ELEVEN PIPERS PIPING
January 5
"We'll begin the download of information from the orchard bay first. Ensign Partridge, your job is to take detailed scans of all the plant life. Malcolm, once we get the download started, see about deactivating the drones if that'll make ya feel better," said Tucker as they found themselves again at the derelict space station.
With the help of Sato and Reed, Tucker soon began the information download. They could hear Partridge emitting Wows with great frequency, but at least he was following instructions with regard to the scanning the orchard.
Tucker soon turned to them to say, "That's all the help I need right now. Why don't you go see 'bout the wind-up toys. Download their schematics for me, will you? Take Hoshi so she can download a report on why the robots were locked away."
-----
Sato set about her work to download the archives from the security control station with her usual efficiency once they arrived at the command center.
While she completed her assignment, Reed reviewed the schematics of the station. It never hurt to know more about a strange environment.
"I think I have all the information we need. Your turn to have fun, Lieutenant." Sato rolled her shoulders as she completed her task.
Reed led the way as they approached the cell that contained the LoRDs. It should have contained the LoRDs. "Where are they?"
Sato looked into the cell through the observation window, "Not a one in sight. How did they get out?"
The officers entered the brig and inspected the walls for another exit. The three walls each had four panels, but they appeared to be decorations. Reed and Sato inspected the door panel again.
"There's a lever down here, Ensign. What does the label say?" asked Reed as he knelt to inspect a black handle that protruded from the door.
"Drone retrieval. Maybe it's a surveillance system?" offered Sato as she noticed a veiewscreen above the lever.
Reed pressed the lever with his foot but nothing happened. "Not working. We'll have to do our best using our scanners. Come on, we'll contact the Commander while we try to find the renegade LoRDs."
-----
Reed and Sato spent the better part of the morning trying to track down the drones with no luck. They would find the signs indicating their presence, but the LoRDs were nowhere to be seen once the officers arrived at the coordinates. Reed sighed before he contacted Tucker, "Commander, we have been unable to find the LoRDs."
"Well, they seemed harmless enough. Why don't you meet us at the vegetable bay? We'll eat some lunch, start the next download, then you can run off and play hide-n-seek with the little fellas you're chasing."
"We'll meet you there. Reed out." The Lieutenant closed his communicator. "Lead us to the McGregor's garden, Ensign."
"Don't look so glum. Chef sent a pineapple cobbler in the rations," said Sato as she pushed the button on the lift.
"With my luck Partridge will eat it before I even see it," murmured Reed.
"You could always plead justifiable homicide," suggested Sato.
They met Tucker and Partridge to find the Commander sitting on top of the case containing their meals for the day. Reed smiled as he realized his pineapple cobbler was safe from the ravages of the Gonzo Ensign. Tucker was a true friend.
"Okay, NOW we can eat," said Tucker as the opened the case. His friends didn't even have to ask.
Reed and Sato updated the Commander on their futile search. Tucker thought for a moment before speaking, "They might be hiding out near the core around all those pipes."
"Some of the platforms at the core are thirty meters apart," noted Sato with a slight shudder.
"I don't intend to put us in danger just to deactivate the drones," Reed assured.
"It'd be nice if you had some magnets in case you go out onto the piping, but I don't think it's worth suiting up in the EVs to catch the drones." Tucker noticed that Partridge hadn't chimed in with comments. Luckily the ensign was too busy eating.
"I brought the magnetic soles that I had sketched out for you. You were right about changing the configuration for the activation controls. They can fit onto our boots and we have the magnetic handholds that are portable. I'll head back to the shuttle to retrieve them before we start our little hunt again."
"Fine. Hoshi can help me get started with the next download. She'll be ready to go with you by the time you get back."
-----
Reed and Sato continued their search for the renegade drones, but this time each wore soles that could be magnetized and Reed carried a small utility backpack.
As Sato attached the magnets to her boots, she asked, "Please don't tell me we activate these by clicking our heels twice?"
Reed smiled. The soles were red in color, so he could understand her comment. "You can push the buttons with your hand or tap them with your toe."
They left the vegetable bay to retrace their steps to the area where they had last thought to find the drones. This time they didn't need to use their scanners. They soon heard the first indication of the LoRDs: au-au-au. Boink-chink, boink-chink.
The officers rushed forward to find two robots that appeared to be in a shoving match. They watched the two units bouncing around like popcorn while the drones tried to push the other out of the way. Today they could be heard saying, "We protect you...from the terror of space."
"I think I preferred them when they weren't talking," said Sato as she gave a sideward glance to Reed.
The Lieutenant nodded his agreement as he took out his weapon. "Use your phase pistol. The energy burst should be sufficient to disrupt their activity. I'll aim for the blue one and you target the red one."
The two officers fired and hit their target, but even as the two drones shut down, they heard a boink-chink as two more LoRDs jumped to the floor behind them from an upper deck. A red LoRD shoved Sato while a blue one pushed Reed toward the same area. "au-au-au...We protect you ...from the terror of space..."
"They have an odd definition of protecting!" shouted Reed as the drones grabbed their arms and pushed them onto a square platform. The LoRDs released them just before a trapdoor opened beneath Reed then Sato. They began falling toward the next deck that was thirty meters below them.
Reed activated the magnets on the soles of his boots as he started to fall and did a graceful flip toward a metal grating he had spotted below the trap door. The magnetic boots attached firmly to the edge of the metal grating so that Reed was able to make a hasty grab of Sato's arm as she came spilling down after him, but her weight was enough to pull him around the edge and under the grating. Reed could only be grateful that he had heeded Tucker's advice on the strength of the magnets.
They hung like circus performers with Reed hanging upside down attached by his boots while his hands were clenched around Sato's arms. Sato looked up into Reed's eyes in gratitude that the man had such strong arms.
Reed called, "Try to control your body. Use your toe to kick on the activator for the magnets. Then I'm going to swing you onto the netting. Ready? One, two, three!"
Sato swung onto the grating. She looked down to see Reed still hanging upside down, but smiling up at her. She couldn't resist saying, "Quit hanging around and see about getting us out of here."
"I was rather enjoying the view," began Reed, "but if you insist." The Lieutenant walked to the edge of the grating and swung up with an efficient flip.
"Something tells me you were into gymnastics in your youth," observed Sato as Reed stood up. Reed's muscular arms made it easy to picture him on the pommel horse or on the rings. His height would be perfect for the sport.
