Star Trek: Into the Void - Season One
- Thread starter admiralelm11
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I'm really liking the pace of this story and how the majority of it hinges on dialogue, which has a very genuine ring to it with each character feeling very well thought out, particularly Hollem and Stidek. It's an interesting psychological study and does not have any sense of urgency for action-packed adventure. Thanks!! rbs
Chapter Five
“Course laid in, Captain,” Lieutenant Kehen reported from the helm.
“Very well. Anda…” Cardonez was cut off by her Tactical Officer.
“Captain, I have an unauthorized transport!”
“Stop it!”
“I can’t. Someone has beamed down to the surface.”
“Kehen, maintain standard orbit for the moment. Computer, identify the person who just transported down to the surface.”
“Doctor Hollem Azahn has just been transported down to the surface,” intoned the ship’s computer.
Isabel and Masafumi exchanged looks. A moment later, she jumped to her feet. “Huntington, you’re with me,” she said, striding off towards the turbolift. The Tactical Officer followed behind her.
A few moments later, they discovered Chief Leong, unconscious on the floor of Transporter Room Two. “She’s been stunned,” the Captain said while Huntington checked the transporter console. “Tell me that he didn’t beam down to the ship itself?”
“No,” he said. “It appears that he beamed down to the exact spot that we arrived at, twenty-four hours ago.”
Cardonez walked up onto the transporter platform. “Put me down there, Commander.”
“Captain, he’s armed and dangerous. I should lead a Security detail down there to get him.”
“Negative. I think I can talk him down. Beam me down.”
“Aye, sir,” Adam Huntington said and a moment later, she was gone.
* * * *
Materializing from the transporter beam in the dome again, she noted the surprised look on Hollem’s face. His arm hung limply at his side, a phaser still clutched in his hand. Cardonez was unarmed but she wasn’t worried. The Bajoran wasn’t known to be a violent man.
“Surprised to see me, Doctor?”
“Yes, actually,” he said. “I was hoping that no one would notice I was missing until the ship left orbit.”
“Did you think that would make a difference?,” she asked him. At that moment, Captain Stidek and Ensign Wolf re-entered the other side of the dome.
“I thought it would give me time. Time to come up with a reason to stay.”
“Stay?,” queried Stidek. “Captain Cardonez, what is transpiring here?”
“That’s what I’m trying to discover, Captain. The good doctor here beamed down without my authority. So, Doctor, you want to stay here?”
“Yes,” Hollem said, defiantly.
“Why the hell would you want to do that?,” asked Wolf.
“I want to study this disease. I have all that I need to survive here until the next ship comes in six months. There’s a replicator, a bed, a sonic shower, and good company.”
“And just what happens in six months?,” asked Cardonez.
“Well, they can bring another dome or two. I can set up a lab and get my own sleeping quarters…”
“Doctor, stop living in Fantasy Land! Starfleet isn’t going to allow that.”
“Why not? Maybe I can come up with a cure…”
“There is no cure, Doctor,” said Stidek. “Starfleet Command has examined and re-examined the data. I have worked on it as well. The only way to destroy Cithean Fatalis is by intense heat. A heat so intense that it would incinerate the host. There is no miracle cure.”
“You can’t know that,” the Bajoran said. “Medical science is always changing.”
“I know what this is really about,” Wolf said quietly.
Everyone turned to look at him as he continued. “He found out that the Captain is dying,” he said with a sad smile.
Stidek raised an eyebrow. “May I ask how exactly you reached this conclusion, Ensign?”
“Vulcans aren’t the only ones who can reason logically, Captain. I’ve noticed the decline in your physical appearance, your lack of appetite, and remember that I’m the only engineer aboard? You didn’t think that I wouldn’t notice an increase in EMH usage?”
Stidek nodded. “Quite logical. Of course, you are correct in your assumption. The Doctor confirmed what the EMH had already told me.”
Wolf nodded back at him.
“See!,” Hollem said. “That’s why it’s important that Starfleet sets up a permanent base here.”
“Just so Mister Wolf doesn’t get lonely?,” asked Cardonez.
“This is all about me?,” Wolf asked incredulously.
“No,” the Bajoran said, just a little too quickly,” it’s about all of you. Starfleet has no right to leave you alone out here.”
“Doctor, you appear to be laboring under a misapprehension,” the Vulcan captain said. “Starfleet did not maroon us here. We marooned ourselves here.”
“Yes, but Starfleet left you here,” Hollem said, looking imploringly at Wolf.
“We never even expected Starfleet to send ships out to visit us. Let alone to build something like this. None of us ever thought that we would see anyone again,” Wolf said.
“I’m still staying and you can’t stop me, Captain. I know the regulations. If I resign my commission, I can do what I want. I’m hoping that it won’t come to that, but I’m prepared to do it if you won’t let me stay.”
“Doctor, if I need to, I’ll send Commander Huntington and a Security force down here to retrieve you. I was hoping that you would listen to reason however. Starfleet won’t build a facility here. Already numerous people know about the Renegade’s existence. It’s a security risk as it is and they won’t let more people know. The bigger that this place is and the more traffic of ships that there is, the greater the risk of its existence becoming widely known. Once it’s out there, how long before some idiot Ferengi decides that there’s profit in such a weapon? How long before the Romulans get their hands on it or the Borg? It has to be this way.” Cardonez was imploring him now.
Hollem sat down on one of the beds. “Then I’ll stay alone and if Starfleet won’t improve the conditions, then I’ll learn to live without them.” Cardonez took a step towards him and he jerked his arm up, aiming his phaser at her. “Don’t You won’t send a Security team down here. One stray shot and everyone’s infected. You wouldn’t risk that. Just leave. I’ll be fine.”
“Azahn,” Wolf said and Hollem looked at him. “This won’t bring him back. He’s dead and I’m not him.” His voice was tinged with sadness as he spoke.
“I know that. That’s not why I’m doing this.”
“Yes, it is!,” Wolf said,” and I won’t let you! I’m not some kind of substitute for your dead husband.” His voice was raised but on the verge of breaking. “I have to stay here. You don’t. You’re free. Use that freedom. Explore space. Help people.”
