Pathways - Jeri Taylor [237]
Tuvok regarded her with as much equanimity as he could muster. “I am grateful for your confidence in me,” he said carefully, “but I must have time to weigh the consequences of this decision.”
“Fair enough. But I warn you—there’s only one answer I’ll accept.” She was smiling again, and Tuvok mused that one could develop vertigo from trying to keep up with the emotional shifts in this mercurial woman.
Now she became brisk and businesslike. “Well, I’d hoped someone would have noticed our absence, but it looks as if we’ll have to get out of here by ourselves.” She took her tricorder from her waist and began working the controls. “I suspect an ultrasonic beam will confuse that poor flying creature long enough for us to be transported to the ship.”
“I assume by ‘that poor flying creature’ you are referring to the rapacious predator that attacked us,” said Tuvok dryly.
Janeway smiled as she reconfigured the tricorder. “She’s just a mother guarding her babies,” she said. “There’s no need to hurt her. We’re the ones invading her territory.”
Tuvok started to remark that, given a choice, he himself would not have considered invading this territory, but he thought better of it. The captain looked up at him, cool and confident. She evinced no apprehension, no doubtfulness in her plan, and Tuvok had to admire her quiet courage.
“Let’s give it a try,” she said, and moved toward the opening of the small cave. Tuvok was right beside her.
They looked up to see the huge bird sitting in its nest, staring directly at them. It emitted a high shriek and rose to its feet, wings opening to carry it aloft. Janeway pointed the tricorder at it and activated the ultrasonic beam. The creature hesitated, folded its wings, opened them slightly. Its auditory senses were thrown off balance, and it didn’t seem to know how to react.
“Janeway to Bonestell,” the captain said after tapping her combadge. “Two to beam up.”
In the brief instant before dematerialization, Tuvok realized that he had already made his decision. He could never hope to understand this complex woman, would probably always remain awash in the wake of her intricate emotional nature; but he could not deny that she was unique, powerful, and compelling. Committing himself to her would undoubtedly keep him in a greater state of turmoil than he might find comfortable, but it might also provide an experience of unparalleled adventure.
Something told him the rewards of this association would far outweigh the costs. He realized that insight wasn’t particularly logical, but there was a curious satisfaction to it nonetheless.
CHAPTER
15
WHEN TUVOK WAS FINISHED, HE TURNED TO VORIK, AND the two held a long, intense look. Clearly this remarkable tale was meant as a gift to the young Vulcan, but everyone else in the room had been awed by its telling as well. No one spoke.
Finally Tuvok looked around the room. “I think we must return to the business at hand,” he declared. “Lieutenant Torres, when do you estimate the underground chamber will be completed?”
“With any luck, by tomorrow night,” she replied. “We can’t be sure until we actually transport someone down there, but Harry and I think by then we’ll have carved out a space big enough for two people at a time.”
“Then I suggest we make our attempt at that time. The longer we stay in this place, the greater the danger of our being discovered.”
“And of our becoming sick and debilitated,” added Chakotay. He glanced over toward Noah Mannick, who was lying on the ground, knees tucked into his chest. He had been experiencing severe cramps for most of the day, probably as a result of contaminated drinking water. Brad Harrison sat quietly by him, a comforting hand on Noah’s shoulder. Illness was much to be feared in conditions like these, and Chakotay could sense Brad’s concern, though the young man didn’t voice it.
It was agreed that late tomorrow night, when the camp was at its quietest, they would begin the process of transporting themselves out of Hellhole and into the forest. What went unspoken was the fact that