorted. “How are we supposed to get the attention of a race we know nothing about?”
    “We always have the phaser banks,” said Sinna. “If they’re in working order, they ought to at least put a dent