Part 19 (1/2)

As he pondered these things, they were engulfed by the tower. But it didn't take more than a second before Kane knew this one was like all the others. Lots of machines and nothing else.

Sousa seemed to have come to the same conclusion.

Kane could tell from the look in his eyes that he was ready to go. Suddenly, Kane found that he wanted to stay-at least for another few moments, if for no other reason than to be contrary.

And to be even more contrary, he took out his phaser. That got Sousa's attention, all right. It made his eyes open wide in the cool darkness of the tower.

”What are you doing?” he asked.

Kane shrugged. Using the business end of the phaser, he pointed to a bank of the builder race's machines. ”Nothing much,” he replied. ”Just taking a closer look at these things-to see what's inside.” And with that, he turned the weapon's setting selector up to the next-to-last position.

”No,” said Sousa. ”You're crazy.”

”Maybe,” Kane conceded. ”Or maybe I'll find something in there that'll be the saving grace of this mission. And even if I don't-who's going to care? The people who built these things are deader than dust.”

Without further ado, he trained his phaser on the nearest wall and activated it. A red beam lanced out into the midst of the alien machinery, creating a fist-sized pit of hissing vapor. The air in the tower was suddenly thick with the acrid scent of burning metal.

”Kane!” cried Sousa. ”Stop, d.a.m.n it! You don't know what you're messing around with!”

The ensign chuckled. ”That's the whole point, helm-jockey. And what better way to find out what we're messing with ... than to slit its belly and check out its entrails?”

As he raised the phaser's emitter, the line of seething vapor grew longer. And longer still. Of course, there wasn't a whole lot to see, other than black, twisted wires and pockets of what looked like broken gla.s.s, but that didn't keep Kane from continuing.

Whatever actual scientific curiosity he'd had about the machines was fading. They were now his chosen scapegoats-the objects on which he was focusing all the hatred and frustration that had been building up inside him.

”I said ... cut it out!” bellowed Sousa over the hissing.

Kane ignored him. After all, what was he going to do about it? What- Suddenly, the ensign felt something hard make contact with his jawbone. As the world went hot and red, he sprawled. And by the time he got control of his reeling senses, he found he was skidding backwards over the smooth alien floor.

Sousa was standing in the center of the tower, feet spread-as if he expected Kane to come back at him. And the phaser was sc.r.a.ping over the ground right next to its owner, having shut itself off when it left his hand.

As the ensign slid to a stop against the far wall, Kane noticed that something was wrong. Maybe it was the interplay of light and shadow, maybe something else. And by the time he realized what was wrong, it was too late to stop it.

With a horrible sound-like the cry of some great wounded beast-a wedge of alien machinery came tearing down off the wall. Kane saw Sousa wheel and look up at it, even try to escape it.

But he couldn't-not completely. The wedge hit him as it hit the floor, pinnning him beneath its awful weight.

Kane tried to say something, but the word wouldn't come out. And then, finally, he rasped ”Sousa!” And again, louder, so that it echoed in the lofty, alien edifice ”Sousaaa!”

Getting back on his feet, he scooped up his weapon and scrabbled over to his fallen comrade. Please be alive, he thought. Please be alive. And when he got there, his prayers were answered, because the man was still breathing.

But Sousa's left leg was caught underneath the section of machinery. Crushed, more than likely. And maybe he was hurt in other ways as well, because he wasn't opening his eyes.

d.a.m.n it, Kane told himself. What have I done? What have I done?

”Kane!” The cry came from behind him. Whirling, he saw Will Riker standing in the tower's arched entranceway.

”Commander!” the ensign called out, genuinely glad to see him. h.e.l.l, he needed help, didn't he? ”It's Sousa! He's hurt!”

Scowling, the first officer crossed the intervening s.p.a.ce in three strides and knelt at Sousa's side. Using his tricorder, he scanned the man's status.

”He's in shock,” Riker concluded. ”And losing blood.” For the first time, he a.s.sessed the section of machinery. ”We've got to get this off him.”

”Sure,” said Kane, eagerly grabbing one jagged side of the wedge. ”Let's do it.”

By that time, some help had arrived in the form of Troi, Krause and Bartel. The Betazoid's features were twisted in agony, as if she herself had been the victim of the fallen weight. And the others were only slightly less anguished.

”My G.o.d,” whispered Krause. ”What happened here?”

But fortunately for Kane, there was no time to answer that question. They had to focus all their efforts on lifting the alien machinery.

”Ready,” said Riker. ”Heave!”

With an effort, they lifted the wedge-and as gently as she could, Troi pulled Sousa out from under it. Then they lowered the section to the ground again.

But Sousa looked terrible. His face was waxy, his hairline matted with sweat. Kane knelt at his friend's side as Troi scanned his leg with her tricorder. After all, she was the closest thing they had to a doctor on this away team.

”Is he ... going to be all right?” asked Kane.

The counselor looked up at him ... and her brows knit over her dark, soul-piercing eyes. She knows I'm responsible, thought the ensign. She can see the guilt twisting in my gut.

But she answered him anyway. ”The bones in his leg have been crushed and there is some neurological damage. But nothing Dr. Crusher cannot fix.”

Thank G.o.d, thought Kane. He's going to make it.

”That is,” Riker added, ”if we can get him back to the s.h.i.+p. Unfortunately, we can't just beam him back. We've got to bring him back by shuttle.”

”But we cannot communicate with the shuttle through the s.h.i.+eld,” the Betazoid reminded him.

The first officer scowled. ”And it's a long way back to where we started-especially since we don't have a stretcher.”

Troi shook her head. ”Stretcher or no stretcher ... I would prefer not to move him if there is another way. We must get the shuttle and pilot it here ourselves.” Kane cursed inwardly. That would take a long time and Sousa was looking paler by the moment.

The first officer nodded. ”Let's get started.” He turned to Bartel. ”Lieutenant, you're with-”

”Commander?” Kane had spoken before he knew it Riker looked at him. ”Yes, Ensign?”

Kane swallowed. ”Sir, I want to go with you. I want to...” What he meant to say was to make up for what I did. But his voice just trailed off.

The first officer. misinterpreted the situation. ”I understand. He's your friend.” Turning to Bartel, he said, ”Never mind.”

Then, without even waiting to see if Kane was following him, Riker headed for the ramp. The ensign fell in right behind him.

This was going to be tricky, Geordi told himself. Very tricky.

Unfortunately, it wasn't as if they had a whole lot of choice in the matter. It was either try Scott's plan or let the Enterprise languish in its Dyson Sphere prison.