Unworthy - Kirsten Beyer [58]
“Admiral, this is a member of the Ventu tribe, native to Ledos.”
Batiste stepped closer to the tortured figure. Its once bronze skin had a grayish sheen in death. Long, black hair was matted to its neck and shoulders. Chafing at the wrists suggested that it had struggled, probably until its strength had gone, against its restraints.
“How did this man die?” Batiste asked.
“Oxygen deprivation,” Lern replied. “By my calculations, this vessel has been without life support for approximately three years.”
“Why hasn’t the corpse deteriorated more in that time?” Batiste asked.
“The ambient temperature, which is below freezing, prevented decomposition,” Lern said dispassionately.
Vorik moved his light to the left of the Ventu and discovered similar alcoves as far as he could see. Griggs did the same while Lern continued to scan with his tricorder. A brief visual inspection confirmed that the entire chamber was filled, floor to ceiling, with thousands of dead.
Vorik was able to identify many of the dead: Dinaali, Kraylor, Nygean, Bosaal, Ledosian, even the short, rotund natives of the Hegemony. There were hundreds more who defied categorization.
Finally, Griggs broke the dismal silence. “How did they all get here? Who are these Indign that they would do such a thing?”
“I think the real question, Mister Griggs, is for whom, or what, the Indign intended this offering,” Batiste replied coldly.
CHAPTER TWELVE
The third planet contained ten continent-sized landmasses, leaving the remaining eighty-five percent of the surface covered in water. Nearly every square meter was in use, from agricultural to industrial purposes, including starship construction. The cities were filled with masses of the six distinct species living and working in close proximity to one another.
Four hours of constant hails had gone unanswered. Voyager and Galen were now in orbit around the third planet and were being roundly ignored by the dozens of cubes traveling throughout the system. Captain Eden had substituted the standard friendship greetings for a more detailed description of their encounter with the alien cube, an apology for the cube’s destruction, and an offer of establishing friendly relations with the system’s inhabitants. Voyager’s sensors detected the presence of communications relays aboard the cubes and in their shipyards. However, there were no advanced communications systems. Patel suggested that the varied species might facilitate their communication through nontechnological means. Telepathy was likely. However, most species that possessed highly developed telepathic and empathic abilities also had comm systems.
When Voyager’s second message was met with the same resounding silence, Captain Eden authorized Paris to lead an away team there. He immediately assigned Kim to provide security, and chose Lieutenant Patel, Doctor Sharak, and Seven to join him. Captain Eden added Counselor Cambridge to the team.
Paris transported to what appeared to be a large agricultural processing plant several kilometers from one of the smaller cities. The first sight that met the away team’s eyes were acres of lush, verdant fields planted in perfect lines. Small clusters of the aliens were tending the crops. Patel reported that the leafy, green sprouts were a nonedible product most likely for use as a fuel source.
“Where are the fences?” Kim asked.
“Let’s ask, shall we?” Paris said, gesturing to a group in the nearest field that were scanning the crops using a small, handheld device. The team observed them in silence, one a Neyser, a little more than two meters, the other, a humanoid under a meter. They worked quietly, diligently intent upon their task. Concerned for the team’s safety, Paris