First Officer William Riker sat in the command chair of the Enterprise and longed to be the captain of a Galaxy-class starship.

He had spent his childhood reading the history of space exploration and marveling at the exploits of the men and women who had saved their ships from danger or sacrificed their own lives in the attempt. Admirals might plan expeditions into uncharted space, but captains actually made the first contact with alien races and forged new alliances for a growing Federation. Captains were surrounded by an aura of adventure and Riker had never abandoned his dream of someday commanding a starship that would travel to the far-distant reaches of the galaxy.

He had never dreamed of becoming a first officer and dealing with petty-minded bureaucrats.

That was the problem with daydreams: they left out the details. Captains gained all that glory because they assigned boring, mundane duties to someone else. And just now that someone else was him.

"Commander, we are being hailed by the K'Vin embassy."

Riker jerked himself up from a slumped position. Several hours of waiting had gradually eroded his posture, but Lieutenant Worf's announcement recalled the first officer to a sense of official dignity.

"Well, it's about time. Put them through on my signal."

He drummed his fingers impatiently as he waited for certain members of the bridge crew to reassume their positions. Wesley Crusher came down a side ramp from the aft station and scrambled back into the empty Conn station. Lieutenant Solis had remained at Ops, but he arched his back in a bone-cracking stretch. Deanna Troi, who had drifted over to a refreshment dispenser, was slightly less energetic than the ensign in reclaiming her seat in the command area, but she abandoned her unfinished drink without complaint.

After a final visual sweep of the oval bridge to check that everyone was alert and professional in appearance, Riker turned his attention to the viewscreen that covered the curving forward bulkhead.

"Ready, Lieutenant Worf."

A static planetscape gave way to a live transmission from the embassy's administrative assistant. Gezor was of another race entirely from the thickset K'Vin who employed him; he was small-boned and pink-skinned with a mane of curling black hair that crowned his head and ran down his spine.

"Cool days to you and yours, Commander Riker." Despite a rasping accent, Gezor's use of the Federation language was impeccable. "Having completed the examination of your Petition for Territorial Trespass, the K'Vin embassy of Kirlos grants provisional clearances to Lieutenant Worf and to Lieutenant Geordi La Forge."

"Provisional?" A prickle of apprehension made the first officer voice this question rather more sharply than he had intended.

"Yes," said Gezor with a lazy blink of his heavy eyelids. "It appears that the clearance form for Lieutenant Commander Data has not been completed satisfactorily. Without a full disclosure of the requested information, he cannot be permitted to enter K'Vin territory."

Assuming a genial expression that was far from sincere, Riker launched into an explanation. "As I indicated on the form, several of the line items are not applicable to Mr. Data. As an android, he does not have a biological mother or father. Nor does he--"

"And I am still waiting for transmission of his medical history," interrupted Gezor. Although delivered in an unruffled monotone, his gruff announcement effectively drowned out the rest of the first officer's words.

"As I said before," Riker's voice increased in volume, "he is an android. He does not have a medical file."

"Then Lieutenant Commander Data cannot be granted right of trespass by the K'Vin embassy. And his removal from the landing party will, of course, invalidate all related petitions. Provisional clearance for Lieutenant Worf and Lieutenant Commander La Forge is hereby denied."

Riker clenched his jaw until he could trust himself to speak. "But, Gezor, the Federation embassy on Kirlos has already approved--"

"The K'Vin are not responsible for the inadequacies of the resident Federation embassy. Therefore, if at any point the Enterprise landing party attempts to cross through K'Vin territory--"

Riker lunged out of the captain's chair to stand, feet astride, in the center of the command deck. He was a big man, and it was difficult for him to resist using his looming height to intimidate others. Perhaps someday he would learn how Captain Picard managed to compel respect without that physical advantage; until then, however, Riker intended to make use of any asset available to him.

"You know very well that they have to cross through K'Vin territory to reach the archaeological site! That's the whole point of their mission!"

Gezor met this statement with a reproving frown. "In that case, Commander Riker, you must fill out the appropriate forms in their entirety for proper clearance of personnel."

Riker moved a finger across his throat.

