Marooned - Christie Golden [14]
Still want to call it a night?"
"Not on your life," Kim retorted. "I'll get us some more coffee."
As usual, Captain Janeway was incredibly proud of her crew. Kim and Torres had woken her early-at 0512-but she hadn't minded a bit, not with the news they had for her.
"They've been using some kind of displacer tech nology," Kim's crisp voice told Janeway as she sat up in bed, her whole body straining to listen. "Something that made them appear someplace they weren't. But Lieutenant Torres and I have been able to reconfigure the sensors to compensate. They may try it a dozen times, but we won't fall for that trick again."
"Mr. Kim, you and Lieutenant Torres are a won der. How did you ever think to look for that?" She was up, brushing her hair vigorously, staring out a.t the stars streaking past her window but not really seeing them.
There was a pause. "Mr. Kim?"
"We-we made a series of logical calculations based on the information we had at hand, Captain."
His voice was not as certain as his words, and Janeway grinned as she moved toward the sonic shower.
"Of course you did," she said with false heartiness. "I'd expect nothing less from my crew. Notify Commander Chakotay and the rest of the senior staff. There'll be no more sleep tonight for any of us. Kes's kidnappers have a sizable lead and I want to close that gap. Give me fifteen minutes and I'll meet you on the bridge."
"Aye, Captain."
She'd gotten there in ten, pleased to see that the rest of the officers were either there or on their way. "Where are they, Mr. Kim?" asked the captain.
"Now that we know what to look for, they're leaving quite a trail," Kim replied, Janeway noted the circles under his eyes, but his body posture and voice bespoke attentiveness. "Their course is zero point four six mark five."
"Mr. Paris-"
"Laying it in, Captain," replied the blond lieutenant, anticipating Janeway's request. His slim fingers flew across the controls.
"I want us on that trail like bloodhounds, Mr. Paris. Warp eight." She glanced over at Chakotay, shared a quick grin with him. His dark eyes shone and as he smiled, they crinkled at the edges. She'd compared them with bloodhounds, but she thought that Chakotay-and herself, when she'd admit it-were more like wolves on the hunt. The Ja'in, for so it probably was, had stolen one of their own, one of their cubs. And the alpha pair of this particular pack was going to get her back.
Janeway craned her neck to look at Ensign Harry Kim. "Mr. Kim, you look tired. Have you and Tomes been up all night working this out?"
His boyish face fell. "Y-yes, Captain. But I feel fine," he added quickly.
"Adrenaline will do that to you," Janeway agreed. "But sleep is better."
"Captain, I'd much rather remain at my post. What if they try another trick?"
Janeway permitted herself a chuckle. "You've done extremely well, Harry. Get yourself a cup of real coffee and tell B'Elanna to do the same. My treat," she added.
"Yes, Captain. Thank you!"
As the hours ticked by, Janeway wondered if Harry was changing his mind. A couple of hours of sleep would have done them all good. She had thought that warp eight would have closed the lead the Ja'in had, but apparently not.
"Captain," came Tuvok's calm voice, "I'm detecting a great deal of matter up ahead."
"On screen."
There was nothing, save the white lights streaking past them.
"Long range," Janeway said.
This time, something did appear.
"What the hell-" breathed Paris softly.
This area of space was a graveyard. Debris from dozens of ships floated in the cold darkness of space.
Some pieces were small; others were still complete ships, whole save for the holes in their sides gaping open like wounds. Shadows cast by Voyager's lights played eerily over the ruination, illuminating letters in a language they did not know that doubtless spelled out the names of these once-proud vessels.
Chakotay found his voice filrst,