P8 Blue watched as the humans wiped away the sweat from their foreheads. She understood why humans had sweat glands, but right at the moment, she was grateful that Nasats didn’t have them. Then again, this sweltering heat and humidity felt just like home to her.

Pattie and the other members of the S.C.E. away team had been attempting to open the large landing bay doors by force, with no success. The lack of proper ventilation and air-conditioning made the task all the more difficult and frustrating.

“Not like I’m trying to be all doom and gloom,” Corsi said, “but why hasn’t that thing crashed yet?”

“The craft is light enough that it can glide on air currents for a short period of time,” Shira said. “Thankfully, the pilot has determined that the doors are not open and its communications systems are most likely rendered useless, so it’s entered a holding pattern.”

“And with the winds picking up the way they are,” Gomez added, “I can’t imagine it can stay in such a pattern for long.”

“So why not just land somewhere else?” Corsi asked.

“There isn’t anywhere safe to land,” Shira said. “This is a heavily populated area. Besides, it won’t be able to land, it will crash.”

“So it’ll crash in here?”

Shira nodded solemnly. “But at least we can minimize the damage.”

“We can do more than that,” Gomez said. Corsi smiled at Gomez’s confidence.

“Not possible,” Milan said. “The emergency landing systems won’t engage without power.”

“What kind of systems are there?” Gomez asked.

Shira gestured upward to a series of pipes that ran along the walls and ceilings. “The foam in these pipes serves two purposes. It acts as a flame retardant in case of fire and as a cushion if released into the chamber.”

“Are there any manual releases?” Gomez asked.

“Yes, but they’re all on the main piping. We can’t reach them because we have no antigravity units working.”

“Leave that to me,” Pattie said as she glanced up and studied the latticework of pipes. “I think I can climb up there.” She walked over to the wall and began to feel around the surface.

“Be careful,” Gomez said.

Pattie turned and began her ascent of the wall, using a number of nooks and crags on the surface to aid her climb. She looked down at the others watching her from below. The ceiling of the landing bay was a good thirty feet high. Pattie felt a wave of dizziness as she took a moment to catch her breath.

On her homeworld, making such climbs through the densely populated towering trees would be second nature to her. But then there was the netting that covered the lower regions to catch her should she fall.

There was no net here.

From the ground, Corsi rubbed the base of her neck and tilted her head to either side, producing a soft cracking sound. Gomez looked at her with a grin. Corsi returned it. “What can I tell you? I get a stiff neck very easily.”

“Some might say you’re always stiff-necked,” Gomez deadpanned.

Corsi closed her eyes and tilted her head back and forth even farther, producing a louder crack this time. Gomez shuddered slightly but continued to smile. She was glad to see herself and Corsi falling back into old patterns. The wounds from Galvan VI still left scars, but they were healing and not hurting as much anymore. Like any scar, they still itched now and then, but life was going on.

Shira interrupted Gomez’s thoughts. “Commander, we’re going to need to leave the area when the foam is released. It will retard the atmosphere.”

“Yes, of course—the foam you use removes the air so the fire can die out.”

“Exactly.”

“But what about the door? We’ve got to get it open,” Corsi said.

As if in answer to her question or unspoken prayer, two Gorn entered the landing bay. Corsi’s first response was to reach for her phaser, but she hesitated, no doubt realizing that whatever killed the power in the bay must surely have drained the weapon. She took a defensive step forward in front of the two, creating a human barrier.

The Gorn stopped their advance some ten feet away from the others. One of them looked upward and watched as Pattie made her way to the roof.

“I am Kazar,” the lead Gorn said simply. “Why is that insect climbing the walls?”

Gomez stepped in front of Corsi. She could feel the security officer stiffen at the move, but Gomez knew she had to make it clear to the Gorn she was the leader. “I am Commander Gomez of the Starfleet Corps of Engineers. Why are you here?”

“You did not answer my question, Commander Gomez,” Kazar hissed. “We do not have time to waste with trivial inquiries on your part. This landing area has suffered a power loss. According to our sources, the energy drain stretches from the lagoon and stops here. How long ago did this occur?”

Gomez sized up the large reptilian alien. He stood at least a foot and a half over her. Despite the distance between the two, she could feel his heated breath as he spoke. Along with his energy weapon, he carried a jeweled dagger, which remained sheathed.

