Pathways - Jeri Taylor [240]
B’Elanna took one of the three remaining combadges, retained for just this purpose, and attached it. “Send me down,” she told Harry.
Torres shimmered briefly and then dematerialized. Moments later, they heard her voice. “Bring me back up,” she ordered, and Harry did so.
She was back in seconds, looking pleased. “It’s a little snug,” she reported, “but we can get two people in there. It’s going to work.”
Chakotay walked to the opening of the shelter and looked out. “It’ll be dark soon. We won’t wait until the place has completely bedded down, but I don’t want to move out until we have the cover of darkness.”
“We should wait to receive our nightly rations,” offered Tuvok. “Our absence at that time would be noticed.”
“Agreed.”
And then Chakotay gathered them all around, going over the plan one more time so that everyone knew what was expected of them. Harry Kim listened quietly, already having gone over the strategy a hundred times himself. He wasn’t concerned about the logistics of their maneuver, but he was worried about something else. When Chakotay had finished, Harry approached him.
“Sir? Can I see you outside?”
Chakotay looked quizzically at him, then nodded and they both exited the shelter. The temperature had fallen quickly as the sun dropped lower, and there was a vague stirring in the camp as the heat-induced lethargy was relieved. Neelix was at the Rai’ shelters, making something for dinner, keeping to his nightly routine even on this most urgent of nights.
“What is it?” asked Chakotay.
“I don’t know what you have in mind, but I’d like to take Coris with us.”
Chakotay was quiet for a moment and Harry, fearful that this signified his reluctance, hurried to fill the silence. “I know she isn’t Starfleet-trained, but she’s bright and quick and she wouldn’t hold us back. I’ll guarantee it.”
Chakotay smiled slightly. “Of course she’s coming with us,” he said, to Harry’s great relief. “I’d never leave her behind.”
“Thank you, sir,” said Harry, feeling immeasurably lighter.
Then they heard the sound of the gates rolling open. Harry looked toward the wall, expecting to see the antigrav units bearing the nightly rations, but what he saw was armed guards emerging from all sides. The prisoners instantly fell into their self-conscious activity, studiously avoiding the presence of the guards.
Harry and Chakotay exchanged a glance. What did this impromptu visit mean? Suddenly Neelix was in front of them, holding a bowl of liquid, looking a bit pale and rattled. “Commander, will you try this soup? It needs a touch of something, I think.”
He poked the bowl toward Chakotay, who took it as Neelix leaned in to him, and whispered, “Something tells me we’d better get out of here now.”
Chakotay peered over the edge of the bowl at the guards nearest them, about fifty meters away. Three of the Subu were upending a shelter, ripping aside walls of a meager lean-to, tentacles pawing through all the possessions of the hapless prisoners, who stood back anxiously, trying without success to look nonchalant.
Harry estimated there were perhaps a dozen shelters between the guards and Voyager’s people. At the rate the guards were going, they would be rummaging through the Starfleet shelters in ten or fifteen minutes, and they’d find the transporters.
It was time to move.
Harry, Chakotay, and Neelix swung into the shelter, Chakotay snapping orders as they did. “Harry, get ready to beam down to the chamber. Vorik, go to the other shelter and let them know what’s happening. Tell everyone to start drifting over here one at a time, slowly, without any urgency.”
“Yes, sir.”
“We have to start this process now. Ready, B’Elanna?”
She nodded grimly and glanced at Harry. He picked up the second transporter and held it tightly. “Let’s do it,” he said, and noted that his voice sounded hollow.
“Energizing,” said Torres, and at that moment a sudden movement in the back of the shelter caught Harry’s eye; it was Coris, looking frightened, and Harry realized he hadn’t