Kirk was about to ask for extraction when Kelly had an idea. "Wait a sec! Tony, can you break the connection between the safety module and the self-destruct module? If you can sever the link, the safety protocol should register the core overload like it's supposed to and eject the core by itself."
Tony shrugged. "Let me look." He began tapping at his PADD like mad.
"Take your time," Stephen remarked sarcastically. Even with the visual challenges, he could see the white pin-light of a cutting torch burning through the door across the room, too. The remans would be through both doors in just a few seconds.
"Commander, you have forty-five seconds." T'Nia stated. Her voice was ever-so-slightly raised. It probably wasn't even discernable to anyone but her closest friends. She was getting worried.
"Commander," Bolerov began. His voice was quite worrysome. "can you do it or not? Tell me now or I'm pulling you out of there."
Kirk started walking towards the other two. He shrugged his shoulders at them. Tom returned the shrug and looked expectantly at Moreau. "I can do it!" Tony exclaimed. "Give me just a few moments. Why didn't they put some kind of safeguard on this?" He began pressing buttons feverishly.
"They probably figured no one would be this stupid," Tom suggested.
"We can do it, Captain," Kirk finally replied. His expression was getting tense as well. This was cutting it close. "Have Bristol move Warlord to get between the core and our captured warbird. Her shields will have to protect it from the concussion of the explosion. You might want to have the REAL Devoras get out of here."
The hissing sound of the cutting torches was getting louder. Next to Kirk, he heard an unconscious reman begin to moan. He rolled his eyes. "Come ON... you've GOT to be kidding me."
"Which way will the core eject, Commander?" Bolerov's voice asked impatiently.
Kirk looked to Tom. He gave a thumbs up. "It'll pop the top."
"It'll come through the top." Kirk replied as he kicked the semi-conscious reman in the head, who stopped moaning.
"We'll be ready. Hurry up, Commander. You have twenty-five seconds." Bolerov's voice as almost panicked.
Kirk's heartbeat was racing. Tom's hands began to seat profusely. They looked at each Tony desperately. "I need ten more seconds." Tony said finally.
With a loud clunk, at least one of the doors had fallen to the torch. Green beams of disruptor light came firing at them from the right. Kirk grabbed Tony and pushed him to the ground. tony was so engrosed in what he was doing, he had no idea how dire the situation around him had become. He then began firing into the darkness with his phaser. "Tom, fire at will!" Kelly drew his phaser and fired madly.
There was a second clunk. Disruptor fire began streaking from the other side of the room. "It sure would have been nice to have some cover!" Tom yelled above the alarms, steam, reman yelling, and disruptor fire. They crouched to their knees making themselves as small a target as possible, using the core console for partial cover. Neither one had any idea if they were hitting anything other than air. Crackles of heat and electricity from nearby shots made their hair stand on end.
"That's it!" Tony exclaimed. A disruptor beam streaked past Tony's ear, singing the bottom of his lobe. "Ow!" he yelled, holding his ear.
"You have fifteen seconds." T'Nia's voice announced.
Kirk continued shooting into the darkness. "Why isn't anything happening?" His body was suddenly racked with pain. The force of a disruptor beam into his right side spun him around and knocked him to the ground, face down. The injury was both freezing and burning at the same time. The floor of the room felt cold against his cheek. As he stared at Tony, he could see his lips moving, but could hear nothing but the beating of his heart. It was slowing. Tony's eyes were terrified. He was obviously screaming. His vision darkened, his consciousness slipped.
"Well, Lord," his last thoughts echoed in his mind, "I did the best I could. I'm coming home."