GEORDI LA FORGE HAD WORKED on a variety of machinery over the years, from the latest in Starfleet engineering concepts to unique specimens of alien technology. Thanks to a bizarre set of circumstances, he had even traveled through time to the twenty-first century and assisted the great Zefram Cochrane in preparing the man’s prototype warp-capable vessel for its maiden voyage. Given his wide range of experiences, it was a rare occasion when the Enterprise’s chief engineer encountered a problem he could not solve eventually.

And it was those instances, such as the one he faced right now, that tended to frustrate him.

“What a mess,” he said aloud, though there was no one else around to hear him. “We’d be better off jettisoning the whole thing and building a new reactor from scratch.” Shaking his head, La Forge deactivated his tricorder and returned the unit to the holster on his waist, wiping sweat from his brow as he did so. It was hot down here, a by-product of the overworked reactor and its malfunctioning coolant system.

The engineer took another look about the cramped room, the control center for the mining outpost’s main power reactor situated in a sealed chamber hundreds of meters below the surface of the asteroid upon which the complex had been constructed. He was seeking any clue, any hint that he might have missed which could help him and his team to bring the malfunctioning reactor under control.

Like the rest of the outpost, the control room was sparse in its construction and crammed from deck to ceiling with all manner of control consoles, tool lockers, and storage containers. Its most prominent feature was the large electronic status board mounted to the wall at the room’s far end, which reminded La Forge of the large master situation monitor in the Enterprise’s engineering section.

As for the remainder of the room, the bulkheads were composed of metal plating riveted and welded together, and La Forge could see crude join lines and other indicators of hasty repairs completed without the luxury of always having the correct replacement component or even the proper tool for the job.

The reactor itself, while possessing key differences from others he had seen, appeared to La Forge to be similar enough to those used to power the first manned interplanetary spacecraft from Earth in the early twenty-first century. Those power systems had been based on the concept of fusing deuterium and tritium with helium to create high-energy plasma that was in turn channeled by electromagnetic coils to generate thrust. The principle employed by the Dokaalan was similar, at least in this system’s original design, though it appeared to have been adapted to work using minerals found in abundance among the asteroids. Even more remarkable was that the Dokaalan engineers had apparently devised a process that was free from potentially harmful residual waste such as neutron radiation, a dangerous by-product of the early Earth fusion reactors. All in all, it was an impressive piece of technical craftsmanship.

Not unexpected, La Forge conceded, considering the only tools and materials these people have are what they can fashion for themselves. Under the circumstances, the overall maintenance of the equipment he had inspected since arriving on the outpost was well above what he had expected to find.

Hearing footsteps behind him, La Forge turned to see Lieutenant Taurik and one of the Dokaalan specialists, a short yet stocky specimen named Rysatam, approaching the control center from the reactor room’s main floor. As with the rest of the engineers sent from the Enterprise, the Vulcan was dressed in a tan utility jumpsuit ideal for the type of climbing and crawling activities the away team could be expected to perform during their investigation of the outpost’s power center.

“What have you got, Taurik?” La Forge asked.

Holding up his tricorder, the junior engineer replied, “According to my analysis, Commander, the reactor’s cooling system can be repaired, but I do not believe we can do so in the time remaining to us.”

Frowning at the report, La Forge said, “Maybe we can rig up some kind of bypass and hook in a substitute cooling unit.” The Enterprise stored such devices, which normally were used to regulate the operating temperature of mobile power generators employed by temporary settlements on newly established colonies. He judged that one or two of those would be more than sufficient to handle the cooling needs of the ailing Dokaalan reactor.

“That is not all,” Taurik continued. “My scans show that several of the reactor’s key components have melted or malfunctioned due to the excessive internal heat. If left alone, the reactor will continue to generate energy at uncontrolled levels until it overheats and explodes.”

“What about switching to backup systems?” La Forge asked.

Standing next to Taurik, Rysatam replied, “The systems that allow us to switch from main to secondary power are among those damaged. Our automated connections are severed and the manual overrides are fused.”

The chief engineer shook his head. “So there’s no way to shut it off.” He had arrived at a comparable conclusion after his initial inspection of the reactor systems, but he was hoping that one of the Dokaalan engineers or a member of his own team might provide another option after a more thorough examination of the problem.

“I am afraid not,” Rysatam replied, his expression sullen. Like the other Dokaalan workers the away team had met upon entering the outpost, he had quickly overcome any anxiety at meeting visitors from space and eagerly embraced the Enterprise engineers, hopeful that the new arrivals might offer a solution to their problem that was beyond their own technical expertise.

Sorry to disappoint you, friend, La Forge mused, the thought laced with frustration at his team’s apparent inability to provide that magical solution. Well, this certainly didn’t take long.