“But I want to help you!”
“Doc, just knowing that you’re out there will help me. Please, if you truly care about me, go.” Wolf was in tears now.”
Hollem’s head dropped and his phaser clattered to the floor. Cardonez picked it up. “Come on, Doctor. It’s time to go.” She helped him stand. “I’m sorry about this,” she said to Stidek and Wolf. “Cardonez to Testudo. Two to beam up.”
As they dematerialized in the transporter beam, Hollem cast a last despairing look at Robert, certain that he would never see him again.
The End.
“Course laid in, Captain,” Lieutenant Kehen reported from the helm.
“Very well. Anda…” Cardonez was cut off by her Tactical Officer.
“Captain, I have an unauthorized transport!”
“Stop it!”
“I can’t. Someone has beamed down to the surface.”
“Kehen, maintain standard orbit for the moment. Computer, identify the person who just transported down to the surface.”
“Doctor Hollem Azahn has just been transported down to the surface,” intoned the ship’s computer.
Isabel and Masafumi exchanged looks. A moment later, she jumped to her feet. “Huntington, you’re with me,” she said, striding off towards the turbolift. The Tactical Officer followed behind her.
A few moments later, they discovered Chief Leong, unconscious on the floor of Transporter Room Two. “She’s been stunned,” the Captain said while Huntington checked the transporter console. “Tell me that he didn’t beam down to the ship itself?”
“No,” he said. “It appears that he beamed down to the exact spot that we arrived at, twenty-four hours ago.”
Cardonez walked up onto the transporter platform. “Put me down there, Commander.”
“Captain, he’s armed and dangerous. I should lead a Security detail down there to get him.”
“Negative. I think I can talk him down. Beam me down.”
“Aye, sir,” Adam Huntington said and a moment later, she was gone.
* * * *
Materializing from the transporter beam in the dome again, she noted the surprised look on Hollem’s face. His arm hung limply at his side, a phaser still clutched in his hand. Cardonez was unarmed but she wasn’t worried. The Bajoran wasn’t known to be a violent man.
“Surprised to see me, Doctor?”
“Yes, actually,” he said. “I was hoping that no one would notice I was missing until the ship left orbit.”
“Did you think that would make a difference?,” she asked him. At that moment, Captain Stidek and Ensign Wolf re-entered the other side of the dome.
“I thought it would give me time. Time to come up with a reason to stay.”
“Stay?,” queried Stidek. “Captain Cardonez, what is transpiring here?”
“That’s what I’m trying to discover, Captain. The good doctor here beamed down without my authority. So, Doctor, you want to stay here?”
“Yes,” Hollem said, defiantly.
“Why the hell would you want to do that?,” asked Wolf.
“I want to study this disease. I have all that I need to survive here until the next ship comes in six months. There’s a replicator, a bed, a sonic shower, and good company.”
“And just what happens in six months?,” asked Cardonez.
“Well, they can bring another dome or two. I can set up a lab and get my own sleeping quarters…”
“Doctor, stop living in Fantasy Land! Starfleet isn’t going to allow that.”
“Why not? Maybe I can come up with a cure…”
“There is no cure, Doctor,” said Stidek. “Starfleet Command has examined and re-examined the data. I have worked on it as well. The only way to destroy Cithean Fatalis is by intense heat. A heat so intense that it would incinerate the host. There is no miracle cure.”
“You can’t know that,” the Bajoran said. “Medical science is always changing.”
“I know what this is really about,” Wolf said quietly.
Everyone turned to look at him as he continued. “He found out that the Captain is dying,” he said with a sad smile.
Stidek raised an eyebrow. “May I ask how exactly you reached this conclusion, Ensign?”
“Vulcans aren’t the only ones who can reason logically, Captain. I’ve noticed the decline in your physical appearance, your lack of appetite, and remember that I’m the only engineer aboard? You didn’t think that I wouldn’t notice an increase in EMH usage?”
Stidek nodded. “Quite logical. Of course, you are correct in your assumption. The Doctor confirmed what the EMH had already told me.”
Wolf nodded back at him.
“See!,” Hollem said. “That’s why it’s important that Starfleet sets up a permanent base here.”
“Just so Mister Wolf doesn’t get lonely?,” asked Cardonez.
“This is all about me?,” Wolf asked incredulously.
“No,” the Bajoran said, just a little too quickly,” it’s about all of you. Starfleet has no right to leave you alone out here.”
“Doctor, you appear to be laboring under a misapprehension,” the Vulcan captain said. “Starfleet did not maroon us here. We marooned ourselves here.”
“Yes, but Starfleet left you here,” Hollem said, looking imploringly at Wolf.
“We never even expected Starfleet to send ships out to visit us. Let alone to build something like this. None of us ever thought that we would see anyone again,” Wolf said.
“I’m still staying and you can’t stop me, Captain. I know the regulations. If I resign my commission, I can do what I want. I’m hoping that it won’t come to that, but I’m prepared to do it if you won’t let me stay.”
“Doctor, if I need to, I’ll send Commander Huntington and a Security force down here to retrieve you. I was hoping that you would listen to reason however. Starfleet won’t build a facility here. Already numerous people know about the Renegade’s existence. It’s a security risk as it is and they won’t let more people know. The bigger that this place is and the more traffic of ships that there is, the greater the risk of its existence becoming widely known. Once it’s out there, how long before some idiot Ferengi decides that there’s profit in such a weapon? How long before the Romulans get their hands on it or the Borg? It has to be this way.” Cardonez was imploring him now.
Hollem sat down on one of the beds. “Then I’ll stay alone and if Starfleet won’t improve the conditions, then I’ll learn to live without them.” Cardonez took a step towards him and he jerked his arm up, aiming his phaser at her. “Don’t You won’t send a Security team down here. One stray shot and everyone’s infected. You wouldn’t risk that. Just leave. I’ll be fine.”
“Azahn,” Wolf said and Hollem looked at him. “This won’t bring him back. He’s dead and I’m not him.” His voice was tinged with sadness as he spoke.
“I know that. That’s not why I’m doing this.”
