The Garden - Melissa Scott [11]
"So far, nothing," Chakotay answered. "I've asked Torres to try to boost the gain on at least the forward sensors, but it doesn't seem to have done much good."
"I've achieved a seven-point-eight-percent increase so far," Torres said, "and I'm trying for eight."
"Unfortunately," Chakotay said, "all we're seeing is still just empty space. A few uninhabitable rock-balls and the occasional gas giant. Nothing else. I can't even predict which direction would be more likely to support M-class worlds, though I'm working on that now."
"All right," Janeway said, and matched the doctor's smile. "Assuming that it's likely to take us some time to find food again, Doctor, what can you do to keep the crew healthy and functioning?"
"That is where we run into some further problems," the hologram answered. "You'll remember that I told you before that Lieutenant Imbro's condition responded only to near-toxic doses of ascorbic acid? That's proved to be a common factor in all the cases I've detected so far. Not only does this weakly bound molecule refuse to act like vitamin C, it
inhibits the body from absorbing the proper chemicals. I do not yet know if it's a permanent effect, but as a result, I need to give ascorbic acid in massive doses before it has any effect on the subjects-patients, I should say. At the current rate of use, I will run out of ascorbic acid in ten days."
"Run out?" Paris echoed.
Janeway lifted an eyebrow at him. "Can you make more?"
"Only through the replicators," the doctor answered.
"What will that do to power consumption, Mr. Torres?" Janeway asked, and was pleased to see the engineer already busy with her datapadd.
"Well, we can do it," Torres answered, after a moment, "but it's going to bring down our overall output by almost four percent. And if we have to make really large quantities. . . ."
Her voice trailed off, and the doctor said, "Which we will, almost certainly."
"Four percent's not so bad," Neelix said, and Torres fixed him with a long stare.
"We don't have four percent to spare, unless you want to find us a new fuel source as well."
"Sorry, I'm sure," Neelix said hurriedly, and Torres looked back at her padd.
"I also ran the figures for going completely to the replicators for our food supply. If we strictly rationed consumption-and I mean at or below the mini-mums necessary to function-we could feed the entire ship for three weeks before we begin to touch the fuel supplies. That's not counting the cost of replicating vitamin C tablets, too."
"May I see your figures?" the doctor asked, and Torres nodded. She touched her padd to feed the files
to his terminal, and the hologram cocked his head to one side. "Captain, use of these numbers would certainly lead to serious illness among the crew."
"If we ate any better-" Torres broke off, getting herself under control with an effort. "Unless we go to this level, and, yes, I know it's well below the recommended minimum, the sacrifice won't do us any good."
"Any other alternatives?" Janeway asked.
Torres paused. "I've also worked out a power conservation schedule that spreads the power-down periods around the ship. We can save some power that way, but it won't make enough difference in the long run-it just postpones the inevitable for a little."
"Then let's postpone it," Janeway said. "Keep rationing as a last resort, and go to the power-down schedule. Chakotay, about the long-range scan-"
"I'll keep working on it," the first officer answered. "But right now, Captain, space looks pretty much the same in all directions."
"I would also add that, according to Mr. Neelix, most of the habitable planets in this sector are claimed by either the Kazon-Ogla or their allies," Tuvok said. "If we go looking for food in those areas, we risk having to fight for it."
It was not an encouraging statement, and it produced a moment of profound silence. Then Kes cleared her throat. "Excuse me," she said, her small clear voice seemingly very loud in the quiet, "but has Neelix already