String Theory_ Cohesion (Book 1) - Jeffrey Lang [82]
“Well, not entirely pervasive,” Sem said, correcting herself. “There was a short time in the hangar when the sound disappeared.”
“Really? When?”
“During the period when your shields were down,” Sem said. “I remember there was a sound, a soft thud. Several in a row, in fact.”
Searching his memory, Neelix tried to remember what might have happened in the shuttlebay while the shields were down. Of course, Commander Chakotay had his small misadventure and the forcefield had collapsed briefly. What else? He usually reviewed the damage control reports after every such incident so he could keep track of which crew members might require some special attention later. Fortunately, none of the shuttle crews had been hurt in the incident, though he had heard Chief Clemens was aggravated that B’Elanna hadn’t been able to assign a damage control team to replace the bio-neural gel packs that had burst….
“Ah!” Neelix said, standing up. “I believe I have an answer! Come over here, please,” he said, leading Sem back to the replicator.
“I don’t think I want any more tea, Mr. Neelix.”
“Not tea. I’m not going to prepare anything. I just want you to stand here. Wait.” He bustled back and brought a chair. “Sit,” he said. Though Neelix couldn’t account for it, there was certainly something about the Monorhan that made him feel solicitous. “Just in case this makes you feel poorly.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Voyager, I’m told, possesses some fascinating technology.” Touching a pressure point under the replicator, the maintenance panel snapped open.
“I should say,” Sem said.
“My friends tell me that the most innovative is this.” Reaching into the replicators depths, Neelix pulled out one of the gel pack modules. The case was sealed, but he could tell from the way the Monorhan shied away from the unit that this was the source of her discomfort. “This module contains bio-neural circuitry—a kind of neural tissue that’s used to process data faster than any inorganic substance could.”
Sem lowered her head down to her shoulders. “You mean,” she said, “the ship is alive?”
“Not precisely. The neural tissue is artificial, but it simulates neural tissue’s ability to process data very efficiently.”
“Ah,” Sem said. “Then the hum I’m hearing is the sound of the ship thinking.”
Neelix grinned, delighted by the idea. “I suppose. I understand you possess psionic abilities beyond those of your hara. That would account for your sensitivity.”
“As a rih-hara-tan, I can touch the minds of every member of my tribe,” Sem said. “If I understand what you’re saying correctly, I believe you are correct.” Pointing at the gel pack, she asked, “Could you put that away now? In such close proximity, the noise is disconcerting.”
“Sorry!” Neelix said and gently replaced the module in the maintenance bay. “The good news is that I believe we can now solve your problem. I can ask the chief engineer to shut down the circuitry near your quarters.”
“He can do that?”
“If he can reroute all the critical systems, certainly. We’re trying to conserve energy anyway.”
“Does the circuitry run throughout the ship?”
“Oh, yes, everywhere.”
Sem rose then and bowed slightly. “Thank you, Mr. Neelix. You’ve been so helpful. I will be sure to mention your kindness when next I speak to the captain.”
“Oh, that’s all right,” Neelix said, delighted. “I’m glad I could…” Behind him, he heard a small popping sound. Turning back to the replicator, he immediately saw that the small indicator light that meant the system had failed was blinking. “Oh, dear,” he said.
“What’s wrong?”
“I must have jostled the circuitry when I replaced it.” He grimaced. “It’s very fussy.”
“Will your captain be angry?”
“I…I don’t think so,” Neelix said, but then he thought of B’Elanna and mentally winced. “But I should report the problem as quickly as possible. Is there anything else I can get for you, ma’am?”
“No, you’ve been more than helpful. Please speak to your