When Starfleet first discovered Othallia, the significance of what they had found wasn't apparent straight away. After a very cursory orbital survey, the planet received its uninhabitatable designation and was classified as uninteresting; and that was that.

A contributing factor to Starfleet's interest in the planet was its one glaring anomally. Aside from the city and immediate area around it, everywhere else was completely lifeless. This fact had confounded everyone who had tried to find the reason. Picard had thought of nothing else since returning from the surface.

After persuading them to check the city for life, Lumi had stood patiently at the back of the opps room watching the screen. It had been hours since their return to the habitat and despite Sebi and Glav making extensive scans of the city, no life was detected.

Picard left his station and stood next to her.

"I don't need to be a telepath to know when someone's in pain," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Is there anything I can do?"

Lumi smiled, but it was bravado. "Thank you for the offer but I'm not a Vulcan."

"I don't understand," said Picard.

"You are thinking about your link with Spock's father, Sarek. It won't work Jean Luc. Betazoids can't mind meld. Unless you're telepathic, it only works in one direction."

Picard nodded. "I see."

Lumi suddenly winced and her hand went to the side of her head. Her face contorted in pain. It was only Picard's quick reaction that prevented her falling to the deck.

He helped her over to a nearby seat. Molly passed her a cup of water.

"Thank you," said Lumi, and drank it down. "The pain is subsiding."

Picard sat opposite. "Lumi, what was that?"

Finishing the water with a gasp, she met his eye.

"It's like being in a crowded room with everyone speaking at the same time but in an unknown language. Jean Luc, its getting louder. It's taking all my training to keep it under control."

"Scans are complete," announced Sebi, getting up from his seat. "There's no life signs anywhere on the planet."

A look of panic came on Lumi's face. "Then what am I hearing? I can't carry on like this. I'll go insane."

Molly put her arm around her shoulders. "Hey, we'll find out what's happening, Lumi." She looked up at the others. "Won't we."

"Of course," said Glav. "Lumi, in the meantime, you need to rest."

"Medication?"

"Only to help you sleep," said Glav.

Surprisingly, Lumi didn't protest. She nodded and accepted Molly's offer to walk her back to her quarters. Just before leaving the room, she turned to look at Picard and smiled.

"You are a very compassionate man, Jean Luc Picard. I wish you were telepathic too but I'm not sure you would like it at the moment."

Picard watched her go.

Sebi looked up from his monitor. "Does she ever switch that off?"

"Can't," said Glav. "I know that normal Betazoid development begins in adolescence and they are taught how to control their abilities. Lumi's gift is incredibly precise and sensitive, so for her to be struggling with control, it must be bad. I dread to think what happens if she loses control."

"I have an idea," said Picard, gravely. "Years ago on the Enterprise, we had a Betazoid onboard called Tam Elbrun. He was born with his abilities switched on."

"Really?" Glav was suddenly interested. "What was he like?"

"Put it this way, I don't want to see Lumi in the same predicament."

"So, what do we do? Go back down to the planet?" Glav suddenly looked thoughtful and turned to Picard. "Jean Luc, I've just remembered, when we were down on the planet before. What were you going to say?"

Picard slapped his forehead. "I'd forgotten all about that." He grabbed his tricorder and called up his map of the mosaic. "Yes," he said, excitedly. "Here it is." Picard explained about the black circle he had discovered at the far left of the pattern. "It didn't fit with the rest of the design, so I scanned it and found this."

He put the readout up onto the main screen. The image showed a close up of the mosaic design, at the same time, the scan analysis data, scrolled across the bottom of the screen. As the black circle came into view, all the data ceased.

Sebi squinted at the screen. "What's happened?"

"Nothing," said Picard. "And that's exactly what's in this circular area. Absolutely nothing. No matter of any kind."

Molly came back into the room. "That's impossible. There must be something."

"According to the tricorder readings, that circular space does not exist." Picard glanced at Glav. "Lumi said that whatever is behind the doorway was completely black. I don't know about you but I think its connected."

Glav held out his hands, appealingly. "So, back to the city, Jean Luc?"

"We have to."

Leaving Sebi to monitor Lumi, Picard, Molly and Glav transported into the ruined government building. Once the exclusion field ceased, Picard led them over to where he saw the dark circle. It took a while to find it, which confused him at first. Then he realised why.

"It's moved position on the mosaic," he said, incredulously checking his tricorder.

Glav followed suit, as did Molly.

"According to my data, there's nothing there," she said. "How can it be?"

Glav stepped closer. "Let's see how it responds to physical contact."

"Glav, I don't think that's a good idea," said Picard.

Before they could stop him, Glav put his hand onto the circle. The surface immediately gave under the weight of his hand and something pulled it inside. Glav cried out as he was yanked fiercely in up to his shoulder.

"It burns," he screamed. He turned to look at Picard. "Jean Luc, it burns. Help me, somethings trying to pull me inside."

Picard and Molly both grabbed onto Glav's trapped arm and pulled. As he braced his foot against the wall, Picard could feel a strange vibration through the stone. He met Molly's eye.

"Together," he said, and heaved with his whole body weight; Molly was doing the same.

Glav screamed in agony as whatever was holding him refused to let go. After repeated attempts, both Picard and Molly fell onto the ground, exhausted.

Glav crumpled onto the ground, his arm still held inside the wall.

"It's no good, my friend," he said. "Whatever has me, won't let go. I should have listened, I'm sorry Jean Luc."

"What about using a phaser to cut you out," said Molly.

"Molly, we don't know what would happen to Glav's arm if we did that," said Picard.

"Well, what do you suggest? We can't just leave him here."

"What about the mosaic, Jean Luc?" Glav's question seemed ridiculous considering his circumstances. "It's a remarkable find, would be a shame to ruin it."

"Screw the mosaic," said Molly. "We need to get you free."

Glav looked round at the intricate design then back to Picard.

"Molly's right," he said. "I think we should try it."

Picard felt his insides knot up. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure," said Glav.

Molly reached into her bag and took out two hand phasers, passing one to Picard.

"Set to level six," said Picard. "Let's keep the cutting beam a hundred centimetres from the hole perimeter.

"And try not to hit me," joked Glav, getting to his feet and moving his body away from the wall as much as possible.

Picard glanced at Molly. "Ready?" She nodded and they both took aim. "Fire."

The orange light of the phasers cutting beam struck the wall and, moving in opposite directions, they cut into the stone around the hole. The stone cut surprisingly easy and in no time they had cut a circle around Glav's arm. Pocketing the weapons, they tried again the pull Glav free.

Picard and Molly braced themselves but before they commenced pulling, Glav's arm was released. The three of them tumbled onto the ground.

Molly pulled out a medical tricorder and passed it over Glav's arm.

"His whole arm is in a state of cellular flux," she said, with a worried look. "Its very structure is being altered."

Picard looked at his friend, who was in agony. "Altered? In what way?"

"Jean Luc, his whole arm is starting to disappear, look." She pointed at Glav's outstretched arm, as two fingers of his left hand were suddenly not there. Glav cried out in pain, curled up into a fetal position and began shaking violently.

"Glav," cried Picard, as the Castorian slowly disappeared before their eyes. He stared incredulously at Molly. "What the hell just happened?"

Molly didn't answer, she just stared, open mouth, at the wall behind him. Picard turned round and stood transfixed. The black circle on the mosaic had expanded and now appeared as an uneven blot covering nearly half of the wall. The black nothingness in front of them, sent a chill down Picard's spine.

Glav's disappearance momentarily forgotten, neither of them moved.

Then Picard heard them. Millions of tormented voices, all crying out in pain.