The Children of Hamlin - Carmen Carter [43]
Ruthe’s preparation for boarding the Choraii ship was simple. She handed her flute to Lieutenant Yar, then shrugged off her gray cloak and dropped it onto the steps leading to the transporter. A communications emblem dangled from a chain around her neck. She wore nothing else.
Stepping up onto the circular platform, she waited unselfconsciously for her transfer. Riker, matching her aplomb with considerably more difficulty, established a signal code.
“One tap means an immediate return to the Enterprise. Two taps and our team will beam over to the B Flat.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Ruthe said calmly. “No more delays, Mr. Riker.”
The first officer moved away from the platform and nodded to Tasha Yar. As security chief, she supervised any procedures that affected the ship’s defenses, and transporting required a momentary lowering of the Enterprise’s shields. Yar was adept at keeping the window of vulnerability to a minimum. As the lieutenant activated the transporter controls, a high whine filled the chamber. Ruthe disappeared in a flicker of light.
The first phase of the exchange had begun; Riker and Yar immediately prepared for the second. Dr. Crusher watched as the two officers pulled bars of lead from a small chest and stacked them neatly onto the platform near the area Ruthe had vacated.
“The payment is ready,” said Riker when the last bar had been counted out.
“Yes,” said Crusher with a worried frown. “But just whom are we buying?”
The leisurely pace of the Choraii greeting ritual had prepared the Enterprise crew for another prolonged interval during contact, but that knowledge did not lessen the tension of waiting. Conversation on the bridge faltered, then ended altogether. An hour passed without any signal from the translator. Then another.
Riker was the first to question the delay. “I advise we go after her.” His voice echoed over the bridge intercom.
“Absolutely not,” countered Deelor. “Ruthe has been on Choraii ships before-she knows what she’s doing. We wait for her signal.”
“She may be in trouble.”
The ambassador dropped all pretense of courtesy.
“I’m in command of this mission, Mr. Riker.” He severed the contact with a savage flick at his chest emblem.
“His concern is only natural,” said Picard in his first officer’s defense.
“These matters take time,” Deelor declared, glaring at the image of the B Flat on the viewscreen. “You can’t rush the Choraii.”
“Evidently not.” Picard rubbed the back of his neck. Tempers had frayed as time passed, his own included. “Counselor Troi?”
Deanna shook her head in frustration. “I don’t sense any distress, but my impressions from the ship are still very clouded. Even at close quarters I’ve never read any of Ruthe’s feelings.”
“Mr. Data, what can you determine from the translator’s communications link?”
“She appears to be exploring the ship. I have tracked her path through most of the spheres in the cluster.”
“And the Hamlin captive?”
“Also present,” said Data, frowning. “However, the currents and eddies of the atmosphere are disordering my scan data. I am registering an echo in certain life-sign readings.”
“Can you compensate?” asked Picard.
“The complexity of the problem presents a challenge. I will attempt a recalibration that will take the density and viscosity into account. If my controlling logarithm is increased by-“
“Thank you, Mr. Data. A detailed explanation is unnecessary.”
“Yes, sir,” sighed the android. He continued his work in silence.
At the end of the third hour, Lieutenant Yar recorded a single beep from Ruthe’s com link.
“One or two people to beam over?” asked Riker.
“I can’t tell,” said Yar. “The site readings are too garbled.” She entered the source coordinates into the system controls and specified a wide beam that would pull in Ruthe and any possible companion. As the flash from the transport energy filled the room, Dr. Crusher automatically reached for the medical kit hanging at her side.
Ruthe’s body shimmered on the