The Sky's the Limit - Marco Palmieri [38]
Chief O’Brien’s voice cut into her reverie. “Energizing.”
Pulaski held her breath as the first aerator was surrounded by a nimbus of flashing light and then disappeared from sight. Turning to the monitor, she could see it appear near the breach. The top of the machine began spinning slowly, then gained speed with each revolution.
The aliens didn’t seem to notice anything at first, but it wasn’t long before their movements became disoriented and then they began slumping against the bulkheads and engineering stations in a vain attempt to remain upright.
Geordi’s voice crackled over the communicator, muffled by the mask he had pressed over his mouth and nose. “Doctor Pulaski, it appears to be working. I can’t see any of the intruders awake from my position.”
Pulaski nodded as she watched the second aerator wind down to a halt on Deck 34. “Keep an eye out, Geordi. We’re still trying to see if it’s having the same effectiveness on Deck 34. I’ll contact the captain to let him know.”
Pulaski started as Picard’s voice broke in on their conversation. “No need, Doctor. I’ve just heard Mister La Forge’s report. Good job, both of you. We’ll need to get security in there before it starts wearing off.”
Nice of you to let me know you’re listening in, Captain. “Affirmative, Captain. We’ll be going in right behind to tend to the wounded.”
Before Captain Picard could respond, another shudder rippled through the Enterprise. “Mister La Forge, what is going on down there?”
“Captain, we’ve had a rupture in one of the plasma conduits. It was probably weakened in the earlier explosion. A section of the bulkhead has blown out into the engineering compartment. Some of our people and the aliens are trapped beneath the rubble and we’ve got a plasma fire going. We need help now.”
Pulaski gritted her teeth as Captain Picard ordered Lieutenant Worf to alert damage control and get them to engineering.
“Captain, we need to get my EMR team in there now,” she said, when the captain came back on-line.
“I agree. How long before you can get them assembled?”
“Too long, Captain. We need to use the technique from earlier today. I’m certain it’ll work this time.”
Riker’s voice cut in, his earlier annoyance noticeable. “I’m inclined to disagree, Doctor. With the rupture of a plasma conduit, your energy supply is even more unstable than it was earlier.”
Geordi broke into the conversation with a note of triumph in his voice. “Actually, no, it’s not.”
Picard’s voice cut in, overriding both Pulaski’s and Riker’s questions. “Explain yourself, Mister La Forge.”
“I took the liberty of establishing an independent power backup for an emergency like this. It should be more than sufficient for what the doctor has in mind.”
Pulaski caught herself standing there with her mouth open. “When did you do that?”
“Right after our meeting. I told you I had something I wanted to try. I just didn’t think it would be this soon.”
Pulaski shook her head in bemusement. Could today get any stranger? “Captain?”
“All right, Doctor. Initiate your plan.”
She knew it killed Jean-Luc to give that command, but now was not the time to rub it in, so she merely tapped her communicator. “EMR Team, Alpha One. Engineering.”
Before she finished that short phrase, she saw Chief O’Brien beginning to initiate the point-to-point transport. She moved next to the terminal where he was working. “When you get them to sickbay, let me know. I want you to transport me into engineering with them.”
Miles looked at her in surprise. “You, Doctor?”
“Yes, Chief. I am the most experienced medical officer on this ship. If the damage is as bad as Mister La Forge said, I’ll be needed.”
The young engineering lieutenant stepped over next to her. “Better set this transport for two, Chief. I’m going with her.”
“Excuse me,