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An alarm chimed on Tra’s controls. “Other fighter is firing!”

The Columbus lurched to one side, intercepting the Farrezzi fire before it could reach Emalra’ehn. The shuttle’s deck rumbled as it took the direct hit. Seven Deers shivered at the thought of what those things could do.

Seven Deers didn’t envy Emalra’ehn out there one bit.

McCoy called the rest of the medical staff in to compare notes. Now that he knew he wasn’t the only one hallucinating, he wanted to find out who else had been affected.

Initially reluctant to say anything, Cliff Brent admitted that he was hearing people, too: Ensign Laverne, who’d died while he was treating her wounds, and his aunt Marys, who’d always blamed him for anything that had gone wrong. Nurse Odhiambo’s only voice was her brother Vijay. Ensign Messier reported only a niggling doubt—nothing that she’d classify as a hallucination. However, Abrams and Thomas weren’t experiencing anything out of the ordinary. Only McCoy and Chapel were seeing people.

“We’ve all been idiots. I thought the stress was getting to me,” McCoy confessed.

The progression had been similar for everyone who was suffering from hallucinations. First a feeling of doubt, then a voice that became specific, and finally the images of people. McCoy had heard the voice the earliest, and he’d started seeing things first, too. Chapel hadn’t seen anything until a couple hours ago.

“This gives me four times the data,” McCoy said, “if not more.” He sent Chapel to ask Uhura and Padmanabhan if they had been seeing things. Meanwhile, McCoy took readings of Brent, Odhiambo, and Messier.

“What do you think is causing it?” Brent asked, concern etched into his face. “Is it the same as what’s affecting the coma patients?”

“I think it is,” said McCoy. “Four of us experience hallucinations at the exact same time five people drop unconscious? If these cases aren’t related, I’ll turn in my license.”

Chapel returned, reporting that Uhura and Padmanabhan had not been affected. Uhura had been concerned when Chapel explained what was going on, but Chapel had assured the lieutenant that everything was under control.

“It will be,” said McCoy. He asked the medical computer to check for correlations with the espers. McCoy studied the results with satisfaction. “Exactly what I suspected—there is a connection. Our brainwaves spike just after theirs do.” He pulled up the espers’ readings. “They’re deteriorating faster than before.”

“Are they influencing us?” asked Chapel. “Or are we looking at two effects with the same cause?”

“What are your esper ratings?”

“Zero-four-nine,” she said.

Brent thought for a moment. “Somewhere in the high thirties, I think.”

“Zero-three-four for me,” Odhiambo said.

McCoy’s was 046. “None of us have any real extrasensory abilities. But we’re the only ones affected…” The doctor let the sentence trail off.

“It has to be something specific to sickbay,” Chapel said, finishing the thought for him. “Abrams and Thomas have been working outside of sickbay for most of the day.”

McCoy said, “I think the espers are behind it. Are they trying to contact us?”

Chapel gave him a doubtful look. “Why this way? What kind of message are they trying to send by amplifying every little self-doubt?”

McCoy stared at the readings, but the longer he did that, the clearer it became that there was only one option. “I’ve been using neural suppressant,” he said slowly, “but that’s the wrong approach. What I need is a neural stimulant.”

“You can’t!” Chapel exclaimed.

“Oh yes, I can,” McCoy said. “You’re going to put me under, Christine. I want to talk to them.”

“Hold her steady, lad,” Scotty said. “More power to your target lock.”

“I’m trying, Commander!” Emalra’ehn’s voice was heated.

As Scotty watched on his tricorder, the energy beam hit the Farrezzi fighter. The Hofstadter drew closer from behind as the fighter’s engines failed.

“Sixty seconds.” Jaeger sounded nervous.

Finally, the fighter began to glow red as the energy proved too much for it.

“Cut your