“Yes, it is!,” Wolf said,” and I won’t let you! I’m not some kind of substitute for your dead husband.” His voice was raised but on the verge of breaking. “I have to stay here. You don’t. You’re free. Use that freedom. Explore space. Help people.”
“But I want to help you!”
“Doc, just knowing that you’re out there will help me. Please, if you truly care about me, go.” Wolf was in tears now.”
Hollem’s head dropped and his phaser clattered to the floor. Cardonez picked it up. “Come on, Doctor. It’s time to go.” She helped him stand. “I’m sorry about this,” she said to Stidek and Wolf. “Cardonez to Testudo. Two to beam up.”
As they dematerialized in the transporter beam, Hollem cast a last despairing look at Robert, certain that he would never see him again.
The End.
Very nice wrap. Of course Hollem now has to realize he's going to be spending a little time with a shrink. Every day. For a while.
Really liking the resolution - non-violent, the captain is able to talk Hollem down, drama - but very real feeling. Not overplayed.
Thanks!! rbs
Really liking the resolution - non-violent, the captain is able to talk Hollem down, drama - but very real feeling. Not overplayed.
Thanks!! rbs
Star Trek: Into the Void
04 - “As Idle as a Painted Ship Upon a Painted Ocean”
By Jack D. Elmlinger
Prologue
Captain’s Log, Stardate 54468.5;
We are currently approaching Zelket space, following up on a tenuous lead that was provided to us by a member of the Malthea II colony. The lead suggests that former Administrator Blake may have visited Zelket space several times. In addition, it gives us an ideal opportunity to continue our exploration of Sector 29004. Little is known about the Zelkets, and this is a state of affairs that I intend to remedy.
The Bridge of the Testudo was starting to come to life again after several hours of quietness. They were approaching the boundaries of Zelket space and everyone was a little more enthusiastic than they had been a short time before
“I’m looking forward to learning more about the Zelket,” said Commander Yashiro Masafumi. “From what little that we know about them, they seem to be a fascinating culture.”
“Indeed,” said Captain Isabel Cardonez. “By all accounts, a lot of their technology is superior to our own but I think that I’m more intrigued by their philosophy and beliefs.”
Masafumi gave a chuckle. “And yet by our standards, they don’t actually warrant a First Contact.”
“Luckily, the Captain of the Wisconsin decided to bend the rules on that one.”
“I’m just looking forward to meeting some like minds,” said Lieutenant Kehen at the helm.
Cardonez marveled at her skin tone. Today, her usually blue-green skin tone seemed to be darker and bluer than usual. It made the green veins that ran up her neck and disappeared into the twin appendages on her head harder to spot. It also made her white hair stand out more. She made a mental note to ask Doctor Hollem about Yulani physiology. She could quite easily tell if a member of her crew was flushed or overly pale but she hadn’t figured Kehen out yet.
“Like minds?,” asked Lieutenant Valian Kandro from Kehen’s left. As usual, the Betazoid’s demeanor was laidback and playful.
“Well, like the Yulani people, they had little experience with other cultures. It will be quite refreshing.” She flashed a big smile at him.
“Are you calling me jaded?,” he replied with mock surprise.
“Children, stop bickering,” said Masafumi. Cardonez was delighted to hear a slight degree of humor in her First Officer’s voice. He definitely seemed to be loosening up, if just by a tiniest fraction. “If you have to argue, please save it for your off-duty moments.”
“Aye, sir,” Kehen said, duly chastised.
“She started it,” Kandro said, childishly, playing along with the Commander.
“Did I imply that I cared?”
“No, sir,” he replied. Isabel had to bite her bottom lip to stop from laughing.
“Lieutenant Kehen, how long until we reach the Zelket border?,” Masafumi asked.
“In sixty seconds. We’ll be dropping in impulse in fifty seconds.”
“Proceed.”
Cardonez realized that she was loosening up a little as well. She was certainly a lot more comfortable with letting Masafumi do his job. The two of them were developing a much better working relationship. Yashiro was getting better at knowing when to take the initiative and she was allowing him more opportunities in helping run the ship.
“Forty seconds to the Zelket border,” Kehen said. “Thirty seconds… twenty-five seconds… preparing to drop out of warp…”
The Testudo stopped dead in space. The starship dropped violently out of warp, plasma flaring away from both nacelles as she went from high speed to nothingness. On the Bridge, no one had any indication of what was about to happen. As a result, every member of the Bridge crew was thrown from his or her seat. The only exception was Lieutenant Commander Adam Huntington who managed to cling onto the Tactical console, despite it ramming into his stomach and knocking the breath out of him.
Cardonez and Masafumi were both thrown forward onto the deck. Kandro slammed into his console before slipping down between it and his chair to the deck. Kehen fared worse and she was catapulted over her console and to the deck beyond it. At the back of the Bridge, several crew members who had been standing at science stations were now laid out on the deck.
Cardonez was the first person to rise up to her feet. Feeling a wetness, she touched a hand to her face, recoiling in pain as she touched her nose. It was broken and bleeding profusely. She winced as she wiped a smear of green blood on her jacket sleeve before turning to Masafumi. He was out cold but breathing normally. As she knelt by him, Kandro managed to sit upright and the Captain took the opportunity to ask,” What the hell hit us?”
“I don’t think anything hit us,” replied the Betazoid Operations Officer.
“Confirmed, Captain. We haven’t collided with anything or been fired upon. We simply dropped out of warp,” Huntington said. A strand of dark hair had become dislodged from his usual slick back hairstyle and it hung over one eye.
“Of course,” said the Captain. “The Zelket must have extended their borders.”
“It was so nice of them to tell us,” said Kandro.
“Captain, I have a signal coming in. It’s an old style radio wave communication,” said Huntington. “It appears to be automated and it’s voice-only.”
“Let’s hear it.”
Moments later, a toneless voice was heard over the intercom system. “Warning. You are entering Zelket space. Warp travel is forbidden within the boundaries of our territory and your warp drive will not function. We ask that you respect our beliefs and obey our laws while visiting our space.”