Reed smiled bashfully, then decided he might as well confirm her observation. "I made the Olympic team when I was sixteen, but then I broke my ankle in a freak accident and couldn't compete."
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up--"
"No, it's fine. I still enjoy the workouts. They help me with an occasional problem I have with equilibrium," confessed Reed. Sato nodded, but asked no more questions.
Reed thought a moment about all the broken dreams that littered his life. He looked at Sato's profile and resolved that one dream would become reality.
-----
They began walking slowly on the netting. It was actually a grate that had detached from the opening of the large conduit that hung horizontally across the space. The stranded officers scanned their present environment. They were between decks in a utility area surrounded by tubes of all sizes and orientations.
"That's got to be a drop of thirty meters." Sato walked to the edge hastily to look down. Her movements had sent a wave of motion across the grating. Reed was no longer smiling.
"Keep still a minute, please," said Reed as he closed his eyes for a moment. Damn motion sickness! This was not the time for his vestibular system to be misfiring.
Sato settled her breathing and stood as still as possible. "Motion sickness?"
"Not too bad or you'd see me losing my pineapple cobbler. I'm fine as long as I can predict the motion. It's the unexpected waves that throw me off."
She saw Reed open his eyes after a minute and scan their view before opening his communicator. "Commander, we tracked down two of the LoRDs, but then got ambushed by another set. They pushed us through a trap door that would have plummeted us to the next deck. Recommend that you and Ensign Partridge use extreme caution. The stun setting of the phase pistols is effective in deactivating them."
"I'm loading my phase pistol now. Are the two of you okay?" came Tucker's voice.
"A grate caught our fall, but we're still in the maintenance core. I think we can make our way out through the system of pipes. I'd feel better if we all rendezvoused at the shuttlepod," said Reed.
"I'll see what I can do to speed up the download. See you back at the shuttlepod. Keep me updated on your status," said Tucker.
Reed shut the communicator. Suddenly, the pipe started resonating. "Lieutenant, there has to be some air flow getting through the pipe to make it resonate like that. It could lead to an exit."
"Or into a fan blade. That always happens in the movies," muttered Reed as he inspected the size of the opening. The frequency it hummed was rather low.
"You've been spending too much time with Trip at the movies," said Sato as she approached him.
"I'm willing to look to other diversions, Ensign," said Reed before he entered.
Sato looked around for a moment. Did he just make a pass at her? She felt his hand grabbing her arm before she could think about this further.
-----
Luckily this tube was wide enough for the two officers to make their way through in a low crouch. Reed pulled out a small flashlight from the backpack that provided sufficient illumination for the officers, but the Lieutenant still asked, "Are you having any trouble?"
"No, I've been in tighter spaces than this. Eight days in the catwalk did wonders for my claustrophobia. I'm doing fine," assured Sato and saw Reed nod.
After traveling thirty minutes while the pipe hummed its melancholy notes, they could see the end of the tube. The officers stopped and Sato tried to contact Tucker as Reed walked to the end of the tube. "There's something blocking the signal, Lieutenant."
Reed groaned, then pivoted quickly. "Don't look."
Sato shoved him out of the way and saw their dilemma. Below them stood a tall cylinder. Extending from the main pipe were a series of smaller pipes emerging from it that created a spiral down the length. Sato counted eight extensions that emerged every four meters with slightly different widths and at different lengths. This resulted in different frequencies being emitted from each of the extending pipes.
Finally, a corrugated pipe lay below the main tube. This last one was curled into a shape reminiscent to the lower loop on a cursive L and had a lower tone similar to the larger pipe of the main structure.
"How many pipes do you count?" asked Reed as he came beside Sato.
"Does it go to eleven?" asked Sato.
"Perhaps Nigel was here--never mind. I don't suppose you've ever heard of Spinal Tap?" murmured Reed. "There are eight extensions and the three bigger pipes. This one, the main vertical tube and the coiled one below it."
"Eleven pipers piping. At least we only have one more day of this," said Sato.
They heard the LoRDs begin to move again. Boink-chink, boink-chink, au-au-au.
"We better stay put for the meantime," whispered Reed as he leaned back against the curve of the tube they were in. Sato moved beside him so that their shoulders were touching. Reed felt her warm body next to him and realized how much he had missed her presence while he slept. Sato then leaned closer to provide more contact. Perhaps she had missed him as well.
They had been quietly breathing for several minutes when Sato whispered, "It's funny how easy it is to match breaths with you."
"What do you mean?" asked Reed.
"Just now, our breathing was in rhythm. I noticed it when we were sleeping together. It was easy to fall asleep with you beside me because our breathing would synchronize."
Sato turned her face away almost shyly. Why was it that she could kiss him and even sleep with him, but when it came to trying to tell him how she really felt, she sounded preposterous? Then Hoshi felt Malcolm touch her chin and turn her face toward him.
Both of them quit breathing as Malcolm moved closer. His lips met hers and she melted into his arms--and once again slumped into unconsciousness.
Bloody hell! What was so wonderful about your kisses making a woman swoon? Those Victorians had some odd ideas about romance. He couldn't even blame it on a tight corset.
Reed put Sato into a sitting position with her head between her knees and she soon came out of her faint. "Hoshi, that's it, look at me. Are you alright? Do you remember anything?"
"Malcolm? I--I--have we waited long enough? I'm sorry, I must have fallen asleep. That's not very professional, is it? I'm fine, ready to go, don't worry," assured Sato as she brought herself up. She noticed a perplexed expression on Reed's face, but he quickly masked it for his usual professional demeanor.
"Unless you can hear something I don't, the LoRDs appear to have moved on. Let's go."
-----
Reed leapt onto the brim of the vertical tube that held the spiral staircase of pipes they would need to use to get safely to the next deck. The brim was a meter wide, but Reed still offered a hand to Sato as she made her landing. "Don't look down."
"No problem. I haven't opened my eyes yet," assured Sato. Steady breaths. Malcolm is right beside you. In fact, he's keeping his arm around your waist. Damn those LoRDs for ruining a perfect opportunity to snuggle. The Ensign finally opened her eyes and asked, "Okay, what next?"
"Simple. We walk around the brim to get to the first step of the spiral. I brought some magnetic handholds for just such an emergency. We need to stay in a vertical orientation as much as possible since we do have gravity. We shouldn't simply try to climb down the smooth side of the pipe, especially not with the way you've been fainting or my getting motion sickness," said Reed.
