by Peter David
"Lieutenant," Lefler said, trying to keep the apprehension out of her voice, "I'm not getting a response from them. I can't raise Shelby, Selar, or Kebron."
"Can you get a lock on them at all?"
Lefler quickly checked, sending a locate beam through to their communicator badges. "There's . . ." She shook her head in frustration. "There's some sort of heavy interference. I'm not sure what's causing it. It is the same sort of interference that is impeding our sensor sweep for the captain."
"Atmospheric disturbance?"
"Negative. Seems man-made. Artificial. It's blocking my primary sweep."
"Punch through it, Lefler. I want them out of there."
"Out of there, sir?" Robin looked at her in surprise. "Without a distress call or an order from the Commander?"
"They're overdue," Soleta reminded her. "Weighing the safety of the away team against the chance that Commander Shelby might yell at me, I'll risk the latter. Now get me the away team."
"Working on it, sir," said Lefler. For minutes she adjusted the frequency of the search probe, trying to pull up a contact with the away team, and finally she called out, "Got four of the five, sir! Managed to crack through whatever the local interference is, at least for the moment!"
"Send it through to the transporter room. Bridge to transporter room, four to beam up, now!" called Soleta.
"Starting to lose them!" Lefler called.
"Transporter room, get on it!" Soleta said urgently.
"Beaming them up now, sir!" came Watson's voice. "Having trouble reintegrating the signal, but I think I've got them cl"
There was a pause, and Soleta fancied that she felt her blood chill ever so slightly. "Transporter room, report!" she ordered. "Who have you got? Are they okay?"
"Bridge, transporter room!" Watson cried out, and there was no mistaking the alarm in her voice. "Medical emergency! Sickbay already summoned! You better get down here! Theyoh, God!"
"On my way!" Soleta called out, stopping only long enough to say, "McHenry, you have the conn!" before dashing into the turbolift.
McHenry slowly turned and looked at Lefler with clear concern. "I don't know which is more frightening," he said slowly. "That something's happened to Selar and Shelby . . . or that I have the conn."
"Shut up, Mark," said Robin with no trace of amusement. McHenry, wisely, said nothing.
Soleta barreled through the corridors of the Excalibur and arrived just as the team from sickbay was hauling the remains of the away team out of the transporter room. It took all of her carefully learned stoicism not to turn away in horror.
Shelby and Selar looked like hell. Half of Shelby's uniform was torn away, and there were burns all over her, huge patches of charred skin on her upper body. Her head lolled to one side; she barely appeared to be
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breathing. Selar had not fared much better. She appeared to have been lashed by some sort of tendril, tearing away her clothing and skin in vicious strips. The tip of her right ear had been torn off, and there was blood all over the side of her face.
Hecht was dead. Soleta could tell just from looking at him. His body lay on the rolling cart, twisted at an impossible angle. As for Scannell, physically he ap- peared untouched. But his mind was gone. His eyes stared blankly, although whether it was into the air or into himself, Soleta could not be sure. His back was arched, and he was babbling inarticulately, shaking his head every so often as if trying to ward off something that only he could see.
Shelby seemed to be barely conscious, and Soleta ran along side the antigrav gurney as it was rushed toward sickbay. "Commander," she said urgently "can you speak?"
"Lieutenant," Doctor Maxwell began, trying to shoo her away even as he was putting a stasis field in place, while running, in order to stabilize Shelby's condition. "Now is not the time"
"Commander, what happened?" demanded So-leta, ignoring Maxwell completely. "Did you find the captain? Where is Kebron? What happened down there?"
Shelby's mouth moved, but no words came out. Then, with great effort, she formed a word . . . one word
"Borg," she managed to say.
Then she lapsed into unconsciousness, leaving a stunned Soleta in the corridor as the gurneys were sent into sickbay.
Burgoyne looked up from hir work in engineering to see the ashen face of Ensign Ronni Beth. "I take it
that further analysis of the energy drain " Burgoyne started to say, but then s/he saw the look on Beth's face. "What's wrong?" s/he demanded. "Did you hear?"
"About the captain? Yes." Burgoyne shook hir head. "I don't believe it for a moment. I know this captain. It's going to take more than " "Not him. He's still missing," Beth said quickly, "but I mean, about the away team. The one that was looking for him."
Slowly Burgoyne got to hir feet. "What happened?" s/he said slowly.
"I cannot say that I am surprised," Killick was saying.
He was speaking via the screen to Soleta, who was seated in the unaccustomed place of the command chair, her fingers steepled. Si Cwan was standing just behind her. "Why, may I ask, are you unsurprised?" inquired Soleta.
"From the coordinates you've given me, it is my estimation that your away team had trespassed into Ontear's Realm."