As the voice ended, Kandro piped up. “Like I said, they could have warned us.” He smiled but it faded as he noticed where Kehen had ended up. “Shit, Zia,” she said, staggering past his console to kneel by her side.
“I’m okay,” she muttered, sitting up. He could tell by the crooked way her arm was bent that it wasn’t the case.
“Captain, she’s broken her arm,” he said.
Cardonez nodded before she tapped her combadge. “Cardonez to Sickbay. Doctor, we have casualties on the Bridge.”
The harassed voice of her Chief Medical Officer came back, moments later. “Captain, we have casualties everywhere! In fact, I have a nurse with a concussion and a medical technician with a broken leg. What happened?”
“It appears that the Zelket had extended the limit of their subspace dampeners. In short, we ran into a wall.”
“I see. How bad are the casualties up there?”
“Well, Commander Masafumi is unconscious and Lieutenant Kehen has a broken arm.” She paused and looked behind her.
“We’re okay up here,” said Huntington. “Just shaken up a bit.”
Cardonezz wiped a few more drops of blood away from her nose. “And I think I’ve broken my nose. What’s the situation look like ship-wide?”
“We have injuries on every deck. It’s mostly bumps and bruises but there are a few broken bones and one or two concussions. I’ll send someone up to the Bridge now to check on the Commander. You and Kehen had better report to Sickbay after that.”
“I’ll send Kehen down now. I need to stay up here for the moment. Cardonez out. Lieutenant, can you make it down to Sickbay alone?”
“Aye, sir,” she said, heading for the turbolift.
“I’ll go with her, sir,” said Kandro.
“Belay that, Mister Kandro. I need you on the Bridge for now.” Isabel flopped down into her seat before tapping her combadge once more. “Cardonez to Engineering. Liz, what’s the damage look like down there?”
“The warp core is dead. I’ll have to reinitialize it from scratch. I estimate twelve hours to do that, plus repair the rest of the damage. I have five ODN conduits shorted out. The inertial dampeners took a pounding but they’re still operating. I have a plasma fire on Deck Seventeen and there’s a hull breach on Deck Nineteen.”
“What about impulse power?”
“The impulse drive is unaffected so there’s nothing to stop us from moving. Try not to get us into a firefight anytime soon. I’d like to do a full spectroscopic analysis of the hull. The shock of dropping to a dead stop has probably weakened our internal structure.”
“Okay, Liz. Keep me posted.”
Doctor Hollem had made it up to the Bridge and the Bajoran was scanning Masafumi. “He seems to be okay. Help me get him up.” Between the Doctor and the Captain, they picked the First Officer up and slumped him back in his chair. Hollen proceeded to withdraw a hypospray from his medkit which he pressed to the side of the Commander’s neck, activating it with a hiss.
A few seconds later, he woke up. “What hit us?,” he said groggily.
“The Zelket subspace dampening field,” said Cardonez.
“Oh,” he said,” I feel giddy.”
“It’s probably nothing but we’d better get you to Sickbay,” said Hollem. “You too, Captain.”
“Okay,” she said. “Mister Kandro, at full impulse power, how long will it take to get us to the Zelket homeworld?”
“Approximately ten hours.”
“Set a course and andale. Mister Huntington, you have the Bridge.”
A moment later, Commander Huntington settled into the Captain’s chair. Kandro had transferred the helm functions to his own console. “Course laid in.”
“Engage,” said the Tactical Officer.
“Aye, sir.”
“And, Lieutenant, began a scan of the area. Given the condition that we’re in at the moment, I’d rather not be caught with our britches down.”
Kandro cast a glance over his shoulder. “I’m with you on that, Commander.”
04 - “As Idle as a Painted Ship Upon a Painted Ocean”
By Jack D. Elmlinger
Prologue
Captain’s Log, Stardate 54468.5;
We are currently approaching Zelket space, following up on a tenuous lead that was provided to us by a member of the Malthea II colony. The lead suggests that former Administrator Blake may have visited Zelket space several times. In addition, it gives us an ideal opportunity to continue our exploration of Sector 29004. Little is known about the Zelkets, and this is a state of affairs that I intend to remedy.
The Bridge of the Testudo was starting to come to life again after several hours of quietness. They were approaching the boundaries of Zelket space and everyone was a little more enthusiastic than they had been a short time before
“I’m looking forward to learning more about the Zelket,” said Commander Yashiro Masafumi. “From what little that we know about them, they seem to be a fascinating culture.”
“Indeed,” said Captain Isabel Cardonez. “By all accounts, a lot of their technology is superior to our own but I think that I’m more intrigued by their philosophy and beliefs.”
Masafumi gave a chuckle. “And yet by our standards, they don’t actually warrant a First Contact.”
“Luckily, the Captain of the Wisconsin decided to bend the rules on that one.”
“I’m just looking forward to meeting some like minds,” said Lieutenant Kehen at the helm.
Cardonez marveled at her skin tone. Today, her usually blue-green skin tone seemed to be darker and bluer than usual. It made the green veins that ran up her neck and disappeared into the twin appendages on her head harder to spot. It also made her white hair stand out more. She made a mental note to ask Doctor Hollem about Yulani physiology. She could quite easily tell if a member of her crew was flushed or overly pale but she hadn’t figured Kehen out yet.
“Like minds?,” asked Lieutenant Valian Kandro from Kehen’s left. As usual, the Betazoid’s demeanor was laidback and playful.
“Well, like the Yulani people, they had little experience with other cultures. It will be quite refreshing.” She flashed a big smile at him.
“Are you calling me jaded?,” he replied with mock surprise.
“Children, stop bickering,” said Masafumi. Cardonez was delighted to hear a slight degree of humor in her First Officer’s voice. He definitely seemed to be loosening up, if just by a tiniest fraction. “If you have to argue, please save it for your off-duty moments.”
“Aye, sir,” Kehen said, duly chastised.
“She started it,” Kandro said, childishly, playing along with the Commander.
“Did I imply that I cared?”
“No, sir,” he replied. Isabel had to bite her bottom lip to stop from laughing.
“Lieutenant Kehen, how long until we reach the Zelket border?,” Masafumi asked.
“In sixty seconds. We’ll be dropping in impulse in fifty seconds.”
