Relics - Michael Jan Friedman [67]
“That’s all right, lad. We’ll have time,” his partner assured him.
The beams were persistent-but not persistent enough. After what seemed like a very long time, they finally shut off. A moment later, as if frustrated in its failure to swallow something, the hatch slowly began to slide closed.
“That’s it,” said Geordi, feeling his heart start to pump harder against his ribs. “Let’s go! Full impulse power!”
Both of them worked their controls like madmen. Somewhere below their feet, the engines rumbled back into high gear. Would they hold up? Would the jury-rigged relay circuits? The power conduits?
As Geordi made a minute course correction, he found himself thinking about that auxiliary tank. It’d be a hell of a time for it to blow …
But seconds later, they were home free. They were speeding toward the hatch faster than it could shut them out-though the margin for error was still pretty thin. And thanks to his piloting, they were right on target.
As the opening diminished, they maneuvered the Jenolen into the middle of it… and then stopped. Geordi had time to glance at his partner in this mad venture. Scott was smiling. Actually smiling.
But then, Geordi told himself, his companion had already cheated death. To Montgomery Scott, every breath he had taken since leaving the Jenolen’s transporter was a bonus. And that made risking one’s life a whole lot easier.
On the other hand, La Forge wasn’t quite so willing to give up the ghost. He’d “died” once before, and he knew it was no picnic.
“Any second now,” said Scott, looking around-as if he could see the sphere’s mechanical maw closing on them. “Any sec-“
Suddenly, the ship shuddered. The hatch had encountered the Jenolen’s deflector shields. And just as Scott had predicted, their shields were stronger. They had indeed gotten their foot in the door.
But how long could they keep it there? Not wasting a second, Geordi opened a voice-communications channel to the Enterprise.
Chapter Fourteen
WORF HAD BEEN paying close attention to the communications monitor on his Tactical board, expecting to hear from Commander Riker and his away team. So when the screen lit up to indicate an incoming message, it was hardly cause for surprise.
Nonetheless, Worf was surprised. In fact, he could barely believe what his monitor was telling him; he had to look twice to confirm it.
“Captain,” he said.
Picard, who’d been standing beside Data at Ops, turned around to acknowledge him. “Yes, Lieutenant?”
“There is an incoming audio message, sir.”
The captain’s forehead wrinkled. “Why didn’t Commander Riker just contact me directly?”
Worf frowned. “It is not Commander Riker,” he explained. “It is Commander La Forge, sir.”
“La Forge …!” Picard’s brows shot up. “By all means, Lieutenant, put him through!”
A moment later, Geordi’s voice sang out on the tension-filled bridge. “This is Commander La Forge. Do you read me, Enterprise!”
“We read you, Commander,” the captain assured him. “Go ahead, Geordi.”
Geordi hung on to one of the engineering consoles in the Jenolen. The ship was shaking like crazy, its shields threatening to buckle on them, its overworked engines roaring to beat the band-despite Scotty’s best efforts.
As he spoke to Captain Picard, Geordi tried to ignore the chaos around him. He had to accomplish what he and his companion had set out to accomplish the rescue of the Enterprise.
“Captain, we’re using the Jenolen to hold open the hatch at the entrance to the sphere …”
“What?” exclaimed Picard. “Did I hear you correctly, Commander?”
“You did, sir. But our shields won’t stand the pressure much longer.”
There was the briefest of pauses. “Understood,” came the captain’s reply. “Unfortunately, we cannot return to the entrance just yet. Commander Riker and an away team are down on the surface.”
Scott cried out. “They’re bleedin’ where?”
Great, thought Geordi. Just great.
“I cannot leave without them,” Picard said