In a Single Heartbeat
Disclaimer – See Chapter One.
Chapter Thirteen – The Mine is Found
"Voyager to Lieutenant Tuvok." Captain Janeway's voice came through the Vulcan's commbadge.
"Tuvok here, Captain," he replied.
"We have found a way to bring the water on the sixth planet to the surface. This will accelerate the terraforming of the new Goron homeworld," Janeway said. "I have contacted the leader of the Goroth and have arranged a meeting to discuss our findings with him. Have you had any luck locating the mine?"
Tuvok had stepped away from the others when the Captain's hail had come through. "We are about to return to our shuttle, Captain. Takell, one of the Helmar who escaped from the mine is sure that he can lead us to the location. With the shuttle's scanning capabilities, I feel certain that we will locate Commander Chakotay and Lieutenant Paris shortly."
"Very well, Tuvok. Contact me as soon as you've located our crewmen. Janeway out."
B'Elanna approached Tuvok with the others close behind. "Well, let's get going. Takell said that Tom has a head injury and that the guards have not given either him or Chakotay medical assistance."
"As hard as his head is, Mr. Paris can not keep getting injured without some long term effects," the Doctor muttered as he moved into the woods heading for the shuttle. "You'd thing after all these years, that man would learn to duck."
B'Elanna smiled slightly at the doctor's comments. She realized as much as he complained that he had become quite friendly to the crew, her husband especially. She quickened her pace to catch up with the taller figure and moved to the shuttle, anxious to be re-united with Tom.
# # #
Chakotay shifted slightly and a sharp pain in his right leg jolted him awake. Glancing around, he quickly remembered the cave-in and Tom and the Helmar digging him out from under the supports. He painfully pulled himself into a sitting position and looked toward the entrance. Several Helmar were passing a bucket of dirt out of the tunnel and dumping it to one side. Where was Paris? Chakotay recalled seeing blood on Tom's face before he had passed out from fatigue and the pain in his leg.
There was a soft rumbling sound and Lonten called out. "Another tremor! Get out of the tunnel."
Chakotay heard the sharp sounds of rocks crashing together and a cloud of dust billowed forth from the entrance. Several of the Helmar came crawling out of the tunnel followed by a dust covered figure in a black and red uniform.
Tom staggered to his feet and lurched away from the tunnel. Coming to a stop on the far side of the cavern, he doubled over with his hands bracing himself on his knees and began to cough.
Chakotay was shocked to see flecks of blood on the younger man's hand as he wiped his mouth. Dolon was immediately at Tom's side.
"You must stay out of the tunnel, Tom," the elder Helmar said as he supported Tom. "Please, you must rest now and take some water." He slowly helped Tom to sit down against the wall next to Chakotay and handed the tall human one of the water bottles. Tom took a long drink, coughed and again spit up blood. He then leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes.
Chakotay nodded at Dolon and then shook his head when the doctor started to approach him. "I'm all right. See to the others," he said looking at the two Helmar stretched out to his left. He watched the doctor move away and glanced at Tom. "How much progress have you made?"
Tom shook his head, but didn't open his eyes. "We've shored up the entrance, but only managed to tunnel in about three feet."
Chakotay could hear the exhaustion in Tom's voice. The younger man's skin was even paler than usual and there was blood smeared across his left cheek. Tom coughed again Chakotay could see the lines of pain etched in his face. "Stay still, Tom," Chakotay said when Tom moved to get back up. "The air is thinner in here now, you need to rest."
"No, I have to keep digging. Those guards won't be back and we've no idea if B'Elanna got through to Voyager." Tom shuddered as he thought of his wife. He wasn't even sure if she was still alive.
Chakotay shifted toward Tom and grabbed his arm. "I said, stay still. That's an order, Paris," he winced in pain when his ribs protested his gasp of breath as he raised his voice. "You're no good to anyone if you've collapsed." His voice was harsh with the effort of speaking in the thin air.
Tom opened his eyes and glared at the commander. Then, seeing the pain on the older man's face, he leaned back against the wall. "You're right." Tom picked up the bottle again and held it out to Chakotay. "Water, Commander?"
Chakotay took the bottle and drank. "Thanks, Lieutenant." Satisfied that Tom wouldn't get up soon, Chakotay closed his eyes and tried to slow his breathing. "We have to conserve the oxygen in here and arguing doesn't help."
Tom smiled slightly at the diplomatic expression from the commander. "Yes, Sir," he whispered as his eyes slowly closed.
# # #
"There; the encampment is past that outcropping of rocks," Takell stated, looking out the forward viewscreen of the shuttle.
"Sensors are picking up some traces of Cadmilite," Harry said.
"That would be what spilled off of the bins when they loaded the transports," Takell replied.
Lieutenant Ayala brought the shuttle down into a clearing and the rescue team could see the remnants of an encampment. There were several primitive huts and a fire pit. B'Elanna, Harry, and Tuvok circled the area with their tricorders out scanning for life signs.
"Damn. There's nothing here," B'Elanna strode into one of the small huts. Her eyes scanned the two cots with threadbare blankets and noted the blood stains on one of them. Suddenly she startled as she picked up Tom scent with her heightened Klingon awareness. She whirled out of the hut, almost bumping into Tuvok. "They were here. Tom was in this hut," she stammered. "He's hurt, there's blood, his blood on one of the blankets." She looked around frantically. "We have to find him, now."
The doctor approached B'Elanna and gently placed his hand on her arm. "I'm sure that he's all right, Lieutenant," he said. "Mr. Takell, will you show us where the mine entrance is." The doctor turned to the Helmar gentleman who had approached.
"Certainly, the mine is off this way," Takell answered and led the group away from the encampment.
They had only gone a short distance when they could see the collapsed entrance to the mine. Harry ran ahead with his tricorder held out in front of him. "There are no life signs," his voice shook.
"The Cadmilite would block any readings, Ensign," Tuvok stated calmly. "I suggest we begin to clear away the debris from the entrance."
They started to push the rocks away from the mine entrance when another quake shook the area. "Everyone move clear of the area until the quake stops," Tuvok said.
Tom, please be inside and be all right. B'Elanna glanced fearfully as more rocks fell, further blocking the entrance to the mine.
"Tuvok to Voyager."
"Janeway here, Tuvok. Have you found the mine?"
"Yes, Captain. Unfortunately, there has been a cave-in and the tunnel is blocked. I request additional back-up and some blasting supplies. I can not be certain, but the away team may be trapped in the mine."
"Our transporters won't work through the interference on the planet's surface, but I'll send down a second shuttle. They should be there within the next hour. Janeway out."
"What do we do until then?" B'Elanna asked.
"We continue digging ourselves,"Tuvok replied and headed back to the mine entrance.
tbc…