Ghost of a Chance - Mark Garland [48]
But..."
Tuvok looked at Janeway and softly sighed, indicating that a bit of guesswork was involved in what was to come next. With Tuvok, however, you could dismiss nothing. He seldom went out on a limb, and when he did it was a short, stout one.
"Go on," she said.
"Considering the strength and frequency of the quakes, I believe it is possible that the planet's crust might rupture in a catastrophic manner much sooner than that--during the next full tide, to be precise, when the pull from the moons reaches maximum intensity. At that time, the combined fracturing and consequent erupting would reach a scale that could easily render the planet uninhabitable."
"They do look as if they're close to lining up, don't they?" Kim said, staring up at the night sky. Janeway nodded. The third crescent moon had risen higher now, and the first two moons were clearly drifting toward a common destination as well. Their projected orbits were easy enough to determine; even at a glance the prospects didn't look good.
"It is true, I think," Nan Loteth said, apparently grasping most of what they were saying. "The twin moons have always crossed once a year, and this year the crescent moon seems determined to join them."
"How long, Tuvok?" Janeway asked. She stood in front of him, holding her breath as he continued to work with the tricorder.
"Again, it is difficult to say. I will have to make some additional calculations. However, at present I estimate the next full lunar alignment will occur in..." Tuvok worked the keypad again, then shook his head.
"What is it?" Janeway asked.
"I wanted to be certain, Captain. The alignment should occur in approximately twenty-nine hours, seventeen minutes."
"That's what I was afraid of," Janeway said. She let her breath out, and felt an uncertain amount of her limited strength seep out with it.
"That doesn't leave us much time."
"Captain," Kim said. He had flipped open his own tricorder upon hearing this last from Tuvok, and was busy scanning, apparently hopeful. "I've been monitoring the levels of magnetic interference, and I'm detecting the largest drop yet in this area. We might be able to get through to Voyager now."
"You are welcome to try, Mr. Kim," she said.
The ensign tapped at his comm badge. "Away team to Voyager. Kim to Voyager."
"Go ahead," a voice replied through the comm, though it was garbled and unidentifiable. Still, all three away team officers heard it clearly enough.
Janeway instantly tapped her own badge. "This is the captain."
"Rollins here, Captain. Are you all right?"
She could barely make out the words, could only hope that Rollins was having better luck on his end.
"Yes, we're fine," she said.
"We can't get to you," Rollins said. "A planetary defense system is keeping everyone out."
"What kind of system?" Tuvok inquired.
"Not now, Tuvok," the captain said. "Mr. Rollins, you have to listen to me carefully."
Quickly she told Rollins about the third moon and the coming lunar alignment, and what that apparently meant. "These people may only have a day," she said.
"Not to mention us," Kim added.
"Yes," Janeway acknowledged. "And it looks as though I was right about that second Televek cruiser."
She paused, getting the feeling that she was talking to herself.
"Voyager?"
Nothing. Kim and Tuvok tried as well but got the same results.
"We've lost the signal again, Captain," Kim said apologetically, as if it were his fault.
"Damn! I wonder if they got any of that?" Janeway asked, not expecting an answer.
"It would appear there is little Voyager can do, even if they have received some of the information," Tuvok remarked. "At least for the time being."
"What was all that about a defense system?" Kim asked.