“Proceed.”
Cardonez realized that she was loosening up a little as well. She was certainly a lot more comfortable with letting Masafumi do his job. The two of them were developing a much better working relationship. Yashiro was getting better at knowing when to take the initiative and she was allowing him more opportunities in helping run the ship.
“Forty seconds to the Zelket border,” Kehen said. “Thirty seconds… twenty-five seconds… preparing to drop out of warp…”
The Testudo stopped dead in space. The starship dropped violently out of warp, plasma flaring away from both nacelles as she went from high speed to nothingness. On the Bridge, no one had any indication of what was about to happen. As a result, every member of the Bridge crew was thrown from his or her seat. The only exception was Lieutenant Commander Adam Huntington who managed to cling onto the Tactical console, despite it ramming into his stomach and knocking the breath out of him.
Cardonez and Masafumi were both thrown forward onto the deck. Kandro slammed into his console before slipping down between it and his chair to the deck. Kehen fared worse and she was catapulted over her console and to the deck beyond it. At the back of the Bridge, several crew members who had been standing at science stations were now laid out on the deck.
Cardonez was the first person to rise up to her feet. Feeling a wetness, she touched a hand to her face, recoiling in pain as she touched her nose. It was broken and bleeding profusely. She winced as she wiped a smear of green blood on her jacket sleeve before turning to Masafumi. He was out cold but breathing normally. As she knelt by him, Kandro managed to sit upright and the Captain took the opportunity to ask,” What the hell hit us?”
“I don’t think anything hit us,” replied the Betazoid Operations Officer.
“Confirmed, Captain. We haven’t collided with anything or been fired upon. We simply dropped out of warp,” Huntington said. A strand of dark hair had become dislodged from his usual slick back hairstyle and it hung over one eye.
“Of course,” said the Captain. “The Zelket must have extended their borders.”
“It was so nice of them to tell us,” said Kandro.
“Captain, I have a signal coming in. It’s an old style radio wave communication,” said Huntington. “It appears to be automated and it’s voice-only.”
“Let’s hear it.”
Moments later, a toneless voice was heard over the intercom system. “Warning. You are entering Zelket space. Warp travel is forbidden within the boundaries of our territory and your warp drive will not function. We ask that you respect our beliefs and obey our laws while visiting our space.”
As the voice ended, Kandro piped up. “Like I said, they could have warned us.” He smiled but it faded as he noticed where Kehen had ended up. “Shit, Zia,” she said, staggering past his console to kneel by her side.
“I’m okay,” she muttered, sitting up. He could tell by the crooked way her arm was bent that it wasn’t the case.
“Captain, she’s broken her arm,” he said.
Cardonez nodded before she tapped her combadge. “Cardonez to Sickbay. Doctor, we have casualties on the Bridge.”
The harassed voice of her Chief Medical Officer came back, moments later. “Captain, we have casualties everywhere! In fact, I have a nurse with a concussion and a medical technician with a broken leg. What happened?”
“It appears that the Zelket had extended the limit of their subspace dampeners. In short, we ran into a wall.”
“I see. How bad are the casualties up there?”
“Well, Commander Masafumi is unconscious and Lieutenant Kehen has a broken arm.” She paused and looked behind her.
“We’re okay up here,” said Huntington. “Just shaken up a bit.”
Cardonezz wiped a few more drops of blood away from her nose. “And I think I’ve broken my nose. What’s the situation look like ship-wide?”
“We have injuries on every deck. It’s mostly bumps and bruises but there are a few broken bones and one or two concussions. I’ll send someone up to the Bridge now to check on the Commander. You and Kehen had better report to Sickbay after that.”
“I’ll send Kehen down now. I need to stay up here for the moment. Cardonez out. Lieutenant, can you make it down to Sickbay alone?”
“Aye, sir,” she said, heading for the turbolift.
“I’ll go with her, sir,” said Kandro.
“Belay that, Mister Kandro. I need you on the Bridge for now.” Isabel flopped down into her seat before tapping her combadge once more. “Cardonez to Engineering. Liz, what’s the damage look like down there?”
“The warp core is dead. I’ll have to reinitialize it from scratch. I estimate twelve hours to do that, plus repair the rest of the damage. I have five ODN conduits shorted out. The inertial dampeners took a pounding but they’re still operating. I have a plasma fire on Deck Seventeen and there’s a hull breach on Deck Nineteen.”
“What about impulse power?”
“The impulse drive is unaffected so there’s nothing to stop us from moving. Try not to get us into a firefight anytime soon. I’d like to do a full spectroscopic analysis of the hull. The shock of dropping to a dead stop has probably weakened our internal structure.”
“Okay, Liz. Keep me posted.”
Doctor Hollem had made it up to the Bridge and the Bajoran was scanning Masafumi. “He seems to be okay. Help me get him up.” Between the Doctor and the Captain, they picked the First Officer up and slumped him back in his chair. Hollen proceeded to withdraw a hypospray from his medkit which he pressed to the side of the Commander’s neck, activating it with a hiss.
A few seconds later, he woke up. “What hit us?,” he said groggily.
“The Zelket subspace dampening field,” said Cardonez.
“Oh,” he said,” I feel giddy.”
“It’s probably nothing but we’d better get you to Sickbay,” said Hollem. “You too, Captain.”
“Okay,” she said. “Mister Kandro, at full impulse power, how long will it take to get us to the Zelket homeworld?”
“Approximately ten hours.”
“Set a course and andale. Mister Huntington, you have the Bridge.”
A moment later, Commander Huntington settled into the Captain’s chair. Kandro had transferred the helm functions to his own console. “Course laid in.”
“Engage,” said the Tactical Officer.
“Aye, sir.”
“And, Lieutenant, began a scan of the area. Given the condition that we’re in at the moment, I’d rather not be caught with our britches down.”
Kandro cast a glance over his shoulder. “I’m with you on that, Commander.”
