String Theory_ Fusion (Book 2) - Kirsten Beyer [69]
“Who was it?”
“I don’t know and I’m not sure I want to,” she replied.
“Did you discover anything about the Key?” Janeway asked.
“We’re still analyzing what we found. But we also discovered the rest of the transmission.” B’Elanna swallowed hard before she continued. “The Monorhans who came here fifty years ago were wiped out by some kind of parasite. Ten thousand died in a matter of days.”
Janeway inhaled sharply.
“Captain,” B’Elanna urged. “We have to get off this array.”
“I agree,” Janeway nodded. “But we’re not leaving without Tuvok and the away team.”
“They’re not back yet?”
“No. And for the moment, I can’t spare you on analysis of the information you just gathered. We have another problem.”
B’Elanna turned to the Doctor, who had begun treating Seven while muttering several uncharacteristic epithets.
“What’s wrong with the Doctor?”
“That’s not our Doctor. His program was intentionally sabotaged. I need you to get him back as soon as possible. That,” said Janeway, indicating the EMH who was treating Seven, “is one of the backup modules we created.”
B’Elanna nodded, crossing to the EMH diagnostic control panel. As she began to pull up the necessary files, she asked, “Captain… was there a reason you removed the Key from its containment field?”
Janeway shook her head.
“I didn’t.”
“Then you should add another problem to our list,” B’Elanna said. “The Key is missing.”
As Janeway struggled to maintain a sense of calm and dignified command in what was quickly disintegrating into total chaos, Rollins called out over the comm.
“Sickbay, this is the bridge. Prepare to receive emergency transport from the array. Two officers incoming.”
Everyone automatically moved to the edges of the room to clear as much space in the open center as the high-pitched wail of the transporter alerted Janeway to the imminent return of her away team. A split second later, Tuvok and Harry appeared before her, and Neelix immediately helped Ensign Kim heft Tuvok onto another available bed.
“Doctor,” she called, “is Seven of Nine stable?”
“For the moment,” he replied. “Several of her implants were overloaded with a series…”
“Explain later,” Janeway barked. “You have a medical emergency here!”
As the Doctor turned his exasperated attention toward his latest patient-saying just loud enough for Janeway to hear, “What kind of ship is this woman running?”- the captain caught her first glimpse of Tuvok and realized that their rescue had come not a moment too soon. She barely contained a gasp at the sight of Tuvok’s blood-crusted face and mangled body.
Intense hope mingled with fear as she watched the Doctor raise the biobed’s arch over Tuvok’s body and begin his scans. It was frustrating but true that there was far less she could do for him than the Doctor at this moment. Realigning her priorities, she turned to Ensign Kim.
“Where are the others?” she asked.
“We were separated. Tom went after Chakotay. Given his position, it could take as much as an hour for them to return, even with the pattern enhancers.”
“Dammit,” Janeway spat.
“I’m sorry, Captain,” Harry began.
“Don’t apologize, Ensign,” Janeway said, more sharply than she had intended. “I need to know something else.”
“Yes, Captain?”
“Mr. Kim, do I have a sister?”
This was obviously the last question Harry was expecting at such a moment, and it showed on his face.
“Yes, Captain, I believe you do.”
But Janeway’s next question was even stranger.
“And have you ever met her?”
“No, Captain,” he replied. “Isn’t she on Earth?”
Janeway cast a quick glance around sickbay. The Doctor was tending to Tuvok; Seven was already sitting up and looked better than she had when she entered. B’Elanna was working over the diagnostic panel that regulated the EMH, all observed by Neelix and Ensign Wildman, who were occupied trying to shield Naomi from the worst of the unsettling set of circumstances.
“Mr. Neelix,” Janeway ordered, “I think we should move Naomi back to her quarters at once. I want a security team posted at her door, and you and Ensign