Dark Matters: Cloak and Dagger by Christie Golden

Author:Christie Golden
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pocket Books

CHAPTER

9

“O W!” NAOMI YANKED HER ARM BACK AND GLARED AT the Doctor. “That hurt!”

“Oh, it did not,” replied the Doctor.

“It wasn’t you who felt it!”

The Doctor sighed heavily. “Well, it’s obvious your nervous system isn’t impaired by the dark matter. Your brain, however, is another matter.” He offered this assessment casually, as if he were commenting on a bruise she’d gotten while playing. “Pardon the pun,” he added.

Naomi went cold. “My brain?” she echoed. “What’s wrong with my brain?”

“The frontal area of your cortex is being targeted by the dark matter. The ribonucleic acid is failing to do its job of assisting memory storage. Have you been suffering any short-term memory losses?”

Tears welled in her eyes. She was forgetting things? “No,” she said, honestly. “Of course, I wouldn’t remember if I forgot.”

“Too true,” sighed the Doctor. “I’m willing to bet that you are, though. Fortunately, that’s not life-threatening.”

Naomi was silent, fighting back tears. She was forgetting things. Who knew what wonderful memories were lost to her already? Through the haze of tears she looked around sickbay, and gasped when she saw a familiar figure lying still on the bed next to hers.

“Doctor! What’s wrong with Uncle Neelix?”

The Doctor arched an eyebrow. “Definitely short-term memory loss,” he said.

* * *

Captain’s log, supplemental. Recovering the incorrectly ejected warp core is not a particularly dangerous or meticulous chore, but it is taking precious time. Tuvok and engineering keep reporting failures throughout the ship. At this point, we have no weapons and only ten percent of our normal shielding capacity. We are utterly vulnerable. We have heard nothing from the Shepherds, though Telek assures me that they are out there. They are our last hope.

The crew, too, is breaking down a piece at a time. It’s all we can do to stay civil to one another. Having a goal—reaching the Shepherds’ planet—has been the glue that’s held us together so far. If the Shepherds aren’t there, or if they don’t help us, then we will be lost indeed.

* * *

Janeway thought about rerecording the log. Her voice sounded so hollow, so hopeless. After debating with herself for a moment, she decided to let it stand. Nothing else would so eloquently convey the stress and despair she was feeling, and in the future, if—no, she corrected herself sternly, when they recovered from this and returned home, she wanted those who had not undergone this ordeal to fully understand and appreciate it. Perhaps it would help the Federation in the future, if anyone encountered mutated dark matter again.

“Seven of Nine to Captain Janeway.”

“Janeway here. Go ahead, Seven, what is it?”

“I have detected an unauthorized transmission emanating from the ship. The frequency is not standard Federation.”

Adrenaline surged through her, rivaling even the dreadful headache for Janeway’s complete attention. “Could it be a computer malfunction?”

“I suppose it is possible,” said Seven, sounding doubtful.

Janeway was doubtful, too. She rose and strode onto the bridge as she spoke. “Where’s the source?

The door hissed open and Telek R’Mor appeared on the bridge.

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