An interesting premise. I wonder what issues might arise with high speed travel in relativistic space. Time dilation might become an issue... Thanks!! rbs
Chapter One
Lieutenant Liz Tennyson was flat on her back, inspecting the underside of one of the engineering consoles. She couldn’t find the problem and it irritated her. Of course, she enjoyed it too - the problem-solving aspect of engineering. Suddenly, one aspect of engineering that she didn’t like appeared.
“Lieutenant, I’ve fixed the ODN line as you requested,” said Lieutenant Bill Reeves who was standing over her.
Tennyson pulled her head out from under the console and stood up. “Thanks, Bill,” she said. “Care to take a repair team down to Deck Nineteen and begin stress-testing the hull? I want to know if there are any more stress factors forming.”
Bill Reeves was forty-six years old and very forthright in his thinking. He sighed heavily and ran a hand through his thinning black hair. “With all due respect, that’s a job for a lesser officer.”
Tennyson inwardly steeled herself for a confrontation. “Bill, it’s all hands to the pump, right now. I wouldn’t ask but I need someone experienced on this. We can’t afford to miss any fractures in the hull.”
“How come Ensign Wilker gets to work on the inertial dampeners? He’s only six months out of the Academy.”
“Yes, but his final thesis was on inertial dampeners. Besides, I’m going to help him in a minute if I can get this damned console working again,” she said, angrily thumping the console.
“Do you want me to take a look at it?,” Reeves asked, pushing her aside and beginning to tap at the controls.
“Bill, I can handle it,” Tennyson said, a little more forcefully. “I need you to take a look at Deck Nineteen.”
“All right then, but you can stop calling me Bill,” Reeves said, very put out. “I’m the same rank as you. How many years have you been an engineer?,” he asked, continuing before she had a chance to answer. “I’ve been an engineer on a starship for twenty-four years and you treat me like a cadet.” His voice was rising now.
“Lieutenant,” she said,” I appreciate your concerns. Maybe we should sit down and have a chat after we get the ship running again. Okay?” She dropped her voice, trying to calm him down.
For a moment, she thought that he was going to go off again but instead he turned away. “Matthews, D’Vhor, you’re with me. Let’s go check out the cellar. It seems that’s all that we’re good for.”
Tennyson sighed as Crewmen Matthews and Chief Petty Officer D’Vhor followed Reeves out of Engineering.
“Are you okay, Lieutenant?,” asked Lieutenant Wilker.
Tennyson turned to face him.. Wilker’s dark young face was etched with concern. She forced a smile to her face. “Sure, Ensign. How are the dampeners looking?”
Wilker’s handsome face lit up with a faint smile. “They’re at ninety percent. Just give me another ten minutes.” His grin widened and he returned to his station.
“Excellent,” said the Chief Engineer quietly. “Maybe you can solve my other problems after that.” With a tired smile, she returned to work on the malfunctioning console.
* * * *
Hours later, the Testudo swung into orbit around a large, burnished yellow world. The odd white cloud moved across the surface of the planet and there was one large irregular patch of blue that was strikingly visible against the yellow.
“Orbit established,” said Ensign Carter from the helm.
“Very well,” said Captain Cardonez. “Hail the Zelket.”
“Hailing frequency open,” reported Huntington. “I have them.
“Patch it through to my Ready Room.”
Once she left the Bridge and seated behind her desk, she activated her desk monitor. A male Zelket appeared before her.
“Welcome to the world of Jor’Ka’Hail,” he said with a small bow of his head. “I am Arlam-Nevu, Grand Lan-Yiet of the Zelrik.”
Cardonez estimated that Arlam-Nevu must have been over seven feet tall. His skin was dark bronze in color. Ridges of pure white bone rat from his ridged forehead over his hairless skull. Similar bone structures swept out from under his eyes and across from where ears would have been on a Human. His mouth was narrow and when he spoke, she saw two rows of small but razor-sharp teeth. All in all, he was an imposing sight. However, his voice was soft and melodic. His bright red eyes sparkled with intelligence.
“Greetings, Arlam-Nevu. I am Isabel Cardonez, Captain of the Federation starship Testudo.”
“Greetings. It is rare that the United Federation of Planets visits us. There are many who believe that the Federation disapproves of our beliefs and they choose to ignore us.” Arlam-Nevu’s voice was as pleasant as before but Cardonez noticed the barbed insult. She wished that Masafumi was here. He had far more diplomatic experience than she did. However, Doctor Hollem had insisted on keeping him in Sickbay for a few hours.
“The Federation tries not to disapprove of any belief system held by any people,” she began. “However, we have neglected this region of space for many years. My ship has been assigned to this area and I hope that this can be the beginning of a dialogue between your people and mine.”
“The Captain of the Wisconsin said the same thing. We never saw her again though. Do not mistake our isolation for xenophobia, Captain. While we have no wish to travel to the stars and disturb the spirit web, we accept that others have the right to do so. We welcome their diversity into our own.”
“I apologize on the behalf of my people, Arlam-Nevu,” Cardonez said. “For many years, we have been occupied by other things.”
“Ah, yes,” he said. “We have heard about your wars against the Tzenkethi, the Cardassians, the Klingons, and against the people from across the Galaxy. For a peaceful people, you seem to battle a lot. Many say that we should be grateful that you defeated the Dominion. Should we be?”
Cardonez thought that she spotted a trap and sidestepped it. “I can only tell you of my own experiences, Arlam-Nevu. What I saw of the Dominion wasn’t compatible with the ideals of the Federation. Where we respect the people’s right to govern as they will, the Dominion sought to impose their own form of order on the universe. If they had defeated us, it’s likely that they would have eventually come here in force.”
“An evasive answer but an answer nonetheless. The Dominion would have found us to be quite ready to defend ourselves, Captain. Although we abhor the warp drive, other areas of our technology have not stood still.”
“Captain Stanislav said as much in her report. She spoke of a wise and advanced people.”
“Yes, and she told us of your Prime Directive and your rule to never contact other species until they are capable of warp drive. How sad is it to judge a race purely on their ability to build technology? What of art or poetry? What of peace? Are these not worthy things to judge a race upon?” The knowing smile remained.
“I suppose one must judge a race upon something. Our rules allow us to contact any race capable of creating warp drive, irrespective of if they actually do or don’t,” Cardonez said, mentally cringing as she spoke.