"What do you mean, fainting? I never faint," insisted Sato.
"Just take my word for it and I'll explain later, but I want you to hold my hand," responded Reed.
Holding hands? That was a step in the right direction. "Yes, sir, Lieutenant."
Suddenly they heard the whir of a ventilation fan and the air as it blew through the pipes. It was more like a pipe organ than a calliope. The eerie music filled the chamber. Reed noticed Sato shiver and put his arm around her shoulder for a moment. "If we meet Captain Nemo, I'll know this is just a dream. Until then, it's time to proceed."
The Lieutenant felt the Ensign's hand in his and carefully walked along the brim to the area of their first descent. Reed opened the backpack and gave Sato a set of magnetic pads and showed her how to activate them. With a nod to Reed, Sato prepared for the first level.
-----
"Let's take it one pipe at a time. I'll go first," said Reed as he swung over the brim. Sato watched him make his way easily down to the first pipe. He soon called up, "Your turn, Ensign."
Reed stood on the pipe watching Sato's descent when he noticed a rumbling within the pipe where he stood. He became immediately agitated when he heard the au-au-au sound that signified the presence of the LoRDs. "Hoshi! We need to hurry off this pipe!"
Just as Sato made it onto the tube, two LoRDs began bounding toward them on the pipe where they were standing looking more like children happily greeting parents. "We protect you...from the terror of space."
The officers still had their hands occupied by the magnetic handholds. Reed freed his hand to access his phase pistol by sticking the magnets to each other and moved forward to take his shots, but the LoRDs jumped over him to move to Sato.
Reed tried in vain to acquire his target but the LoRDs and Sato were doing a strange sort of tango that made it difficult to target the drones while missing the Ensign. This time she was doing a good job of evading the arms of the robots.
Reed managed to approach one drone from the rear and quickly tangled the arms together. He shoved the drone into its partner which was being pushed by Sato. The LoRDs fell to the platform below emitting a constant stream of au-au-au. This was followed by a satisfactory crashing sound as the impact destroyed the mechanisms.
"Glad that wasn't us," said Sato as she tried to catch her breath.
Reed's breathing wasn't much better. "At least their springs weren't magnetized. We can't afford to waste any time. Let's get to the next level."
-----
They made it down two more pipes without mishap and began to feel confident. Then as they were making their way to the fourth pipe, they heard them: au-au-au.
"I'm beginning to hate that sound," said Sato through gritted teeth. They had decided to move down the pipe together.
Reed looked down, then to Sato. "They're waiting for us this time."
"Any ideas?" asked Sato. They wouldn't be able to get out their phase pistols.
"Don't touch them with your hands or they'll stick to your magnets. Turn off the magnets on your boot so you can drop and roll into their springs. That's likely to throw them off balance. And pray that they haven't magnetized their bodies."
"Great. Always wanted to be a bowling ball," said Sato.
The officers surprised the LoRDs with their immediate drop to the pipe. Reed was able to deliver an actual kick to one unit while Sato's roll managed to trip the other one. Au-au-au...all the way down.
"This is beginning to feel like one of Travis' video games," said Sato as she caught her breath.
Reed nodded. "I know the one you mean. Warbots. Come on, we're halfway there."
-----
They traveled to three more pipes without incident. Reed and Sato stopped to rest on the seventh pipe. This one was broad on the end that attached to the main vertical pipe, but quickly narrowed as it extended horizontally into the open space of the core.
"Almost there, Ensign," said Reed as he leaned against the vertical pipe.
Sato nodded, but frowned as she looked around. "I wonder why this pipe narrows? It does interesting things to the frequency it emits."
The Ensign walked out onto the pipe carefully. She had no intention of testing the tube's flexibility, but she was curious about its purpose. Sato didn't have a chance to think further on the question as she heard not only the au-au-au, but the resonance of the pipes above them changing. Two LoRDs were bouncing down the spiral they had used to make their escape and making short work of the distance.
The LoRDs moved quickly and Reed put out his hands reflexively as one bounced directly toward him. The LoRD's arms stuck onto his magnets. In the meantime, Sato moved further out on the pipe and began flexing her legs on the narrow end.
Reed watched as the LoRD that was after Sato began bouncing erratically and finally fell off. A wave of nausea hit him as the resonance was carried down the pipe. The LoRD's arms were still attached to Reed's hand magnets, so the Lieutenant swung the drone over the side of the pipe and deactivated the magnets. The drone tumbled to the platform, but sprang up again as had its partner.
Reed took out his phase pistol and stunned the units. They deactivated immediately, so Reed felt comfortable in closing his eyes as he regained his own equilibrium. Sato was moving toward him slowly in an attempt to diminish the waves of motion transmitted down the pipe.
"What's our body count?" asked Sato when she reached the Armory Officer. He had his eyes opened now, but she pressed gently into him as he stood against the pipe. She could hear his voice in her hear as he responded.
"Eight. We've deactivated eight of the units, so at least two are still out there. Who knows? There may be more than the ones we found in the brig." Reed closed his eyes again, but not because of nausea.
Malcolm could smell the light fragrance of Hoshi's shampoo and feel her reassuring warmth as she leaned against him. Perfect cure for motion sickness. He could just hear his conversation with Phlox now: therapeutic contact; touch, the new miracle drug for motion sickness; Hoshi Sato, highly addictive. He smiled at his thoughts, but she couldn't see it.
"Last pipe and from there we can make our way to the deck. Ready?"
-----
Reed and Sato stood on the last pipe that was much shorter than the others. Instead of overhanging the platform below, it was just short of the mark. Reed observed, "We'll need to walk to the edge of this pipe to reach the deck. I've got some rope in the backpack we can use. It might be best if we anchor it on the inner circumference of the tube. That would give us an extra two meters. Let's put away the magnetic hands."
Sato gave her units to Reed then walked to the edge of the tube with him. "You first."
Reed gave a slight shrug, deactivated the magnets on his boots, then did a graceful hand handspring on the rim. Sato knelt to look over the edge to witness the Lieutenant complete an expert dismount into the tube. He called up, "Your turn. I'll help steady your descent."
Sato knew her maneuvers wouldn't be as graceful, but she deactivated her own boots. She then lay on the tube and turned with her legs dangling below her as they searched for the inner wall of the tube. She felt Reed catch her waist and released her hold of the rim, trusting his arm strength to hold her steady.