Lieutenant Worf snapped off the communications link with the embassy. Gezor's face winked away; once again the viewscreen presented an image of the day side of Kirlos, the same view that had been displayed since the ship's arrival in the solar system two days earlier. The planet's surface, unbroken by seas or oceans, was a monotone patchwork of beige and tan.

"Contact is suspended," confirmed Worf.

Taking a deep breath, Riker consciously eased the stiff cast of his shoulders.

"The K'Vin have resisted us at every step of the way in our attempt to put a landing party on Kirlos." He turned to Troi, still seated next to the empty captain's chair. "Why?"

"I'm not familiar with the Sullurh as a race," she said, puzzling over the nuances of the exchange she had just witnessed. "Yet I don't detect any real hostility from Gezor. Rather, he appears to be a loyal employee of the K'Vin and one who interprets their regulations very literally." To Riker's surprise, the counselor then smiled. "If anything, I would say that he is simply bored."

"And I'm providing today's entertainment," he said tightly. "Well, enough of that."

Crossing his arms over his chest, the first officer glared belligerently at the planet Kirlos as he contemplated his next move. The portion of the planet facing them included a round, flat area that researchers had nicknamed the Valley -- interesting, but not interesting enough to divert him from his pique. Then a sudden inspiration eased the tight line of his frown into a broad grin. His arms loosened and fell back down to his sides.

"Mr. Worf," Riker called out with obvious relish, "reestablish contact with the K'Vin embassy."

When Gezor reappeared on the viewscreen, his expression was bland and betrayed no reaction to the prolonged break in communications. Nevertheless, Riker prefaced his speech with a conciliatory bow.

"Gezor, there has been a regrettable confusion in the filing of the landing party's Petition for Territorial Trespass. Lieutenant Commander Data should have been included in the accessory requisition section of the petition, since he is part of the research equipment allotment. As a highly advanced technological device, he is essential to the landing party's investigation."

The administrator took his time considering this proposal, time enough for him to blink three times, then finally replied. "Yes, in that case, the appropriate information requirements would be satisfied. Under the circumstances, I will allow a second petition for personnel clearance of Lieutenant Worf and Lieutenant La Forge to be filed along with the amended equipment manifest. Stand by for transmission of the instructions for that procedure."

The planet Kirlos wiped across the viewscreen, signaling an end to the connection with the K'Vin embassy.

"More forms," groaned Riker.

Wesley Crusher swiveled his Conn chair to face the first officer. "I guess this is all part of the burden of command, right, Mr. Riker?" he asked with a grin.

Riker grinned back.

"Ensign Crusher." Stepping closer, Riker clapped a hand on the young man's shoulder. "I've been neglecting your interest in the Kirlos project. How very selfish of me to stand in the way of your educational progress."

"Sir?" Wesley stirred uneasily in the Conn chair.

"This is an excellent opportunity for you to learn, in-depth, another one of the challenges of starship management." Glancing over his shoulder, Riker addressed Lieutenant Worf. "The ensign will be handling all further communications with the embassy."

"Yes, sir." The Klingon checked the flickering lights that chased across his communications board. "Still transmitting. The amount of incoming data appears to be rather large."

"Well, just let the ensign know as soon as it's all in. I'll be in a meeting with the captain, so the bridge is yours." With a final hearty slap to the ensign's shoulder, Riker strode away from the helm to the captain's ready room. Then, while waiting to be allowed through the doors, he turned back to add, "And don't skip any of the line items, Mr. Crusher. The K'Vin are very thorough."

"Yes, sir."

Ensign Crusher was no longer smiling.

The captain's desk had been cleared of all objects. All objects except for the small statue which Geordi La Forge set down very carefully in the center of the table. Each element of the piece was so perfectly balanced that the carving stayed erect without a base to steady it.

Jean-Luc Picard was jolted out of his normal reticence by its beauty. He eagerly leaned forward in his chair for a closer inspection.

The figurine was of a member of an unfamiliar humanoid race. Its compact, muscled body had been caught in motion, leaping up from a crouch. The skirts of its tunic and its long bushy tail floated in air. Picard had assumed the subject was a dancer until he saw the bared teeth set in a snarl. Its eyes were closed to narrow slits, and it had the cold look of a predator about to kill its prey.