Arlam-Nevu picked up the weapon that she had given him and proceeded to hit her with it. “Why judge a race at all?,” he asked with the same knowing smile on his face.
Well, I walked into that one, thought Cardonez. She shrugged. “In the past, the Federation has made mistakes in contacting civilizations too quickly. The shock of discovering that they aren’t alone in the universe can alter an entire species and not always for the better. If they’re on the verge of building warp-capable ships, they will run into us sooner or later. It’s far better for them if we make the initial contact on their world. I’m not saying that it’s a perfect system, Arlam-Nevu, but it’s intentions are honorable.” Damn. Now I sound like I’m giving a lecture to first-year cadets at the Academy, she thought.
Arlam-Nevu’s smile remained the same. “That sounds like a well-rehearsed speech, Captain,” he said. “What about you? What do you believe in?”
Isabel made a mental note to explore the possibility that the Zelket were telepathic. Certainly, Arlam-Nevu seemed to know exactly what she was thinking. “I believe in the Prime Directive and I believe in the Federation,” she said. “I don’t believe that it’s always right but at the end of the day, it’s better than the alternative. And I know a little about the alternative, sir.” She found her posture straightening. If he wanted to have her feelings on the subject, he could have them. “I was five years old when my mother died but she told me of what life was for the average Romulan. How her uncle had vanished one night, never to return. How they lived in fear of the Tal’Shiar and how her dream of becoming a doctor was perverted because her teachers thought that she would be of more use to the state as a Science Officer aboard a Romulan military vessel. Whatever I wanted to do with my life was my choice. At the end of the day, that’s the best thing that I can say about the Federation.”
Calm down, Isabel. This is no time to rant.
“You asked for my opinion, Arlam-Nevu. I have given it to you.” She relaxed now, allowing a smile to appear on her face. “I hope that my candor doesn’t offend you.”
Arlam-Nevu laughed. “On the contrary, Captain, we of the Zelket value honesty as one of our highest virtues.”
“In that case, sir, I shall continue to be honest with you,” she said. There was a phrase that her father taught her, ‘I might as well be hung for a sheep as a lamp’. It had taken forever to explain it to her but it seemed to be oddly appropriate now. Diplomacy wasn’t her best attribute. Honest, however? She could do honesty as many people had found to their cost. “It is true that we are assigned to this area of space. It is true that we wish to develop ties with the Zelket. However, we have an ulterior motive for beginning this process today.”
“Really?”
“Yes. We’re looking for a Federation citizen who we believe was involved in the disappearance of a Federation ship.”
“And you have reason to believe that he is here?”
“We received some information that the man in question had mentioned visiting the Zelket. It’s a tenuous link but as we were planning to visit you anyways, it seemed wise to kill two birds with one stone.”
Arlam-Nevu seemed confused. “Birds? Stone?,” he asked.
“I’m sorry. They’re Human expressions,” Cardonez told him. “It means to accomplish two tasks at the same time.”
“Ah, I see. Who is this Human that you seek?”
“His name is Blake.”
Arlam-Nevu looked at her quizzically. “Although we are visited from the outside, it is usually regular visits from known traders. Occasionally, a new face appears but it is so irregular that I am sure that I would remember them. I personally greet all visitors.”
“Excuse my impertinence, sir, but what does the role of Grant Lan-Yiet entail?” Cardonez had assumed that she was speaking to one of the rulers of the planet. She hoped that he wasn’t just that ruler’s personal secretary!
“In your idiom, I would be President or more likely, a King.”
“And you greet every visitor personally?,” asked Cardonez, bemused.
“Oh, yes. It is a part of my duties. As I said, there really aren’t that many visitors. I’m sure that I would have remembered a man named Blake though.”
“Well, It was a long shot.”
“Do you have an image of him?”
“Yes,” Isabel said. “Transmitting it to you now.”
“Ah… He is not Blake. His name is Winston Moore. He visited us a few days ago. I believe he was traveling aboard a Pakled ship.”
“The Loyo?,” asked Cardonez. Suddenly their tenuous lead was paying dividends.
“Yes. Captain Glablok. His ship has visited a few times in the last few years. He is always trying to get us to part with our technology. We never do.”
“Arlam-Nevu, this is wonderful news because the Pakled ship is also involved with the loss of our ship.”
“Hmmm… This ship that you have ‘lost’, what was its name?”
“The USS Aora. Why?”
“Then I am pleased to announce that you have found it. It arrived with the Pakleds and as far as I’m aware, it is still within our system.”
Cardonez leaned forward in her chair. “Sir, with all due respect, our sensors would have located either ship if they had been in this star system.”
“I doubt it, Captain. The Aora was last seen entering close orbit around Nerthus, the third planet in our system.”
“The gas giant?”
“Yes. It is an evil world and it generates a highly radioactive magnetic field that not only makes it dangerous to approach but it also disrupts scans. If the Aora is still in such close proximity, I doubt that it’s crew could still be alive, given the radiation.”
“Is that where the Loyo is as well?”
“Oh, no! They left the system about twenty hours before you arrived here.”
“Arlam-Nevu, you have been incredibly helpful. I would like to ask your forgiveness if I pursue our lost ship now. I promise to return and begin more formal communications.”
“You are forgiven, Captain. I have enjoyed our conversation and I look forward to speaking to you again.”
With their communications ended, Captain Cardonez jumped out of her seat and rushed out onto the Bridge. “Mister Care, set a course for the third planet, maximum impulse,” she ordered, retaking her seat.
“Captain?,” asked Kandro.
“Course laid in,” reported Carter.
“Andale,” Isabel said before she glanced at Kandro. “We’re off to find the Aora.”
Lieutenant Liz Tennyson was flat on her back, inspecting the underside of one of the engineering consoles. She couldn’t find the problem and it irritated her. Of course, she enjoyed it too - the problem-solving aspect of engineering. Suddenly, one aspect of engineering that she didn’t like appeared.
“Lieutenant, I’ve fixed the ODN line as you requested,” said Lieutenant Bill Reeves who was standing over her.
