[Star Trek TNG] - Double Helix Omnibus

by Peter David

  They found themselves in a deserted corridor, which was fine with Riker, since he wanted to search for the best observation post. He picked a direction and started walking. Shelzane shuffled behind him, keeping an eye on their rear. With no lights except for their portable lanterns, it almost seemed as if they were exploring a mine.

  Midway down the hall, they came upon a door that bore the universal pictograph for stairs. Riker gave it a push and found that it wasn’t locked or automatic. He held the door open and motioned Shelzane ahead of him, while he took a last look down the length of the bleak hallway.

  Once in the stairwell, Riker decided that they might as well stake out the highest ground. He pointed up the stairs, then took the lead. Upon reaching the top landing, he was confronted by another automatic door. While Shelzane held the light for him, he opened the access panel and disabled the circuitry, allowing him and Shelzane to push the door open.

  When they stepped onto the flat roof, they were unprepared for the sight that greeted them. Helena’s double moons had just risen, casting an eerie blue light upon the dark cityscape. With their intricate wrought-iron balconies, sharp angles, and terraces, the buildings looked like giant mausoleums.

  Riker turned off his lantern and motioned to Shelzane to do the same. Then they crouched down and took a good look at their surroundings. Arrayed along the roof were a few communication dishes and antennas, plus some environmental equipment, but little else of interest. Moonlight bathed the pyramid, making it look ebony instead of green.

  The two of them dashed to the edge of the roof and peered over a wrought-iron railing at the street below. From a height of about six stories, they had an excellent view over the wall into the IGI complex, where they could now see smaller buildings in addition to the pyramid. They also had a commanding view of the street in two directions. The only disadvantage of having a post on the roof was that they would be visible by air surveillance. But thus far, they hadn’t seen any Cardassian aircraft, and Riker didn’t think they would have to worry until morning.

  He got into a comfortable yet effective reclining position, then removed his hood. After a moment, Shelzane did the same. “What are we looking for?” she asked.

  “To see if anybody is in that place. If there’s someone home, we have to attract their attention without alerting the Cardassians. Let’s just be ready to gather information…and move fast if we get the chance.”

  As the two of them watched the massive pyramid and deserted street, time hung suspended over them like the glittering moons. It seemed as if they were the only people in the universe, keeping a vigil for a long-dead traveler who would never return home. Even though the buildings were standing, and the infrastructure of the society remained in place, this city was dead. Riker wondered if the survivors in Padulla could be relocated somewhere else on the planet, allowing them to start over.

  Shelzane tapped Riker on the leg, jarring him out of his reverie, and she pointed to the west end of the street. He peered in that direction but could see very little in the shadows. So he took a small scope from his pack and adjusted it to his eye.

  Immediately he spotted a squad of Cardassians strolling down the street, probably the same ones who had attacked them on their last visit. From their movements, it was clear they thought they owned the neighborhood and had nothing to fear. Riker still wondered if they were connected with the IGI complex—or had just discovered a good place to trap unsuspecting shuttlecraft.

  Maybe I can find out.

  As the patrol drew closer, unaware of the watchers on the roof, Riker turned to Shelzane and whispered, “Remember that payload we talked about beaming into the complex?”

  The Benzite nodded. They had discussed transporting themselves directly behind the walls, then had decided to send an inanimate load first. After collecting a few objects to send down, they had finally decided to scrap that plan until they were more desperate.

  Riker went on, “I want you to return to the shuttle and beam the package into the complex. Put it on the other side of the wall, where that shrub is. See it? The Cardassians should pass by there in about a minute, but wait for my signal.”

  “Yes, sir.” Shelzane looked for the shrub and checked the coordinates on her tricorder. Then she pressed her combadge. “Shelzane to shuttle. One to transport—now.”

  With a twinge of dread, Riker watched his cohort vanish into the night like a swirl of dust caught in the moonlight. He had really come to rely on Shelzane, and he didn’t like being without her, even for a few seconds.

