The Light by Jeff D. Jacques

have to point out that this device is a machine, and you, Fabian, are an engineer. So do your job and find another way.”
    Like a splash of ice water, her words had the desired effect, waking Stevens up from his unproductive funk. Granted, he’d only been here in Gomez’s presence for as long as she had, but from the moment he came in here he should have been working to find a solution, instead of dwelling on the first officer’s dire condition.
    Stevens moved toward the machine and began examining the connections and machinery in the alcove. Lense noticed Sonya’s bright eyes following his every move. After several minutes, he turned back to her and Corsi.
    â€œThe conduits along the wall appear to feed power to the machine,” he said, pointing them out, “and it’s the machine that’s holding the commander. If we could interrupt the power flow, just temporarily, it might be enough to break its hold on—”
    â€œPower is life!” Sage-Gomez cried out, almost in a panic. “The Light is all!” She turned her piercing gaze on the assembled natives, and they abruptly began to move toward the away team.
    â€œOh, dear,” Lense said.
    â€œUm, all in favor of my plan?” Stevens asked.
    â€œIt’s great, Fabe,” said Corsi, raising her phaser toward the advancing crowd. “Do it.”
    â€œI could use a little time here, and the added pressure of these zombies isn’t helping.”
    Corsi swung her phaser up at the conduit connections Stevens had pointed out and fired, but a Borg-like shield sprung up and absorbed the energy. She raised the power setting and fired again, but the results were the same.
    â€œAny other requests?” she asked.
    â€œAny Klingons up your sleeves?”
    â€œAfraid not.” Corsi backed up a step, then muttered something Lense couldn’t quite make out. She fiddled with the phaser settings then aimed at the crowd.
    â€œNo!” Sage-Gomez shouted as though anticipating Corsi’s action.
    Corsi hesitated, her firing arm quaking a little and a grimace of frustration pulling at her mouth. Lense willed her to press the trigger, but she had a feeling Corsi’s loyalty to Gomez, even in her current state, was stronger than her need to shoot the natives.
    â€œDammit,” Corsi said. She raised her phaser up toward the ceiling, and Lense heard the power setting change once again. Corsi fired, then dodged out of the way as a shower of rock and dust rained down upon the ground. She then pointed the phaser back at the crowd, who seemed to get the unspoken message and ceased their advance. “Okay, Fabe. You’re on.”
    â€œStevens to Pattie,” he said in an eerily calm voice, “how are things going up there?”
    â€œMission accomplished,” the Nasat’s voice said through Stevens’s combadge. “I’ve informed the captain, and we were just waiting to hear from you.”
    â€œTell Soloman ‘good work,’ and have him and Hawk beam back to the ship,” Stevens said. “Have them assure the captain that everything’s under control down here.”
    â€œIs it?”
    â€œOf course it is.”
    â€œJust checking. What about me?”
    â€œI need you to find me a Borg power flow regulator that’s intact and bring it down to me on the double.”
    â€œI’m on it. Blue out.”
    â€œNow we wait,” Stevens said to his companions.
    Lense nodded. “And hope Domenica’s demonstration is effective for another five or ten minutes.” Then she held her hands up defensively and let herself grin despite the circumstances. “No pressure, though.”
    A smile broke through Corsi’s grim facade, and the security chief laughed softly. Lense smiled back and was pleased that whatever mental place Corsi had been in earlier, she’d now left it far behind.

Chapter
10
    â€œI ’m all set up here,” Pattie