“I’m afraid we’re not in a position to discuss this situation with you at the moment,” Gomez replied evenly. With effort, she met the stare of the Gorn.

“More Starfleet secrecy.” Kazar let out a growl, which surprised even Corsi. “We do not care for your secrets, Starfleet! We want answers and we want them now!”

Gomez placed a hand on Corsi’s wrist as she felt the security chief step forward. When Corsi settled, Gomez continued. “I didn’t say we wouldn’t tell you. I said we’re not in a position to tell you. You see, I think we can help each other out here.”

Kazar’s eyes squinted in suspicion. “How?”

She pointed toward the landing bay doors. “Those doors need to be opened. We can’t open them. I know of the strength of the Gorn people. With the two of you, it should be easy to pull them open.”

“And you will share your information with us?” Kazar asked slowly.

“Yes. But you have to hurry.”

The Gorn turned to his comrade. They didn’t speak a word, but rather offered each other silent nods. Kazar turned back to Gomez. “We accept your proposal.”

Gomez clapped her hands. “Great. Now, when you’ve managed to open the door, you’ll need to find cover. We’ve got a flyer making an emergency landing. This entire chamber is going to be filled with flame retardant foam. It’s going to make breathing very difficult.”

“Wait a minute!” Milan cried out. He turned and ran toward a collection of crates in one corner of the bay. After a few moments of searching, he returned with what appeared to be a small projectile weapon. He stopped for a second and eyed the Gorn cautiously before handing it over to them.

“This is a flare gun,” he explained. “Signal the flyer with it. They’ll be able to see the open bay doors and can make their landing from there.”

The Gorn took the gun and for a moment Corsi tensed on the off chance that Kazar might try something devious. The Gorn examined the weapon a moment before cradling it in the sash that hung across his chest.

Gomez glanced up at the Nasat. “How’s it hanging, Pattie?”

“I’ve been in worse spots,” she replied. “But do you think we can speed it up a little?”

“You’re going to be all right when the foam is released, right?” Gomez asked.

Pattie made a tinkling noise of amusement. “I can survive in a vacuum, remember? I can handle a little oxygen deprivation.”

“Good—because you’re the only one who can retrieve the passengers, in case they aren’t in any shape to exit the craft themselves.”

“Will do, Commander.”

“All right, let’s get to cover.” Gomez looked at Kazar. “Good luck.”

The Gorn didn’t say a word as he and his comrade turned to the task before them.

Gomez entered the cramped control room last and closed the door behind her. She allowed the two Risan technicians to take their places at the control stations. She didn’t bother to point out that they couldn’t do anything while the systems were inoperative. Corsi and Soloman stood in the background, neither wanting to get in the way of the operation.

The Gorn took up positions on either side of the doors. They braced themselves, arching their backs for support. Large, clawed hands dug into the metallic surface, latching on and getting a strong grip.

Gomez glanced upward and saw Pattie hanging from the pipes, waiting for the cue to release the foam.

“Commander, if they are going to open the doors, they will need to do so now,” Soloman reported. Gomez looked toward the sky from one of the windows and saw the flyer making a sharp banking turn toward the landing bay.

“They know they can’t land anywhere else.” Shira’s voice trembled, ghostlike.

Below, the Gorn had managed to part the doors, but by less than a meter. They had stopped their work and appeared to be looking for a new way to attack the situation.

“We don’t have time for this!” Corsi snapped. “They need to pull open those doors now!”

“If they do not possess the strength,” Soloman said, “it is impossible.”

Gomez watched as the Gorn repositioned themselves and made another attempt. This time the doors opened a bit further. Gomez could make out the flyer as it neared the landing bay.

Kazar stepped into the opening and braced himself diagonally against both door surfaces, while his comrade reached out with both claws and gripped either side. Gomez could see Kazar’s body trembling with the struggle.

The doors began to give some more.

“They’re doing it!” Shira exclaimed. “We’re going to make it!”

“It’s not enough,” Corsi said.

“No, but there is a chance,” Gomez replied. “Let’s stay positive. Have we got an emergency medical kit here?”

“Yes,” Milan replied as he reached under the console and pulled out a small white box. “It doesn’t have much.”

Gomez opened the box and examined its contents. “As long as we can stabilize any shock conditions the passengers may have and prepare them to be moved to proper facilities, it’s perfect.”

