Security - Keith R. A. DeCandido [5]
“Lense isn’t back yet,” Vance said quickly. Before he could answer the question that Corsi’s responding look posed, he tapped his own combadge. “Hawkins to Wetzel. Incoming wounded.” Even as he spoke, he felt the subtle change in vibration indicating that they were going to warp speed. Lauoc’s body disappeared in a shimmer of light.
“Acknowledged,” came Nurse Sandy Wetzel’s voice. “He’s just materialized. I’ll get the EMH on it.”
“What happened to Soan?” Vance asked.
“What happened to Lense?” Corsi asked right back. “And why’d we go to warp so fast?”
Since he was the chief petty officer and she was the lieutenant commander, her questions got answered first. “The Missouri apparently never made it to Kel-Artis. Nobody’s heard from Lense or Bashir since they left DS9 right before that Empok Nor disaster. The Defiant’s already searching, and we’re heading out to do the same now that we’ve got you guys.”
Shaking her head, Corsi said, “Dammit.”
“Captain wants you and Stevens in a staff meeting as soon as you get changed and, uh, bob your ears.”
Coroticans had tapered ears, so all of the away team—save for T’Mandra, whose Vulcan physiology gave her adequate natural cover—had their ears surgically altered to pass muster. “Screw the ears.” She turned to the others. “Fabe, you’re with me. The rest of you, report to sickbay—the EMH can deal with you guys after he fixes up Lauoc. Then report to the security office. The minute my senior staff meeting’s over, I’ll be briefing you all.”
“You’ll want to meet the new guy, too,” Vance said. “Tomozuka Kim. Robins has been showing him the ropes.”
Corsi nodded. “Good.”
With that, she and Stevens left. Vinx and T’Mandra followed behind her.
After he gave Poynter a significant look, she said, “Uh, I think I need to go recalibrate something. Back in a bit.”
The second the door closed behind Poynter’s retreating form, Vance leaned down and kissed Carol passionately. It had been a week, after all….
When he came up for air several subjective centuries later, he smiled down at her, their arms still clasped around each other. “You taste kind of peaty.”
She smiled. “That would be when the crazy Vorta dropped me to the ground.”
Vance’s eyes widened. “Another crazy Vorta?”
Nodding, Carol proceeded to tell him about the Vorta who had set himself up as one of the local deities. Deciding he liked the taste of godhood, he had stayed behind when the order to retreat came in, massacring his Jem’Hadar, and living on his own as a lunatic in the woods of Coroticus for a year, occasionally mutilating a native.
Shaking his head, Vance said, “First Luaran, now this. Did we install a wacky-Vorta magnet on the ship or something?”
“I wouldn’t put it past the engineers to build one.” Putting her hand to Vance’s cheek, she said, “I really missed you down there. I could’ve used someone to talk to.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t see us going on a lot of away teams together from here on in, after—” He cut himself off.
She nodded, understanding. It had been a brutal year for all of them, and the most brutal part was Galvan VI, when Commander Duffy died shortly after proposing to Commander Gomez.
I bet that’s why Stevens and Corsi have been dancing around each other for months. Well, that and Corsi’s an emotional coward, but try saying that to her face.
Not wanting to gossip about his CO—not even to his girlfriend—he instead said, “Look, I gotta go prep the troops for the meeting.”
“And I need to have EMH get rid of these ears.” Her hand went to the left one. “They itch like hell.”
“Why don’t we try to catch up when I’m off-shift—say, the mess hall at 1615 hours?”
She smiled. It was a beautiful smile, and Vance was one of the few who was privileged enough to see it. “It’s a date.”
They both departed the transporter room. Poynter was standing outside the door.
“What happened to the calibration?” Vance asked pseudo-innocently.
Poynter rolled her eyes. “Yeah, like I need to calibrate things on this ship.