Enigma - Michael Jan Friedman [24]
The aliens wouldn’t have beamed over if they meant to destroy the ship. That just stood to reason. So for a while, at least, the Cochise would be safe from another barrage.
All the captain would have to worry about were the boarding parties. But he felt confident that his crew could hold them off, there on their home turf.
Let them come, he thought. We’ll take our chances.
Looking up at the intercom, Greenbriar briefed his crew as to the problem. “All hands,” he said, “break out phasers. Take any measures necessary to defend yourselves and your ship.”
Fortunately, there was a phaser locker there on the bridge. Before the captain had finished advising the crew, Bolaris had opened the locker and begun distributing its contents.
By then also, a medical team had arrived to see to Dolgin and the others. But Greenbriar didn’t have the luxury of helping them pack his exec on a gurney. He had to get hold of a phaser and get himself down to deck five.
If his people were battling the invaders down there, he wanted to battle alongside them.
Paris sighed.
“Don’t worry,” said a voice, just loud enough to be heard. “She’ll still be there when you get back.”
The ensign turned to Ben Zoma, who was sitting beside him with a knowing smile on his face. Paris felt a hot rush of blood in his cheeks. How could the first officer have known that he was thinking about Jiterica?
“Sir…?” he said, not knowing what else to say.
Ben Zoma chuckled. “I’d know that sigh anywhere, Mister Paris. It’s an ‘I miss my girl’ sigh, an ‘I wonder what she’s doing right now’ sigh. Believe me, I’ve been there.”
The ensign looked back at the others. Chen, Horombo, and Ramirez were leaning back in their seats with their eyes closed—maybe asleep, maybe not. McAteer and Garner were going over a schematic in the rear of the craft, one of many the admiral had asked to see over the last few hours.
As far as Paris could tell, none of them was eavesdropping on Ben Zoma. The ensign was relieved.
Not that his feelings for Jiterica were any big secret, really. It was just that he had never had occasion to discuss them with anyone.
No, Paris thought, there’s more to it than that. He was concerned about how people would react. Jiterica was, after all, a low-density being, vastly different from anyone he had ever met. Once their relationship became common knowledge, it was bound to raise a few eyebrows.
“Relax,” said Ben Zoma. “I wouldn’t have said anything if I thought anyone was listening.”
Paris felt comfortable with the first officer. Everyone did. But he still didn’t feel right discussing Jiterica.
“I was thinking about someone” was all he cared to admit.
The first officer nodded. “That’s what happens on these long away missions. Every minute seems like an hour, especially when you’re not going anywhere.”
True, thought Paris.
“And that person you’re used to seeing every day, several times a day, isn’t with you. Suddenly, it feels like she never was, and never will be again. But you’ll see her again, Ensign. Believe me.”
Paris relaxed enough to smile back. “I do, sir.”
When Greenbriar arrived on deck five, two of his people were sprawled motionless on the deck already, and two more had their backs plastered against the bulkhead with their weapons extended.
But there was no sign of the invaders.
Bolting across the corridor, he joined the two defenders. One was O’Connor, a pretty blond science officer. The other was Sasaki, a stocky, bald-headed engineer.
“How many?” Greenbriar breathed into O’Connor’s ear.
“Hard to tell,” she said. “Five, maybe six. We haven’t seen them for a minute or so, but they’re still there.”
“Did you get any of them?” he asked.
“Two,” said O’Connor. “But they were dragged back out of sight as soon as they fell.”
Before the captain could ask any more, the invaders spilled around the bend in the corridor like a flash flood filling a parched riverbed. As O’Connor had said, there were five or six of them, and they were firing green energy bolts.
Greenbriar couldn