The Escape by Dean Wesley Smith, Kristine Kathryn Rusch Page A
Authors: Dean Wesley Smith, Kristine Kathryn Rusch
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probably couldn't run it. It looks like a different model from the one that brought us." "Control is expecting you," the first guard said.
"Well, they can wait a minute," Torres said.
"If we decide to go, you can always back up the time stream a little." All the orange suits gasped around her. They had 62 that shocked look that most Starfleet officers had when someone slandered the Academy.
"I suppose I said something wrong," she said.
"You violated Ordinance 661.33," the first guard said. "Fortunately," said the woman beside Kim, "the six-hundred series are all misdemeanors." "We could," the first guard said to the woman, "attribute this to stress and overlook it." She nodded. "But let's see how the interview with Control goes. You know they hate speech crimes.
And overlooking a misdemeanor can itself be worthy of a fine. The new twelve-hundred series Ordinances..." "Is everything numerical to these people?" Neelix. asked Kim. "My mind spins from the math." "dis.. demand constant vigilance on the part of.
. "There hasn't been any real math yet," Kim said. "dis.. documentation is enormous..." "Except the actual time travel itself," Neelix said. "Have you any real comprehension of three hundred thousand? I once scavenged three hundred thousand lisern seeds off a Uteke freighter, and they filled my cargo bay to the brim.
It took me a week to count the things." "dis.. therefore," the woman concluded, "we should make note of the violation." Torres rolled her eyes. Didn't anyone else understand the seriousness of this? "I think we should do as they say and shut up," Torres said to Kim and Neelix.
"That's good," said a third guard, the one who had stayed close to Torres, "because actually my" col leagues are wrong. Ordinance 661.33 governs time judgments often made in jest. To suggest a crime to more than three others, however, especially to Time Patrol officers, falls in the four-hundred series, most applicable 412.11.
Of course, we could add 486.90, which includes incitement to riot-was "Enough!" Torres said. "Just take us on your damn shuttle.". The orange suits looked at each other.
None of them moved. The woman beside Kim said, "Are we to treat them like four-hundred series violators, eighthundred series violators, or six-hundred series violators?" "I think we should let Control decide that," the first guard said.
"Excuse me," Kim said.
"Everyone looked at him, including Neelix, who appeared to be holding his breath.
"But none of you could help us even if you wanted toeavould you?" "We have jurisdiction for six-hundred-level crimes," the woman said archly. "We do decide who goes to Control and who doesn't," the first guard said. "What I'm asking is-was Kim glanced at Torres. She could see the wild panic in his eyes. "comd any of you have the authority to send us back to our own time?" "Absolutely not!" "No!" "And who would want it?" The first two responses were chorused in unison most of the orange suits. Only the woman answered differently. "I thought you were due for promotion to Control," the first guard said softly to her.
She shook her head. "I withdrew my application." "But the increase in pay would be spectacular," another suit said. "It's not enough," the woman said.
"Do you know that you would be outside Periods for much of your career and that some Control are even asked to forgo families and..." "Can we leave?" Torres asked.
"dis.. if I were to explain that, I would commit a six-hundred violation myself, but suffice to say..
." "Hey!" Torres said, louder than before. "Can we 90"...91 "dis.. I think double the amount of money they pay us still wouldn't be worth the hassles..." "Do I have to commit another four-hundred-level violation?" Torres said as loudly as she could without shouting.
That shut them up. They looked at her. The woman's mouth was hanging open. "I would like to go see your Control people," Torres said. "That's where we were going before we got sidetracked. Can we get on with this?"
"Well, they can wait a minute," Torres said.
"If we decide to go, you can always back up the time stream a little." All the orange suits gasped around her. They had 62 that shocked look that most Starfleet officers had when someone slandered the Academy.
"I suppose I said something wrong," she said.
"You violated Ordinance 661.33," the first guard said. "Fortunately," said the woman beside Kim, "the six-hundred series are all misdemeanors." "We could," the first guard said to the woman, "attribute this to stress and overlook it." She nodded. "But let's see how the interview with Control goes. You know they hate speech crimes.
And overlooking a misdemeanor can itself be worthy of a fine. The new twelve-hundred series Ordinances..." "Is everything numerical to these people?" Neelix. asked Kim. "My mind spins from the math." "dis.. demand constant vigilance on the part of.
. "There hasn't been any real math yet," Kim said. "dis.. documentation is enormous..." "Except the actual time travel itself," Neelix said. "Have you any real comprehension of three hundred thousand? I once scavenged three hundred thousand lisern seeds off a Uteke freighter, and they filled my cargo bay to the brim.
It took me a week to count the things." "dis.. therefore," the woman concluded, "we should make note of the violation." Torres rolled her eyes. Didn't anyone else understand the seriousness of this? "I think we should do as they say and shut up," Torres said to Kim and Neelix.
"That's good," said a third guard, the one who had stayed close to Torres, "because actually my" col leagues are wrong. Ordinance 661.33 governs time judgments often made in jest. To suggest a crime to more than three others, however, especially to Time Patrol officers, falls in the four-hundred series, most applicable 412.11.
Of course, we could add 486.90, which includes incitement to riot-was "Enough!" Torres said. "Just take us on your damn shuttle.". The orange suits looked at each other.
None of them moved. The woman beside Kim said, "Are we to treat them like four-hundred series violators, eighthundred series violators, or six-hundred series violators?" "I think we should let Control decide that," the first guard said.
"Excuse me," Kim said.
"Everyone looked at him, including Neelix, who appeared to be holding his breath.
"But none of you could help us even if you wanted toeavould you?" "We have jurisdiction for six-hundred-level crimes," the woman said archly. "We do decide who goes to Control and who doesn't," the first guard said. "What I'm asking is-was Kim glanced at Torres. She could see the wild panic in his eyes. "comd any of you have the authority to send us back to our own time?" "Absolutely not!" "No!" "And who would want it?" The first two responses were chorused in unison most of the orange suits. Only the woman answered differently. "I thought you were due for promotion to Control," the first guard said softly to her.
She shook her head. "I withdrew my application." "But the increase in pay would be spectacular," another suit said. "It's not enough," the woman said.
"Do you know that you would be outside Periods for much of your career and that some Control are even asked to forgo families and..." "Can we leave?" Torres asked.
"dis.. if I were to explain that, I would commit a six-hundred violation myself, but suffice to say..
." "Hey!" Torres said, louder than before. "Can we 90"...91 "dis.. I think double the amount of money they pay us still wouldn't be worth the hassles..." "Do I have to commit another four-hundred-level violation?" Torres said as loudly as she could without shouting.
That shut them up. They looked at her. The woman's mouth was hanging open. "I would like to go see your Control people," Torres said. "That's where we were going before we got sidetracked. Can we get on with this?"
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