Ghost of a Chance - Mark Garland [97]
"Chakotay and I will take the bridge."
Janeway said. "You two know what you have to do. Keep in touch."
They split up, each pair making their way, listening to their own heavy footfalls echo in the otherwise utterly still air--stale air, Janeway noted, thick with the smell of burned circuitry and uncertain chemicals. And cold. Interior temperatures were falling steadily.
Janeway could already see her own breath.
Life-support had been eliminated along with everything else when the ghosts had attacked.
Guided by Rollins on Voyager's bridge, Janeway found the Televek bridge quickly enough. She and Chakotay went to work at once, looking over the various systems, attempting to determine the extent of the damage.
"We aren't going to get main power on-line," Chakotay said. He was crouched at one of the five compact console clusters that made up most of the bridge. "The primary feeds are melted, along with all contiguous components."
So they weren't going to be able to analyze or test any Televek technologies--not right away, in any case--but as Janeway examined what she guessed must be the tactical and weapons control center, she saw that it hardly mattered. She stood up and let out a deep sigh. "Even if we could route power in here somehow, everything is ruined. The destruction was quite thorough."
Chakotay stood up as well. He nodded, a gesture barely noted in the reflected glow of his flash beam on the panels to either side.
Janeway tapped her comm badge once more. "Torres, Paris, we've got nothing in here. Are you having any luck?"
"Negative, Captain," B'Elanna replied. "Engineering is completely useless. Everything is burned beyond repair. Some of it is still smoldering. The ship's fire-control systems must have begun to function for a short time before the power went dead. Otherwise, I don't think we'd be standing here right now."
"Captain," Tuvok's voice interrupted.
Janeway tapped her badge once more. "Go ahead."
"I am scanning what appears to be a sizable storage area very near the engineering and weapons sections of the cruiser. But the entire section is well shielded. Direct transport inside will not be possible. Subsequent scans indicate a similar room aboard the other derelict. Also, those same scans have turned up very little in terms of stockpiles or supplies, other than ship's stores, and equipment in use."
"You'd expect more, wouldn't you?" Janeway said sardonically.
"Yes, Captain. If the Televek are indeed arms and technology merchants, and if they are routinely as cautious as we have been led to believe, then it is logical to assume they would take the precaution of carrying valuable merchandise in just such an area."
"Acknowledged. Janeway to Torres. Did you get that?"
"Yes, Captain."
"I want both of you to meet us in the corridor near that storage facility at once."
"We're on our way, Captain," Paris replied.
The away team met at where two hallways intersected. They found themselves facing a large double hatchway composed of two-inch-thick terminium. Both B'Elanna and Chakotay looked the entry system over carefully before offering Janeway a mutual shrug.
"It's locked," the Commander noted.
"And without power to anything, we can't bypass the seal," B'Elanna said. "We're going to have to do this another way."
"Agreed," Janeway said. Janeway gave both officers the go-ahead.
All three of them stood back as Janeway tapped at her badge.
"Transporter room, we're going to need a Type III phaser compression rifle, immediately."
A moment later the rifle materialized on the deck at Chakotay's feet.
The commander picked the weapon up and set it to maximum, then held it in both hands at waist level. He waited while the others looked away, then fired point-blank at the center of the doors. One full burst was enough.
"Take care that you don't get burned," Janeway warned as the four of them stepped forward,