Free The Oppressor's Wrong by Phaedra M. Weldon Page A

there’s bound to be a Changeling nearby.”
    â€œAlready done,” Huff said. “We had our own infiltrator recently.”
    Daniels looked over at Sage. “I need you to stay here and keep an eye on the thermal levels. If you see anything a little wonky, let me know.”
    Sage nodded.
    Huff motioned for Lynch and Niles to flank Daniels and Data before the five of them took the lift to deck twenty-seven.
    *   *   *
    The deck was completely deserted as Daniels and Data held their tricorders out in front of them, moving closer to corridor nine. Reactor room six was still thirty meters ahead.
    â€œRiker to Huff.”
    Huff tapped her combadge. “Huff here.”
    â€œâ€¦ eiving interference … unknown. Wasn’t able … find Admiral Hahn on deck twenty—”
    Huff paused just as everyone else did. “Sir, I didn’t make out that last statement. Can you repeat it?”
    â€œThey still have not found Admiral Hahn,” Data filled in the blank.
    Huff nodded. “Sir, we haven’t seen anyone on this level. We’re approximately thirty meters from the location.”
    Data said, “I am reading a low-level dampeningfield in this area. I believe the closer we get to the bomb, the stronger it will become.”
    Daniels sighed. “Great. I wonder if—”
    â€œT’Saiga to Daniels.”
    â€œWhat is it, Sage?”
    â€œRemember how you told me about wonky?”
    Huff looked at Daniels. He kept his gaze locked with hers, both of them sharing the same bad thoughts. “Yeah …”
    â€œWell, just after you left, the thermal levels disappeared. I can’t read the bomb at all. Nothing. Not the composition, not even the location. Do you still see it on your tricorder?”
    â€œHow come we can hear him but not Commander Riker?” Huff said.
    The hairs on the back of Daniels’ neck stood on end. That was a good question. He tapped his combadge. “Daniels to Picard.”
    There was no answer.
    Data did the same.
    â€œSage, you can still hear me?” Daniels said.
    â€œLoud and clear.”
    â€œWhat about Commander Riker?”
    There was a pause.
“Yes. He’s heading in your direction but he’s unable to reach you. Wait a minute—how come I can hear you but he can’t?”
    â€œI have a bad feeling about this,” Lynch said from where he stood beside Daniels.
    â€œMe too,” Daniels said. “We need to get out of here. Sage, tell Commander Riker not to come any closer. Something’s not right, and I have a sinking feeling we’re being—”
    â€œPádraig!”
Sage yelled over the badges. “
It’s back and it’s hot! You need to get—”
    That was the last thing any of them heard as a thunderclap drowned out the rest of Sage’s warning, and the bulkhead to their left blew in on top of them.
    *   *   *
    The
Enterprise
bridge crew watched in horror as the lower right quarter of the starbase burst out, blasting bulkhead and debris into space.
    â€œReport!” Picard shouted as he sprang from his chair.
    Ensign Adriana Berardi responded from ops. “The coolant tanks on the secondary fusion reactor are damaged. The reactor appears stable but there are hull breaches on decks twenty-seven through twenty-nine.”
    â€œWhat about our people?”
    â€œI’m getting faint readings. But I can’t get any transporter locks. There’s still some sort of dampening field in place.”
    Picard frowned. “The field is
still
in place?”
    â€œAye, sir. Apparently the field is being generated from another location.”
    The captain took a step forward and pointed at the screen. “Can you pinpoint it?”
    After a few more seconds Berardi shook her head. “I’m afraid not. It reverts back into the station, where it disappears into another dampening