ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ The lock hadn't been difficult to open--Nicot slipped into the station's physics lab unnoticed. It also hadn't been a stretch of his talents to convince the computer that he was the Emcrozi physicist.

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ But Nicot knew Pheck would only be gone from his lab for a brief period, so his window of opportunity was now or never. The disorganized way Pheck stored his information made the task a bit harder. There was no doubt about the man, however. He was definitely annoying. Nicot scrolled through the file directories until he finally found what he was looking for.

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ Nicot took the tricorder from his belt and started to copy the technical schematics for the Dihassium device, along with anything related to its construction, use, and detection. The tricorder beeped, signifying the end of the file transfer. Nicot quickly called up an encryption scheme (given to him by Section 31) for the files stored on the tricorder and started on his next task.

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ Had he been Human, Vulcan, Bajoran, or any number of other humanoids, Nicot would be heavily sweating at the moment. At times, the lack of sweet glands in a Bolian was a fortunate thing indeed--he'd have to be on the bridge after this. He turned his attention back to the console in front of him and entered an algorithm into the lab's computer, selecting all the files he'd just copied. If the algorithm did its job right, all the files would be subtly altered; therefore completely useless to anyone. Nicot ran a finger up and down a portion of the bifurcated ridge at the top of his forehead as he waited impatiently for both the console and tricorder to finish.

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ After a wait that had seemed comparable to sitting through a ritual Bolian chant, the lab's computer finally finished. Nicot accessed the computer logs and started deleting half of them--the ones that would be easy to find. Then he went to the more deeply embedded ones making sure the access codes all recorded as Pheck's, and deleted the ones that might let someone know they'd been altered. He had to work fast. He knew he didn't have much time, but leaving just one mistake...

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ When the tricorder had finished the encryption, he used the computer to transmit the encrypted plans to a waiting relay buoy. Nicot scanned through a few last files, then logged off without waiting for the transmission to finish. There wasn't time to wait for it now--it should finish on its own. Knowing T'Senishra like he did, a trace would already be under way and it wouldn't take them long to guess what the transmission was, even if they couldn't decrypt it. It was time to leave.

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ On the other hand if he was spotted now, all of this would have been for nothing. Nicot hurried to the door of the lab, but stopped short as he heard a distinctive noise. It was that of a keypad being pressed--the keypad for the lock on the other side of the door.

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ Guitarrez caught up to Nolon Pheck just as he'd opened his door and was about to enter his lab. "Professor!" she called out as she closed the distance. "Excuse me, Professor Pheck!"

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ Nolon Pheck rolled his eyes, turned to Guitarrez, and in the most condescending tone he could manage asked, "What can I do for you, my dear?"

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ "We're about to launch the modified probe," Guitarrez answered, "The Captain thought you might like to join us on the bridge."

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ Pheck blinked as if the idea bored him to tears. "My dear," he began sternly, "I can't think of anything more--"

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ Improbably, Pheck's expression eased to something much more pleasant. "...more of an immediate interest to me. There is nowhere," he continued, turning back to close and lock the door, "I would rather be, than next to your Captain at this historic occasion."

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ Guitarrez smiled sanguinely at the change of attitude. "Then you're confident we'll find the prototype?"

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ Pheck's beak hung open slightly for a moment. "Let us simply say I'm confident your captain will not disappoint me." And with that, the two of them set off down the corridor.

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ Back inside Pheck's lab, Nicot let out what seemed like his hundredth sigh of relief for the day. Thank the Great Bird!

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ Knight grimaced as he looked at the small field of debris on the viewscreen. "We're not likely to get a lot more from that. Collect the fragments and collate as much of the transmission as possible. We might still be able to decrypt--"

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ "Captain," Rojc interrupted, "I'm detecting a Galaxy-class starship approaching the station at warp nine point five."

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ At just that moment, Guitarrez and Professor Pheck stepped onto the bridge of the Phantom.

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ Knight rolled his eyes. "Knight to Nicot, is that probe ready?"

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ Nicot's voice replied over the comm-system, "I just loaded it.Ý It's ready to launch."

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ Knight turned his head to glance back at T'Senishra. "First, launch the probe."

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ The crew silently watched on the viewscreen as the probe shot away from the ship, arcing its course away from the station and surrounding ships. It wasn't long before it began to slow, then stop altogether. In the blink of an eye, the back of the probe appeared to explode in a brilliant, blue light.

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ As the ever-expanding hemisphere of energy raced away from the probe, the silhouette at the center of the ominous energy wave showed the probe still intact. Racing at the speed of light, the energy wave passed through the ships on the other side of the station first--each passing through the other without effect.

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ "Anything?" Knight asked, turning away from the viewscreen.

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ "Not yet sir," T'Senishra replied from science station one.

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ After the wave passed through the bridge, Pheck immediately took out a device and started scanning himself to make sure he was still alive. He seemed almost disappointed when it confirmed that he was, before mumbling something about the difference between good judgment and good fortune.

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ T'Senishra appeared to be doing some mumbling herself. She shook her head in frustration.

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ Knight noticed her confusion. "Commander?"

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ "The wave has passed through the station and all the ships without being significantly impeded or generating a radiation signature."

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ Pheck's disappointment quickly turned to mirth as he began to chuckle.

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ Knight ignored him. "What do you mean?"

