String Theory_ Cohesion (Book 1) - Jeffrey Lang [33]
Now it was Voyager’s crew’s turn to exchange looks. Finally, all faces turned to Tuvok to explain. Straightening, his hands clasped behind his back, Tuvok recited, “When small or medium-sized stars begin to run out of hydrogen and the fusion reaction has slowed, the forces of gravity within the star will compact the remaining mass. This results in a relatively small, relatively cool body known as a white dwarf. A white dwarf’s outer helium and hydrogen layers are thin and the X-rays that were always created by the hotter inner layers are free to escape. Thus, your planet’s problem.”
“Oh,” one of the Monorhans said. “They’re talking about the Blue Eye.”
“The what?” Kim asked.
“The Blue Eye,” Captain Ziv said. “That’s our name for the dead star that orbits the central sun.”
“Ah,” Captain Janeway said. “We call that dead star a white dwarf.”
One or two of the Monorhans clicked at each other, and their long necks undulated in what, to Tuvok’s eyes, appeared to be their version of a shrug. “A peculiar name, Captain, but we understand now.”
“In any case, the whi…the Blue Eye makes communications difficult. We will continue to work at the problem as we move through this transitional zone around the system. It may take time, so you might be more comfortable in your quarters…. Neelix did assign you a suite, didn’t he?”
The Monorhan nodded. “We would appreciate the opportunity to refresh ourselves and…to speak more among ourselves. How long do you think this process will take?”
“Tuvok?”
“Perhaps another hour. No more.”
Ziv nodded. “An hour then.”
Moments later, the Talaxian, responding to the captain’s hail, returned to the bridge, then hustled the Monorhans onto the turbolift. As soon as they were off the bridge, the captain said softly, “Keep watch over them, Tuvok.”
“I intend to, Captain.”
“They have no reason to believe that we’re not responsible for the destruction of their vessel.”
“None whatsoever.”
“I think the Monorhans are a people who are slow to anger, but if they do, they may do something desperate.”
“They may try, Captain, but they will not succeed.”
Captain Janeway nodded, satisfied that her message had been understood.
Cleared of all the disruptive elements, the noise level and the mood on the bridge soon returned to its usual efficient, businesslike hum. Chakotay asked, “Ensign Knowles, how long to Monorhan orbit?”
“At our current rate, sir, sixteen hours.”
Chakotay glanced over at the captain. “Is that acceptable, Captain?”
“It is. Try to give us a smooth ride, Ensign.”
“Aye, Captain.”
Kathryn looked at Chakotay and said, “Commander—a moment of your time. Tuvok, you have the bridge.”
Entering the ready room, Chakotay noticed a pungent though not unpleasant odor. “The Monorhans?” he asked.
“When they get stressed, I think,” Kathryn said as she knelt down by the small hutch beside her desk and began to open and shut cabinet doors. Finally, after the fourth or fifth slam, she said, “Ah!” Turning back to Chakotay, she held up a cloth-wrapped bundle in triumph. “Here we are.”
“What’s this?”
“Get two coffee cups,” she said as she unwrapped the bundle.
He rose to obey, but asked again, “But what is it?”
“Something Mark gave me before I left Earth. He told me, ‘Keep this tucked away in case of a bad day.’ ” Kathryn finished unwrapping the package and said, “This has been a pretty bad day, hasn’t it?”
Chakotay put the cups in front of her and said, “We’ve had worse.”
“We’ve had many worse and much more deadly. I wouldn’t consider doing this if I felt we were in any danger…any more than usual…” She placed a bottle on the desk, then held her hands to either side of her head about four inches away from her scalp. “As my mother used to say, ‘I have a headache this big.’ You pour. Not too much, though; it’s potent.”
While carefully working the stopper out of the bottle, Chakotay studied the label. Not being a drinker, he didn’t recognize