Part 20 (1/2)

Kane, who was right behind him, shook his head to show he had no answer either. When they'd left the tower in which Sousa and the others were sheltered, the ensign had noticed that the breeze was much brisker. But it had been nothing like this.

If the ramps had been silent on the way in, they were hardly that now. The same gusts that buffeted them, forcing them to keep low to the surface or be pushed backward, seemed to spur entire flights of demonic howls from the depths of the chasms beneath them.

Fortunately, they had almost reached the beam-down site at the outskirts of the sensor-s.h.i.+elded area. Another hundred yards or so, maybe less, and they'd be able to contact the s.h.i.+p. What's more, there was a tower between them and their destination-a place to rest and catch their breath.

Kane was glad they didn't have to go back for their companions. In this wind, it would be nearly impossible. They would just take refuge in one of the towers -the one up ahead or some other-and wait for the shuttle to arrive.

Unlike people, a shuttle could handle weather like this, he told himself. They were built to withstand adverse conditions.

The concept of human fragility put him in mind of Sousa's injury. How could he have been so stupid? How could he have just blasted away at those alien machines?

Kane wished he had it all back again. He wished he could rewind it and erase it, as if it had never really happened in the first place. But he couldn't, could he? No matter how well Sousa healed, no matter what else took place, he'd always have to live with the knowledge of what he'd done.

And he wouldn't be the only one. Troi knew too-maybe not down to the last detail, but she knew. And she wasn't going to keep it a secret-not something as serious as almost getting somebody killed on an away mission.

What's more, Kane didn't blame her. Whatever he got, he deserved.

Suddenly, the tower was right ahead of them. And as they pressed forward into its shadow, it s.h.i.+elded them from the wind to a certain degree. Tired and sore from their exertions, they lurched into the arched entranceway and took seats on the floor just inside.

Riker shook his head, his face red and windburned. ”Nice weather we're having.”

The ensign grunted-then turned away, as if sizing up the last stretch ahead of them. After what he'd done, he couldn't look the man in the eye.

Riker seemed not to notice. Sighing, he got to his feet again. ”Come on,” he said. ”No rest for the weary, Ensign.”

Following the first officer's example, Kane stood and made his way out onto the outgoing ramp. After his brief respite, the wind hit him with what seemed like even greater ferocity. Worse, it appeared to have gotten temperamental; it was s.h.i.+fting directions now, making it harder to keep his balance.

Alternately shuffling forward in the crosswinds and plunging forward when they momentarily abated, the ensign made good progress. But up ahead, Riker was plowing through at a much better clip. Maybe where he came from, Kane speculated, people were used to this kind of weather.

Suddenly, before his disbelieving eyes, the first officer was knocked right off his feet by an unexpectedly powerful gust. Nor did it stop there. Even as Riker clawed at the surface of the ramp, it slid him quickly and without warning to the very brink.

Kane tried to forge ahead with greater speed, to lend a hand, but it was no use; he couldn't make enough headway. He'd barely gone a half-dozen steps before Riker slipped over the edge and was gone.

”Noooo!” he cried, the wind tearing at the word as soon as it left his mouth. ”d.a.m.n it, nooo!”

First Andy Sousa, and now Will Riker. Both victims of his foolishness. If not for his itchy trigger finger, they could all be huddled safe and sound in some tower. Instead, the first officer was dead-and maybe his friend would be too, before long.

All my fault, thought Kane. Mine.

And then he saw a hand still clutching at the edge of the ramp where Riker had gone over. Five fingers that were clinging to life, but slowly losing their grip ...

Diving forward, oblivious to the chance that he'd be blown over the side as well, the ensign landed a meter or so short of Riker's hand. ”Hang on!” he cried, not sure at all that the man could hear him. ”Hang on!”

Crawling forward on his belly, he ignored the crosswind that tore at him, trying to shove him in the wrong direction. His world, the entire universe, had come down to only one thing saving his commanding officer.

Inch by inch, he pulled himself forward. Inch by inch, he fought the winds, the slickness of the ramp and his own fatigue. And at last, after what seemed like forever, he was within striking distance.

By then, Riker's fingers were white, and only a knuckle away from oblivion. Kane reached out and grabbed for the spot where the man's wrist should have been. As he'd hoped, there was something there; he closed his hand on it...

Just as Riker lost his grip. Kane felt a terrible weight threaten to wrench his arm out of its socket as the first officer dangled free in the vicious air currents. Then, as he lay helpless to do anything about it, he found himself slipping slowly toward the edge.

Something inside him screamed for him to let Riker go. Otherwise, they'd both go over and be lost in the chasm below. They'd both die.

But Kane wasn't buying it. He hung on, his cheek pressed flat against the smooth surface, even as the first officer's weight dragged him to the very limit of the ramp. He could almost feel himself gliding over it into the maw of infinity ...

But he didn't. He stopped right there. And a moment later, Riker began climbing his arm. When he felt a viselike grip just below his elbow, he let go of the first officer's wrist-and then felt another grip above his bicep.

Before he knew it, Riker had climbed up his arm and clamped a hand on the ramp again. A second later, his other hand joined it. Without a weight to pull him down, Kane was able to grab at the front of the other man's tunic. And together, with one enormous effort, they dragged the first officer up out of death's dark domain.

For a time, they just lay there on the rampway, gasping-stripped to their barest emotions. Then Riker took the ensign by the shoulder and pulled him along toward the beam-down site.

Kane couldn't believe the man's courage. He'd been swinging in the wind a moment ago, so close to oblivion he could've reached out and touched it. And he still could find the wherewithal to push on-to complete his mission.

Half-walking, half-crawling, they closed the gap. Even before they reached the circular plate on which they'd materialized, the first officer tapped his communicator and called out the captain's name.

Luck was with them. ”Number One-are you all right? What's all that noise in the background?” asked Picard.

Riker told him. He told him about Sousa, too.

”You'd better hurry,” said the captain. In the next few moments, he explained about the Jenolen and the Enterprise's chance to escape the sphere. ”We'll hold out as long as we can,” he promised. ”But we haven't got much time.”

Picard's imperative was still echoing in Kane's head when he saw his companion tap his communicator again.

”Riker to shuttle,” he bellowed.

”Shuttlecraft LaSalle responding,” Riker's communicator replied.

As Kane looked up, he saw something he didn't like-not at all. ”Commander-look!”

The ensign pointed to the shuttle, which was rocking violently in the heavy winds. It was no longer where they'd left it. It was now only meters away from one of the towers.

The first officer cursed.

”Two to beam up,” he told the shuttle, ”now.”

But before the craft could comply, a mighty gust did just what they'd feared it smashed the LaSalle into the alien edifice. Hard.

A moment later there was a t.i.tanic explosion. Kane could feel the heat of it on his face. And just like that, the shuttle was gone-in its place, a shower of flaming debris.

The ensign's heart sank, but Riker didn't miss a beat. ”We've got to alert the others,” he said. ”We've got to tell them to come on ahead as best they can.” He paused grimly. ”And then hope that the Enterprise can beam us up on her way out of here.”

”Riker to Counselor Troi!” The first officer shouted.

No answer.

He tried it again.