  Creeping along the lip of the roof, Riker peered through the wrought-iron lattice. He could see the unsuspecting patrol, strolling the street with a swagger typical of conquering soldiers. This time, they were wearing some sort of gas masks, although no protective clothing—just their regular gray uniforms. He appreciated the way they skirted close to the green wall in order to avoid a clump of debris in the street.

  When they were only a few steps from the shrub on the wall, Riker tapped his combadge. “Energize now.”

  Gazing down at the complex from above, he saw a blue ripple race along the interior of the wall, as if a force field had rejected an attack. The blue anomaly moved outward in concentric circles, like a ripple in a pool, flowing over the walls and encompassing the unsuspecting soldiers. They screamed in agony, and half-a-dozen of them collapsed to the pavement. The others staggered, although some recovered quickly and aimed their weapons at the wall, which had seemingly attacked them for no reason.

  The Cardassians cut loose with a withering blaze of fire, which only carved a minor dent in the impervious green stone. Nevertheless, the defenses of the complex reacted as if a full-scale attack was in progress. A red beam shot from the tip of the pyramid and melted a screaming Cardassian. Now the rest of them stopped firing and beat a hasty retreat, dragging three of their comrades with them.

  Riker heard a snort and he turned to see Shelzane watching the curious spectacle. Subconsciously, she rubbed her injured hip.

  “Did the package get through intact?” he asked.

  “I don’t know. The transmitter stopped working, and heavy-duty shields blocked our sensors. We had an isolinear chip in there with all of our data, so maybe they’ll take notice.”

  Riker nodded with satisfaction and turned his attention to the stunned Cardassians. One of them crawled away, but two of them lay completely still, as still as death. They had been the closest ones to the wall, and Riker had a feeling they were not going to get up.

  He whispered to Shelzane, “Whoever is in that complex, they’re not allied with the Cardassians.”

  Shelzane started to reply, but a howling noise interrupted her. Screaming out of the night came a missile that slammed into the green wall, exploding with a thunderous concussion that shook the whole street. Shelzane and Riker were hurled away from the edge of the roof into a thicket of antennas. Green hail rained down upon them, and it took Riker a moment to realize that the gemlike pellets were melted bits of the wall.

  He crawled to the edge of the roof and peered into the acrid smoke and swirling embers. He was amazed to see a gaping hole in the wall, with sparks glittering around its edges.

  Movement caught Riker’s eye, and he looked up. From the top of the pyramid, the deadly red beam raked a building farther up the street. Riker was curious about the target, but he couldn’t stick around long enough to study it. The heat from the pyramid’s weapon was scorching, turning the air into an inferno. He rolled away from the edge of the roof, yanking his headgear back on.

  Scrambling to his knees, he spotted Shelzane crouched by the door to the stairwell. He dashed toward her, and the two of them tackled the door; with their adrenaline pumping, they pushed it open in seconds. Just as a monstrous explosion shook their building, they ducked into the cover of the stairwell.

  After scurrying down a flight of stairs, Shelzane and Riker finally took a moment to catch their breath and slump against the narrow walls of the enclosure. “I guess the
y don’t like each other,” observed Shelzane, panting.

  “This would be a good time to get into that complex,” breathed Riker. He flinched from another blast that sounded altogether too close, as bits of plaster and dust fluttered down on them.

  “Whatever we do next,” rasped Shelzane, “I say we get out of here.”

  “Agreed.” He tapped his combadge. “Riker to shuttle—two to beam up. Now!”

  They dematerialized just as an explosion ripped off part of the roof, causing beams and debris to cascade down the empty stairwell.

  Back on the shuttlecraft, safely in orbit, Riker didn’t take time to congratulate himself. He charged to a console and scanned the breach in the wall, while Shelzane slumped into the closest seat.

  “That hole goes all the way through,” said Riker, “and there’s no force field. We could beam right inside—onto a walkway.”

  “The shooting?” asked the Benzite.

