String Theory_ Fusion (Book 2) - Kirsten Beyer [87]
Wait a minute.
B’Elanna removed her hand from her mouth and stared at it for so long that Glenn was moved to ask, “Lieutenant, are you all right?”
“I’m an idiot,” B’Elanna replied.
“I beg your pardon?” Glenn asked, then added politely, “In my experience, Lieutenant, nothing could be further from the truth.”
But B’Elanna was in no mood to hear or accept a compliment. “We don’t need to calibrate our weapons to find the phase variance of the creatures,” B’Elanna said. “We have to force them into phase with us.”
Glenn’s gaze dropped down as she considered B’Elanna’s proposition.
“I don’t…” Glenn began.
“The Srivani were able to conduct their experiments on us by hiding in a slightly variant phase,” B’Elanna said. “All we needed was a precisely modulated hand phaser to bring them into phase with us.”
Glenn quickly cleared a path as B’Elanna, consumed by her revelation, darted to the deflector dish controls and began a series of calculations as she continued.
“The same principle might apply here if we can flood the array with enough ionized particles.”
As Glenn smiled with respect at the chief engineer, Chakotay entered engineering carrying several small vials and said, “We’ve got some good news, B’Elanna. We’ve found a way to intensify the toxin we developed to disable Suspiria, and hopefully now Phoebe. Tell me you’ve made some progress.”
B’Elanna faced Chakotay her eyes ablaze.
“We have.”
Seven of Nine entered sickbay in hope that the Doctor would be able to assist her in modifying the nanoprobes she had replicated in her cargo bay. It was delicate work, and his were the only hands other than hers that she trusted with it.
She was surprised to see that the room’s lights had been dimmed well below standard work settings and that the Doctor was nowhere in sight.
“Doctor,” she called, pausing to note that Tuvok lay unattended on his biobed behind an active forcefield.
When the Doctor did not appear immediately she asked the computer to activate the EMH. She was disconcerted when the computer replied, “The Emergency Medical Holographic Program is unavailable.”
“Clarify,” Seven demanded.
“That program is restricted. Security authorization is required for reactivation.”
“Who restricted the program?” Seven asked.
“Lieutenant Tuvok,” the computer replied.
Seven made short work of breaking Tuvok’s security encryption and reactivating the Doctor. Nonetheless, a tight fist of worry formed in her stomach when she realized in the process that Tuvok had been unattended for almost an hour.
“Computer, belay that order!” the Doctor shouted as he rematerialized.
Seven inclined her head as she replied, “It might comfort you to know that the computer would not have accepted your request, had you found the presence of mind to utter it before your patient locked your program out.”
“The computer should have accepted it,” the Doctor replied with concern. “As chief medical officer I outrank all members of this crew in matters relating to their physical well-being.”
“A distinction I have rectified so that Tuvok will no longer be able to disable your program,” Seven said simply. “The chief of security’s override capability has been taken offline for the time being, though I am certain that it was only put in place for your own protection.”
“Protection from what?” the Doctor asked annoyed.
“A hostile intruder who might wish to tamper with your program,” Seven suggested.
“Well… thank you,” the Doctor said, then turned to examine the progress of the parasite, adding, “Although I realize it is impossible to be prepared for every eventuality, I would hope that when the hostile intruder and the chief of security are temporarily one and the same, someone would take the time to inform me that he can override my autonomous subroutines.”
“I am certain the captain would