Hoshi slid slowly down Malcolm's body and was not able to prevent her arms from coming around his neck. She noticed he had not moved his hands from her waist, either, although he had turned her away from the opening of the tube. Then they heard it, not the au-au-au of a drone, but the slow, squeaky turning of the pipe itself. The pipe had begun to roll in its joint sending the two officers tumbling in the manner of clothes in a dryer.
Perfect, thought Reed as he desperately tried to hang onto Sato. Between her claustrophobia and his motion sickness, the situation couldn't get much worse. So of course, it did. A LoRD could be heard approaching the tube as it bounced along the platform: boink-chink, au-au-au, "We protect you...from the terror of space."
The LoRD jumped into the tube with the officers, but began to tumble madly on its own as the pipe continued to roll. Reed managed to draw his weapon and took aim. While the shot itself missed given the spin all occupants were experiencing, it did ricochet to deactivate the LoRD which conveniently tumbled out of the pipe. Before Reed could sigh in relief, he heard Sato's scream as she tumbled out of the emergent tube and down the main shaft.
"Hoshi!"
-----
Reed had little time to commiserate on Sato's fate as the pipe he was in began to tilt to send him downward as well. He felt himself bouncing down the corrugated pipe that emerged from the bottom of the main vertical tube. He soon felt himself caught around the waist by a familiar pair of legs.
"Hoshi?" Brilliant question, Reed thought. He pulled out his flashlight to find Sato clutching at a handhold she had on the pipe. Her eyes were squeezed shut, then he noticed how tightly she was holding him.
"Ensign, while I appreciate the strength of your leg muscles, I really need to breathe," said Reed. Sato immediately loosened her grip on his waist. Reed inhaled deeply. "I've got a handhold now. You can let me go."
Sato merely shook her head. Reed moved closer to Sato. He practically whispered into her ear. "Remember how this tube had a twist in it? We're near the bottom of the vertical drop. There's only a one meter drop below me. Look for yourself."
Sato opened one eye to look down, but still did not release Reed. "Okay. I see it."
"Good. Now if you release me, we can make our way down then start the climb back up. This pipe twists in a loop. I think we should wind up just under the deck we were trying to get to." Reed spoke softly. He could hear Sato's heart beating rapidly. "I'll stay right by your side, Ensign."
"Always?" asked Hoshi. She could count on Malcolm to keep his word. He was steadfast and had never broken his word to her.
"I promise." Malcolm felt Hoshi relax her hold on him.
They made a quick descent to the bottom of the twist, then came to a relatively level section. The corrugation made walking difficult. Instead the officers wound up stepping from ridge to ridge.
Sato had taken Reed's hand when he offered it. She thought about informing Phlox about her new discovery: a cure for claustrophobia. All that's needed is one steadfast Armory Officer and, voila, the only thing you notice is his presence by your side.
"Shouldn't we activate our boots again?" asked Sato as they skimmed across the pipe.
"No, this is aluminum," came the response. "Here's our climb up. Let's sit and rest a minute before we go on. I have some water in the backpack," said Reed as he pulled Sato down to sit beside him and handed her the flashlight. He shrugged out of the backpack and retrieved a bottle that he handed to Sato.
The Ensign sat with her back against the Lieutenant and took a long drink while she held the flashlight between her knees. Reed could hear her unzip her uniform and her hand patting her skin. It was warm in the tube and while the ventilation made the pipe resonate occasionally, the air was rather stuffy. He unbuttoned his own shirt and took the water bottle when Sato offered it to him. After he drank, he poured some water into his cupped hand and splashed it on his hair.
Sato felt his movements, so she turned with the flashlight and laughed.
"What's so funny," asked Reed, mocking an offended tone. He knew exactly what her source of humor was.
"Your hair, it's standing in all directions," said Sato. "Here, let me help you with that."
Hoshi shifted the flashlight to her left hand so she could pat down Malcolm's hair with her right hand. When she finished, her fingers trailed down his cheek. Hoshi felt Malcolm capture her hand in his. Her lips were just inches away. He moved forward to complete the kiss.
She won't pass out, she won't pass out, she--damn, she did it again!
"You passed out," explained Reed when she regained consciousness.
"What? It must be the heat. I'm sorry, Lieutenant." Sato was glad that the low illumination prevented Reed seeing her blushing. "I'm ready to go now."
"Right. Let's begin the climb," said Reed as he offered his hand to Sato.
-----
"So you've deactivated nine of the LoRDs. That means there's one still out there," said Tucker as they rendezvoused in Shuttlepod One.
"Hey, Commander, when can I get up?" asked Ensign Partridge. He was on all fours in the back of the shuttle and appeared to be patting every inch of the floor.
Tucker called back, "When you find that datacard I dropped back there. Just keep looking."
The engineer then answered the question in the Lieutenant's eyes by opening his hand to reveal the "missing" data card. Reed was impressed at Tucker's resourcefulness and returned Tucker's grin with a smile before continuing his report.
"I hope that's the only drone left. We climbed out of the corrugated pipe and onto the deck without any more trouble. We didn't encounter any sign of the last LoRD on our way to the lift," confirmed Reed.
"I'm worried about your inability to contact Enterprise. It looks like something is jamming the signal here at the station," said Sato after assessing the communication system on the shuttle. She put her hands on her forehead. What next?
"In spite of your adventure, the rest of the station was real quiet. I've activated alarms around the shuttle. I'd say we eat and get a little bit of sleep. Enterprise will be back for us in eighteen hours."
Tucker waited for the acknowledgement from Reed and Sato, then called to Partridge, "Dang, lookee here. The datacard was in my pocket all along. Let's eat, Ensign."
-----
That night Malcolm couldn't sleep. Partridge was in the deep slumber of the witless punctuated by stentorian snores as he lay on one of the chairs that had been extended into a recliner. The three senior officers fled to the far end of the shuttlepod and sat huddled with Malcolm and Trip flanking Hoshi.
Malcolm would have suggested earplugs, but that would have dampened registering the alarms if they sounded. Then he heard Trip singing softly and found the engineer's voice soothing. Hoshi leaned into Malcolm, so he put his arm around her and let his head roll against hers.
Soon Malcolm was asleep and dreaming he was speaking with Dr. Phlox about the wonders of a new therapy: Hoshi Sato. In his dream Dr. Phlox merely nodded sagely at his discovery. Hoshi Sato was obviously the cure for all things that ailed Lieutenant Reed. Malcolm woke up with a crick in his neck, but with the warm bundle of Hoshi Sato in his arms.
