Ghost of a Chance - Mark Garland [92]
Tatel squirmed in her seat. "The probe is closing on us."
Daket nodded affably. "Let's not take any chances. Use the aft phasers to destroy it. Now."
"Targeting probe," Tatel said.
"On-screen."
The probe appeared as a negligible dot on the aft viewscreen.
"Firing."
The cruiser's thin energy beam touched the point in space that was the probe. A blindingly brilliant white flash filled the screen, and a chill shook Daket's body. He opened his mouth to scream. He didn't get the chance.
CHAPTER 16
In the aft view displayed on the main bridge screen Janeway could see the halo of the antimatter explosion, a bright white glow that blossomed, then faded somewhere just beyond the moon's horizon.
"Report," she said, fighting a tightness in her throat.
"Massive damage to aft portions of the cruiser," Tuvok said.
"Their shields have collapsed, main power is apparently off-line, propulsion systems inoperative."
"Excellent, Captain!" Neelix declared. "It seems you've blown their backside off."
"I believe I said that," Tuvok remarked.
Janeway nodded, then took a breath. "Survivors?"
"I am reading life signs in the ship's forward segments, but not many," Tuvok answered. "Life support is failing."
"We can't just leave them," Janeway said. "Mr. Paris, bring us around again. Tuvok, prepare an away team."
"Are you sure they're worth saving, Captain?" Neelix asked, his voice taking on a suddenly serious tone. "I get the feeling they would sell their own children if the deal looked good enough."
"That's a bit harsh, don't you think?" Janeway asked.
"If I may, Captain," Paris said, "they would never go back for us," Paris said.
Janeway looked at him. It wasn't a joke, not coming from Tom.
He knew what it was like to have others give up on you, then to have someone pull you back. She tried to smile. "I'd like to think they might," she said. "There are always a few good apples in the barrel, Mr. Paris. I've had to believe that."
"I'd like to believe that, too," Kes said, leaving an earnest silence in the air.
"Yes, sir," Paris said. "I just meant--" "I know." Janeway tapped her comm badge. "Captain to Sickbay."
"Yes, Captain," the doctor responded.
"You may have some new business in a few minuses."
"We're ready down here, Captain," the holographic doctor said, "despite the fact that this is the first attempt anyone has made since we arrived in this system to inform me about what's going on. Can I assume these new patients will be members of our crew?"
"No. Televek, actually."
"Of... course," the doctor said after a pause. "You know, that really is the sort of thing that makes difference to medical personnel."
Janeway glanced at Chakotay, found him hiding a chuckle behind one hand. The doctor was right of course, that was the hell of it.
"Understood," she said.
"We're approaching the cruiser's position again, Captain," Paris announced. "We should match orbits in approximately--" "Captain," Tuvok said, his fingers responding to a warning klaxon that sounded almost in concert with his words. "The Televek fleet is dropping out of warp, entering the Drenar system."
***
Daket pulled himself up to a sitting position. He rested there a moment, trying to breathe, choking instead. Dim emergency lighting cast everything in purplish-blue as he looked about the bridge. Every control panel he could see had gone dark. The engines had been lost; he was sure of that. How they had managed to escape complete annihilation he could not imagine, but he did not intend to spend time questioning that small bit of good fortune.
He tried to stand and found that the effort produced intense pain.
Glancing at his right leg, he saw a wound just below the knee caused by a tangle of flying metal. He looked more carefully about the bridge, straining to make out details. He saw enough movement to tell him