The Sky's the Limit - Marco Palmieri [67]
The nictitating membrane over Ghebh’s eyes retracted, but his crystal pendant continued to glow intensely. He glowered at Barclay and Ro. “Subdue the Starfleet mammals!” he commanded his subordinates. “Bring me the ambassador!”
Four large, menacing bullfrogs stomped toward Lwaxana. Sharp claws slid from their webbed fingers. One of the Tadigeans glanced in Barclay’s direction. A bright orange fluid sprayed from the parotid glands behind his eyes. Barclay jumped backward and the spray fell short of its target. Only a few stray drops hit the back of his hand. His skin went numb wherever the drops touched.
Some sort of natural neurotoxin?
“Watch out!” he shouted. “They spit poison from their eyes.”
“Is that all?” Ro replied sarcastically. She reached instinctively for her phaser but came away empty-handed. “Oh, hell.” Forced to improvise, she kicked over the smoking brazier, spilling burning embers on the carpet. A cascade of sparks set the holographic tent ablaze. Brilliant yellow flames climbed the silk walls of the pavilion. The sudden flare of heat and light repelled the nocturnal swamp dwellers. Ro took advantage of their confusion to rip the metal gong from its moorings. She glanced back impatiently at Barclay and Lwaxana. “What are you waiting for? Run!”
She hurled the gong like a discus, straight at the crystal pendant on Ghebh’s chest. Barclay held his breath, waiting to see if she succeeded in shattering the crystal, which was evidently some sort of psychic amplifier. But instead the spinning missile slammed into the head of one of the other Tadigeans, who sprang between Ro and Ghebh at just the wrong moment. The beaned bullfrog tumbled backward into his companions, resulting in a tangle of webbed feet and hands. An irate Ghebh shouted at his fellow amphibians, “Pull yourself together, you incompetent tadpoles. They’re going to get away!”
Not a bad idea, Barclay thought. He tugged on Lwaxana’s arm. “Come with me, Madam Ambassador! We have to get you to safety.”
“But…what about Flev?” She dug in her heels, reluctant to leave the unconscious attache within the burning pavilion. “He’ll be burned alive!”
“No, he won’t,” Barclay promised, lowering his voice. In theory, the holodeck’s safety protocols would protect Ubaan from the holographic inferno. “It’s just a simulation, remember?” He pulled harder on her arm, eager to get her away from the hostile Tadigeans, who were bound to regroup any minute now. “Please, we have to go!”
Lwaxana nodded, seeing sense at last. “Just one moment!” Before he could stop her, she reached into the fire and rescued the Sacred Chalice, which she clutched to her bountiful chest. As Barclay had predicted, her hands came away unburned. “All right, Lieutenant.” She kicked off her high heels. “Now we can make a strategic retreat.”
Abandoning the narrow spit of land, they splashed into the shallow water and ran from the blazing tent into the densely forested swamp. Ankle-deep mud sucked at their heels, slowing their progress. The cool water came as a shock after the sultry heat. He tried not to think about what sort of aquatic life-forms might be swimming beneath the surface of the brackish water. A slimy layer of pond scum clung to his uniform.
Ugh!
“Keep going!” Ro shouted from behind them. They could hear her splashing through the water after them. “Don’t slow down!”
The enraged croaks of the Tadigeans echoed across the swamp. Barclay could hear them leaping through the underbrush in hot pursuit. “You cannot escape us, Ambassador!” Ghebh bellowed loudly. “Surrender and we will spare the Starfleet officers.”
Spare? Barclay didn’t like the sound of that. These frogs were obviously playing for keeps. “Don’t w-worry about us, Madam Ambassador,” he said, swallowing hard. “Don’t even think about turning yourself over to those terrorists.”
“Thank you, Lieutenant Barclay,” Lwaxana said. Her dark eyes regarded him with new respect.