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Janeway said. “We’ll do our best. Captain out.”
    Torres almost held her breath in anticipation, as Janeway slowly turned and considered her. She couldn’t resist putting in one last bid.
    “Captain, if we cut the ODN link to the main core, the network has to default data to the auxiliary computer or the local subprocessors. We may even get impulse power.”
    “As long as we can follow that trail, that’s all we need.”
    Janeway braced herself as another tremor shook the ship.
    Tuvok took the opportunity to say quietly, “The vessels are closing.
    Distance, under thirty thousand kilometers.”
    “Very well, Lieutenant,” Janeway told Torres. “You may proceed.”
    Torres wanted to clap her hands, but instead channeled the surge of energy into taking her across the bridge to the Jeffries tube.
    “I’ll have to disconnect the ODN at the main junction node under the core.”
    One thing she could say for Kim, he was a graceful loser. “I’ll make sure the radio links are shut down,” he called after her.
    Kim tried not to care when Torres left the bridge without answering him. He had to admit, if only to himself, the woman was intimidating. He hoped he wasn’t letting his personal feelings override his professional judgment, and wondered if he should have insisted that this was a big mistake.
    “Captain—” he started, but the sight of the rest of the bridge crew preparing for the procedure made him hesitate.
    “Yes, Ensign?” the captain asked.
    “Radio frequency links are shut down,” Kim finished weakly. The captain had already made her decision, and now it was his duty to support her.
    “Torres should be in position shortly.” Janeway settled into her chair. “Mr. Paris, I’d like to pick up some speed if this works.”
    “Aye, Captain!” Paris sounded as if he couldn’t wait.
    Kim crossed his fingers, carefully making sure no one else could see.
    He hoped Torres was right.
    Torres crawled through the narrow access tube to the junction node at the base of the computer core. Through the wire-mesh catwalk above her, she could see the three-story shaft in the center of the core. Blue nutrient gel was slowly dripping through the mesh on one side, sliming the interior of the access tube.
    It wasn’t easy working in a space the size of a small doghouse.
    Wondering why the designers hadn’t foreseen the need for easy access to this junction, Torres closed the top port using the manual wheel. When the bottom port was also sealed, she flicked open the tricorder.
    “Captain, I’m ready to shut down the subspace field.”
    “Proceed,” Janeway ordered distantly.
    Torres keyed in the long command sequence that overrode traditional, Starfleet fail-safes and redundancies. Too many, if you asked her.
    “Junction closed—” she started to say, watching the series of red indicators flick on.
    The next thing she knew, she was slammed against the rear wall of the Jeffries tube.
    The viewscreen leaped, and Kim managed to grab hold before the ship shot forward. In rapid succession, it executed a bizarre series of maneuvers, then froze, shuddering. Abruptly, the lights shut off, leaving only the red wounded glow of emergency power.
    Kim realized he was draped over his console. The captain was fumbling with the navigation controls, while Paris was crumpled against the front wall under the screen. Stars were drifting across the viewscreen in a lazy, oblique slide as the Tutopan vessels scattered out of their way.
    “No response from helm!” the captain called.
    “Captain!” Tuvok called out. “Phasers firing.”
    “Override!” Janeway ordered.
    But it was too late to stop the iridescent phaser trail that shot out, disappearing into the distance. Kim’s throat caught as several more bursts were sent out in erratic directions, narrowly missing the one of the vessels.
    “We are experiencing a spontaneous discharge,” Tuvok announced flatly.
    “The electroplasma system is overloading.”
    A gravity