Turning to Rysatam, Taurik said, “There is nothing more to be done here. Prepare your people for evacuation to the upper level. You will be escorted to our ship with the rest of the outpost residents.”

The Dokaalan nodded gratefully. “Very well.” Looking to La Forge once more, he added, “Do not feel bad, my friend. The situation was dire well before your arrival. We will adjust to the loss of equipment and matériel as we have in the past, but because you are here, many people will be saved who would have certainly perished without your assistance.”

Not wishing to spoil Rysatam’s goodwill, La Forge smiled as he wiped more perspiration from his brow. “I suppose you’re right. That is the most important thing, after all.”

As Rysatam turned to gather his people for the move back to the outpost’s main level and Taurik notified the rest of the away team to gather their gear and head out, the chief engineer tapped his combadge. “La Forge to Vale.”

“Vale here,” the voice of the security chief replied a moment later. “What’s the story down there, Commander?”

“The reactor’s a hopeless case,” La Forge replied. “With the coolant gone, some of the key mechanisms have melted, including the ones that would have let us shut the damn thing down. There’s nothing we can do to keep it from overheating.” The temperature in the room was continuing to climb, another sign that the situation was worsening, at least if the sweat running down his back was any indication.

“How much time do we have?” Vale asked. La Forge knew she was in the midst of coordinating the evacuation of all four hundred colonists from the outpost, so any information he could provide her would be helpful.

At his prompting, Taurik replied, “Approximately thirty-six point four minutes, Lieutenant.”

“We might be able to bleed off some of the pressure that’s building,” La Forge added, “but we’d only be delaying the inevitable. We need to get those people out of here, Christine.”

“We’re working on it, Commander. Vale out.” The connection severed, leaving the two Enterprise engineers alone in the sweltering reactor control room. Looking around, La Forge realized that the temperature of the reactor had risen to the point that his ocular implants could pick up the waves of heat emanating from its outer shell. They did not have much time, he knew.

“I guess that’s all we can do, Taurik,” La Forge said. “Let’s get our people and head back topside.”

“Commander, a moment if I may,” the lieutenant said. Pausing a moment, as if to insure that no one else could overhear them, Taurik activated his tricorder and tapped a command sequence into the unit’s small control pad. “During my analysis of the reactor I discovered an anomaly.” He held the tricorder so that La Forge could see its compact display screen. “I detected evidence of structural fatigue in this control valve on the coolant system’s flow regulator, but according to my scans, that is inconsistent with the age of the component in question.”

“A faulty part, maybe?” La Forge offered. “Wouldn’t be the first time a replacement part was defective, here or anywhere else.”

Shaking his head, Taurik replied, “Were it the single valve I might be tempted to agree. However, I discovered similar indications in three other valves, each of which is an integral component in its respective part of the overall system. Further, the signs of fatigue would appear to be older than the valves themselves.”

“That might still be explained by a defect in manufacturing,” the chief engineer countered, but even as he said the words they rang hollow in his ears. What Taurik had shown him simply made no sense, given their surroundings. Like everything else he had seen in the mining outpost, evidence of meticulous care was visible everywhere, from the lack of dirt and grime on the surface of equipment to the cleanliness of the floors and walls and the absence of trash or detritus that might be expected to accumulate over a lengthy period. The Dokaalan obviously had learned early on that with only themselves to rely upon, the need for proper maintenance and diligence was essential, particularly with those systems charged with keeping them alive.

So what had happened to the coolant system?

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of an alarm wailing outside the control center. It was quickly followed by several indicators on the room’s main status board, all of them illuminating an attention-grabbing crimson red.

“Uh-oh,” La Forge said as, one after another, more of the indicators flared to life. “I think we’ve got another problem.”

Closing out the communication with Commander La Forge, Vale exhaled audibly.

Nothing’s ever easy, is it?

Working with his team of engineers as well as a few Dokaalan technical specialists, La Forge had hoped to bring the rapidly overheating power generator under control. The outpost engineers had argued it as an impossible task, but La Forge wanted to take a shot at the problem himself with the equipment and technology at his disposal, which far exceeded that of the Dokaalan.

It had not been enough, apparently.

Thirty-eight minutes remained to them, according to Taurik’s estimate. That was probably right on the money, considering the Vulcan’s predilection for accuracy. It should be plenty of time, barring any unforeseen circumstances.

Most of the fourth group of evacuees had made the move to the Enterprise, with the fifth complement already standing by and awaiting their turn. Her security detachment had organized the miners into eight groups of fifty, with the most seriously injured to be transferred first. Those requiring immediate medical attention were already being treated by Dr. Crusher and her medical teams. To this point, Vale’s quickly developed evacuation plan had worked just as she had hoped.