The predominant color of the statue was a rich orange, but it was shot through with delicate veins of green and white. The surface was so highly polished that it gleamed even in the subdued light of the ready room.

"What is it made of?"

"A rare form of marble called arizite," said Geordi.

"Yes, I've heard of it. But I've never seen it before." The captain reached out to touch the statue, then caught himself. "May I?"

"Be my guest," said La Forge with an expansive wave. "When I told Professor Coleridge you were interested in archaeology, she sent it up especially for you to inspect."

Riker strode through the doors of the office in time to hear the engineer's last comment. "Yes, but she left the paperwork for the transfer to me."

Picard was too absorbed in examining the statue to spare any attention to Riker's entrance. The marble weighed heavily in his palm and was cool to the touch. It was also flawless. No nick or scratch marred its surface.

"You say the ruins are full of such remains of the Ariantu culture?"

"Oh, yes. And evidently this is just one of the minor pieces." Geordi stepped aside to let Riker view the object in the captain's hands. "According to Nassa... I mean Professor Coleridge, the gamma level of Kirlos was evacuated in a very short period of time, though we are not sure why. The result is that the resident Ariantu abandoned almost all of their possessions. In time, the excavation team should be able to re-create an incredibly detailed portrait of their day-to-day life."

"Ah!" sighed Picard with an envious gleam in his eyes. "I would very much like the opportunity to--"

"Don't even think it, Captain," cut in Riker. "Under no circumstances are you to set foot on Kirlos."

Picard's head snapped up. The blank look he gave his first officer was a sure sign of his suppressed irritation. "Really, Number One. This is carrying your concern for my safety too far. You can't convince me that I would face the slightest danger on Kirlos."

"Who said anything about danger? I'm tired of filling out forms!" Riker swung one leg over the back of a chair and settled down at the desk across from the captain. "If we try to petition for the inclusion of a starship captain in the landing party, the K'Vin will want to know how many hairs there are on your head and what your mother had for breakfast the day you were born."

"Yes, I see," said Picard, with a return to his previous good humor. "Well, it was but a passing thought." However, he continued to gaze at the statue, and all that it stood for, with obvious longing. A hail from the ship's intercom scarcely touched his thoughts.

"Lieutenant La Forge and Lieutenant Worf, please report to sickbay for landing party physicals."

"On my way, Doctor," said Geordi after a tap to his insignia. He and Riker exchanged commiserating looks, but the chief engineer had already passed beyond the threshold of the room before Picard realized he was leaving.

"Damn. I meant to thank him for this." Picard restored the Ariantu artifact to its place of honor on the desk, but it still held his attention. Riker rocked back in his chair, arms folded across his chest. Since he made no attempt to break the captain's concentration, the two officers shared a companionable silence.

With a sidelong glance at his first officer, Picard finally said, "You know, Number One, that I have full confidence in your choice of landing party members." "Certainly, Captain."

"But you must admit," continued Picard with studied disinterest, "that the composition of the landing party to Kirlos is a little... unusual."

The first officer nodded solemnly. "Well, that's true. Usually the chief engineer stays aboard the ship."

"Granted. But in this case, Nassa Coleridge specifically requested Geordi. From what he's told me, she was a sort of mentor to him before he decided to enter Starfleet Academy, and his VISOR will be an enormous aid to their search through the ruins. And there's no question that Data is well suited for this type of scientific research." Picard failed to suppress the faint trace of a smile. "But why Worf? I thought Lieutenant Keenan was scheduled for the next planet security assignment."

"Worf volunteered." When Picard met this explanation with a raised eyebrow, Riker added, "Why wouldn't a Klingon want to beam down into the middle of disputed space?"

"Hardly disputed!" scoffed the captain. He leaned back in his chair, not quite matching Riker's level of informality but relaxing all the same. "The K'Vin and the Federation have been camped out on Kirlos for more than thirty years without exchanging a single shot. In fact, I've heard that Ambassador Stephaleh and Ambassador Gregach have a standing arrangement to play dyson every week."

"Isn't that a coincidence," said Riker without any further elaboration.

