Mosaic - Jeri Taylor [114]
The Tokath validated Paris and Janeway. As soon as the Kazon began attacking them, the swarm careened toward their ship, concentrating its advance on the aggressor. That was all Janeway needed to act. "Mr. Rollins, is that polaron emission ready?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Begin releasing it. Mr. Paris, prepare to descend to the planet's surface and land. Let's take it nice and easy."
"Aye, Captain. Blue alert."
The alarm sounded for the rarely used blue alert, and an azure wash permeated the bridge.
"I've plotted a descent course," said Paris. "I'll try to bring us down within two kilometers of the away team's landing site."
"All decks report Condition Blue," announced Chakotay. Paris's hands danced over controls. "Atmospheric controls at standby. Landing mechanisms on-line. Inertial dampers at maximum."
Gently, the ship descended. The Tokath, streaming toward the Kazon ship, seemed to ignore Voyager and focus on the Kazon, who were still butchering them by the thousands.
"So far, so good," murmured Paris. "Thanks to the Kazon, we might just pull this off."
Janeway glanced over at Trakis, and noted that he seemed no more encouraged by this maneuver than he had been earlier. He was watching the viewscreen intently, perspiration moistening his brow, which was furrowed in anticipation of dire consequences.
Slowly they sank, as though through a pit of dark tar, eddies of mottled bodies swirling around them, streaming past, sliding off their shields as if they were oiled. It reminded Janeway of her diving days, descending through a dense school of fish, silvered bodies gliding effortlessly around her. It was always a pacifying feeling, and she tried to re-create that sense of calm now.
"Altitude one thousand kilometers, Captain," said Paris. "Nine hundred seventy kilometers and still dropping."
Chakotay spoke from her side. "I'm reading our shuttles on the surface-and a Kazon shuttle. But no Kazon life signs."
"What about our people?"
"No signs, Captain."
"Acknowledged."
And still they descended, through the ionosphere and into the mesosphere, and still the Tokath streamed upward. How many could there be? wondered Janeway. And would they all have left the surface by the time Voyager was ready to land? That would be key to rescuing her people. It was disconcerting to hear that Chakotay couldn't detect life signs even as they drew nearer the surface, but she had to count on Tuvok's having found shelter. She was convinced that success was just minutes away. The first contraindication to that assumption was a seemingly insignificant one. Rollins's voice was calm as he noted, "I'm reading a minor disruption to the shields, aft port ventral."
"Nature of the disruption?"
"Unknown. If it's the Tokath, they aren't doing much damage."
"Increase the level of the polaron emission."
"Aye. Now at maximum."
They descended silently for a minute more, and then Rollins spoke again, this time more urgently. "Captain, I'm reading further disruption to the shields. This time more widespread."
"The Tokath?"
"I think so-I'm reading life signs penetrating the shields. Aft port ventral is beginning to degrade."
"Ready a positron charge. Maybe we can shake them loose."
"Ready, Captain."
The viewscreen showed an amber flash, and a momentary reaction from the swarm of bodies that surrounded them. They recoiled briefly but then resumed their swarm. Hundreds of mottled green underbellies coated the shields, spewing black venom that would eventually eat its way through to the hull.