From what she could see now, though, things were no longer proceeding as smoothly as they had been only moments earlier. Ensign Melorr and his team looked to be working harder to keep the miners orderly and positioned for their transfer.

“What’s the problem here?” she asked in her most authoritative security chief voice, mindful once again of the lower gravity as well as the need to keep herself beyond the reach of any of the miners as she stepped closer.

“This is taking too long,” replied one Dokaalan. “The reactor will overload soon. Why are you keeping us here?”

Vale noted that the miner sounded more fearful than angry, and she briefly considered trying to explain the effects of the radiation emitted by the very minerals these people extracted from the asteroids. She figured they might comprehend the basic concept of forcefields, tractor beams, and perhaps even transporters, but she had no desire to stand on a ticking bomb discussing the details of current Federation technology or the problems it was experiencing here. There would be time enough for that later.

She hoped.

“There are safety concerns with evacuating so many of you,” she said, hoping the simple explanation would be enough. “We can’t do this without your cooperation, so I’m going to ask that you maintain your places and wait for instructions from my people. Rest assured that all of you will be evacuated to our ship and have your injuries tended to.”

It was too much to hope that her words would completely ease the miners’ worries, but Vale was pleasantly surprised when the anxious Dokaalan appeared to relax somewhat.

“The probes,” someone else said from behind her, and Vale turned to see a female Dokaalan regarding her with what the security chief believed to be a quizzical expression. “You found one of our probes, did you not?”

Smiling, Vale nodded. “Two of them, actually, though many, many years passed between finding the first and the second.” She caught herself before saying too much. After all, she didn’t want to incite any more negative feelings by revealing that centuries had passed before Starfleet or the Federation had decided to send a ship to investigate the Dokaalan’s plea for help.

That’d sure make them feel better, wouldn’t it?

“Melorr,” she called out, “get ready to send the next group.” Tapping her combadge, she said, “Vale to Peart. We’re sending the next…”

The rest of the sentence died in her throat as she felt the metal deck plating shudder beneath her feet.

“What the hell was that?” Melorr asked. There was no mistaking the nervousness in the Bolian’s voice, and his emotion was mirrored in the faces of the Dokaalan miners. Some of them were moving from the orderly lines established by the security team and were pressing toward the airlock and the tunnel leading to the Enterprise.

The answer came from her combadge in the voice of the ship’s chief engineer. “La Forge to Vale. The reactor cooling system is shot. Get those people out of here now!”

“What happened?” Vale asked, at the same time giving Melorr the signal to start moving the remaining miners out.

“It was cycling nothing but air after the coolant tank ruptured,” La Forge replied, “and I couldn’t bleed off enough pressure. According to our calculations, the reactor will go in about ten minutes. The chamber it’s in might be enough to contain the explosion, but I don’t know what it might do to the surrounding rock. I’d rather not stick around to find out.”

Vale heard the engineer breathing hard as he talked, as though he was running. More than likely he and his team were scrambling to get back here. Turning around, she saw that her security people were frantically ushering the miners through the airlock and into the tunnel. By her count there were still more than two hundred people left to evacuate.

“Let’s keep it moving,” she called out, trying to keep her voice steady and confident. “We don’t have much time.”

Then time ran out as somewhere below her, too far away to see yet close enough for her to feel the effect, something exploded.

Vale threw out her arms, desperately grabbing for any kind of handhold as the deck pitched and disappeared from beneath her feet. Her hands closed around empty air and she slammed into the nearby bulkhead. Even with the reduced gravity, the impact was enough to make stars erupt in her vision and force the air from her lungs.

Groaning in pain as she slid to the floor, Vale realized the deck was still shaking underneath her. She was bounced along the unforgiving metal plating as she scrambled for something to grasp, finally clutching a safety railing mounted to the bulkhead. All around her, Dokaalan miners and the members of her security team were in similar straits, having been tossed about by the force of the explosion erupting from the depths of the outpost. Then the lights went out, only to be replaced seconds later by dimmer emergency lighting spaced at regular intervals down the length of the passageway.

The reactor, she thought, but had it overloaded faster than Commander La Forge had predicted? Had he and his team been able to make it out in time?

Before she could reach for her combadge in an attempt to contact the engineer, the corridor trembled around her once more. This time the motion was accompanied by an alarm klaxon wailing in the confined passageway.

“Breach!” someone yelled before Vale recognized the sound of air escaping through what could only be a tear in the metal plating forming the corridor around them. Where was it coming from?

Then the hiss became a howl as, less than ten meters away, the tunnel leading to the Enterprise disappeared along with the twenty or more Dokaalan who had been standing in it.