"Excuse me?" said Soleta, leaning forward in polite confusion. "Ontear's Realm?"
"It is a sacred land," Killick informed her. "It was there that Ontear dwelt. It is believed by many that he dwells there still"
"Ontear," Si Cwan now spoke up. "That would be the philosopher and seer who died five hundred years ago."
"Ontear did not die," Killick said, sounding just slightly defensive. "He was taken away to join the gods, as anyone who has read the books of "
"Fine, then," Si Cwan saw absolutely no point in disputing it. "Either way, we're agreed that it's not terribly likely he would still be around."
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breathing. Selar had not fared much better. She appeared to have been lashed by some sort of tendril, tearing away her clothing and skin in vicious strips. The tip of her right ear had been torn off, and there was blood all over the side of her face.
Hecht was dead. Soleta could tell just from looking at him. His body lay on the rolling cart, twisted at an impossible angle. As for Scannell, physically he ap- peared untouched. But his mind was gone. His eyes stared blankly, although whether it was into the air or into himself, Soleta could not be sure. His back was arched, and he was babbling inarticulately, shaking his head every so often as if trying to ward off something that only he could see.
Shelby seemed to be barely conscious, and Soleta ran along side the antigrav gurney as it was rushed toward sickbay. "Commander," she said urgently "can you speak?"
>
"Lieutenant," Doctor Maxwell began, trying to shoo her away even as he was putting a stasis field in place, while running, in order to stabilize Shelby's condition. "Now is not the time"
"Commander, what happened?" demanded So-leta, ignoring Maxwell completely. "Did you find the captain? Where is Kebron? What happened down there?"
Shelby's mouth moved, but no words came out. Then, with great effort, she formed a word . . . one word
"Borg," she managed to say.
Then she lapsed into unconsciousness, leaving a stunned Soleta in the corridor as the gurneys were sent into sickbay.
Burgoyne looked up from hir work in engineering to see the ashen face of Ensign Ronni Beth. "I take it
that further analysis of the energy drain " Burgoyne started to say, but then s/he saw the look on Beth's face. "What's wrong?" s/he demanded. "Did you hear?"
"About the captain? Yes." Burgoyne shook hir head. "I don't believe it for a moment. I know this captain. It's going to take more than " "Not him. He's still missing," Beth said quickly, "but I mean, about the away team. The one that was looking for him."
Slowly Burgoyne got to hir feet. "What happened?" s/he said slowly.
"I cannot say that I am surprised," Killick was saying.
He was speaking via the screen to Soleta, who was seated in the unaccustomed place of the command chair, her fingers steepled. Si Cwan was standing just behind her. "Why, may I ask, are you unsurprised?" inquired Soleta.
"From the coordinates you've given me, it is my estimation that your away team had trespassed into Ontear's Realm."
"Excuse me?" said Soleta, leaning forward in polite confusion. "Ontear's Realm?"
"It is a sacred land," Killick informed her. "It was there that Ontear dwelt. It is believed by many that he dwells there still"
"Ontear," Si Cwan now spoke up. "That would be the philosopher and seer who died five hundred years ago."
"Ontear did not die," Killick said, sounding just slightly defensive. "He was taken away to join the gods, as anyone who has read the books of "
"Fine, then," Si Cwan saw absolutely no point in disputing it. "Either way, we're agreed that it's not terribly likely he would still be around."
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"Do not underestimate the power of Ontear, or the spirit of Ontear"and Killick's voice dropped to a level that was tinged with menace"or the vengeance of Ontear."
"Nor should we underestimate your obsession with saying the name 'Ontear,'" commented Soleta. "Are you claiming, Killick, that our away team fell victim to some sort of curse?"
"I would not have put it quite that way, but it is an acceptable summation."
"It is not acceptable to me, sir," replied Soleta. "It is, in fact, illogical. I have an away team with members that are variously injured, dead, and missing. Their intention was to find the commanding officer of this vessel"
"If their trail led them truly, Lieutenant," Killick informed her, "and your captain is within Ontear's Realm, then you will not be bringing him back. The Realm of Ontear was consecrated after the death of his greatest acolyte, Suti, and forbidden to all Zondar-ians. Forbidden, in fact, to all who live."
"Even the Savior?" asked Soleta drily.
Slowly, Killick nodded. "Even to one such as He. If He is there, then He is already dead. As for you, Lieutenant, I would consider myself fortunate if I were you."
"And why is that?"
"The fact that you got any of your people back alive. That, in and of itself, is nothing short of miraculous. You should thank the spirit of the Savior for your good fortune."
"I will be certain to keep that in mind," Soleta said with more sarcasm than Si Cwan would have supposed a Vulcan was capable of.
Killick's image blinked out, and all eyes turned to Soleta.
"Now what?" said Si Cwan.