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ T'Senishra looked the Captain in the eye as she replied, "If the prototype were behind some sort of shielding it would have created a 'hole' in the wave, covering over to form an interference pattern. I'm not detecting any interference with the wave."

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ "So if nothing blocked the wave, and the wave didn't trigger the radiation..."

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ "The weapon is not here," T'Senishra finished.

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ Pheck was still clucking away. "It would seem the thieves have gotten away with their prize. A shame you were unable to stop them." He wiped a tear from his eye. "Excuse me, but I have work to do."

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ Rojc looked up from his console. "USS Venture has dropped out of warp and is hailing."

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ Pheck let out one more guffaw before leaving the bridge.

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ Knight bowed his head and lifted his hands to massage his temples. "Put them through, I guess."

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ Nicot's head rested on the top of the backing to the couch he was sprawled out on in the darkened officers lounge when Guitarrez found him. A cold cup of coffee sat on the table next to him. Seeing the lowered light level, she entered tentatively. She stopped at the replicator to order a double-sweet mochachino with whipped cream before walking across the room to sit in a chair across from the couch. Silently, she waited for Nicot to acknowledge her.

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ When he didn't, Guitarrez cleared her throat. "So...how are you feeling?"

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ Nicot made a soft groaning noise, not bothering to lift his head. "I feel like I was just run over by a herd of migrating piersol travelers. I never even had a chance to go to sickbay."

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ "QuÈ dia," Guitarrez said sympathetically. "I heard you and the Captain found evidence the transporter logs were altered."

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ Nicot's body immediately stiffened. As his head snapped up to look at Guitarrez, he asked, "You heard that?"

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ "Are you kidding? It's all over the ship!" Guitarrez exclaimed. "Chingaron. Knight had Melina and me go over those logs with a fine tooth comb earlier--we didn't find anything. And if that weren't enough, the prototype was stolen all of maybe 10 seconds after we arrived..."

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ Nicot didn't like the direction this was going. "What are you saying?"

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ "The conclusion's obvious don't you think? Someone on this ship stole it. Probably more than one person--a group of them, in on it together.

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ "Lets face it, if there's one ship in the fleet that has the sort of people to pull this off, it's the Phantom."

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ Nicot took another sip of his drink, almost spilling it in the process.

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ Guitarrez continued, "If all that weren't enough, now the investigative committee is coming aboard."

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ "Oh?" Nicot asked weakly.

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ "Well, you know the way people like this poke their nose into everything, even if it has nothing to do with what they're looking for."

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ "Oh," Nicot replied, his voice barely a croak.

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ "I tell you, I'll feel better once I know they're off the ship. The thieves that is. Last thing you need is people like that around when your life could depend on the person next to you."

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ Guitarrez went to take a sip of her drink but put it down again, suddenly thinking of something else. "All I want to know--how the hell did they get the weapon out of the range of that pulse?"

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ Nicot turned a much pallid shade of blue, and Guitarrez was starting to notice. "You really are sick aren't you? Do you want me to help you to sickbay?"

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ "No! I mean...it's okay, I'll be fine." With that, Nicot stumbled away, leaving a very concerned Guitarrez shaking her head as she watched him go.

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ Nicot stood silently in front of Captain Knight's desk. Apprehensively, his gaze dropped to the PADD he held in his left hand. For a moment, Knight wondered if he'd transformed into a fire-breathing dragon and no one had bothered to inform him. Finally though, Nicot found his voice.

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ "Sir, I've discovered why the transporter logs don't show activity in cargo bay two," Nicot began tensely, looking up from the PADD but still not meeting Knight's eyes.Ý "It has nothing to do with the logs being altered."

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ Knight looked tired. Today hadn't been a good day, and his lack of sleep the night before was quickly catching up with him. "Then what does it have to do with?"

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ "It was as you suggested. One of the engineering teams that was sent to the station needed some components for repairs they were doing," Nicot replied, handing Knight the PADD. "They used the station's transporters to transfer these parts and components directly to the work areas; the computer detected the transports and amended the inventory."

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ "That's not standard procedure though. Is it?"

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ "No sir, but with both the engineering and operations teams short staffed..." Nicot shrugged.

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ Knight sighed nodding. "I get the picture. You'll need to prepare a report of your findings to the committee. This wont help them, but it might at least go some of the way to convincing them we weren't responsible."

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ Nicot paced inside his quarters. The voice he'd been hearing all day was back again. Ý "The committee has taken copies of all sensor logs from the Phantom and the station; they've determined that the prototype is either out of range or has been destroyed.

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ "The Venture has launched over fifty warp-capable probes to search the surrounding area, just to cover the bases."

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ Nicot grimaced and let out a small sigh. "It almost seemed too easy."

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ "Don't relax just yet. With almost no hope of finding the weapon, the committee's attention has already turned to finding someone to blame."

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ Nicot threw his head back in exasperation, continuing to pace. "I thought we organized that already."

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ "We've arranged the evidence, but we haven't arranged for it to be found yet. We wait for the committee to give us an opportunity.

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ "They'll be starting their 'interviews' soon--I want to prepare your answers in advance. We don't want you acting nervous again."

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ Nicot scowled. "I'll be fine. It's just different lying to people I know."

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ "Of course it is. That's when it's most important to lie well."