String Theory_ Cohesion (Book 1) - Jeffrey Lang [104]
Silence descended while everyone marshaled their thoughts. Chakotay was finding it difficult to believe the captain was even considering the idea. Everyone in Starfleet had heard the story of how Tolian Soran had collapsed the star Amargosa, and would have done the same to Veridian if not for the intercession by Jean-Luc Picard and the Enterprise. Even as Chakotay was composing his arguments, the deck spasmed so sharply that all four officers were nearly thrown off their feet.
When the shock wave had passed, Tuvok flipped open a tricorder and linked it into the ship’s sensor grid. A moment later, he reported, “Gravimetric waves from the Blue Eye, Captain. Our shields have eroded twelve percent in the past three minutes.”
“Will backing away help?”
“I do not believe we have anywhere to back up to,” Tuvok said. “The gap we created has reclosed behind us.”
“So it’s forward or nothing,” Kathryn said. Tuvok did not reply, his silence speaking volumes. Beneath them, the deck plates rumbled as a second spasm rippled up the ship’s beam. “Do I have your support?”
“What if we’re wrong?” Chakotay asked. “What if the star doesn’t collapse? What if it goes nova or there’s a shock wave like at Amargosa?”
“Then we’re dead,” the captain said flatly. “The Monorhans will die, too.”
“Can you live with that idea?”
“It could be argued,” Tuvok said, “that the Monorhans will die no matter what happens. If we succeed, they will live.” He looked directly at the captain. “We must try, Captain.”
Kathryn nodded her thanks, then looked at Kim. “Harry, get down to engineering. Talk to Joe Carey about how we can extract the dilithium resin we’ll need.”
“Aye, Captain,” he said, then turned to leave.
“Tuvok, go with him. I need you to keep our shields up until we can try this.”
“Yes, Captain.” The pair left together, which left Chakotay standing alone with Kathryn.
“You don’t think this is a good idea,” she stated.
“I don’t,” Chakotay said. “But I don’t have any better ones and you have a knack for figuring out these sorts of problems.”
Smiling for what seemed like the first time in a month, the captain replied, “I do, don’t I? There’s one more thing, though, and I think I’ll need your help with this one.”
“Name it.”
“I think we’re going to need another burst from the whatever-it-was that put us into the fold in the first place.”
“Why?”
“Just because we have the subspace version of the Blue Eye in front of us doesn’t mean we’ll exit into the Monorhan system. I believe the Blue Eye is actually punching through multiple levels of reality…”
“Not just subspace and our universe?”
“Correct. If we’re going to appear in the correct universe, I’d like to have a beacon. Since it’s the frequency that put us here, then I think we should use it to get us out.”
Chakotay said, “Then we’ll have to try to contact whoever sent out the energy wave. Do you think subspace radio will work here?”
“I’ve been thinking about that, too,” Kathryn said. “And I think…”
“Captain Janeway?”
Kathryn tapped her combadge. “Janeway.”
“This is the bridge, Captain. We’ve just been contacted by Lieutenant Torres. Shall I patch her through?”
I guess that answers that question, Chakotay thought.
Four minutes after they left the ground (and approximately two minutes after Kaytok’s stomach reascended from out of his lower abdomen), B’Elanna began to speak to the air again, but not (this time) to the bugs in her head.
“Torres to Voyager. Torres to Voyager. I have a locator signal from you. You’re out there somewhere.” She tapped a pair of controls on the panel before her and the vessel banked sharply to the left. If Kaytok had eaten any breakfast that morning (or dinner the night before), most of his food would have ended up on the right wall. I was not meant for this sort of travel, he concluded.
A new voice spoke from a speaker on the ceiling, a voice deeper and richer than either of the two Voyagers’ he had met so far. “This is Voyager, Lieutenant. Please state your current location and status.”
“I’m back in the Montpelier and on