Star Trek: The Next Generation: Nightshade by Laurell K. Hamilton

Author:Laurell K. Hamilton
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Science Fiction, Star Trek, Fiction
ISBN: 9780671795665
Publisher: Pocket Books
Published: 1992-01-02T08:00:00+00:00

"Can you find the. . . injury?" Geordi asked.

"Not yet. All the scanner can tell me is that the ship contains

living tissue. I haven't even figured out how it works, yet.

How can I tell you how it's

broken?"

"But will it be an injury?"

"I believe that it will need a combination of medical and

engineering skills to heal it, yes."

"Veleck," Geordi said, "do you have healing as well as

engineering knowledge?"

"I talk to the engines, and they respond to me." He said it

as if that answered the question.

"Then what is the injury? What's wrong with the engines?"

"They are going to explode in a matter of hours," Veleck

said.

"We know that, but why are they going to explode?"

"I do not understand the question."

This was not a good time for Veleck to suddenly become coy.

"Why did you decide the engines could not be fixed?"

"The injury was too severe to be fixed.

Geordi shook his head. It was like talking to a wall. "Can

you show us the injury to the engines?"

Veleck seemed to think upon that for a moment. "I can.

They waited for a moment staring at each other. Finally

Geordi said, "Could you show us now?"

Veleck turned and lumbered down a narrow walkway that was

barely wide enough for his squarish bulk. The shining silver filigree

that rose on either side of the walkway seemed daintier with Veleck

passing between them.

He stopped in front of one smooth silver wall. He passed a

hand over a spot about chest level to him. There was a flash of heat

that seemed to jump from Veleck's hand to the wall. Geordi watched the

wall grow hotter and hotter, until it seemed to melt.

"Beverly," he whispered, "what does the wall look like now?"

She leaned into him. "The wall looks like glass. There are

lights and controls underneath."

Geordi nodded. "It was almost like Veleck's body became part

of the wall for an instant. The heat patterns were identical."

"I didn't see anything like that. His hand just passed over

the wall, and it became transparent."

"Come," Veleck said. "This is our control panel."

Geordi stared at the head-high screen. It was cooling even as

he looked at it. Swirls, patterns, lights-but none of it made any

sense to him.

"What do you think, Beverly?"

"I don't know. It does look more like a medical readout than

an engineering screen." She pointed to a pulsing light. "Is that a

heart rate?"

"I do not understand the question."

"Could you, please, explain what this panel says?" she asked.

"It says that the engine will implode in less than three

hours."

Geordi sighed and closed his eyes, and counted softly under

his breath. "How does the panel tell you that, Veleck?"

Geordi fought the urge to mouth the words with him, "I do not

understand the question."

"Well, at least now I know I wasn't the only one talking to

myself for the last hour," Beverly said.

"I've never had this much trouble communicating before,"

Geordi said.

"The captain understands exactly what I mean and what I want

him to do. He just refuses to do it. Veleck here on the other hand . .

." Beverly let the thought trail off, then said, "Veleck, are there

any other engineers to speak with?"

"Most of them were injured.

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