INOSCULATION

Chapter Five

"We've hit a wall," Harry told the Talaxian.

"Oh, well, maybe I can help?" Neelix offered.

Tom Paris snorted and rolled his eyes. T'Loran and Vorik both stared at him — Neelix might not be able to help but a fresh set of eyes on the problem could offer a different perspective. It was illogical to denigrate an offer of assistance. "Great," he said sarcastically. "Do you know anything about quantum warp theory or multi-spectral subspace engine design?"

"No," Neelix admitted, "but I'm a quick study. What are we working on?" He sat down and began scanning through the PADDs.

"We're trying to break the maximum warp barrier," Vorik replied before Tom or Harry could protest.

"Nothing in the universe can go at warp ten," Harry explained. "It's a theoretical impossibility." T'Loran snorted. "In principle, if you were ever to reach warp ten, you'd be traveling at infinite velocity."

"Infinite velocity," Neelix repeated. "Got it. So that means very fast."

"It means that you would occupy every point in the universe simultaneously," T'Loran replied. "In theory, you could go any place in the blink of an eye. Time and distance become meaningless."

"If Voyager achieved warp ten, we could be home in as long as it takes to push a button," Harry said with a hopeful grin.

"Wow!" Neelix exclaimed. "And you're working on this?"

"Last month, when T'Loran found that asteroid field we used to refuel, we discovered a new form of dilithium that remains stable at a much higher warp frequency," Tom nodded. "The problem is that every time we simulate crossing he transwarp threshold, the nacelles get torn off the ship."

Neelix frowned in concentration. "I remember there was a time when I lost a nacelle going through a dark matter nebula," he mused.

"This is a very different problem," Tom said dismissively.

"I realize that," Neelix shot back, his frustration at being brushed off evident. "I'm just using it as an example. As the ship went through the nebula, it sent out a dark matter bow wave. Eventually, so much pressure built up, it tore the nacelle from its housing. Now, maybe the same thing is happening to you."

"No, the simulations don't indicate any kind of subspace stress on the nacelles," Harry muttered thoughtfully as he considered what Neelix had said.

"What about the shuttle itself?" Tom said suddenly. "What if we're looking in the wrong place?" Everyone else began to consider the issue. Vorik and T'Loran stared at each other as they exchanged thoughts rapidly.

"The nacelles aren't being torn from the ship," Vorik said aloud.

"The ship is being torn from the nacelles," T'Loran finished for him.

"The hull of the shuttle is made of tritanium alloy," Harry said brightly, catching on. "At the speeds we're talking about, that alloy could depolarize."

"Which would create a velocity differential," T'Loran agreed.

"The fuselage would be traveling at a faster rate of speed than the nacelles," Vorik added.

"So all we have to do is set up a depolarization matrix around the fuselage!" B'Elanna said triumphantly. "Neelix, you are a genius!" The five of them stood quickly and hurried back to the holosuites so they could reprogram the simulation with the new information. Meanwhile, Neelix began gathering their PADDs and shook his head.

"I have no idea what they just said," he chuckled to himself, pleased to have been of some help to them at the very least.

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