Unworthy - Kirsten Beyer [44]
Living in her presence?
That was something Nancy Conlon was not at all certain she was up to. Her spirits were buoyed, however, by the thought that at least now she would have a chance to consult and possibly learn a little something from one of the best engineers in Starfleet.
Eden raised her voice to settle the table as she continued, “I have asked B’Elanna to join this meeting in hopes that she might be able to shed a little light on her encounter with the alien vessel.” With a nod, she indicated that B’Elanna should begin.
The shy smile that had been B’Elanna’s default expression since she walked into the room vanished and Eden watched the transformation between the woman and the Starfleet officer. Technically, B’Elanna still enjoyed the rank of lieutenant commander. She had been on extended leave since the birth of her child. At some point, the issue would have to be resolved, but for now, Eden was content to allow her to reacclimate to the ship and get settled before pressing the issue.
“The vessel approached my position,” B’Elanna began. “Given its configuration, I thought that it might be the Borg. I noted the strange alloys present in the hull. When I attempted to hail the vessel, its only response was to open fire. I defended myself, and then Voyager showed up.”
“You knew we were coming,” Paris said a little too pointedly. “Why didn’t you just fall back and wait for us?”
“I had no way of knowing exactly when you would arrive,” B’Elanna replied. “I worried that if I left the area, I might miss the fleet. And frankly, the alien ship’s weapons systems weren’t that impressive.”
“Is it possible that these were part of the transformed Borg we’ve heard so much about?” Batiste asked. “Or perhaps, the Caeliar, Seven?”
“No,” Seven replied without hesitation. “The Borg are no more. And this could not have been the Caeliar.”
“How can you be certain?” Batiste asked.
“Commander Torres’s ship survived the encounter, and Voyager destroyed it easily. What Starfleet knows of the
Caeliar’s technology suggests that if it had been the Caeliar, this would not have been the case.”
Batiste seemed to accept Seven’s reasoning. “Captain Itak,” he said sharply, “I believe you were able to trace the vessel?”
The Hawking’s commanding officer replied gravely, “We began by analyzing the ship’s warp trail and we believe we have discovered the system of origin. It is located four light-years from our present position and is interesting in at least one critical respect.”
At this, Itak tapped a control on the table’s edge, activating a small holographic projector embedded in the center of the conference table. A three-dimensional representation of the system appeared for all to examine.
“Fourteen planets orbit a single, Class-F star. The third and fourth are Class-M. Our long-range scans indicate that these two planets, along with the seventh, which is Class-J, and the tenth, a Class-Y, show abundant life-form readings. We are definitely looking at a system that is home to billions of beings.”
“A gas giant and a Demon-class planet show life-form readings?” Paris asked.
“Yes,” Itak confirmed evenly.
“That is interesting,” Paris noted.
“I believe I just said that, Commander.”
As Eden considered the reality that these billions might now be their enemy, Itak continued. “Our analysis of the nebula has been completed. There is no sign of the transwarp hub. We are reading a large number of subspace instabilities. This entire sector appears to be filled with similar instabilities that may be the aftereffects of the Borg network’s destruction. Further study will be required to confirm this hypothesis.”
“Have you detected any other vessels in the system?” Batiste asked.
“Yes, sir,” Itak replied. “A small contingent appears to be present in orbit of the third planet.”
“Are all their vessels automated?” Eden asked.
“Unknown. They are heavily shielded,” Itak replied.
“It is safe to assume that the vessel we encountered was not their best armed or best defended,” Batiste interjected. “Captain