And SoletaSoleta, who had once resigned from Starfleet when she discovered her Vulcan/Romulan breeding; Soleta, who had until relatively recently been content teaching science courses at Starfleet Academy; Soleta, who, truth to tell, would have been perfectly content never to set foot on a starship again in her life, much less suddenly find herself in a position of command upon onesaid the most difficult four words that she had ever uttered in her life.
"I am not sure," she replied.
Burgoyne strode into sickbay like a force of nature. Several medtechs tried to stop hir, but were utterly unsuccessful. Burgoyne pushed them aside, with strength in hir wiry frame that surprised anyone endeavoring to get in hir way. S/he cast a quick, pained glance in the direction of Shelby. S/he had served with Shelby before, thought her a fine officer and a good person, not to mention possessing one seriously fine body from this angle at least. (the latter comment, for reasons of discretion, never having passed through Burgy's lips). But the majority of hir attention was focused on Selar, who lay nearby, eyes closed and breathing shallowly but steadily.
Dr. Maxwell stood near her, checking readings, when Burgoyne walked up. Maxwell glanced up at hir and said, "I would appreciate it if you chose to visit at a later hour."
Burgoyne fixed Maxwell with a dark stare. "Doctor, out of my way."
Maxwell drew himself up, squaring off against Burgoyne. "There is no need, Chief, to be rude."
With a flash of hir canines, Burgoyne said, "That, Doctor, depends entirely upon you."
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"Do not underestimate the power of Ontear, or the spirit of Ontear"and Killick's voice dropped to a level that was tinged with menace"or the vengeance of Ontear."
"Nor should we underestimate your obsession with saying the name 'Ontear,'" commented Soleta. "Are you claiming, Killick, that our away team fell victim to some sort of curse?"
"I would not have put it quite that way, but it is an acceptable summation."
"It is not acceptable to me, sir," replied Soleta. "It is, in fact, illogical. I have an away team with members that are variously injured, dead, and missing. Their intention was to find the commanding officer of this vessel"
"If their trail led them truly, Lieutenant," Killick informed her, "and your captain is within Ontear's Realm, then you will not be bringing him back. The Realm of Ontear was consecrated after the death of his greatest acolyte, Suti, and forbidden to all Zondar-ians. Forbidden, in fact, to all who live."
"Even the Savior?" asked Soleta drily.
Slowly, Killick nodded. "Even to one such as He. If He is there, then He is already dead. As for you, Lieutenant, I would consider myself fortunate if I were you."
"And why is that?"
"The fact that you got any of your people back alive. That, in and of itself, is nothing short of miraculous. You should thank the spir
it of the Savior for your good fortune."
"I will be certain to keep that in mind," Soleta said with more sarcasm than Si Cwan would have supposed a Vulcan was capable of.
Killick's image blinked out, and all eyes turned to Soleta.
"Now what?" said Si Cwan.
And SoletaSoleta, who had once resigned from Starfleet when she discovered her Vulcan/Romulan breeding; Soleta, who had until relatively recently been content teaching science courses at Starfleet Academy; Soleta, who, truth to tell, would have been perfectly content never to set foot on a starship again in her life, much less suddenly find herself in a position of command upon onesaid the most difficult four words that she had ever uttered in her life.
"I am not sure," she replied.
Burgoyne strode into sickbay like a force of nature. Several medtechs tried to stop hir, but were utterly unsuccessful. Burgoyne pushed them aside, with strength in hir wiry frame that surprised anyone endeavoring to get in hir way. S/he cast a quick, pained glance in the direction of Shelby. S/he had served with Shelby before, thought her a fine officer and a good person, not to mention possessing one seriously fine body from this angle at least. (the latter comment, for reasons of discretion, never having passed through Burgy's lips). But the majority of hir attention was focused on Selar, who lay nearby, eyes closed and breathing shallowly but steadily.
Dr. Maxwell stood near her, checking readings, when Burgoyne walked up. Maxwell glanced up at hir and said, "I would appreciate it if you chose to visit at a later hour."
Burgoyne fixed Maxwell with a dark stare. "Doctor, out of my way."
Maxwell drew himself up, squaring off against Burgoyne. "There is no need, Chief, to be rude."
With a flash of hir canines, Burgoyne said, "That, Doctor, depends entirely upon you."
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Maxwell was prepared to say something further, but wisely decided that it would do him little-to-no good, and possibly even some serious harm. With one more quick glance at the readings, Maxwell walked away, allowing Burgoyne some time with Selar.
Burgoyne leaned over her, running hir long, tapered fingers over Selar's battered face. S/he saw a patch of Selar's head where the hair had been burned away. What could possibly have happened to her? What could have done this to her? Slowly Burgoyne felt a deep, burning anger building within hir chest.