*****
January 5
"We'll begin the download of information from the orchard bay first. Ensign Partridge, your job is to take detailed scans of all the plant life. Malcolm, once we get the download started, see about deactivating the drones if that'll make ya feel better," said Tucker as they found themselves again at the derelict space station.
With the help of Sato and Reed, Tucker soon began the information download. They could hear Partridge emitting Wows with great frequency, but at least he was following instructions with regard to the scanning the orchard.
Tucker soon turned to them to say, "That's all the help I need right now. Why don't you go see 'bout the wind-up toys. Download their schematics for me, will you? Take Hoshi so she can download a report on why the robots were locked away."
-----
Sato set about her work to download the archives from the security control station with her usual efficiency once they arrived at the command center.
While she completed her assignment, Reed reviewed the schematics of the station. It never hurt to know more about a strange environment.
"I think I have all the information we need. Your turn to have fun, Lieutenant." Sato rolled her shoulders as she completed her task.
Reed led the way as they approached the cell that contained the LoRDs. It should have contained the LoRDs. "Where are they?"
Sato looked into the cell through the observation window, "Not a one in sight. How did they get out?"
The officers entered the brig and inspected the walls for another exit. The three walls each had four panels, but they appeared to be decorations. Reed and Sato inspected the door panel again.
"There's a lever down here, Ensign. What does the label say?" asked Reed as he knelt to inspect a black handle that protruded from the door.
"Drone retrieval. Maybe it's a surveillance system?" offered Sato as she noticed a veiewscreen above the lever.
Reed pressed the lever with his foot but nothing happened. "Not working. We'll have to do our best using our scanners. Come on, we'll contact the Commander while we try to find the renegade LoRDs."
-----
Reed and Sato spent the better part of the morning trying to track down the drones with no luck. They would find the signs indicating their presence, but the LoRDs were nowhere to be seen once the officers arrived at the coordinates. Reed sighed before he contacted Tucker, "Commander, we have been unable to find the LoRDs."
"Well, they seemed harmless enough. Why don't you meet us at the vegetable bay? We'll eat some lunch, start the next download, then you can run off and play hide-n-seek with the little fellas you're chasing."
"We'll meet you there. Reed out." The Lieutenant closed his communicator. "Lead us to the McGregor's garden, Ensign."
"Don't look so glum. Chef sent a pineapple cobbler in the rations," said Sato as she pushed the button on the lift.
"With my luck Partridge will eat it before I even see it," murmured Reed.
"You could always plead justifiable homicide," suggested Sato.
They met Tucker and Partridge to find the Commander sitting on top of the case containing their meals for the day. Reed smiled as he realized his pineapple cobbler was safe from the ravages of the Gonzo Ensign. Tucker was a true friend.
"Okay, NOW we can eat," said Tucker as the opened the case. His friends didn't even have to ask.
Reed and Sato updated the Commander on their futile search. Tucker thought for a moment before speaking, "They might be hiding out near the core around all those pipes."
"Some of the platforms at the core are thirty meters apart," noted Sato with a slight shudder.
"I don't intend to put us in danger just to deactivate the drones," Reed assured.
"It'd be nice if you had some magnets in case you go out onto the piping, but I don't think it's worth suiting up in the EVs to catch the drones." Tucker noticed that Partridge hadn't chimed in with comments. Luckily the ensign was too busy eating.
"I brought the magnetic soles that I had sketched out for you. You were right about changing the configuration for the activation controls. They can fit onto our boots and we have the magnetic handholds that are portable. I'll head back to the shuttle to retrieve them before we start our little hunt again."
"Fine. Hoshi can help me get started with the next download. She'll be ready to go with you by the time you get back."
-----
Reed and Sato continued their search for the renegade drones, but this time each wore soles that could be magnetized and Reed carried a small utility backpack.
As Sato attached the magnets to her boots, she asked, "Please don't tell me we activate these by clicking our heels twice?"
Reed smiled. The soles were red in color, so he could understand her comment. "You can push the buttons with your hand or tap them with your toe."
They left the vegetable bay to retrace their steps to the area where they had last thought to find the drones. This time they didn't need to use their scanners. They soon heard the first indication of the LoRDs: au-au-au. Boink-chink, boink-chink.
The officers rushed forward to find two robots that appeared to be in a shoving match. They watched the two units bouncing around like popcorn while the drones tried to push the other out of the way. Today they could be heard saying, "We protect you...from the terror of space."
"I think I preferred them when they weren't talking," said Sato as she gave a sideward glance to Reed.
The Lieutenant nodded his agreement as he took out his weapon. "Use your phase pistol. The energy burst should be sufficient to disrupt their activity. I'll aim for the blue one and you target the red one."
The two officers fired and hit their target, but even as the two drones shut down, they heard a boink-chink as two more LoRDs jumped to the floor behind them from an upper deck. A red LoRD shoved Sato while a blue one pushed Reed toward the same area. "au-au-au...We protect you ...from the terror of space..."
"They have an odd definition of protecting!" shouted Reed as the drones grabbed their arms and pushed them onto a square platform. The LoRDs released them just before a trapdoor opened beneath Reed then Sato. They began falling toward the next deck that was thirty meters below them.
Reed activated the magnets on the soles of his boots as he started to fall and did a graceful flip toward a metal grating he had spotted below the trap door. The magnetic boots attached firmly to the edge of the metal grating so that Reed was able to make a hasty grab of Sato's arm as she came spilling down after him, but her weight was enough to pull him around the edge and under the grating. Reed could only be grateful that he had heeded Tucker's advice on the strength of the magnets.
They hung like circus performers with Reed hanging upside down attached by his boots while his hands were clenched around Sato's arms. Sato looked up into Reed's eyes in gratitude that the man had such strong arms.
Reed called, "Try to control your body. Use your toe to kick on the activator for the magnets. Then I'm going to swing you onto the netting. Ready? One, two, three!"
Sato swung onto the grating. She looked down to see Reed still hanging upside down, but smiling up at her. She couldn't resist saying, "Quit hanging around and see about getting us out of here."
"I was rather enjoying the view," began Reed, "but if you insist." The Lieutenant walked to the edge of the grating and swung up with an efficient flip.
"Something tells me you were into gymnastics in your youth," observed Sato as Reed stood up. Reed's muscular arms made it easy to picture him on the pommel horse or on the rings. His height would be perfect for the sport.
