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Corsi and Gomez made the lift and took up covering positions across from Pattie.

Then the Bynars reached the lift and moved to the right of the door, both firing constantly.

Now, more and more of the bugs had unfolded wings and were flying at them.

Geordi shoved Vale into the lift and dove after her.

“Come in low!” Geordi shouted as he and Vale fired high, trying to give the rest cover.

Corsi dove through, then Gomez backed in.

Pattie stepped back to let the Bynars in just as five bugs flew at them at once.

Geordi got one of them.

Vale took another.

Pattie blew another out of the air, and Gomez got the fourth.

But they all missed the other one.

As Geordi watched in horror, one of the bug’s claws cleanly sliced off 111’s head.

110 screamed in terror and moved to help his mate.

Geordi knew instantly there was nothing anyone could do for 111. She was dead.

Corsi grabbed 110, who was immobilized with shock, then tossed him over her shoulder and into the lift.

He scrambled to get up, to get back out to his mate, but Vale smashed him against the wall and held him down.

“Computer, deck fifty!” Gomez yelled.

The doors started to close as even more bugs smashed at them.

The firing was intense until finally the lift doors closed.

It was like slamming the door on hell.

One moment a desperate gun battle, the next silence, utter and complete, broken only by 110’s sudden high-pitched keening, a sound like the death throes of a human computer.

Geordi just stared at the closed door, his phaser ready, expecting the doors to open again on his sure death. But for the longest seconds the doors stayed closed, and just as before, there was no sense of movement in the lifts.

Vale was trying to help the sobbing 110 to his feet when the transporter beam took them.

CHAPTER

15

Gomez stumbled off the transporter pad and tapped her combadge. “Captain, jump to warp and get away from here. Fast!”

She reached over the panel and clicked on the screen. The image of the Beast still filled the picture, but it was clear that the da Vinci was moving away quickly.

Suddenly, it seemed as if the skin of the Beast puffed out for a moment.

Then it shrunk back in on itself and imploded in a blinding flash of white light.

A moment later the screen cleared, showing only empty space. Wonderfully empty space.

She let herself lean against the console. Her knees were weak and her eyes felt as if they had had sand thrown in them. She couldn’t believe she was out of that nightmare.

She looked around at her team. Duffy was clearly worried about her, but saying nothing. She would talk to him later, but right now wasn’t the time.

Stevens and Bart both looked shaken, but fine.

Pattie sat on the edge of the platform, her eight arms and legs drooping.

Geordi leaned against the wall, his hands at his sides.

Corsi stood, looking almost lost and in shock.

Vale sat on the floor, holding the Bynar in her lap.

They were all out of the Beast, except one.

She moved over to where Vale was trying to console the sobbing Bynar. Blood was pooled under her and in her lap from her wounds, and her skin looked white. She needed help and she needed it fast, yet she was trying to help another. Captain Picard had a real jewel in her.

Dr. Lense grabbed Vale and shouted to the transporter technician, “Get Lieutenant Vale and me to sickbay stat.” A moment later the doctor and the wounded officer dematerialized.

Just then, Captain Gold appeared in the door, looking worried and relieved at the same time. Then he saw the lone Bynar and he stopped cold.

“Don’t tell me,” he said.

“We lost one, Captain,” Gomez said softly.

“Damn,” he said, shaking his head, the news clearly hitting him hard.

She didn’t want to let the fact that she had lost someone sink in. Not yet. She knew she couldn’t deny it, but she didn’t want to face it right now.

Geordi put his hand on her shoulder, then said, “Let’s get him to sickbay as well.”

She nodded and took a deep, shuddering breath, then leaned down, pulling