Ghost of a Chance - Mark Garland [65]
"So now we're buddies," Stephens said, shaking his head.
"You knew exactly which buttons to push with each one of us, in order to win our trust," Paris said.
Jonal nodded. "Once we had spent a little time with you, yes."
"You're salesmen," Chakotay said grimly. "Natural born salesmen."
"Sure," Paris moaned. "And we bought a lemon."
"Nine lemons, if you count the cruiser in orbit with us," Rollins said.
"The other eight are approaching at warp eight, according to the last sensor data I saw."
"We are well adapted to survival in an advanced social environment," Mila said, looking straight at Paris again. "While you are still better suited to life in an armed camp set in some wilderness outback."
"I'd like to take you out into the wilderness," Paris told her, smiling sickly at her.
"You still find me attractive, don't you?" Mila cooed, smiling back.
"I knew you did."
"I find you repulsive," Paris said, suddenly glaring at her.
"But I would like to do something primitive to you, like break your neck."
"I should silence you right now!" Mila shouted at him.
"I see no reason not to," Gantel said from the screen. "None of them will survive in any case."
Mila's grin returned, but her expression was filled with malice now.
She glanced at her two companions, who quietly nodded to her.
"How can you call yourselves advanced and still have so little regard for life?" Chakotay challenged them.
"We have exceptional regard for life, Commander," Jonal said.
"Our own."
"I won't let you kill him," Chakotay said bitterly, stepping forward, all but blocking Mila's shot.
"You will once you are dead," Tassay said, taking the phaser from Jonal and aiming it at the commander.
Mila raised her arm and aimed her weapon as well. Jonal frowned.
"Get on with it."
"Very well," Mila answered.
But with that all three Televek suddenly began to change into pillars of sparkling matter. They cried out in hollow, echoing voices as they disappeared from the bridge in a fading cloud of transporter particles.
Cheers burst from the lips of every officer present.
Chakotay turned to Stephens and made a quick hand motion, two fingers drawn across his throat.
Stephens reached the ops station in three leaps and complied.
The main screen went blank. He looked up, panting.
"Transmission terminated, Commander."
"Unlock everything," Chakotay told him. He took another breath.
"Computer, release all controls, authorization code alpha-fine, abacrom-dexter, six, four, zero, nine, two."
"Control status, normal," the computer replied.
"Chakotay to transporter room!" the commander shouted, slapping hard at his comm badge. "How--" "The aliens are in custody and headed for the brig, Commander, and Lt. Torres is on her way up to see you right now," the transporter officer replied. An instant later Lieutenant Torres stepped once more onto the bridge.
"Torres!" Chakotay said, holding both hands out toward her, grinning.
"B'Elanna!"
"It is me," she kidded. She smiled back, purposely demure, as she met him halfway and returned his embrace. He let her go almost at once.
"It seems Neelix wasn't the only one in this part of the galaxy who'd never seen a transporter before," she told him.
"I bet they'll never forget it," Chakotay replied.
Torres smiled at the others. "I suppose they left without even saying good-bye."
"As a matter of fact, they were just about to," Paris told her as he reclaimed his station. "Thanks," he said, when B'Elanna looked at him.
"I'm just glad they're gone," Rollins added as he began working to restore normal control.
"Yes," Chakotay said less enthusiastically, looking up at the blank screen, well aware of what was out there. "But I'm afraid most of them haven't gone very far."
CHAPTER 12
Gantel leaned forward in his chair, opened his mouth--and found no words appropriate to the occasion. A splendid