Mosaic - Jeri Taylor [116]
"How can they survive the heat? Why aren't they dropping off?" Chakotay asked, frustrated.
"They've adapted to so many environments we have to assume extreme heat must be one of them," suggested Trakis. "But there has to be a limit as to how long they can withstand temperatures of this level."
"Shields now at nineteen percent and dropping."
Minutes passed as the bridge crew became more and more debilitated, and the Tokath maintained their tenacious hold on the ship. Officers were slumped in their chairs, mopping dripping foreheads, gasping for air. Janeway realized they couldn't go much longer like this, and she turned to Chakotay.
"Can we implement the metaphasic shielding program?" she asked. "I'm not sure. We've routed so much power to the shields we don't have much to support the metaphasic program."
"Get it from somewhere. We have to get closer to that star."
"Aye, Captain," he replied, and began working a console. "Borrowing some from the impulse reactors... environmental... transporters... let's give it a try. Establishing metaphasic program-now."
Almost immediately, there was relief from the heat. The metaphasic shielding program, an innovation implemented just before Voyager was commissioned, had been developed on the former flagship of Starfleet, the U.S.S. Enterprise-D. It had been added to the defensive systems of certain classes of starship, and was supposed to provide enough protection from heat and radiation that a ship could actually enter a star's inner corona. Because it was a new technology, there hadn't been the opportunity to accumulate much data on its reliability. But it was the only hope Janeway had now of providing enough protection to take her ship closer to the fiery star.
"Mr. Paris, move us closer. Thrusters only."
"Aye," said Paris, and they watched as the solar disc grew larger still. "I can't guarantee how long we'll be able to keep the metaphasic program stable," Chakotay warned. "It's draining our power reserves pretty rapidly."
"The Tokath can't survive this much longer," replied Janeway. "They'll have to let go and get away from the star, or be incinerated."
"Hull temperature at fourteen thousand degrees. Radiation levels at seventy rads per minute."
"Distance from the star, twelve hundred kilometers."
And still the creatures clung to the shields. Janeway stared at the viewscreen, amazed at their tenacity, and willing them to admit defeat and let go. Minutes passed, silence broken only by Rollins's sonorous announcements:
"Hull temperature fifteen thousand degrees. Radiation at seventy-five rads per minute."
Now, even with the metaphasic program in place, the temperature again began to rise inside the ship. Janeway felt herself growing light-headed. She knew that the stress of the last eight hours was taking its toll, and she took several deep breaths to get oxygen to her brain. In her mind's eye, the image of the closed door suddenly appeared, and she shook her head to clear it. Why was that bothersome illusion cropping up now? A wave of anxiety flooded her, and she felt a moment's panic that she was losing control. But gradually the apprehension faded, and she refocused her attention to the viewscreen.
"Captain, the metaphasic shielding is losing integrity," Chakotay reported. Janeway turned to him. Without that added buffer, they couldn't survive this close to the star. "Can you stabilize it?"
"I'm trying-but without power reserves it's not going to be easy."
"Hull temperature seventeen thousand degrees. Radiation levels at ninety rads. Cabin temperature sixty-two degrees."
Janeway wiped perspiration from her forehead. A decision was being forced on her: they had to move away from the star. A wave of frustration swept over her as she looked back at the viewscreen. The Tokath were beginning