Ghost of a Chance - Mark Garland [93]
"Tatel!" he shouted, gagging on the air as he tried to refill his lungs. The smoke was nearly invisible in the surrounding twilight, but it was thick, he decided. And possibly toxic.
There was no way to know for certain.
"Here," Tatel said, a slim figure rising and stumbling toward him.
Daket realized the deck was pitched to starboard several degrees.
"How bad is the damage?"
"I don't know," she said, choking the words out. "Every system is off-line, including life-support. And we're leaking air. I can hear it."
"No positives there," Daket moaned, shaking his head.
"We must assume that much of the stern is destroyed, along with the landing bays. I don't think there is anyone alive beyond section three. My concern is that the ship might break up."
"We have to get out of here," Daket groaned.
"We should be able to reach the forward emergency pods," Tatel offered.
"Can you move?" She was looking down at his leg.
"I'll have to," Daket said, gritting his teeth. If they could actually reach the pods, and if they could get aboard before the cruiser broke up, and if the pods would launch, and if the Federation ship did not attack the pods and destroy them as soon as they were launched--which was precisely what a Televek commander would do, what Daket himself would likely do, he thought grimly, all things being equal--if all that happened, it would constitute the first thing that had actually gone well during this entire venture...
The other four members of the bridge crew were limping or crawling away now, following Daket's overheard advice. As they began to move, a deafening groan issued from the cruiser's ruptured hull, metal tearing at metal. The sound was felt as well as heard. Daket hastily tried to scramble up as the others around him vanished through the bridge's forward hatchway, scurrying toward the pods. The pain in his leg stopped him cold.
He winced and eased himself back down, listening to the bulkheads twisting apart. When he looked up, he saw Tatel coming back toward him. The groaning had stopped, if only for a moment.
"I will help you," Tatel said, reaching down, grabbing Daket's large frame beneath his arms, and hoisting him up. She was apparently stronger than she looked.
Daket said nothing, but he did not object. In fact, he was quite grateful for the assistance as they made their way through the open doorway into the corridor beyond, then began to navigate the fallen beams and rubble and smoke. For the life of him, though, he could not figure Tatel's angle, her motivation, for such a foolish act of bravery. But then, not everyone had commercial command potential, something Daket himself had always known he possessed. It followed that in order for him to be "more," someone else clearly had to be...
"less." Not all Televek were created equal, after all. And in any case, he suspected Tatel wasn't quite right. As she pulled him into one of the pods Daket decided Tatel was simply a technically proficient but hopelessly provincial fool.
***
"Put a full tactical display of the Televek fleet onscreen," Janeway said. "Include our position. How long before they're on top of us?"
"Approximately two minutes, eleven seconds," Tuvok replied.
"Captain," Kes said, her expression making her seem to have lived all of life in the last few moments, "I think you should listen to Neelix now. Your only alternative may be to leave."
An obvious statement, Janeway thought, but after so much, having no choice left but to abandon Drenar Four was a hard thing to accept. She could only assume that Kes knew this, and knew as well that, coming from her, the words would be easier to hear, Janeway could see it in the young Ocampa's eyes.
"Bridge to Engineering," Janeway said loudly. "Lieutenant Torres."
"Yes, Captain."
"How long will it take to reconfigure the warp drives?"
"At least fifteen minutes." Torres