Planet X - Michael Jan Friedman [65]
As the footfalls grew closer, the mutant showed himself and gestured for the others to hurry. A few moments later, the Klingon and his comrades burst into the room.
The android noticed that Archangel was injured. Also, one member of the team was missing. “Lt. Wayne?” he asked.
“Dead,” said Worf.
“I am sorry to hear that,” Data told him.
“An’ we’ll nae be much better off ourselves,” Banshee noted, “unless we get a move on, lads.”
Acknowledging the wisdom of the remark, the android returned his attention to the aliens’ transporter console. “We can beam only four at a time,” he said. “Mr. Ditko, you and Mr. Kirby will be in the first group. Also, Nightcrawler and Archangel.”
No one argued. Everyone knew the Draa’kon might come charging into the room at any moment, at which point their opportunity would be lost.
The Draa’kon transporter grid, which was divided neatly into pie-shaped quadrants, stood only a meter or so from Data. Worf carried the winged man to it and placed him in the arms of the slender and still weak Nightcrawler, who was left to hold up his teammate as best he could. At the same time, Ditko and Kirby got on.
Nightcrawler grinned at the android. “See you back on the ship,” he said.
Data nodded. “Back on the ship.”
Then he dropped the Connharakt’s forward shields—a trick he had prepared in advance—and activated the Draa’kon transporter. The Enterprise’s shields weren’t a problem, of course, as they weren’t functioning.
A couple of seconds later, Ditko, Kirby, Nightcrawler, and Archangel were surrounded by ascending circles of neon blue. Then, with an abrupt burst of energy, they disappeared.
A few seconds later, the Connharakt’s shields went up again, as the ship’s redundancies kicked in. However, the android had had enough time to beam his comrades back to the Enterprise.
Now came the slightly trickier part. After all, Data himself would be departing with the second group.
As Worf and Banshee took their places on the transporter grid, the android preset as many controls as he could and waited. Finally, he saw an indication that the Connharakt’s shields had dropped again.
Taking advantage of the opening, Data activated the transporter’s delay function and stepped over the prone figure of the Draa’kon transporter operator, joining the others on the grid.
Turning to the room’s entrance, he took out his phaser. Worf had his weapon in hand as well.
“How long?” Banshee asked.
“Only a few seconds,” the android told him.
No sooner had he uttered his reply than he heard the sound of heavy footsteps outside the transporter room. It seemed their departure would not be a smooth one after all.
As soon as the Draa’kon showed themselves, Data used his phaser to level one of them and send another spinning into a bulkhead. Worf caused a third one to double over.
But there was still one more. Making his way through the phaser barrage, he took aim at Banshee and fired. As the mutant cried out, the android tried to shove him out of harm’s way.
But he had a feeling he wouldn’t be in time.
Suddenly, he found himself standing on an Enterprise transporter platform. To his surprise, Banshee was all right after all. And so was Worf.
Nightcrawler, Kirby and Ditko were waiting for them alongside Lt. Robinson, the transporter operator on duty. Archangel was present as well, though Dr. Crusher and her people were in the process of spiriting him off to sickbay.
Data turned to Banshee. “I believed you had been struck by a Draa’kon energy bolt,” he said. “I am glad I was mistaken.”
Banshee smiled a grim smile. “Fortunately, I had a moment t’ show that bloody Draa’kon th’ error of his ways. Or did ye think I was soundin’ off merely for the fun of it?”
The android recalled the mutant’s cry and understood. But then, after what he had seen Nightcrawler accomplish, he should have known better than to underestimate the resourcefulness of an X-Man.
Chapter Twenty-four
CAPTAIN’S LOG, SUPPLEMENTAL. As we race to effect repairs to the Enterprise, I find