"I begin to understand." Picard shook his head in mock disapproval. "The wages of sin. Perhaps now the lieutenant will be more careful about what games he plays with the members of his security force. And the stakes involved."

Riker covered his grin by absently stroking his beard. "You can bet on it, Captain."

Dr. Beverly Crusher placed the tip of a hypo against the side of Worf's neck and listened for the telltale hiss of the injection. Almost immediately, Worf started to get up from the diagnostic table, but she hauled him back in place. It was harder to do than she'd expected. Not a reassuring discovery.

"I'll let you know when I'm done, Lieutenant Worf." The doctor calmly dialed another medication setting even though a sound like distant thunder reverberated from deep in the Klingon's chest.

Geordi waited patiently for his fellow officer. "Why all the inoculations?"

"Just a precaution," said Crusher, triggering another injection. "A large number of alien races are crowded together down in the tunnels of Kirlos. Biofilters may keep existing strains of contaminants from reaching the settlement, but there's always a chance you could pick up a newly mutated virus. This will give you a broader base of immunity."

Then, most unfortunately, she added, "Actually, my best advice is for you both to stay well hydrated and to stay cool. According to the Federation embassy's medical records, most of the fatalities on the planet are from heat exhaustion."

"That is the death of a beast of burden!" cried out Worf, speaking for the first time since entering sickbay.

The ominous rumbling sound rose up from his chest to his throat. Crusher could feel the vibrations in her fingers when she touched the metal cylinder to his neck a third time. In a well-meaning attempt to distract him from the final injection, the doctor asked, "I thought Keenan was scheduled for this assignment."

The Klingon snarled, flashing a large white incisor from beneath a curled lip.

Crusher stepped back from her patient, nearly dropping the empty hypo to the floor of sickbay, but she still managed to say with some dignity, "You can go now, Lieutenant."

Chief O'Brien clung to the controls of the transporter with the white-knuckled desperation of a drowning man. Like most transporter operators who had grown accustomed to the job, he liked a steady ebb and flow of traffic through his domain. There was a certain vulnerability to his position, tied as he was to a duty post in a small room, that made him wary of prolonged interactions with the crew. On this particular occasion, however, Lieutenant Commander Data had arrived well in advance of the other members of the landing party, and he displayed no inclination to wait for his companions in silence.

"And what is even more interesting," continued Data, warming to the subject he had introduced soon after his entrance to the transporter room, "is that when these magnetic and rotational characteristics are considered in the light of recent spectrographic examinations of the substratum formations, the congruences indicate that Kirlos is an artificially constructed planet. Unfortunately, this still does not explain..."

Data halted his narrative in midstream. There was something very familiar about the look in Chief O'Brien's eyes. Captain Picard often developed a similar expression just prior to requesting that Data cease speaking.

"Do you perhaps wish to say something at this point?" asked the android.

O'Brien started, as if waking from a dazed sleep. "No, sir," he said, with what Data considered a rather odd emphasis on the disparity in their rank. "I can't think of anything that would be appropriate to say at this time."

Data was still puzzling over the somewhat ambiguous wording of this response when the doors to the transporter room hissed apart.

"I envy you, Data," said Geordi as he and Worf walked inside. "You don't need to stop by sickbay before going on an away mission."

"That is correct," acknowledged Data, turning his attention away from O'Brien's comment with some reluctance. "However, I have undergone minor adjustments to my thermostatic controls. According to my research on Kirlos, even in the tunnels we will be exposed to daytime temperatures of..."

He stopped talking. His head swung back and forth as he tracked Geordi's waving hand. "What is the significance of that gesture?"

"It means 'not now,' Data." Geordi broke into a friendly grin. "Don't worry. I'll explain later."

"Ah. Thank you." Satisfied with this promise of future enlightenment, Data followed Worf.

"Transporter coordinates laid in," announced O'Brien as he scanned the control panel readings. His fingers tapped out the first steps of the molecular transfer process. "By the way, I thought Keenan was scheduled for this assignment."

The small chamber seemed to amplify Worf's growl. He glared at O'Brien as Geordi took his place on the platform.

The transporter chief triggered the beam-down process. "Good-bye, gentlemen."

The landing party faded away in a glittering cloud of yellow light. Then, and only then, did O'Brien smile.