Part 24 (1/2)

Chapter Seventeen.

WILLIAM RIKER, GEORDI La Forge, Data, and Security Man Tuttle materialized on the planet that the Kreel had termed ”h.e.l.lhole.” It was quickly evident to them why it was called that.

”Well, this is certainly pleasant,” said Riker sarcastically. He glanced around and saw no signs of habitation. ”We're sure these are the coordinates of where the Kreel found the weapons cache?”

”Absolutely,” replied Geordi. Then he pointed. ”Over there.”

”Where? I don't see anything.”

Geordi grinned. ”Shame you don't have my eyes. Over there. I see signs of a fire. Carbon traces.”

They headed in that direction and soon came upon a desolate sight. There had indeed been a fire there, a particularly nasty one: the entire area was scorched and charred. Riker glanced behind them, and saw that they had left a trail of footprints in the ash.

”This is definitely weird,” said Geordi.

Data was crouching next to a small pile of metal and was picking up a fragment, looking at it curiously. ”Geordi, take a look at this,” he said, extending the fragment to the chief engineer.

Geordi held it up to his face and ran a full spectroa.n.a.lysis on it. Then he nodded. ”Has the same bizarre trace compounds that the big one up in engineering had. This is the place, all right.”

”So where are the scientists?” said Riker. Then he raised his voice, shouting, ”h.e.l.lo! Is anyone here? We're from the Enterprise!” He paused. ”You should be expecting us!”

His voice echoed and eventually dwindled into silence. ”No go,” said Riker.

Data was studying his tricorder and now he pointed. ”I'm picking up readings from that direction. Approximately five hundred meters, just over that ridge.”

”Then that's where we go,” said Riker with a shrug.

They started off. ”Don't see why we had to do this now,” Geordi grumbled. ”We could have waited until the party was over.”

”You Kreel b.a.s.t.a.r.ds! You poisoned him!” howled Tron. His hand barely seemed to move, and suddenly there was a small, ugly looking blaster in it. ”Death to the Kreel!”

”NO!” shouted Picard.

And the Kreel, G.o.d only knew how, produced phasers.

Immediately, the room was alive with screams, and Guinan ducked underneath the bar, wondering if perhaps this hadn't been such a hot idea after all.

With a blood curdling howl Aneel shouted, ”Death to the Klingon sc.u.m!”

All h.e.l.l broke loose.

The Kreel and the Klingons started firing at each other, people started stampeding for the exits. It was complete chaos-Picard did not know which way to look first. It had been his greatest nightmare and here it was, on display for all to see. Not caring who was in the way or who got hurt, the Kreel and the Klingons tore into each other.

It took them mere seconds to realize that there were too many people for them to get clear shots, so the two groups charged toward each other, furiously hurling all others out of the way. The room was now filled with frantic people, falling over each other just to get out.

Worf tried to form a security squad to break up the riot but he was too late. They were outnumbered and outgunned, not to mention concerned about the safety of the crew members, something that worried the Klingons and Kreel not at all.

Gava crouched over the unmoving body of her father, and Katherine Pulaski threw one arm around Gava's shoulders, drawing her in tight. With the other hand she slapped her communicator and shouted ”Transporter room! Three to beam directly to sickbay! Hurry!” Intras.h.i.+p beaming was hazardous, but Pulaski suspected the room was going to be even more so.

Within seconds, the transporter whine filled the room. Picard's head turned and he saw the doctor and the two Klingons vanish. Quick thinking, he thought, and then the flying body of a Klingon knocked him back off his feet.

He shoved the Klingon off himself and shouted, ”Worf. Stop them!” Worf, however, was having his own troubles, for two of the Kreel had jumped him from behind, and smashed his face in to the floor. Pain shot through him and enraged him. He brought himself up to his knees, grabbed one of the struggling Kreel in either hand, and hurled them against the far wall.

The Ten-Four Room was starting to empty out, and Picard realized, to his horror, that not only were the civilians vanis.h.i.+ng, but so were the two warring races.

”My G.o.d! They're carrying this in to the corridors!”

And sure enough, he heard the sounds of phaser fire from outside, the sounds of screams and running feet.

A nightmare.

He had to take control immediately, had to do something. First things first.

”Worf!” he shouted. ”Take your security people! Every able body you've got! Round up those lunatics and slap them in restraints. I don't care how many weapons the Klingons have on them. Strip them if you have to, but shut this down now!”

Worf turned, took five security men, and bolted from the room as well. Picard took two others, and went to the bridge.

What was left behind was a disaster area of overturned and broken furniture, as if a tornado had been through. Crushed and broken gla.s.s was scattered all over.

And slowly, Guinan's hat appeared, followed by Guinan. Her large eyes took in all the damage, the damage that would take forever to clean up.

”Last call,” she said.

The away team stood before the large opening that served as the entrance to the underground. They looked at each other for a moment, and then Geordi made a sweeping ”After you” gesture to Riker. Riker bowed slightly and walked in, followed by the others in single file.

They followed much the same route as the original group of Kreel had, and eventually arrived at the same split in hallways.

”All right,” said Riker. ”Data with me, Geordi, you take Tuttle.”

”Where do you think the scientists are?” said Geordi, utterly unaware that several charred lumps they had pa.s.sed without even noticing on the way in, would have supplied the answer to that question.

”That's what we're trying to find out,” said Riker. ”Everyone stay in communication. No surprises. There's supposed to be a cease-fire, but you never know. Anything could happen.”

”Attention all hands!” The captain's voice boomed over the entire s.h.i.+p. ”We are in a state of emergency! All families are to remain in their quarters until the all-clear has been given. There will be no exceptions! If you leave your quarters, your lives may be in danger. Report to your quarters immediately and stay inside! There are Kreel and Klingon warriors fighting throughout the Enterprise!”

From all over the s.h.i.+p, wherever they were, there was a mad rush to get inside and out of harm's way. Lounges, and the like, were not safe, but private quarters at least could be locked.

Down in engineering, First a.s.sistant LaVelle heard the announcement and wondered what the h.e.l.l the problem was. She turned back to her work just in time to be blasted by a stray phaser blast.

Panic swept throughout the engineering deck as a Kreel warrior came charging through, with two Klingons hot on his heels. Lieutenant Palmeiro, on duty high up near the dilithium-recrystalization s.h.i.+elding, saw what was happening and shouted into his communicator, ”Engineering to bridge! They're here! They're-”

The Kreel soldier heard this and took a brief moment to turn and fire off a perfect shot that picked off Palmeiro and sent him hurtling down three stories to land with a hideous crunch on the deck floor below. Then the Kreel dove headlong over a circuitry table as the Klingons opened fire with their blasters.

Then it was the Kreel's turn. The Klingons sought shelter behind the dilithium-chamber windows, but the phaser cracked through them, sending a shower of plasticene all over the infuriated warriors.

Trying to find shelter, one of the Klingons, who happened to be Derl, said, ”I am an engineer.”

The other Klingon, not quite seeing the point, said, ”So?”