• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

"I die for Romulus," he whispered as the darkness came to claim him with long, greedy fingers.

'This one looks even worse than his friend," observed the Doctor, regarding the dead Romulan on the examination bed.

"Did the dark matter kill him?" asked Janeway.

"I'll need to perform a full autopsy." The door hissed open, and Torres and Carey entered. Carey's hands were little more than crisped flesh on bone, and his face was pale and sweating.

That autopsy must take precedence," said Janeway, looking compassionately at Carey. "I'm sorry, but you'll have to wait"

"Captain-"

"Don't argue with me, Torres." Janeway's voice was hard. "Burned hands will be the least of your worries, Lieutenant Carey, if we don't figure out how to slow the progress of the dark matter. B'Elanna, start venting the anesthezine and get back to work on that warp core."

The door hissed again. Others entered, limping or sweating or whimpering. The Doctor sighed. "Everyone's getting sick," he said. "Can you at least send Ensign Paris down to lend me a hand?"

"I need him on die bridge," said Janeway. "I'll have Ensign Campbell assist you."

"She's die transporter officer!" complained die Doctor.

"She's got two good ears, she can learn." Janeway headed for die door. Telek's soft voice stopped her.

"Captain, I must... that is... is this autopsy really necessary?"

She stared at him in surprise. "You're a scientist, Tetek. You should appreciate how vital this is."

He looked distressed. "We do not... it is not permitted for others to-"

A nearly crippling jolt of pain sliced through Janeway's skull. Telek, I'd love to sit down with you over a cup of coffee and hash all this out in a civilized manner, but frankly I don't have time to discuss the niceties of your customs or your orders. Protocol goes out the airlock when lives are at stake, and one of those lives is your own. What the Doctor learns from autopsying the centurion could tell us how to stop this, maybe even reverse the effects. It could save your own people. I'm sorry it has to be this way, but those are my orders. Now. Return to your assignment of analyzing the equipment and keep me informed of your findings."

Telek opened his mouth as if to protest further, but Janeway kept going. He had been remarkably forthcoming, and she liked and respected him, but she was not going to waste a single second arguing over the treatment of a dead body white living, breaming people might be saved. The door closed behind her.

More bad news awaited her on the bridge, ft was strange to see Chakotay at Tuvok's position. At least he, Harry, and Tom seemed to be more or less all right

"Status report."

"Our weapons system is completely off-line, and our shields are down to less than ten percent. We're

sitting ducks. One good phaser blast from those warbirds you warned us about and we're done for."

"Get teams on it immediately. We know now that it's not computer failures, it's sabotage. Any sign of those warbirds on long-range sensors?" She sat in her chair and winced. Suddenly, her skin felt as though it were on fire. Undoubtedly the nerve endings were now being attacked by the dark matter in her system,

"Negative, at least so far," said Kim. "Maybe we stopped the signal before it reached them."

"I don't mink it's wise to underestimate the Romulans. Ever. They got it, all right. I fear Telek is right, that it's just a matter of time. Paris, continue en route to the Shepherd planet We'll go on full impulse until B'Elanna can get that warp core back in place."

Good Lord, she was hurting. She clenched her teem and willed the pain away. It ignored her and continued its white-hot burning. Sweat gathered at her hairline from the effort Out of the comer of her eye, she saw Chakotay give her a concerned glance. He knew her far better man she liked, sometimes.

"We've found the two Romulans. What about