She’d know what to do.Kaldarren’s fingers slipped over the tricorder controls; the indicators went red, and his tricorder blatted an error message. Oh, how stupid! He wanted to scream, smash the instrument against the rocks. Damn her, damn her, I’ve seen her about as frightened as a person can be and still live, and she’d know how to handle this, what to do, Rachel, Rachel…
Stop.Kaldarren clamped his shaking lips together. He couldn’t panic. If he did, he couldn’t help his son. Steeling himself, Kaldarren tried again.
The tricorder went red…red…red…double green. The panel slid to one side. Another room. Small. Dark.
Go.Kaldarren hesitated, all his senses screaming in protest. If there was nothing on the other side, if the panel didn’t open, he’d be trapped in there and Jase, he wouldn’t be able to get to Jase. But, no: His eyes scoured the readings on his tricorder, and he adjusted its range and gain. Beyond that second panel, there was air, warmth. Jase.
Go.Kaldarren squared his shoulders. Go!
Kaldarren stepped into the darkness.
“I see it,” said Talma. They had moved to within sensor range of the planet, and now she found that she wanted to break something. But Halak was standing right beside her, so she couldn’t. Instead, she drew a deep breath. Appearances.
“Sivek?” She almost said Vaavek.“Are you absolutely sure?”
The Vulcan threw her a glance that, on a human, might have been describing as withering. “There is no mistake. Granted, the magnetic interference coupled with ionized plasma contrails makes sensor readings difficult. But difficult is not a synonym for impossible, and I had rerouted auxiliary power to my sensors to compensate. Therefore, that,”he nodded at one grid upon his sensor display, “is a signature consistent with a landskimmer. And that,” the Vulcan enhanced another area of his scans, “or should I say thoseare life-forms, humanoid, three. Two are in close proximity, perhaps in a room. The third is heading in their general direction.”
“And that?” Halak reached past the Vulcan to point out a pulsating resonance signature deep in the planet’s surface. “That’s much further down. It’s not geological?”
The Vulcan pursed his lips. “I had considered that as a possibility and discarded it. The signature has periodicity; it appears to be artificial and is likely an energy source. There is also a secondary energy signature that I have never seen before.”
“Do you know what it is?”
“I believe I just said, I’ve never seen it before. Therefore, I can only describe, not tell you what it is. It is neuromagnetic.”
Halak frowned. “Brain waves? Sivek, you’ve got to be wrong. How…?”
“Commander, I just said…”
“All right, boys,” Talma intervened. “Zip ’em away for now. And no,” she said before the Vulcan could ask, “I’m not explaining that.”
“All right.” Halak folded his arms over his chest. “We’ve got a power source and some archaic laser-propagation wave, and now we’ve got a location, the place this portal of yours most likely is. As I recall, the plan was notto have a run-in with whomever Qadir’s got down there, and you can bet that propagation wave’s going to be picked up by someone soon, and that someone’s likely to be a Cardassian, and probably more than one.”
“Not necessarily. You heard Sivek. It’s so weak we’re lucky to have seen it, and we’re still fairly far out, not even in orbit yet. Right?” Talma addressed this to the Vulcan. “It looked like a magnetic burst, right?”
“Correct. Most ships would pass it off as being inconsequential.” Vaavek paused. “Unless it happens again.”
“See?” said Talma to Halak. “Nothing to worry about on that score. That thing’s so weak, it would take a miracle for anyone to see it.”
“What if it’s a distress call?”
Talma shifted impatiently. “If it is, then that’s all the more reason to get down there. Now I’m certain those energy fluctuations come from that portal. We can’t beam down because of all that radiation and stellar wind. Better you and Sivek go down in a pod.”
“So Sivek can keep an eye on me,” said Halak, his tone sour. Talma suppressed a tight smile. She’d produced the orders with assurances about rescuing Arava he’d requested, so there was no question now that he’d follow through. “As if I’ll get very far in a pod. What’s it make, Sivek? Warp one?”
“One-point-five. Under optimal conditions.”
“Uh-huh.” Halak turned to Talma/Burke. “And what about you?”
“I will stay onboard the T’Poland nudge her into lunar stationary orbit on the far side of the planet’s larger moon, out of sight. From there I can monitor the space immediately around the planet. Don’t worry,” she said, reading Halak’s expression. “I’ll let you know the instant any Cardassian scouts arrive. Remember, Starfleet has no more interest in the Cardassians finding us than you do.”
“With that signal, they’ll be in this sector…”
“They won’t,but the longer we stand around arguing, the greater the likelihood they will. Now you know what to do?”
Halak sighed. “Locate and secure the portal. Take detailed sensor readings on the construction and operation. Try not to get myself killed. Anything else?”
“No.” Talma’s eyes slid to Vaavek. “You?”
“A moment alone, if you please.”
“Right,” said Halak, backing out of the T’Pol’s bridge toward the gangway. “I’ll just stand over here while you two whisper.”
“No,” said Talma. “Stay right where you are. Anything you have to say, Sivek,you can say in front of the commander.”
The Vulcan didn’t look convinced. “Why are youremaining aboard? It’s a Vulcan ship. Youare Starfleet Intelligence. This is not the V’Shar’s mission.”
“But you’re a Vulcan,” said Talma easily. “And a Vulcan male at that. Far better equipped to deal with Commander Halak than I am.” She looked over at Halak. “Isn’t that right?”
Halak put his hands on his hips. “Maybe. We could certainly go one-on-one right now, see what happens.”
“You would not enjoy it, Commander,” said Vaavek. “If, however, you are someone who thrives on experiential learning, I am willing to accommodate you.”
“Down, boys.” She returned her gaze to Vaavek. “That’s the plan. Okay?”
“Not entirely,” said Vaavek.
“Good, I’m glad that’s settled. Now, we’re wasting time. You and Halak get down there. And Sivek, don’t forget a phaser.”
“Wait a minute,” Halak protested. “If he gets one, I want one.”
Talma slid into the pilot’s chair and swiveled around until her back was to the commander. “No.”
“I get it. I get to take care of whomever’s down there, but then Sivek gets to take care of me.”
Talma plotted her course for the planet’s moon. “Only if you misbehave, Commander.”
“You know that won’t happen.”
“Well,” now Talma pulled her head around and gave Halak a sweet smile, “let’s hope not, for your sake—and for Arava’s.”
“Mysake?” Halak’s face darkened with an angry rush of blood. “The only reason I’m doing this is for Arava. I don’t have anything left to lose except her.”
“Then I’m quite fortunate,” said Talma, turning aside once more. “Because they say that the most dangerous man is the one who’s got nothing left to lose. Good luck, Commander.”
“I believe in making my own luck, thanks.”
“Then I suggest you make a lot of it, Commander.” Because you can bet—Talma listened to Halak’s angry footsteps fade away as he clambered down to the waiting pod— that if you and Vaavek fail, I’ll be making mine.