Reed smiled bashfully, then decided he might as well confirm her observation. "I made the Olympic team when I was sixteen, but then I broke my ankle in a freak accident and couldn't compete."
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up--"
"No, it's fine. I still enjoy the workouts. They help me with an occasional problem I have with equilibrium," confessed Reed. Sato nodded, but asked no more questions.
Reed thought a moment about all the broken dreams that littered his life. He looked at Sato's profile and resolved that one dream would become reality.
-----
They began walking slowly on the netting. It was actually a grate that had detached from the opening of the large conduit that hung horizontally across the space. The stranded officers scanned their present environment. They were between decks in a utility area surrounded by tubes of all sizes and orientations.
"That's got to be a drop of thirty meters." Sato walked to the edge hastily to look down. Her movements had sent a wave of motion across the grating. Reed was no longer smiling.
"Keep still a minute, please," said Reed as he closed his eyes for a moment. Damn motion sickness! This was not the time for his vestibular system to be misfiring.
Sato settled her breathing and stood as still as possible. "Motion sickness?"
"Not too bad or you'd see me losing my pineapple cobbler. I'm fine as long as I can predict the motion. It's the unexpected waves that throw me off."
She saw Reed open his eyes after a minute and scan their view before opening his communicator. "Commander, we tracked down two of the LoRDs, but then got ambushed by another set. They pushed us through a trap door that would have plummeted us to the next deck. Recommend that you and Ensign Partridge use extreme caution. The stun setting of the phase pistols is effective in deactivating them."
"I'm loading my phase pistol now. Are the two of you okay?" came Tucker's voice.
"A grate caught our fall, but we're still in the maintenance core. I think we can make our way out through the system of pipes. I'd feel better if we all rendezvoused at the shuttlepod," said Reed.
"I'll see what I can do to speed up the download. See you back at the shuttlepod. Keep me updated on your status," said Tucker.
Reed shut the communicator. Suddenly, the pipe started resonating. "Lieutenant, there has to be some air flow getting through the pipe to make it resonate like that. It could lead to an exit."
"Or into a fan blade. That always happens in the movies," muttered Reed as he inspected the size of the opening. The frequency it hummed was rather low.
"You've been spending too much time with Trip at the movies," said Sato as she approached him.
"I'm willing to look to other diversions, Ensign," said Reed before he entered.
Sato looked around for a moment. Did he just make a pass at her? She felt his hand grabbing her arm before she could think about this further.
-----
Luckily this tube was wide enough for the two officers to make their way through in a low crouch. Reed pulled out a small flashlight from the backpack that provided sufficient illumination for the officers, but the Lieutenant still asked, "Are you having any trouble?"
"No, I've been in tighter spaces than this. Eight days in the catwalk did wonders for my claustrophobia. I'm doing fine," assured Sato and saw Reed nod.
After traveling thirty minutes while the pipe hummed its melancholy notes, they could see the end of the tube. The officers stopped and Sato tried to contact Tucker as Reed walked to the end of the tube. "There's something blocking the signal, Lieutenant."
Reed groaned, then pivoted quickly. "Don't look."
Sato shoved him out of the way and saw their dilemma. Below them stood a tall cylinder. Extending from the main pipe were a series of smaller pipes emerging from it that created a spiral down the length. Sato counted eight extensions that emerged every four meters with slightly different widths and at different lengths. This resulted in different frequencies being emitted from each of the extending pipes.
Finally, a corrugated pipe lay below the main tube. This last one was curled into a shape reminiscent to the lower loop on a cursive L and had a lower tone similar to the larger pipe of the main structure.
"How many pipes do you count?" asked Reed as he came beside Sato.
"Does it go to eleven?" asked Sato.
"Perhaps Nigel was here--never mind. I don't suppose you've ever heard of Spinal Tap?" murmured Reed. "There are eight extensions and the three bigger pipes. This one, the main vertical tube and the coiled one below it."
"Eleven pipers piping. At least we only have one more day of this," said Sato.
They heard the LoRDs begin to move again. Boink-chink, boink-chink, au-au-au.
"We better stay put for the meantime," whispered Reed as he leaned back against the curve of the tube they were in. Sato moved beside him so that their shoulders were touching. Reed felt her warm body next to him and realized how much he had missed her presence while he slept. Sato then leaned closer to provide more contact. Perhaps she had missed him as well.
They had been quietly breathing for several minutes when Sato whispered, "It's funny how easy it is to match breaths with you."
"What do you mean?" asked Reed.
"Just now, our breathing was in rhythm. I noticed it when we were sleeping together. It was easy to fall asleep with you beside me because our breathing would synchronize."
Sato turned her face away almost shyly. Why was it that she could kiss him and even sleep with him, but when it came to trying to tell him how she really felt, she sounded preposterous? Then Hoshi felt Malcolm touch her chin and turn her face toward him.
Both of them quit breathing as Malcolm moved closer. His lips met hers and she melted into his arms--and once again slumped into unconsciousness.
Bloody hell! What was so wonderful about your kisses making a woman swoon? Those Victorians had some odd ideas about romance. He couldn't even blame it on a tight corset.
Reed put Sato into a sitting position with her head between her knees and she soon came out of her faint. "Hoshi, that's it, look at me. Are you alright? Do you remember anything?"
"Malcolm? I--I--have we waited long enough? I'm sorry, I must have fallen asleep. That's not very professional, is it? I'm fine, ready to go, don't worry," assured Sato as she brought herself up. She noticed a perplexed expression on Reed's face, but he quickly masked it for his usual professional demeanor.
"Unless you can hear something I don't, the LoRDs appear to have moved on. Let's go."
-----
Reed leapt onto the brim of the vertical tube that held the spiral staircase of pipes they would need to use to get safely to the next deck. The brim was a meter wide, but Reed still offered a hand to Sato as she made her landing. "Don't look down."
"No problem. I haven't opened my eyes yet," assured Sato. Steady breaths. Malcolm is right beside you. In fact, he's keeping his arm around your waist. Damn those LoRDs for ruining a perfect opportunity to snuggle. The Ensign finally opened her eyes and asked, "Okay, what next?"
"Simple. We walk around the brim to get to the first step of the spiral. I brought some magnetic handholds for just such an emergency. We need to stay in a vertical orientation as much as possible since we do have gravity. We shouldn't simply try to climb down the smooth side of the pipe, especially not with the way you've been fainting or my getting motion sickness," said Reed.
"What do you mean, fainting? I never faint," insisted Sato.
