Unworthy - Kirsten Beyer [103]
“Are you certain that Meegan is still onboard?” he asked as the second of Galen’s small cargo holds was cleared. “If she injured you intentionally, perhaps she …”
“There’s only one way to be certain,” Reg replied.
“But you are disabling the only systems that will protect us against her,” the Doctor pointed out as they entered engineering.
There, a dozen emergency holographic engineers were working under the direction of Lieutenant Benoit.
“At this point I’m tempted to shut the entire propulsion system down and reinitialize,” Benoit said, clearly frustrated. “Reg?” he greeted them. “Where the hell have you been? We’ve got a real mess down here.”
Reg didn’t hesitate. “Computer, deactivate all holographic personnel and disable all holographic emitters. Lock out changes unless rescinded by Lieutenant Reginald Barclay. Clearance code beta pi delta six one.”
Benoit’s mouth fell open as his assistants dematerialized. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? We’ve got an emergency and I don’t have the staff to—”
“I’m sorry, Lieutenant,” Reg said more authoritatively than the Doctor ever remembered. Scanning the area visually and with the aid of his tricorder he gave a satisfied nod and continued, “Do the best you can.”
“But—”
The Doctor found himself hurrying to keep up the pace with Reg as he quickly departed engineering.
“Computer, how many holographic personnel are still online?” Reg asked, apparently oblivious of the havoc he was wreaking in his path.
“Seventeen,” the computer replied.
“What is the location of any near our current position?” Reg asked.
“One currently located in transporter room one,” the computer advised. “Two located in section five corridor, deck three.”
“This way,” Reg said, quickening his pace.
“Commander Glenn to Lieutenant Barclay.”
“I’m a little busy right now, Captain,” Reg replied, not breaking stride.
“ Benoit just advised me that you’ve disabled the Emergency Engineering Holograms—without my authorization,” Glenn said with emphasis.
“I’ll explain later,” Reg said.
“ You’ll explain now,” Glenn demanded. “ We’re hanging dead in space until we regain helm control and Voyager has just opened a rift to fluidic space.”
“ Why would they do that?” the Doctor said, his voice rising in distress.
“Report to the bridge immediately,” Glenn ordered.
“I’m on my way,” Barclay replied as he entered the transporter room. “Barclay out,” he added, closing the comm.
“You heard Commander Glenn,” the Doctor said nervously as he caught sight of two security officers guarding the transporter controls—a human male and a Hirogen hunter who looked up in alarm.
“Computer, deactivate all holographic personnel and disable all holographic emitters. Lock out changes unless rescinded by Lieutenant Reginald Barclay. Clearance code beta pi delta six one,” Reg said as he raised his phaser toward the holograms.
The Doctor was about to physically restrain Reg if that was what it took to get some answers when it dawned on him that the computer had indicated that only one holographic officer was located in the transporter room.
The human man vanished. The Hirogen hunter remained in place, staring coldly at Reg.
Barclay redirected his weapon to point directly at it.
“Hello, Meegan,” he said.
A faint smile flickered around the hunter’s lips. The Doctor suddenly realized that the hunter had a loose bag. The hunter then leapt in two short strides to the transporter padd and disappeared in a shimmer of cascading light.
Barclay moved to the control panel immediately, presumably to reverse the transport. Shaking his head in frustration, he slammed his fists down on the interface.
“Where did she go?” the Doctor asked.
“I don’t know,” Reg replied. “The console deleted her coordinates as soon as the transfer was complete.”
“What does that mean?” the Doctor demanded.
“It means we’re not done searching,” Reg said grimly.