Ghost of a Chance - Mark Garland [9]
"We're also picking up a lot of seismic activity down there," Kim said, glancing first at Tuvok, then at Chakotay. "Well beyond anything I would have expected."
"What about that, Mr. Tuvok?" Janeway asked, though her gaze had already settled back on the main screen. Her thoughts were still full of ghosts. She tried to push them aside.
"Confirmed, Captain," the Vulcan said, "and on a potentially cataclysmic scale. I am reading numerous earthquakes moving through the planet's crust. Radiant shock waves are registering everywhere.
Volcanic eruptions are extremely abundant. The overall level of geothermic activity is unprecedented on a planet of this apparent age."
"Certainly worth looking into, wouldn't you say, Captain?"
Chakotay offered, though his tone implied he did not expect a rebuttal.
"Especially since this is precisely what I thought we would find."
The visions the ghostly entity had brought her were still strikingly fresh in the captain's mind, as were Chakotay's descriptions of his own encounter. "Yes, Commander," she said, still eyeing the planet below.
"I'd say it is." She blinked and tried to shake the fog of images from her mind. "Mr. Tuvok, would you agree that the indigenous population may be in considerable danger, under such circumstances?"
"There is every reason to believe so," Tuvok said. "I should point out, however, that any attempt by Voyager to aid them in any way would be a violation of the Prime Directive."
"She knows, Tuvok," Chakotay said.
Janeway looked at them both, then let a sigh pass her lips.
"Yes, I do know," she said. "But thank you, Mr. Tuvok, for reminding me. Continue scanning, and let's learn everything we can. I'm not rushing in anywhere, not yet. Just looking at the options. It's difficult to explain, but a few minutes ago--" "Captain, alien vessel detected," Tuvok said abruptly, his hands working quickly at the tactical station as a small warning klaxon sounded repeatedly. "In close proximity."
Janeway attended him at once. "What kind of ship?"
"Unknown configuration. It appears to be in a very high orbit, just slightly below ours, and is presently moving to put the horizon between us again."
"So they're trying to stay hidden," Janeway said.
"I suspect that is the case," Tuvok agreed.
"Stay with them, Mr. Paris," Janeway ordered the helm. "Why didn't we detect them earlier?"
"A cloaking device?" Kim suggested.
Janeway shook her head. "Then why aren't they using it now?"
"If they had such a device, it could be malfunctioning, but I find that line of reasoning highly speculative," Tuvok said.
Janeway nodded agreement. "Open a hailing frequency."
Ensign Kim worked to comply. "No response, Captain."
"We can get a little closer," Paris offered.
Janeway took two slow steps toward the main viewscreen, on which the distant image of the alien ship appeared as a dim spot poised between the darkness of space and the wash of reflected sunlight from the planet below. "Do it, Mr. Paris."
The helmsman responded, and Voyager began to close the gap.
"Mr. Neelix, this is the captain. Please report to the bridge at--" "Captain," Neelix's voice came back almost at once, a ready bit of woe already present. "I trust everything is fine."
"No. I need you up here right away."
"But I can't leave Kes. Surely--" "Captain," the doctor cut in, "Kes is resting nicely. When she wakes up, she should be almost as good as new. The only problem I can foresee is Neelix waking her up."
His tone had grown noticeably more terse with each word.
"On the double, Mr. Neelix," Captain Janeway said.
"Captain," Tuvok interrupted, "the alien ship is scanning us.
They're powering up their weapons systems."
"Damn," Janeway muttered, placing her hands on her hips. "Go to red alert. Engineering, can we raise our shields?"
"Not yet, Captain," Torres replied over the intercom. "I've had to take them completely off-line."
Janeway