The chamber was cold and slightly damp. It had that particular smell that spoke of great age. There was a sense that if the walls could speak, they would tell incredible stories of events that had taken place there.

Picard and Glav were studying a huge intricate mosaic that filled the entire wall of what they decided had been the central government building.

All of them had become excited about the building and there was something of interest for each of them. Picard found himself smiling at the joy and zeal of discovery that pervaded the team.

Molly and Sebi were doing old-fashioned archeology, which meant digging in the courtyard outside.

Lumi was sat on the floor of the atrium, trying to make sense of a mural that framed a sealed up doorway.

"So what do you make of it, Glav?" Picard was studying his tricorder. "Could this be our rosetta stone?"

Glav didn't reply straight away. He was cataloguing and capturing images of every centimetre. It was remarkable.

He turned to Picard. "I'm not sure what to think," he admitted. "This whole rendition seems less like language and more like an engineering schematic or a shorthand of some kind." He pointed at a section near the centre that showed a series of wheels and spires that intersected at oblique angles. Next to them was a series of symbols.

Picard pointed at them. "Is that language, Glav?"

The Castorian gazed up at the ancient markings and shook his head.

"If it is, it's not Triathian. None of the characters resemble anything I've seen before."

"Maybe a dialect or national tongue?"

Glav made a face. "I don't think it's any sort of ordinary text, it might be specific technical notation for a certain discipline or speciality. I'm still trying to match something in my very small Triathian language database."

Picard stood back to admire the intricate patterns and designs. The time it must have taken to complete was staggering to consider; even by twenty forth century standards. Leaving Glav pondering over his pad, Picard wandered along the wall to the opposite side of the chamber.

Ahead of him, a shaft of sunlight speared the gloom and illuminated an area of the design that he hadn't noticed before. About a metre off the floor was a totally black circle about the size of his hand. It seemed completely incongruous to the rest of the design. Taking out his tricorder, he began scanning it. What he saw was astonishing.

"Glav," he shouted, turning towards his friend. As Glav looked up from what he was doing, Lumi screamed. They both shared a look and then ran towards the atrium. Glav was slightly quicker and as Picard entered the atrium, he was bent down next to an unconscious Lumi.

Picard watched him check her over. "Is she alright?"

"She seems to have fainted," replied Glav, taking out a hypospray from the medical kit and applying it to side of Lumi's neck.

"Lumi," he said, gently.

She took a breath and opened her eyes.

"Hello boys," she wheezed. "Don't worry, I'm OK and no, Jean Luc, I don't need to go back to the habitat." Her expression softened. "Sorry. Would one of you help me up?" Picard and Glav stepped forward and lifted their Betazoid colleague off the floor. "Thank you," she said, dusting herself down.

Picard looked around the deserted atrium and back at Lumi. "What happened?"

Lumi turned to look at the mural. "I was examining the symbols, some of the characters resemble another language that I've come across before. I just can't remember where or even when. I was using my tricorder to try and get an accurate scan, when the patterns shifted and changed." She patted the wall. "This door seal disappeared. And..."

Lumi looked as if she was about to pass out again.

"I think you need to take a rest," said Picard.

Glav checked his pad. "It will be sunset in an hour's time and we have a lot of data to examine." He clicked his communicator. "This is Glav, prepare for transport." He waited for acknowledgements from the others then called the habitat. "Computer, transport the whole team."

Picard and Glav held Lumi between them. A second later they were standing on the transporter pad with Sebi and Molly.

"What's happened?" Molly came over, concern written all over her face. She looked into Lumi's eyes. "You look terrible."

Holding her hand across her forehead, Lumi squinted back at her friend. "Thanks Molly, that's made me feel so much better."

"Let's go to the medical bay," said Glav. "Just as a precaution."

Surprisingly, Lumi didn't argue. Picard wondered if the level of concern she could feel around her, had curtailed any protest.

The Habitat's medical bay was a modest affair with just enough room for the patient and one other. However, it did have a state of the art diagnostic bed.

Lumi lay on the bed, but according to the diagnostic there was nothing physically wrong with her. Glav administered a neural patch to treat the headache and realised that she had fallen asleep.

The others went to the reception area next to the kitchen that Molly had now officially christened 'Quarks' after the Ferengi bar owner that her father had often mentioned when she was growing up. Picard wasn't sure that Molly understood O'Brien's relationship with probably the most notorious Ferengi of them all. However, nobody objected so Quark's it was.

They all sat down and ate in relative silence. It was such a contrast to the start of the day and Picard noted that the atmosphere seemed heavy.

"Hey," he said, gently. "Lumi will be fine."

"You say that with remarkable assurance, Jean Luc," said Sebi. "You can't be sure."

Picard smiled. "My friend, years of working with a Betazoid officer on board the Enterprise, taught me one thing. They are one of the most resilient and remarkable races in the galaxy."

"That's very nice of you to say so," said Lumi, who had just appeared at the door. "But wasn't your Counsellor Troi only half Betazoid?"

"She was," said Picard, getting out of his seat. They began to surround her, all asking the obvious questions.

Lumi raised her hands. "Woah, people," she said. "Give me a chance to breathe."

Picard was standing nearest to her. She turned to look at him. "I'm not sick Jean Luc and yes, I'm very hungry and thirsty."

Once she had eaten, Lumi looked a lot calmer. They all left the table and sat next to the window with their drinks. All eyes were on Lumi, a sense of expectancy in the air. For a long time, she said nothing, simply looking out of the window at the azure crescent of Othallia far below.

"I can hear them," she said, suddenly.

"What?" Picard felt his stomach knot.

Lumi turned to look at him, pointing out of the window at the planet.

"Down there," she said. "Some how I can hear them."

"There's no one down there," said Glav.

"The last people alive on this world, died thousands of years ago," Molly agreed.

Picard got to his feet. "Lumi, who can you hear?"

"Jean Luc, you can't be serious," said Sebi.

Picard was undeterred. "Lumi, who?"

"The Triath," she said, her hand holding the side of her again.

Molly walked over to her friend and put her arm around her shoulder. "Are you saying there are Triath still alive on Othallia?"

"Not sure," she replied.

Glav looked very serious. "Well, how many Triath are talking about?"

Lumi smiled thinly. "All of them."