"Just take my word for it and I'll explain later, but I want you to hold my hand," responded Reed.
Holding hands? That was a step in the right direction. "Yes, sir, Lieutenant."
Suddenly they heard the whir of a ventilation fan and the air as it blew through the pipes. It was more like a pipe organ than a calliope. The eerie music filled the chamber. Reed noticed Sato shiver and put his arm around her shoulder for a moment. "If we meet Captain Nemo, I'll know this is just a dream. Until then, it's time to proceed."
The Lieutenant felt the Ensign's hand in his and carefully walked along the brim to the area of their first descent. Reed opened the backpack and gave Sato a set of magnetic pads and showed her how to activate them. With a nod to Reed, Sato prepared for the first level.
-----
"Let's take it one pipe at a time. I'll go first," said Reed as he swung over the brim. Sato watched him make his way easily down to the first pipe. He soon called up, "Your turn, Ensign."
Reed stood on the pipe watching Sato's descent when he noticed a rumbling within the pipe where he stood. He became immediately agitated when he heard the au-au-au sound that signified the presence of the LoRDs. "Hoshi! We need to hurry off this pipe!"
Just as Sato made it onto the tube, two LoRDs began bounding toward them on the pipe where they were standing looking more like children happily greeting parents. "We protect you...from the terror of space."
The officers still had their hands occupied by the magnetic handholds. Reed freed his hand to access his phase pistol by sticking the magnets to each other and moved forward to take his shots, but the LoRDs jumped over him to move to Sato.
Reed tried in vain to acquire his target but the LoRDs and Sato were doing a strange sort of tango that made it difficult to target the drones while missing the Ensign. This time she was doing a good job of evading the arms of the robots.
Reed managed to approach one drone from the rear and quickly tangled the arms together. He shoved the drone into its partner which was being pushed by Sato. The LoRDs fell to the platform below emitting a constant stream of au-au-au. This was followed by a satisfactory crashing sound as the impact destroyed the mechanisms.
"Glad that wasn't us," said Sato as she tried to catch her breath.
Reed's breathing wasn't much better. "At least their springs weren't magnetized. We can't afford to waste any time. Let's get to the next level."
-----
They made it down two more pipes without mishap and began to feel confident. Then as they were making their way to the fourth pipe, they heard them: au-au-au.
"I'm beginning to hate that sound," said Sato through gritted teeth. They had decided to move down the pipe together.
Reed looked down, then to Sato. "They're waiting for us this time."
"Any ideas?" asked Sato. They wouldn't be able to get out their phase pistols.
"Don't touch them with your hands or they'll stick to your magnets. Turn off the magnets on your boot so you can drop and roll into their springs. That's likely to throw them off balance. And pray that they haven't magnetized their bodies."
"Great. Always wanted to be a bowling ball," said Sato.
The officers surprised the LoRDs with their immediate drop to the pipe. Reed was able to deliver an actual kick to one unit while Sato's roll managed to trip the other one. Au-au-au...all the way down.
"This is beginning to feel like one of Travis' video games," said Sato as she caught her breath.
Reed nodded. "I know the one you mean. Warbots. Come on, we're halfway there."
-----
They traveled to three more pipes without incident. Reed and Sato stopped to rest on the seventh pipe. This one was broad on the end that attached to the main vertical pipe, but quickly narrowed as it extended horizontally into the open space of the core.
"Almost there, Ensign," said Reed as he leaned against the vertical pipe.
Sato nodded, but frowned as she looked around. "I wonder why this pipe narrows? It does interesting things to the frequency it emits."
The Ensign walked out onto the pipe carefully. She had no intention of testing the tube's flexibility, but she was curious about its purpose. Sato didn't have a chance to think further on the question as she heard not only the au-au-au, but the resonance of the pipes above them changing. Two LoRDs were bouncing down the spiral they had used to make their escape and making short work of the distance.
The LoRDs moved quickly and Reed put out his hands reflexively as one bounced directly toward him. The LoRD's arms stuck onto his magnets. In the meantime, Sato moved further out on the pipe and began flexing her legs on the narrow end.
Reed watched as the LoRD that was after Sato began bouncing erratically and finally fell off. A wave of nausea hit him as the resonance was carried down the pipe. The LoRD's arms were still attached to Reed's hand magnets, so the Lieutenant swung the drone over the side of the pipe and deactivated the magnets. The drone tumbled to the platform, but sprang up again as had its partner.
Reed took out his phase pistol and stunned the units. They deactivated immediately, so Reed felt comfortable in closing his eyes as he regained his own equilibrium. Sato was moving toward him slowly in an attempt to diminish the waves of motion transmitted down the pipe.
"What's our body count?" asked Sato when she reached the Armory Officer. He had his eyes opened now, but she pressed gently into him as he stood against the pipe. She could hear his voice in her hear as he responded.
"Eight. We've deactivated eight of the units, so at least two are still out there. Who knows? There may be more than the ones we found in the brig." Reed closed his eyes again, but not because of nausea.
Malcolm could smell the light fragrance of Hoshi's shampoo and feel her reassuring warmth as she leaned against him. Perfect cure for motion sickness. He could just hear his conversation with Phlox now: therapeutic contact; touch, the new miracle drug for motion sickness; Hoshi Sato, highly addictive. He smiled at his thoughts, but she couldn't see it.
"Last pipe and from there we can make our way to the deck. Ready?"
-----
Reed and Sato stood on the last pipe that was much shorter than the others. Instead of overhanging the platform below, it was just short of the mark. Reed observed, "We'll need to walk to the edge of this pipe to reach the deck. I've got some rope in the backpack we can use. It might be best if we anchor it on the inner circumference of the tube. That would give us an extra two meters. Let's put away the magnetic hands."
Sato gave her units to Reed then walked to the edge of the tube with him. "You first."
Reed gave a slight shrug, deactivated the magnets on his boots, then did a graceful hand handspring on the rim. Sato knelt to look over the edge to witness the Lieutenant complete an expert dismount into the tube. He called up, "Your turn. I'll help steady your descent."
Sato knew her maneuvers wouldn't be as graceful, but she deactivated her own boots. She then lay on the tube and turned with her legs dangling below her as they searched for the inner wall of the tube. She felt Reed catch her waist and released her hold of the rim, trusting his arm strength to hold her steady.
