“And this stuff is dense,” Pazlar said, “so it’s sinking pretty quickly—or rather, the water that it dissolves into is sinking quickly. If there’s any cause for concern, it’s that all that surface water suddenly sinking might disrupt circulation patterns, drag nutrients out of reach of the life that needs them.”

“But presumably the biosphere has adaptations to that as well,” Chamish said.

“Maybe. In any case, the stuff that’s radioactive—or still charged with residual energy from our weapons and tractors—is sinking pretty quickly out of the inhabited levels of the ocean. It should settle down all the way to the ice-seven mantle, or at least the hypersaline layer just above it. It shouldn’t be a lasting problem for the biosphere.”

“Can we assume that?” Vale asked. “The whole reason this planet is a mystery is that metals somehow remain in the biosphere even though they should sink out of it like you say.”

“But most of them do—hence the hypersaline layer.”

“But is it enough? We shouldn’t assume anything. We need to continue to observe the situation on Droplet.”

“With respect, Commander,” asked Kuu’iut, “shouldn’t our priority be to pursue Doctor Ree and Counselor Troi?”

“In what, Ensign?” Ra-Havreii asked. “I can’t repair the engines any faster just because it would be convenient.”

“Tuvok’s team has that matter in hand,” Vale said. “Until we can get Titanup and running, our job is to stay here and monitor the situation on Droplet. And…to continue the mission of exploration that Captain Riker set for us. That Aili Lavena threw herself into with her whole being—literally. That’s what we owe them. To keep looking for them…but also to keep looking at Droplet on their behalf.

“Because that’s what we do. We explore. Sometimes it seems pointless, trivial. But let’s remember, people, it was our pure exploration that found the Caeliar and saved the whole damn Alpha Quadrant. And…and Beta. You guys from Beta know what I mean.” She cleared her throat. As a motivational speaker, she needed practice. She would’ve rather left it to Riker. “So let’s get out there…and get the job done.”

SOMEWHERE ON DROPLET

A sensation of warmth is the first thing to impinge upon his consciousness. Warmth, and a gentle pulsing sound…or is it a feeling? Is it from without or within?

Where is without? He tries to open his eyes but fails. Or is it that his eyes are open but there is no light?

He seems to be totally immersed in fluid. A part of him feels alarmed, tries to struggle, but his muscles do not obey. Besides, he has no trouble breathing. Indeed, to some deeper part of him this feels perfectly natural.

How did he get here? What came before? Noisy, turbulent memories clamor distantly, impinge on what little awareness he has, flash at him uncomfortably before dispersing back into the miasma of his mind. He barely thinks. All he knows is that he inhabits a warm, dark, pulsing place immersed in life-giving fluid.

Now why does that feel so familiar?

And why does it remind him of the cry echoing in his mind?

TITAN

“Hey! You know we don’t like malingerers on this ship.”

Eviku opened his eyes to see Doctor Bralik standing alongside his sickbay bed, wearing a crooked-toothed smile to offset her teasing words. “So you better get out of that bed and get back to work soon,” she went on.

“Doctor Onnta says I still need another day of rest,” he said.

“Aww, rest is no way to get better! Rule of Acquisition Number Sixty-three: ‘Work is the best therapy—at least for your employees.’”

“Bralik, please…if you are trying to amuse me, I am not in the mood.”

“I’m trying to get you back on your feet and doing science. Nothing to cheer you up like solving a problem.” The Ferengi gave a sad smirk. “Well, most of the time. I just got my biggest problem solved, but it’s hard to be happy about it, because it was the asteroid that solved it for me. Rule One Sixty-two: ‘Even in the worst of times, someone turns a profit.’”

Eviku raised his head, curious despite his mood. “What do you mean?”

“Why this system has so many asteroids and so few large planets for its metallicity. It’s all those explosive elements—bilitrium, anicium, voltairium, yurium. They can absorb energy from the accretion process, or from sunlight, until it triggers explosions that blow apart the accreting masses. So you end up with a reduced rate of accretion overall, giving you smaller planets and more leftover debris. Simple as that.”

“I see,” Eviku replied. “Well, I’m glad you solved that.”

“That’s it?” Bralik asked after a moment. “Don’t deafen me with your cries of enthusiasm.”

“What do you want from me?” he asked, with more weariness than heat. “I said I was glad.”

“Ev, you haven’t been glad about anything for months. What’s been going on with you?”

He stared at her. “After what happened months ago, can you really ask that?”

“I know, I know. We all suffered in the invasion. But the rest of us have faced it, talked it out, worked through it. We’re moving on. But you just keep it bottled up, whatever it is. Don’t you think you’d feel better if you told somebody about it?” She gestured at her largish ears. “Ferengi are famous for being good listeners, you know.”

“It is…a gracious offer, Bralik. But I really would rather not talk about it.”

Setting her jaw, she loomed over him. “I could quote a whole passel of Rules of Acquisition at you about why you’d be better off letting it out. The only way to prevent that is to tell me.”