Chapter Nine
Riker and Sisko entered the infirmary to find Dr. Bashir hard at work at his desk. "Dr. Bashir, I have a mission for you." Sisko said as he approached the doctor. Bashir stood up relieved to have something else to do; he had been hard at an analysis of the growth of bacteria for three hours solid and his brain was slowly turning to mush. He noticed Commander Riker and smiled apprehensively in his direction.
"Commander Riker... I hope anyway." He said wishing that it was.
"Don't worry, he is Commander Riker and he needs your help." Sisko said reassuring his CMO.
"My help? I don't understand." Bashir said a bit confused.
"I have orders to transfer you to the Enterprise for the duration of the time that we need your services, then you can return to Deep Space Nine." Riker handed him the padd with the orders on and he read through them taken aback.
"What's this about, Captain?" He asked Sisko.
"The Enterprise's CMO is critically ill, in a coma and deteriorating fast, since you've been doing research on comatose patients it seems that your expertise is required." Sisko informed him.
"Beverly?" Julian asked in disbelief, he had struck up quite a good friendship with her the last time they had worked together.
Riker nodded. "I hate to rush you, Doctor but we have to get going now if we're going to help her at all."
"Of course, Commander. I'll just grab a few things and we can be on our way momentarily." Julian went off to get the equipment and notes he would need.
"O'Brien to Commander Riker." Riker's comm badge beeped and he tapped it in response.
"Yes, Riker here. Go ahead, Chief."
"Sir, though you had a smooth ride here, the shuttle is going to take a while to repair properly. I estimate four hours at least. The shields are failing repeatedly and the fusion injectors are off line, it's probably a residual effect of the radiation build up. There's nothing I can really do that would even suffice for now, this is going to take a complete overhaul of the shield generators and that's going to take some time."
"Four hours may be too late- it may be too late now for that matter. Thanks for trying though, Chief." Riker replied with regret.
"No problem, I'll keep working on it but in the mean time I suggest you ask Captain Sisko for the loan of a runabout." O'Brien replied.
"Thanks. Riker out." He was in a bit of a dilemma now and his hopes of saving Beverly were fading fast. He turned to Sisko who immediately shook his head before he had had time to ask.
"No, Commander. The runabouts aren't going to be fitted with the extra shielding in time either. The Defiant is ready to go now, Chief O'Brien and I will accompany you and Bashir."
"Agreed, Captain." Riker said. Bashir came back with bags full of equipment and padds. "Ready to go, Doctor?"
"As ready as ever, Commander." He replied enthusiastically.
"Let's go then." Sisko said. "Chief O'Brien, report to the Defiant."
"Aye, sir on my way."
They moved off through the station to the docking port where the Defiant lay in wait.
Picard sat on the bridge on the Enterprise; eagerly awaiting the results of the tests Commander Data was running on the surrounding area of space, in the search of the Washington.
Data sat at the console aft of Worf's science station running various tests and searches on the planet the ship was orbiting, and the deteriorating warp signature of the Washington. The computer beeped a few times and informed him that the scan had been completed. Data stepped away from the console and turned to Captain Picard to deliver his report. "Captain, I have completed several scans of the surrounding space and planet. I can conclude that the planet has it's own internal energy source that provides light and food substances for the life to grow. This energy source also helps to maintain a dense photosphere around the planet and that is what is keeping the radiation from affecting the life down there.
"The planet seems to have remained as a stable ecosystem for thousands of years now. I do not have any explanation of how it actually works though. All I can say is that it is a naturally occurring power source but that someone down there has to be controlling it."
"And your scans haven't picked up anyone who may be controlling it?" Picard asked as he turned in his chair to face Data.
"No, Captain, they have not. Our scans can only penetrate the surface so far though, and then they become ineffective." Data replied.
"If we enter the planet's atmosphere low enough, you may be able to get a clearer scan." Picard said standing up and stepping across to where Data was working.
"Yes, Captain but that may be inadvisable. If we disturb whatever is alive down there, they may not take kindly to it, and since they have that amount of energy that they can manipulate, there is no telling what they might be able to do with it." Data advised.
"Hmm." Picard thought for a second. "If we can contact whoever is controlling the power source down there though, they may have some indication as to what has happened to the Washington or Voyager."
"It may be very informative if we could communicate with whoever or whatever is down there but our sensors and communications are being affected by the radiation build up, and our ship is far too large to be able to get close enough to the surface." Data paused, "I must also point out that I have lost all evidence suggesting that the Voyager was here at all, Captain."
"Very well, Commander. We must find the Washington though and we at least know for definate that she was here." Picard said.
"A shuttle would be badly damaged with the turbulent entry into the upper atmosphere, as we have already found out." Data commented, trying to find a possible solution to their problem of contacting anyone down on the planet.
"What about if we separate the ship?" Picard didn't like having his ship separated, and leaving half of it almost defenseless but sometimes there were no other options.
"That could work, Captain. Though it would be risky as well. The engineering section would have a lot more maneuverability though if anything should happen."
"Make it so then. The saucer section will remain in orbit and a skeleton crew will maneuver the engineering section into the lower atmosphere. Prepare for saucer separation in thirty minutes." Picard said returning to his command chair.
"Aye, sir." Data responded.
A/N: Please leave a review. Thank you.