Hoshi slid slowly down Malcolm's body and was not able to prevent her arms from coming around his neck. She noticed he had not moved his hands from her waist, either, although he had turned her away from the opening of the tube. Then they heard it, not the au-au-au of a drone, but the slow, squeaky turning of the pipe itself. The pipe had begun to roll in its joint sending the two officers tumbling in the manner of clothes in a dryer.
Perfect, thought Reed as he desperately tried to hang onto Sato. Between her claustrophobia and his motion sickness, the situation couldn't get much worse. So of course, it did. A LoRD could be heard approaching the tube as it bounced along the platform: boink-chink, au-au-au, "We protect you...from the terror of space."
The LoRD jumped into the tube with the officers, but began to tumble madly on its own as the pipe continued to roll. Reed managed to draw his weapon and took aim. While the shot itself missed given the spin all occupants were experiencing, it did ricochet to deactivate the LoRD which conveniently tumbled out of the pipe. Before Reed could sigh in relief, he heard Sato's scream as she tumbled out of the emergent tube and down the main shaft.
"Hoshi!"
-----
Reed had little time to commiserate on Sato's fate as the pipe he was in began to tilt to send him downward as well. He felt himself bouncing down the corrugated pipe that emerged from the bottom of the main vertical tube. He soon felt himself caught around the waist by a familiar pair of legs.
"Hoshi?" Brilliant question, Reed thought. He pulled out his flashlight to find Sato clutching at a handhold she had on the pipe. Her eyes were squeezed shut, then he noticed how tightly she was holding him.
"Ensign, while I appreciate the strength of your leg muscles, I really need to breathe," said Reed. Sato immediately loosened her grip on his waist. Reed inhaled deeply. "I've got a handhold now. You can let me go."
Sato merely shook her head. Reed moved closer to Sato. He practically whispered into her ear. "Remember how this tube had a twist in it? We're near the bottom of the vertical drop. There's only a one meter drop below me. Look for yourself."
Sato opened one eye to look down, but still did not release Reed. "Okay. I see it."
"Good. Now if you release me, we can make our way down then start the climb back up. This pipe twists in a loop. I think we should wind up just under the deck we were trying to get to." Reed spoke softly. He could hear Sato's heart beating rapidly. "I'll stay right by your side, Ensign."
"Always?" asked Hoshi. She could count on Malcolm to keep his word. He was steadfast and had never broken his word to her.
"I promise." Malcolm felt Hoshi relax her hold on him.
They made a quick descent to the bottom of the twist, then came to a relatively level section. The corrugation made walking difficult. Instead the officers wound up stepping from ridge to ridge.
Sato had taken Reed's hand when he offered it. She thought about informing Phlox about her new discovery: a cure for claustrophobia. All that's needed is one steadfast Armory Officer and, voila, the only thing you notice is his presence by your side.
"Shouldn't we activate our boots again?" asked Sato as they skimmed across the pipe.
"No, this is aluminum," came the response. "Here's our climb up. Let's sit and rest a minute before we go on. I have some water in the backpack," said Reed as he pulled Sato down to sit beside him and handed her the flashlight. He shrugged out of the backpack and retrieved a bottle that he handed to Sato.
The Ensign sat with her back against the Lieutenant and took a long drink while she held the flashlight between her knees. Reed could hear her unzip her uniform and her hand patting her skin. It was warm in the tube and while the ventilation made the pipe resonate occasionally, the air was rather stuffy. He unbuttoned his own shirt and took the water bottle when Sato offered it to him. After he drank, he poured some water into his cupped hand and splashed it on his hair.
Sato felt his movements, so she turned with the flashlight and laughed.
"What's so funny," asked Reed, mocking an offended tone. He knew exactly what her source of humor was.
"Your hair, it's standing in all directions," said Sato. "Here, let me help you with that."
Hoshi shifted the flashlight to her left hand so she could pat down Malcolm's hair with her right hand. When she finished, her fingers trailed down his cheek. Hoshi felt Malcolm capture her hand in his. Her lips were just inches away. He moved forward to complete the kiss.
She won't pass out, she won't pass out, she--damn, she did it again!
"You passed out," explained Reed when she regained consciousness.
"What? It must be the heat. I'm sorry, Lieutenant." Sato was glad that the low illumination prevented Reed seeing her blushing. "I'm ready to go now."
"Right. Let's begin the climb," said Reed as he offered his hand to Sato.
-----
"So you've deactivated nine of the LoRDs. That means there's one still out there," said Tucker as they rendezvoused in Shuttlepod One.
"Hey, Commander, when can I get up?" asked Ensign Partridge. He was on all fours in the back of the shuttle and appeared to be patting every inch of the floor.
Tucker called back, "When you find that datacard I dropped back there. Just keep looking."
The engineer then answered the question in the Lieutenant's eyes by opening his hand to reveal the "missing" data card. Reed was impressed at Tucker's resourcefulness and returned Tucker's grin with a smile before continuing his report.
"I hope that's the only drone left. We climbed out of the corrugated pipe and onto the deck without any more trouble. We didn't encounter any sign of the last LoRD on our way to the lift," confirmed Reed.
"I'm worried about your inability to contact Enterprise. It looks like something is jamming the signal here at the station," said Sato after assessing the communication system on the shuttle. She put her hands on her forehead. What next?
"In spite of your adventure, the rest of the station was real quiet. I've activated alarms around the shuttle. I'd say we eat and get a little bit of sleep. Enterprise will be back for us in eighteen hours."
Tucker waited for the acknowledgement from Reed and Sato, then called to Partridge, "Dang, lookee here. The datacard was in my pocket all along. Let's eat, Ensign."
-----
That night Malcolm couldn't sleep. Partridge was in the deep slumber of the witless punctuated by stentorian snores as he lay on one of the chairs that had been extended into a recliner. The three senior officers fled to the far end of the shuttlepod and sat huddled with Malcolm and Trip flanking Hoshi.
Malcolm would have suggested earplugs, but that would have dampened registering the alarms if they sounded. Then he heard Trip singing softly and found the engineer's voice soothing. Hoshi leaned into Malcolm, so he put his arm around her and let his head roll against hers.
Soon Malcolm was asleep and dreaming he was speaking with Dr. Phlox about the wonders of a new therapy: Hoshi Sato. In his dream Dr. Phlox merely nodded sagely at his discovery. Hoshi Sato was obviously the cure for all things that ailed Lieutenant Reed. Malcolm woke up with a crick in his neck, but with the warm bundle of Hoshi Sato in his arms.
*****