“Giacomo’s on the bridge. Justsettle down, Captain.” He began to rake armfuls of the rubble away to freeDecker. “I wish you’d lay off Humphries. He’s a good kid.”
“Immature little twerp. Shows noresponsibility.”
“What do you expect? He’s scaredof you.”
“You’re not.”
“Should I be?”
He’d moved enough dirt to seethat Decker was pinned under a huge boulder. With his face mostly covered bymask and glasses, he hoped Decker couldn’t read his expression.
“Can’t feel my damn legs,” thecaptain grumbled.
John caught his eyes.
“Can’t feel anything below thewaist,” the captain admitted.
“We’ll have you out in a fewminutes. We’re using the phasers to –”
“You’ll bring the whole thingdown,” Decker grabbed John’s arm tightly. “There’s hydrogen pockets. That’swhat caused it.”
“Giacomo!” John yelled over hiscommunicator. “Can you hear me? Stop what you’re doing. I repeat, stop whatyou’re doing.”
“All stopped.” Giacomo obeyedimmediately. “We’re nearly there, sir. What’s the problem?”
“Hydrogen gas. Can you reach uswithout blowing us up?”
There was a few seconds silencebefore Giacomo answered, “I’ll have to make a few slight modifications.”
“Do it. Kowalski, fix myposition. I’m with the captain.”
“Got it,” Kowalski answered.
“Get him out as soon as you can. I’m going to look for the others.”
“They were further down thecorridor, on the other side of that cave in.” Decker inclined his head overhis shoulder his eyes turning further as he pointed behind him. “I don’t knowwhat it’s like. I haven’t heard from anyone.”
John scrambled down to whereDecker indicated. He tapped the rubble with his pick, looking for what seemedto be the thinnest section. There wasn’t much difference in the sounds of therock and the vibrations caused dirt to trickle. He scraped the pick into thecrevices, clearing the loose material out of the way before attacking the rock.
The pick blade flashed in thelamplight, the rock chipped away easily. Dirt began to run freer.
His mask steamed up andcondensation ran down inside it. He tried to rub his face with his sleeve, butit just squashed the mask and it slid uncomfortably around. He stopped to fixit, turning to keep an eye on Decker. Decker nodded and gave him a weak thumbsup.
He was about to start again whenhe heard the clink of metal on rock from the other side. Dirt began to fallfrom his side of the wall and he moved clear. A hole appeared, a wobblinglight streaming through the opening.
“We’re through, we made it!”
“Not exactly,” John answered. “We’ve got gas problems. Take these.” John poked an oxygen canister throughthe hole.
“Commander?” Wright queried.
“How many of you are in there?” John shoved a second, then a third canister through. He undid his jacket andreached for more canisters.
“Everyone except the captain… Four of ours and a couple of miners. Smith and Chief Grey are dead.”
John hesitated. “You’ll be outin a few minutes. Just breathe easy.”
John shoved the remainingcanisters through then slumped down to catch his breath. He knew he should begrateful there weren’t more dead, but it was still two too many. He waitedimpatiently for Kowalski. Muck ran down his face and down the back of hisneck. Dust clung to him; his hair was plastered to his head. The mask steamedand sweated with every breath.
The few minutes before he heardthe familiar voice seemed ten times as long.
“The captain’s here. We’rebringing the rest of you up now, sir.”
John hadn’t realised the captainhad gone. He looked across to see the empty boulder resting in the dirt.
The scene hazed, then clearedinto the familiar surroundings of the transporter room. He pulled the mask andglasses down, unbuckled the helmet, his gloves fumbling with the catch, andtook it off. He peeled the gloves off and ran a sweaty hand through his hair. It came out caked in muck.
He spun back to the transporterpads as the remaining crew materialised. His focus rested on the two bodieslying motionless. Two sick bay trolleys were waiting. The newly materialisedengineers helped the medics to lift them onto the trolleys.
He dumped his gear on theconsole, unbuckled the belt and slung it on top of the rest of the gear.
“That everyone?” he askedKowalski.
“Yes, sir.” Kowalski’s eyesremained on the console until the trolleys disappeared.
“Not your fault, Sam,” John spokequietly. “You got the rest of them out.”
Wright was slumped against thewall near the doorway.
“Matt, you all right?” Johnasked.
“Yes, sir,” Wright answeredautomatically.
John went to him, grabbed an armand slung it around his shoulders, helping to take the man’s weight. “Come on,let’s get you to sick bay.”
“Yes, sir.”
Wright seemed to sag and getheavier with each step. By the time they reached sick bay, he was ready tocollapse.
Andrews rushed over to take him,and John was glad to hand him over.
“The captain?” he asked.
“Dunlop’s got him,” Andrewspointed to a table at the far end of the room.
“Thanks.”
John had never seen sick bay sobusy. Half the staff looked like they had just been dragged from their beds,with tousled hair and stifled yawns. Orders and requests snapped backwards andforwards; the jargon of medical abbreviations obeyed instantly. Along onewall, two lone trolleys rested, white sheets fully covering their contents.
John picked his way towardsDecker; Dunlop was working frantically on him. A drip ran into the captain’sarm and while a tube strapped around his head pumped oxygen through two nozzlesinto his nostrils. A machine beeped out an erratic heart beat; the graph onits tiny screen mapping the beat.
“Get back to the bridge,” thecaptain growled, all colour drained from his face.
“No. Not until I know you’re allright.”
“Commander, will you get out ofmy way.” This time it was the doctor who growled.
“I just want to know how he is.” John reluctantly stepped clear.
“I’ll let you know as soon as Iknow… You reek of the stuff. How do you feel?”
“Fine –” John began, but wassuddenly struck by a coughing bout.
The doctor didn’t stop; he barelyneeded to look up from what he was doing. “Take the commander. Get a tube inhim and filter his lungs. He’s full of it, too.”
Andrews and Gunston grabbed anarm each and dragged John backwards before dumping him on an examinationtable. Gunston held him down while Andrews ripped open his jacket and draggedhis shirt up.
“What –” John lifted his head,saw the needle coming at his ribs,