  “Has stopped for the moment—both sides are quiet. I’ll go by myself if you don’t want to go.” He checked the other readouts.

  “I’ll go,” said Shelzane, rising wearily to her feet. She pulled the hood back over her head and checked her suit. “We have to find out what’s in there.”

  After making sure that the shuttle’s orbit was stable and her status was good, Riker punched in commands and motioned his co-pilot back onto the transporter pad. “Phasers on full.”

  “On full,” she agreed, drawing and checking her weapon. With the lieutenant deftly handling the controls, the Benzite faded into a glittering shimmer. He jumped onto the platform after her, leveled his phaser, and vanished.

  The two strangers materialized inside a gloomy walkway that sloped downward. It would have been well lit in daytime, thanks to a ragged hole in the wall about six meters behind them. Riker pushed Shelzane along, because there was a lot of moonlight spilling through that crevice.

  As they descended into the walkway, Riker felt a handrail at his side, and he grabbed it. There were enough green pebbles and debris to make walking treacherous. He turned on his lantern and played the yellow beam upon the glistening walls of the corridor. The entire thing was made of the same green material as the exterior. Riker knew he could learn more from a tricorder reading, but he didn’t want to take his eyes off his surroundings.

  “Ahead,” said Shelzane. She pointed her lantern beam straight down the corridor until it glinted off shiny metal. “It may be a door.”

  He nodded, motioning her to go on. If they both had to return fire, it would be better to have the shorter person in the lead. Suddenly, strips of light glimmered in the floor and ceiling of the corridor, causing the visitors to drop into a crouch.

  “They’re only lights,” Riker said with relief, rising to his feet.

  He felt a slight tremble, and he looked back in the direction they had come from. At the far end of the corridor, the green jade appeared to be moving—sliding—and he wondered if it was a trick of the light. Looking closer, he realized that the walls of the corridor were slowly oozing toward the breach, as if they were trying to heal it. He couldn’t take time to watch this phenomenon, because Shelzane was already moving toward the gleaming door.

  Riker shuffled after her, his booted feet making hissing sounds on the smooth green stone. When they reached the door, it slid open at their approach, revealing a small, conical enclosure within.

  Shelzane fumbled for her tricorder, but Riker touched her arm. “It looks like a turbolift.”

  She looked up and nodded nervously. This time, Riker led the way inside, and Shelzane followed, keeping a watch on their rear. There were no buttons to push, no controls to operate. The doors whooshed shut, and the lift moved so quickly that Riker felt a heave in his stomach and slight disorientation.

  The doors opened a moment later, revealing what appeared to be a cluttered waiting room. Diplomas, plaques, citations, and letters hung on every spare centimeter of the walls, while jumbled bookshelves filled the rest. The furniture looked old and comfortable, as if this were a good place to read a paper, have a discussion, or take a nap. By the turbolift was an umbrella stand with two polka-dot umbrellas stuck in it.

  Riker stepped gingerly into the room, surveying the walls for other entrances and finding none. Shelzane slowly followed him into the room, her phaser leveled for action. They hardly noticed when the turbolift doors slid shut behind them.

  Suddenly one of the short bookcases began to revolve, revealing a small man in a white laboratory coat. His face was a remarkable road map of the most startling traits of half-a-dozen different species, and his broad smile was equally universal. He wore no protective clothing, and his white hair bristled energetically as he strode across the room toward them.

  “Welcome! Welcome!” he called, clapping his hands together. “Your perseverance has paid off. I thought we wouldn’t be having any more customers for a while, but here you are!”

  “We’re not customers,” said Riker through his speaker. “There’s a plague going on out there.”

  “Let me show you our plans,” said the little man. He crossed to a bookshelf and took out a large photo album. “According to our scans, the sire will be uniblood human, and the dam will be uniblood Benzite. Your child will be quite unique, but some intervention will be called for at the fertilization stage. We’ll also have to perform lung surgery in the womb, if you want an oxygen-breathing child.”

