Metamorphosis - Jean Lorrah [94]
Data and O’Brien fought for a fix on moving bodies. “Get Troi out first if we can’t get them all at once!” Data instructed. She was both the focus of the Konor attack and the least skilled of the four at self-defense. She was also lithe and quick, moving just fast enough to constantly change her coordinates.
Worf knocked aside a brick aimed at him, which threw him slightly to his right-just far enough off balance for the split second it took a Konor to thrust a metal rod past him, toward Troi.
It wasn’t a weapon, but some kind of building material. That made it no less lethal.
Troi stumbled back, and the attacker missed spearing her. He shifted his grip and swung his improvised weapon up, ready to bring it down on the woman’s head. With the power of his fury behind it, it would split her skull.
Riker, cut off by other Konor, shouted ” Deanna!” and lunged desperately toward her.
Worf raised his weapon to stun the attacker, but another Konor struck his arm. The shot went high.
From the other side, though, Thralen did what should have been exactly the right thing: he flung himself at Troi in an attempt to knock her out of harm’s way.
The crowd surged against them. Thralen slammed into Troi, but they did not go down.
The blow fell with full force on the Theskian’s head, shearing off one of his antennae. He collapsed forward onto Troi, red blood spurting over his yellow hair and blue skin.
And in the second of horrified stillness that followed, the transporter finally found its fix and beamed the away team up. Thralen’s assailant came with them. The moment he congealed on the platform, he raised his bloodstained weapon again-Worf fired, and the Konor collapsed, stunned.
“We’ve got them aboard, Captain,” O’Brien reported. Data ordered, “Medic to transporter room!” and dashed from behind the console as Worf tapped his combadge and called for Security to come take the prisoner.
Riker and Troi bent over Thralen, but Riker’s concern was divided. “Are you all right?” he asked the counselor. “Those thoughts and emotions they were sending were painful enough to me. With your sensitivity-was “I am learning to deal with pain,” she replied. “What they projected at us was not real, although it was extremely disorienting. No wonder they have found it so easy to win their battles.”
“All the less reason for them to slaughter people,” Riker added. Data, meanwhile, picked up the fallen Theskian’s tricorder, set it to medical scan, and checked out Thralen’s vital signs. His heart had stopped and he was not breathing. Data quickly checked the head wound-concussion and severe nerve damage where the antenna had been ripped off, but the brain was undamaged.
It was shock that had stopped his heart and respiration.
At worst, if prosthetic help were not possible, Thralen would be deaf on one side. The thing to do right now was to save his life.
“Help me,” Data said, straightening Thralen’s body while he tried to remember how to do CPR on a Theskian.
Oh, damn, damn, DAMN! The knowledge had disappeared into one of the gaps in his memory!
“Counselor,” he pleaded, knowing she had a good knowledge of physical medicine as well as her expertise in psychology. “Please help me revive him.”
As he spoke he made sure Thralen’s breathing passage was clear-at least that step was the same for all air-breathing beings. Troi knelt beside him. “He’s stopped breathing?” she asked.
“Data, what is his-?”
The doors swooshed open to admit Dr.
Pulaski, followed by two assistants with an antigrav gurney. “How badly is he hurt?” she interrupted, seeing from the tricorder and scanner lying separately on the platform that Data had already assessed the damage.
“We must resuscitate him,” Data said. “I will breathe for him if you will try to restart his heart.”
“Data-no!” Pulaski exclaimed, aghast.
“Doctor-it’s less than five minutes,” he protested. “We can save him!” Troi put a hand on his shoulder, saying softly, “Data, we can revive him, but we must not.”
He stared