String Theory_ Cohesion (Book 1) - Jeffrey Lang [71]
Abruptly, the sickness lifted, and moments later the klaxon fell quiet, but the red alert lights did not cease to flash. Chakotay rose groggily but swiftly and raced to the door, Neelix at his heels. Just before he exited, Chakotay saw Morsa pulling another plate of food in front of him.
Chapter 12
Climbing up the ladder to the hatch, B’Elanna had to keep reminding herself that she had been in many worse situations that involved utter darkness and precarious circumstances. She could recall several occasions where she had been crawling down a Jefferies tube when the power had gone out and she’d been forced to scale a narrow incline, never knowing if she was about to lay her hand on a live power source. What difference did it make that she was climbing straight up a (by the feel of it) rusty metal ladder with no other handholds anywhere nearby. None at all. She comforted herself with the thought that at least she could move under her own power. Judging by the grunts behind her and Seven’s periodic admonishments, the Borg was being carried up the ladder slung over someone’s back.
The climb took a few minutes, but she was profoundly grateful when she heard the Monorhans in front of her push up on the hatch cover. The echoes diminished, the air grew warmer, and B’Elanna suddenly found she was out of ladder. A pair of strong hands grasped her forearms and half-lifted, half-dragged her through the hatch. Moments later, she heard two Monorhans click in an aggravated manner as they pulled Seven up, then felt a heavy thump as the hatch slammed back into place.
“You can walk all right?” the leader asked, touching B’Elanna’s shoulder.
“As long as someone steers me in the right direction.”
“Too bad you’re not strong enough to carry the other one. She seems to like telling people where to go.”
B’Elanna laughed despite herself. She still didn’t know if she believed what these people were telling her, but she trusted the leader. “Yeah, Seven’s like that.”
She felt the leader shift his weight suddenly. “I can’t get used to the sounds in my head being different from the sounds of the language. Is the other’s one name really a number?”
“Yes. Her name is actually Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix Zero One. She used to be a Borg, which, apparently, all get easy-to-remember names like that.”
“A Borg?”
“Yes, a group you haven’t encountered. If you had, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
“I’ve heard of them,” the leader said.
“You’re kidding. How? Ziv said your world has never been visited by other races.”
“Then he lied. We should discuss this, but let’s do it where we can sit and get something to eat. Pad, Quel—tell the others we’re going upstairs. Sora, see if you can find some kind of trolley to bring Seven.”
“That’s everyone’s name except yours,” B’Elanna said.
“Was it?” the leader asked. “You’re a good listener.” He patted her on the shoulder with a gigantic hand and said, “Kaytok. I’m Kaytok.”
B’Elanna reached out and felt Kaytok’s arm, which was covered with a stiff, wiry fur. “Good to meet you. Now tell me about meeting Borg.”
“What?” Seven asked. B’Elanna heard heavy wheels moving on squeaky bearings. Sora must have found a trolley.
Pleased about knowing something Seven did not (however briefly the exclusivity might last), B’Elanna said, “That’s what Kaytok said.”
Walking slowly so that B’Elanna could keep up, Kaytok replied, “I did not say I had met one; I said I heard of them. About forty years ago, a pair of spacecraft landed on Monorha near the third city. I did not see them with my own eyes, you understand, though I have spoken to those who have. Their vessels, my source said, were not in good condition, nor