The Escape by Dean Wesley Smith, Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Authors: Dean Wesley Smith, Kristine Kathryn Rusch
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Control," one of the wom en said, her voice hushed. 59 "Lucky us," Torres said.
"Time Breaches are serious," a man said.
"It's your fault," Neelix said. "If your ship hadn't taken us from our time, we would not be here.
We would be peacefully minding our own business in that aban-was The guard whirled and grabbed Neelix before he had a chance to finish his sentence. The guard held Neelix at eye level. "Your prattle takes risks of its own." - "I think," Kim said, "you might have been about to say something you shouldn't." "I never say something I shouldn't," Neelix said. The guard tightened his grip on Neelix's collar. "Although," Neelix said, "I sometimes say things I regret. 09 The guard lowered him, then let go. "Now," the guard said. "Shut up and follow me." Neelix bowed his head and followed, playing the contrite prisoner. Torres got out of'the crowd.
Once she did, she and Kim went through the open wall side by side.
The strange trees smelled of juniper and burning pitch. The odor was more pleasant than she had suspected it would be. The trees lined the wall, occasionally almost blocking doors. Orange suits came in and out of those doors, moving quickly and with purpose. A few people dressed in black tottered slowly by.
"Those shoes," Neelix said as he caught up to the guard. "Are they punishment for something?" The guard squinted down at Neelix. "I told you to shut up." "It was just a simple question," Neelix said.
"Actually," said another orange suit who had appeared beside Kim. "The shoes are a status symbol. The I " ess you have to walk, the more ornate your shoes can be." Torres wasn't certain she wanted to wear her jewelry on her feet. Of course, she wasn't that fond of baubles anyway. If something didn't have a purpose it didn't make much sense to her.
The orange suit walking beside Kim was a woman, slender to the point of gauntness, her hair long and caught in an orange thong behind her neck.
More of the orange suits who had come out of the doors had joined their little party until Torres felt like part of an invasion force going through tunnels in Cardassia.
Finally the wide corridor forked and opened into another stone room. The trees disappeared completely, and it took a few extra steps before their pungent odor disappeared from Torres's nostrils. This room reminded Torres more of a shuttlebay. It was wide and tall and the stone had a flat, utilitarian feel. Although the floor was long and flat, and not composed of dirt, but of more of that concrete material, it was empty except for one ship that sat in the very center. The ship was a miniature version of the shuttle they had arrived irl It lacked the long landing legs, and the ramp went in a side instead of under it. The ship's circumference was also much smaller. She doubted a hundred people could fit inside.
She stopped when she reached the cement floor. "I hope," she said in her calmest voice, "that this ship will take us back to our own time." "It would be so wonderful," Neelix said. "I have to tell you that I much prefer newer ships. They are ever so much more reliable. You can escort us back, meet my darling Kes, and then be on your way. I can guarantee that we will be on ours. It would be no inconvenience to any of us and-was "This is the way to Control," the first guard said. "I don't believe that taking a shuttle anywhere except three hundred thousand years in the future will help us," Torres said. She wished for Tuvok. Her calm was slipping.
"We are not trying to help you," the first guard said.
"You committed a Time Breach." "We had no idea that your ship would bringus here.
Your homing device was set for this time. It's the ship's 'problem, not ours," Torres said. "Just take us home. We promise we'll never come here again." The woman beside Kim suddenly grabbed his arm.
"Hey!" he said. "I hadn't even made my move yet." Torres looked at him. "It wouldn't have done any good, Ensign," she said. "Even if they let us ta ke that shuttle, we
"Time Breaches are serious," a man said.
"It's your fault," Neelix said. "If your ship hadn't taken us from our time, we would not be here.
We would be peacefully minding our own business in that aban-was The guard whirled and grabbed Neelix before he had a chance to finish his sentence. The guard held Neelix at eye level. "Your prattle takes risks of its own." - "I think," Kim said, "you might have been about to say something you shouldn't." "I never say something I shouldn't," Neelix said. The guard tightened his grip on Neelix's collar. "Although," Neelix said, "I sometimes say things I regret. 09 The guard lowered him, then let go. "Now," the guard said. "Shut up and follow me." Neelix bowed his head and followed, playing the contrite prisoner. Torres got out of'the crowd.
Once she did, she and Kim went through the open wall side by side.
The strange trees smelled of juniper and burning pitch. The odor was more pleasant than she had suspected it would be. The trees lined the wall, occasionally almost blocking doors. Orange suits came in and out of those doors, moving quickly and with purpose. A few people dressed in black tottered slowly by.
"Those shoes," Neelix said as he caught up to the guard. "Are they punishment for something?" The guard squinted down at Neelix. "I told you to shut up." "It was just a simple question," Neelix said.
"Actually," said another orange suit who had appeared beside Kim. "The shoes are a status symbol. The I " ess you have to walk, the more ornate your shoes can be." Torres wasn't certain she wanted to wear her jewelry on her feet. Of course, she wasn't that fond of baubles anyway. If something didn't have a purpose it didn't make much sense to her.
The orange suit walking beside Kim was a woman, slender to the point of gauntness, her hair long and caught in an orange thong behind her neck.
More of the orange suits who had come out of the doors had joined their little party until Torres felt like part of an invasion force going through tunnels in Cardassia.
Finally the wide corridor forked and opened into another stone room. The trees disappeared completely, and it took a few extra steps before their pungent odor disappeared from Torres's nostrils. This room reminded Torres more of a shuttlebay. It was wide and tall and the stone had a flat, utilitarian feel. Although the floor was long and flat, and not composed of dirt, but of more of that concrete material, it was empty except for one ship that sat in the very center. The ship was a miniature version of the shuttle they had arrived irl It lacked the long landing legs, and the ramp went in a side instead of under it. The ship's circumference was also much smaller. She doubted a hundred people could fit inside.
She stopped when she reached the cement floor. "I hope," she said in her calmest voice, "that this ship will take us back to our own time." "It would be so wonderful," Neelix said. "I have to tell you that I much prefer newer ships. They are ever so much more reliable. You can escort us back, meet my darling Kes, and then be on your way. I can guarantee that we will be on ours. It would be no inconvenience to any of us and-was "This is the way to Control," the first guard said. "I don't believe that taking a shuttle anywhere except three hundred thousand years in the future will help us," Torres said. She wished for Tuvok. Her calm was slipping.
"We are not trying to help you," the first guard said.
"You committed a Time Breach." "We had no idea that your ship would bringus here.
Your homing device was set for this time. It's the ship's 'problem, not ours," Torres said. "Just take us home. We promise we'll never come here again." The woman beside Kim suddenly grabbed his arm.
"Hey!" he said. "I hadn't even made my move yet." Torres looked at him. "It wouldn't have done any good, Ensign," she said. "Even if they let us ta ke that shuttle, we
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