Star Trek: Earth Strike
Episode 17: Captains Duty
�...Repeat; all hands abandon ship!� Janeway looked around at the motionless bridgecrew. �Well? What are you waiting for?� She asked, �Go!�
�You�re not coming are you?� Harry Kim asked, already knowing the answer.
�We have the best weapons against these aliens, and if Voyager is the only delivery
system we have left then I�m going to damn well ram her down their throats!�
�You can�t do it by yourself,� Kim protested, �I wont leave... it isn�t the Captains duty to go down with the ship anymore; that�s an outdated principle!�
�I didn�t bring this ship from the Delta Quadrant to see the Earth destroyed under our noses or to have her crew killed on arrival.� Janeway said. �I�m not about to let that happen.�
�But, Captain,� continued Kim.
�Oh - I don�t have time for this,� Janeway interrupted, suddenly drawing a hand phasar from a compartment in her command chair and shooting the young ensign. Kim was knocked back and slid down the wall behind him.
�Oh my God: you killed Harry!� Paris said, shocked, �you bas...�
�That was light stun,� Janeway said, her voice as sharp as a laser scalpel and hard as duranium, �does anyone want to try for heavy?� She thumbed the dial on the phasar and swinging it towards Paris.
�No Ma�am!� Paris said, freezing until the phasar swung away again.
�Get him to safety Tom.� Janeway�s voice softened as she nodded towards the unconscious ensign.
� Sure,� Paris acknowledged as he crossed to his friends slumped form. Putting Kim�s arm across his shoulder he stood up with a grunt of effort. �Give me a hand here will you Tuvok?� The Vulcan crossed to take Kim�s other arm.
Tuvok paused, looking at Janeway with unaccustomed emotion. �Live long and prosper, Captain.� he said.
Janeway smiled at the illogicallity and unlikeliness of the sentiment. �Same to you, old friend,� she said.
�Come on Harry,� Paris said, his urging more for the Vulcan�s benefit than his unconscious friend, �I think it�s time we got the Hell out of Dodge!�
As the turbo-lift doors closed on the trio Janeway turned to the only remaining occupant of the bridge. �Aren�t you going to threaten to shoot me?� Commander Chakote asked.
�Would it do any good?� Janeway riposted.
�I shouldn�t think so. Besides, Harry was right: you can�t do this alone.�
Janeway grimaced in acknowledgement. �I know... I�ll concentrate on getting us there: you try and hold us together until we do.� Neither of the two commented that they both faced all but impossible tasks.
* * *
�Sensors show that pressure levels within the Yellowstone Caldera have exceeded their recorded maximum.� Spock reported. No one on the bridge of the Enterprise spoke: all knew that even if their efforts to shut off the planet destroying beam from Species 8472 was successful a caldera eruption would make the Earth all but uninhabitable anyway.
* * *
�Procedure is not recommended.� The cool voice of the computer in the subterranean control room of the Yellowstone Caldera Geo-Thermic Power Plant stated
�I didn�t ask you if you like it,� O�Brien snarled, �just whether you could do it!�
Leah Brahms looked up from her workstation. �Getting angry with the computer wont help,� she said, concerned.
�Processing...� the computer voice said.
�It helps me, all right?� O�Brien answered forcefully. Leah shied back from the aggression in his tone. The Irishman controlled himself with an effort and gave his co-worker a tight smile in apology. �I�m sorry,� he said, �it�s just that...�
�I know.� Leah assured him.
�Processing...� the computer said again.
* * *
�A valient effort.� Worf observed as the bridgecrew of the Enterprise watched the flood of shuttles and escape capsules scatter from the stricken Starship.
�Voyager is still using thrusters to accelerate towards the Species 8472 formation.� Data stated. �How soon until she�s in range of them?� Captain Picard asked.
�Estimates indicate that even running thrusters above tolerance levels the Earth will be destroyed before either we or the Voyager can get within striking distance.� Data swivelled in his chair to look at his captain. �She is in the same predicament that we are: too far and too slow.�
�They can�t do that!� Hawke protested, watching the viewscreen. Of the three small alien vessels that were all that remained of the hundreds that had initially accompanied their larger brethren, two had returned to station keeping near the planet destroying formation. The third, however, was using it�s weapons on Voyager�s fleeing survivors.
�It may be that they do not realise that the escape pods and shuttles are not weapons of some kind.� Data speculated, �If that is indeed the case and their previous behaviour any indication to go by one would assume that as soon as the escape pod�s natures are understood the attack will cease.� As if to confirm the android�s words the third ship veered off to join it�s comrades at station keeping. Six escape pods had been totally destroyed and a shuttlecraft hit and disabled.
�The shuttle�s life support is failing.� Data said.
�Transporters...� Picard said
�Extreme limit of...ah: the occupants of the shuttle are using their emergency transporter to interlock with our own beam.� Data reported.
�Have them transported directly to sickbay.� Picard ordered. Data nodded in acknowledgement. �Picard to sickbay: possible casualties beaming in.� Picard warned.
�Acknowledged, Crusher out.� the Doctor�s voice replied over the intercom.
�I have managed to establish tight-beam communications with Voyager.� Worf reported.
�On screen.� Picard ordered. The viewscreen image changed to show a smaller bridge, the picture flickering and snow flecked. Voyager�s control room was dark: lit only by emergency lights and a small fountain of sparks from a damaged work-station. Wisps of smoke lazily drifting only added to the gloom. At the rear of the bridge a large dark haired man was working at a life-support station. The other occupant of the bridge was a woman at the helm position, her fingers in constant motion as she sought to push the remaining propulsion systems beyond their design limits. there was a sooty smudge on her forehead and the right side of her face was reddened from a flow of blood from a small untended wound at her temple.
�Captain Janeway, this is Picard of the Enterprise,� the Federation�s flagship commander said, �welcome to the Alpha Quadrant.�
�Captain,� greeted Janeway, her eyes flicking upwards briefly before returning to the readings at the helm. �You needn�t have thrown such a big party.�
In terse sentences each appraised the other of their respective ship�s status - obeying the Starfleet precept that gathering and sharing relevant information should be the first item on their agenda.
�...So you see we are chock-a-block full of a substance that�s as good as deadly poison to these aliens,� Janeway concluded, �if we can only get to deliver it. We have all but exhausted our stored power in order to replicate as many of the nano-probes as we could: all we have left is enough to keep life-support on the bridge functioning and
chemical reactions to power the thrusters. Weapons, shields, tractors, navigational deflectors: they�re all gone.� The image froze for a moment then jerked into life again.
�I can�t stabilise the signal,� Worf said, �I think their communications array is too badly damaged.�
�Our calculations indicate that neither of us will be able to reach the aliens in time.� Picard stated grimly.
Janeway looked up again, her frustration showing on her face. �I don�t know what else we can do. Perhaps we need a mirac...� a squeal of static drowned out her words and the image froze again then flicked off to be replaced by the previous view of the Earth system.
�I�ve lost her.� Worf said.
�Try and re-establish contact.� Picard ordered.
The inship intercom chimed and an accented voice hailed them from the engineroom. �Scott to bridge.�
to Continue to Episode 18:
"Of Diagnosis and Debris"
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