String Theory_ Fusion (Book 2) - Kirsten Beyer [22]
“Tom thinks there should be multiple settings increasing in intensity, but I’m thinking… hey, this is a ray gun. It’s only got one purpose-to blow up a planet. Do you see where I’m going with this?” Harry was saying.
“But more settings would allow for a broader range of uses,” Brooks replied tentatively, then almost swallowed his tongue when he caught sight of Chakotay standing directly behind Tom and Harry.
“Really, Ensign Brooks?” Chakotay said tersely. “And which part of our quantum slipstream drive will the ray gun in question be attached to?”
Tom and Harry turned in unison to face their first officer. Harry immediately attempted to stammer out some excuse but Tom, as usual, was quicker on his feet.
“I’m sorry, Chakotay. Brooks here was doing a great job on the new drive. I asked him to set it aside for a minute to help us… I mean me…” he faltered.
“Imagine my surprise,” Chakotay replied.
“And it isn’t a real ray gun,” Brooks added in an attempt to be helpful, “It’s for Chaotica’s mountain base.”
“And Chaotica is…?” Chakotay asked.
“A character in a holonovel,” Brooks replied, chagrined.
“Right,” Chakotay snapped, certain that all three were now sufficiently apprised of his displeasure. “As you were, Ensign. Lieutenant Paris, Ensign Kim, you’re with me. We’re needed in astrometrics.”
Tom and Harry moved quickly to keep pace with Chakotay as he strode briskly out of the lab. A few steps from the door to astrometrics, Tom’s stomach let out a growl of protest loud enough for all to hear. Without missing a step Chakotay inquired, “Are you feeling all right, Mr. Paris?”
“Absolutely, sir,” Tom replied. “I was just making a mental note to rethink cold pepperoni pizza during yellow alerts.”
“I’ve heard worse ideas,” Chakotay said as the door to astrometrics slid open and he caught the first glimpse on the large viewscreen of the technological marvel Voyager was approaching.
B’Elanna, Seven, and the captain were conferring quietly over one of the display panels. Chakotay overheard B’Elanna saying, “… at full impulse we’ll reach the array in approximately two hours, twenty-eight minutes,” before the captain turned and acknowledged his presence with a nod.
“Well, Commander, Lieutenant, Ensign,” she asked, gesturing to the main viewscreen, “what do you think?”
Chakotay didn’t get a chance to formulate a response. Suddenly the image of the amazing construct circling the singularity was replaced by the Doctor’s face looming large on the main display.
As the Doctor was authorized to override main channels only in the event of a serious emergency, Chakotay didn’t expect that he was contacting them with pleasant news. But what really piqued his interest was the sight of the Doctor covered head to toe in a thick white powder.
“Sickbay to the captain,” the Doctor said.
“Go ahead, Doctor,” Janeway replied, as her eyes grew involuntarily large at the sight of him. Before he could continue, she asked, “Doctor, is there a problem with your holographic imagers?”
The Doctor replied with the world-weary tone that Chakotay had come to know and occasionally love. “No, Captain, but thank you for asking. I am, as you can see, covered in a foreign substance.”
“How can we assist you, Doctor?” the captain asked impatiently.
“By sending someone, preferably Lieutenant Torres or Seven of Nine, to sickbay,” he replied acerbically. “A few moments ago the remains of the entity known as the Caretaker began to vibrate. Within seconds they had exploded. I stand here, just as I am, so as not to disrupt any of the evidence that might lead to a better understanding of just what might have caused this unusual