Mosaic - Jeri Taylor [121]
Janeway turned to Chakotay. "We can cause an eruption like that. Re-create the event that sent the Tokath into hibernation."
She could see Chakotay take the idea and work it over in his mind. "Our energy systems are pretty much depleted. I'm not sure how we'd be able to create such a massive eruption."
"A narrow nadion beam, focused on an instability in the star's photosphere, might initiate a chain reaction."
"I wouldn't want to be anywhere in the neighborhood of an explosion like that."
"We won't be. We'll go to warp as soon as the instability goes critical."
"What about the away team? Will they be in any danger?"
"If we time the eruption with the rotation rate of the star, we should be able to create a plasma ejection that grazes the planet's outer atmosphere, but doesn't ionize it. That should be enough to scare the Tokath back into hibernation."
He grinned at her. It was a desperate, seat-of-the-pants plan, full of jeopardy with no guarantee of success, and she knew Chakotay was aware of that. And loved it anyway. "What are we waiting for?" he quipped. And so they set to the task, making the critical calculations necessary to time this bold maneuver. Chakotay scanned his console intently, then reported, "I'm noting a gravitational instability in the photosphere."
"Rollins, target the nadion beam to those coordinates."
"Targeting." And the deep blue nadion beam sprang from the ship and knifed into the burning gases of the yellow star. Janeway imagined the process, as the nadions collided with the particles of the sun: hydrogen, helium, lithium, beryllium. Each tiny collision would produce more collisions, which would in turn create still more, fusing atoms and generating heat energy-a quickly spreading chain reaction that would gather immense power in a matter of seconds, further disturbing the gravitational instability until it must release the massive energy buildup.
"Three hundred megajoules per cubic meter and rising, Captain," said Rollins tersely. "Four hundred ten... four ninety... five hundred thirty... six hundred-it's going critical."
"Go to warp, Mr. Paris."
Tom worked the controls swiftly and the ship leapt into warp just ahead of the monumental nuclear explosion. When they were at a safe distance, they put the distant star on screen at highest magnification. It was an awesome sight. The force of the chain reaction exceeded by many times the energy of a warp-core explosion. Arcs of plasma hundreds of thousands of kilometers long projected from the corona in a promethean display of power, as though a giant were flinging huge fireballs through the heavens.
Not one word was spoken on the bridge as the eruptions continued. When, finally, they began to subside, Janeway turned to Rollins. "Do sensors detect any life signs around the planet?"
"Going to extreme long-range sensors... I'm reading life signs... and Captain-it looks like they're in retreat."
"What are the atmospheric conditions on the planet?"
"There's a lot of high-altitude turbulence. Radiation levels are rising."
"Chakotay, will our shields protect us if we move in to investigate?"
"We won't be able to call on the metaphasic program, but I think we can channel enough energy to the main shields to be safe."
"Then let's do it. Mr. Paris, move us in, slowly, toward the planet. Be ready to get out fast."
"Yes, ma'am."
And the sleek ship turned to and headed back toward the system, Janeway keeping careful watch over radiation levels, until they could put the planet on high magnification and get an image on the viewscreen. What they saw brought the first hope, the first semblance of joy they'd had in hours. A stream of brown, shelled bodies was flowing toward the surface of the planet. The Tokath were going home.
As Voyager- moved closer, the crew saw the Kazon ship, listing oddly, its hull riddled with cavities where the