  Riker pulled off his hood, thinking the old man couldn’t hear him properly. “We’re here because of the plague—not to have a child.”

  The old doctor frowned with disappointment. “You’ve changed your minds then. That’s too bad. It’s a big step, I know, but IGI will always be here for you when you’re ready.”

  “Don’t you know anything about the outbreak up there?” snapped Riker, losing his patience.

  “You’re wasting your breath,” interjected Shelzane. He glanced over to see the Benzite intently studying her tricorder. “He’s a hologram.”

  Riker peered closely at the little doctor, who gave him a crinkly smile in return. “I haven’t had much experience with holograms,” said the lieutenant. “I guess this one has been programmed to deal with prospective parents. Are there any real people in this building?”

  She shook her head. “I can’t tell. The shielding is very thick—I can’t see anything beyond these walls. I doubt if our combadges would work.”

  Riker tapped his badge immediately. “Riker to shuttle.” There was no response. “Riker to Spartacus.” The only sound was the bubbling of a small aquarium on a corner table.

  The gnomelike doctor chuckled warmly. “If the expense is a problem, let me tell you about our installment plans. Or perhaps you qualify for financial assistance. Let me check.”

  “We want to see where the procedures take place,” demanded Riker. “We want the grand tour.”

  “Right this way!” chirped the kindly doctor. He started for the turbolift, then stopped and shook a finger at himself. “Sorry, sorry, I keep forgetting. You’ll have to remove your weapons. Regulations, you know.”

  With a scowl, Riker holstered his weapon, and so did Shelzane.

  “No, I mean, leave them here.” He held out a spotted, white-furred hand. “I’ll put them in my drawer—they’ll be safe.”

  Riker’s hand hesitated on the butt of his weapon. It seemed unwise to hand it over at this point. “Maybe we’ll just be leaving,” he said, edging toward the lift. “Just tell us how to get out safely.”

  The congenial gnome clapped his hands with joy. “The decision is in! You have been accepted as patients on a full scholarship basis. Your pregnancy is completely free!”

  “We’ll be going now,” insisted Riker.

  “But it’s time for your anesthesia.”

  Something sharp pierced Riker in the center of his back. He struggled to reach it, but he couldn’t in the bulky suit. An instant feeling of well-being spread over him, and he stopped struggling, using all of his facilities just
to stand on his feet. Swaying back and forth like a drunkard, he tried to remember why he had come in here.

  Riker caught sight of some movement in the room, and he turned very slowly—in time to see Shelzane pitch forward onto the carpet. For the first time he realized that something was wrong.

  A throaty chuckle emanated from behind the revolving bookshelf, and he tried to focus his eyes in that direction. A figure in a black environmental suit stepped into the waiting room, trained a phaser rifle on him, and pulled the trigger.

  All feeling in Riker’s body disappeared, and his head rolled into a black pit.

  Chapter Nine

  B’ELANNA TORRES LOOKED DOWN at the patient, who showed the strong reptilian traits reminiscent of a Saurian, although in a more muscular body. Through the gauze of a protective canopy, the patient nodded weakly at her, Tuvok, Dr. Gammet, and Prefect Klain. Torres looked around the intensive care unit, impressed with the efficiency and quality of IGI’s infirmary. Their tour had been extensive, and they hadn’t even seen the obstetrics ward, the biggest wing of the complex.

  “This patient is our best in-house possibility for a case of the plague,” whispered Gammet softly. “We’ve had other possible cases, but all of them have recovered. I gather that’s not the typical profile. What do you think, Mr. Tuvok?”

  The Vulcan studied a large padd containing the man’s medical records. “At a glance, it would appear this man has a respiratory infection, not the plague. I would like to have our doctors look at this data, as well as the patient. Can we contact our ship and beam him up?”

  The little man sighed, as if this would be possible but inadvisable. “I suppose we’ll have to risk it. Why don’t you take time right now to go back to the surface, where you can use your communicators.”