Dark Matters_ Ghost Dance (Book 2) - Christie Golden [49]
'Transport to the warp bubble," snapped Torres.
'Transporting," replied Seven.
Again came the sound, the bright red light, and again when the sound and light both faded, the ball was empty and hovering peacefully, its usual serene hue.
Another success. Another-how was it the humans put it?-carrot to dangle before them to encourage them to take the next step, learn the next lesson. If the stakes had not been so high, the situation so dire, Telek would have found this entire thing an exciting exercise.
"The radiation sphere has again increased," said Seven. "The console and the floor area are completely free of dark matter."
Telek's heart was racing. Something about this whole bizarre encounter with Voyager and the Shepherds sang to his soul. He was thrilled at the progress they were making, but impatient with the slow speed of the steps. Sometimes, daring and courage were what were called for, and Telek sensed that at this moment.
He stepped forward and lifted his hand, directly into the unseen sphere of radiation.
'Telek!" cried Torres. "You don't know..." Her
voice trailed off as she realized it was too late. He smiled at her, a fierce, triumphant smile.
"Seven," he said, "scan me."
Even she looked uneasy at his unpredictable and perhaps dangerously impulsive move, but she obeyed his request. Her thin golden eyebrows lifted in surprise.
"There is no reaction, negative or positive. You appear to remain undamaged, Dr. R'Mor, but the sphere is not activating to draw dark matter out of your system."
"He's already been purged," said Khala. "We need to expose someone who hasn't already been transported."
Torres tapped her combadge. "Engineering to bridge."
"Janeway here," came the captain's voice.
"We're making a great deal of progress, Captain, but we need a guinea pig. Someone who hasn't been materialized and had the dark matter removed from his system."
There was a pause. "I'm coming down."
"Captain, I-"
"Don't even try, Torres. You're in need of a test subject, I'm in need of having this stuff removed from my tissues. On my way."
Torres glanced up, frustration, irritation, and helplessness written plainly on her features. Clearly, trying this on the captain wasn't exactly what she had in mind.
A few moments later, the door hissed open and Janeway strode in. She looked excited, as excited as
Telek had felt when he had, perhaps foolishly, exposed himself to the radiation. Briefly, Torres explained the situation. Janeway, trained scientist that she was, grasped it perfectly and nodded her understanding. Seven stepped up and scanned her right arm with the tricorder.
"You are free of large concentrations of dark matter," said Seven, "but there are minute traces in the phalange of your thumb and in the lunate carpal. It will be sufficient for the testing requirements. You may proceed."
"Thank you," said Janeway, with a hint of amusement. Then, calmly, she placed her hand where Torres had indicated.
When Telek had done so earlier, the orb and the field had not reacted. This time, the orb lit up in its by-now recognizable fashion and emitted the screeching sound. Janeway, for whom all of this was a new experience, looked somewhat concerned in the brief instant before the light grew too bright for Telek to look.
When the light and sound had died, they all turned excitedly to Seven.
"The dark matter has not been removed from the phalange and lunate carpal," she announced. She looked disappointed. "However, Captain, you appear to be undamaged."
"Well," said Janeway gamely, "that's something."
"I don't understand," said Khala suddenly. "This ought to have worked. The orb reacted, it tried to take the dark matter out of the captain's hand. It's the next logical step. What is the field for if not to aid in the recovery of dark