Riker and Sisko entered the infirmary to find Dr. Bashir hard at work at his desk. "Dr. Bashir, I have a mission for you." Sisko said as he approached the doctor. Bashir stood up relieved to have something else to do; he had been hard at an analysis of the growth of bacteria for three hours solid and his brain was slowly turning to mush. He noticed Commander Riker and smiled apprehensively in his direction.
"Commander Riker... I hope anyway." He said wishing that it was.
"Don't worry, he is Commander Riker and he needs your help." Sisko said reassuring his CMO.
"My help? I don't understand." Bashir said a bit confused.
"I have orders to transfer you to the Enterprise for the duration of the time that we need your services, then you can return to Deep Space Nine." Riker handed him the padd with the orders on and he read through them taken aback.
"What's this about, Captain?" He asked Sisko.
"The Enterprise's CMO is critically ill, in a coma and deteriorating fast, since you've been doing research on comatose patients it seems that your expertise is required." Sisko informed him.
"Beverly?" Julian asked in disbelief, he had struck up quite a good friendship with her the last time they had worked together.
Riker nodded. "I hate to rush you, Doctor but we have to get going now if we're going to help her at all."
"Of course, Commander. I'll just grab a few things and we can be on our way momentarily." Julian went off to get the equipment and notes he would need.
"O'Brien to Commander Riker." Riker's comm badge beeped and he tapped it in response.
"Yes, Riker here. Go ahead, Chief."
"Sir, though you had a smooth ride here, the shuttle is going to take a while to repair properly. I estimate four hours at least. The shields are failing repeatedly and the fusion injectors are off line, it's probably a residual effect of the radiation build up. There's nothing I can really do that would even suffice for now, this is going to take a complete overhaul of the shield generators and that's going to take some time."
"Four hours may be too late- it may be too late now for that matter. Thanks for trying though, Chief." Riker replied with regret.
"No problem, I'll keep working on it but in the mean time I suggest you ask Captain Sisko for the loan of a runabout." O'Brien replied.
"Thanks. Riker out." He was in a bit of a dilemma now and his hopes of saving Beverly were fading fast. He turned to Sisko who immediately shook his head before he had had time to ask.
"No, Commander. The runabouts aren't going to be fitted with the extra shielding in time either. The Defiant is ready to go now, Chief O'Brien and I will accompany you and Bashir."
"Agreed, Captain." Riker said. Bashir came back with bags full of equipment and padds. "Ready to go, Doctor?"
"As ready as ever, Commander." He replied enthusiastically.
"Let's go then." Sisko said. "Chief O'Brien, report to the Defiant."
"Aye, sir on my way."
They moved off through the station to the docking port where the Defiant lay in wait.
Picard sat on the bridge on the Enterprise; eagerly awaiting the results of the tests Commander Data was running on the surrounding area of space, in the search of the Washington.
Data sat at the console aft of Worf's science station running various tests and searches on the planet the ship was orbiting, and the deteriorating warp signature of the Washington. The computer beeped a few times and informed him that the scan had been completed. Data stepped away from the console and turned to Captain Picard to deliver his report. "Captain, I have completed several scans of the surrounding space and planet. I can conclude that the planet has it's own internal energy source that provides light and food substances for the life to grow. This energy source also helps to maintain a dense photosphere around the planet and that is what is keeping the radiation from affecting the life down there.
"The planet seems to have remained as a stable ecosystem for thousands of years now. I do not have any explanation of how it actually works though. All I can say is that it is a naturally occurring power source but that someone down there has to be controlling it."
"And your scans haven't picked up anyone who may be controlling it?" Picard asked as he turned in his chair to face Data.
"No, Captain, they have not. Our scans can only penetrate the surface so far though, and then they become ineffective." Data replied.
"If we enter the planet's atmosphere low enough, you may be able to get a clearer scan." Picard said standing up and stepping across to where Data was working.
"Yes, Captain but that may be inadvisable. If we disturb whatever is alive down there, they may not take kindly to it, and since they have that amount of energy that they can manipulate, there is no telling what they might be able to do with it." Data advised.
"Hmm." Picard thought for a second. "If we can contact whoever is controlling the power source down there though, they may have some indication as to what has happened to the Washington or Voyager."
"It may be very informative if we could communicate with whoever or whatever is down there but our sensors and communications are being affected by the radiation build up, and our ship is far too large to be able to get close enough to the surface." Data paused, "I must also point out that I have lost all evidence suggesting that the Voyager was here at all, Captain."
"Very well, Commander. We must find the Washington though and we at least know for definate that she was here." Picard said.
"A shuttle would be badly damaged with the turbulent entry into the upper atmosphere, as we have already found out." Data commented, trying to find a possible solution to their problem of contacting anyone down on the planet.
"What about if we separate the ship?" Picard didn't like having his ship separated, and leaving half of it almost defenseless but sometimes there were no other options.
"That could work, Captain. Though it would be risky as well. The engineering section would have a lot more maneuverability though if anything should happen."
"Make it so then. The saucer section will remain in orbit and a skeleton crew will maneuver the engineering section into the lower atmosphere. Prepare for saucer separation in thirty minutes." Picard said returning to his command chair.
"Aye, sir." Data responded.
A/N: Please leave a review. Thank you.