“They’re doing it,” Soloman said, pointing downward.

Below, the Gorn were now in the opening doorway, pushing against the doors with their feet dug into the ground.

“Their backs are going to be a mess in the morning,” Milan said.

“Maybe you can offer them a free massage,” Corsi suggested with a smile.

“Estimating less than thirty meters to go,” Shira said. Gomez gave the thumbs-up signal to Pattie. The Nasat scurried along the network of piping, twisting open the valves and releasing the foam. The large landing bay quickly filled up with the white substance.

“Here we go,” Milan announced.

The flyer rumbled as it passed through the opening of the landing bay. The small control room shuddered as the craft struck the foam. Everyone grabbed hold of a piece of furniture or equipment to keep themselves steady. The flyer swerved and skidded toward a back wall.

“It’s going to crash!” Shira shouted.

“Get down!” Gomez ordered everyone.

They ducked under the console. Gomez closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable.

It never came.

She opened her eyes and slowly rose from her crouched position.

The flyer had managed to halt its skid. A thin stream of smoke wisped from the rear of the craft.

Gomez looked to see that Pattie was already scurrying across the wall toward the craft to provide assistance.

Pattie stepped out into the landing bay and threaded her way through the foam that covered the area. She could feel the heat coming from the flyer. While the foam had done the job of taking the brunt of the crash and making it difficult for a fire to erupt, the billowing smoke pouring from the front of the craft was a warning of a possible explosion.

The Nasat stepped up to the large dome-shaped transparent aluminum covering and ran a pincer along the surface. She snapped her pincer away at the very intense heat. Inside, she could make out the two passengers, a male and female, both human. They were both unconscious. The female, who was the pilot, sported a large gash on her forehead, a thin river of blood flowing freely from the wound.

Pattie positioned herself to remove the covering, but found it impossible to do because the couplings that held it in place were fused due to the heat. She looked up at Gomez and shook her head. Gomez, in turn, pointed to several metal poles that leaned against a nearby wall.

Pattie retrieved one and proceeded to prop it against one of the couplings. She felt it give somewhat, but was startled by a loud moan from inside the flyer. The female began to convulse. Pattie dug the pole in deeper, frantically trying to pry it off.

She looked up at the sound of several more poles striking the couplings. The Gorn had returned and picked up the remaining poles. Pattie could hear the couplings begin to give. With a few more tugs, several ripped away, clattering on the floor behind her. She was still working on hers.

Kazar stepped up to her and shoved her aside without a word. He leaned over and gripped the edge of the covering and, with a low growl, tore it off. As soon as he did, the two inside began gasping for air. Kazar and his comrade grabbed the two, a little too roughly for Pattie’s taste, and carried them quickly across the landing bay.

Gomez waited just outside the lower level entrance with Corsi. The Gorn released the two, dropping them roughly. Gomez ran her hand under the female’s neck, while Corsi began to apply pressure to her head wound to stanch the bleeding.

Kazar stepped out into the corridor. “Commander, I have done what you have asked. The craft has landed safely and I have even aided in rescuing these two. You will now tell me what I want to know.”

Gomez waved the Gorn commander off. “In a moment, Kazar. I want to stabilize these two first.”

“Now, Commander. You made an agreement and my time is limited.”

“Now wait just a minute,” Corsi began to rise from her position, but stopped at the gentle restraining hand of Gomez.

“Kazar’s right,” Gomez said. “I want you and Pattie to finish up here. I’m no doctor, but I think they’re more in shock than anything else. Milan should be right back with the medical team.” She gave Kazar her best steely stare. “Commander, if you’ll walk with me.”

She turned and started off without waiting for an answer. Kazar and his comrade followed, having to take a few larger steps to catch up with the seething female.

Corsi stifled a laugh. “I think they may have been better off dealing with me.”

Pattie only nodded as she ran her mandible along the human male’s limbs. “This one has a fracture in his left leg. I don’t know if it was the crash or that Gorn’s rough handling that did it.”

“He’s lucky to be alive,” Corsi said as she pulled her blood-soaked cloth away from the female. “This one’s going to need some attention, though. Hopefully, the hospitals are functioning. It’s not like we can contact the ship and ask for help.”

“I know,” Pattie replied. “It’s very frustrating.”