Tennyson pulled her head out from under the console and stood up. “Thanks, Bill,” she said. “Care to take a repair team down to Deck Nineteen and begin stress-testing the hull? I want to know if there are any more stress factors forming.”
Bill Reeves was forty-six years old and very forthright in his thinking. He sighed heavily and ran a hand through his thinning black hair. “With all due respect, that’s a job for a lesser officer.”
Tennyson inwardly steeled herself for a confrontation. “Bill, it’s all hands to the pump, right now. I wouldn’t ask but I need someone experienced on this. We can’t afford to miss any fractures in the hull.”
“How come Ensign Wilker gets to work on the inertial dampeners? He’s only six months out of the Academy.”
“Yes, but his final thesis was on inertial dampeners. Besides, I’m going to help him in a minute if I can get this damned console working again,” she said, angrily thumping the console.
“Do you want me to take a look at it?,” Reeves asked, pushing her aside and beginning to tap at the controls.
“Bill, I can handle it,” Tennyson said, a little more forcefully. “I need you to take a look at Deck Nineteen.”
“All right then, but you can stop calling me Bill,” Reeves said, very put out. “I’m the same rank as you. How many years have you been an engineer?,” he asked, continuing before she had a chance to answer. “I’ve been an engineer on a starship for twenty-four years and you treat me like a cadet.” His voice was rising now.
“Lieutenant,” she said,” I appreciate your concerns. Maybe we should sit down and have a chat after we get the ship running again. Okay?” She dropped her voice, trying to calm him down.
For a moment, she thought that he was going to go off again but instead he turned away. “Matthews, D’Vhor, you’re with me. Let’s go check out the cellar. It seems that’s all that we’re good for.”
Tennyson sighed as Crewmen Matthews and Chief Petty Officer D’Vhor followed Reeves out of Engineering.
“Are you okay, Lieutenant?,” asked Lieutenant Wilker.
Tennyson turned to face him.. Wilker’s dark young face was etched with concern. She forced a smile to her face. “Sure, Ensign. How are the dampeners looking?”
Wilker’s handsome face lit up with a faint smile. “They’re at ninety percent. Just give me another ten minutes.” His grin widened and he returned to his station.
“Excellent,” said the Chief Engineer quietly. “Maybe you can solve my other problems after that.” With a tired smile, she returned to work on the malfunctioning console.
* * * *
Hours later, the Testudo swung into orbit around a large, burnished yellow world. The odd white cloud moved across the surface of the planet and there was one large irregular patch of blue that was strikingly visible against the yellow.
“Orbit established,” said Ensign Carter from the helm.
“Very well,” said Captain Cardonez. “Hail the Zelket.”
“Hailing frequency open,” reported Huntington. “I have them.
“Patch it through to my Ready Room.”
Once she left the Bridge and seated behind her desk, she activated her desk monitor. A male Zelket appeared before her.
“Welcome to the world of Jor’Ka’Hail,” he said with a small bow of his head. “I am Arlam-Nevu, Grand Lan-Yiet of the Zelrik.”
Cardonez estimated that Arlam-Nevu must have been over seven feet tall. His skin was dark bronze in color. Ridges of pure white bone rat from his ridged forehead over his hairless skull. Similar bone structures swept out from under his eyes and across from where ears would have been on a Human. His mouth was narrow and when he spoke, she saw two rows of small but razor-sharp teeth. All in all, he was an imposing sight. However, his voice was soft and melodic. His bright red eyes sparkled with intelligence.
“Greetings, Arlam-Nevu. I am Isabel Cardonez, Captain of the Federation starship Testudo.”
“Greetings. It is rare that the United Federation of Planets visits us. There are many who believe that the Federation disapproves of our beliefs and they choose to ignore us.” Arlam-Nevu’s voice was as pleasant as before but Cardonez noticed the barbed insult. She wished that Masafumi was here. He had far more diplomatic experience than she did. However, Doctor Hollem had insisted on keeping him in Sickbay for a few hours.
“The Federation tries not to disapprove of any belief system held by any people,” she began. “However, we have neglected this region of space for many years. My ship has been assigned to this area and I hope that this can be the beginning of a dialogue between your people and mine.”
“The Captain of the Wisconsin said the same thing. We never saw her again though. Do not mistake our isolation for xenophobia, Captain. While we have no wish to travel to the stars and disturb the spirit web, we accept that others have the right to do so. We welcome their diversity into our own.”
“I apologize on the behalf of my people, Arlam-Nevu,” Cardonez said. “For many years, we have been occupied by other things.”
“Ah, yes,” he said. “We have heard about your wars against the Tzenkethi, the Cardassians, the Klingons, and against the people from across the Galaxy. For a peaceful people, you seem to battle a lot. Many say that we should be grateful that you defeated the Dominion. Should we be?”
Cardonez thought that she spotted a trap and sidestepped it. “I can only tell you of my own experiences, Arlam-Nevu. What I saw of the Dominion wasn’t compatible with the ideals of the Federation. Where we respect the people’s right to govern as they will, the Dominion sought to impose their own form of order on the universe. If they had defeated us, it’s likely that they would have eventually come here in force.”
“An evasive answer but an answer nonetheless. The Dominion would have found us to be quite ready to defend ourselves, Captain. Although we abhor the warp drive, other areas of our technology have not stood still.”
“Captain Stanislav said as much in her report. She spoke of a wise and advanced people.”
“Yes, and she told us of your Prime Directive and your rule to never contact other species until they are capable of warp drive. How sad is it to judge a race purely on their ability to build technology? What of art or poetry? What of peace? Are these not worthy things to judge a race upon?” The knowing smile remained.
“I suppose one must judge a race upon something. Our rules allow us to contact any race capable of creating warp drive, irrespective of if they actually do or don’t,” Cardonez said, mentally cringing as she spoke.
Arlam-Nevu picked up the weapon that she had given him and proceeded to hit her with it. “Why judge a race at all?,” he asked with the same knowing smile on his face.
Well, I walked into that one, thought Cardonez. She shrugged. “In the past, the Federation has made mistakes in contacting civilizations too quickly. The shock of discovering that they aren’t alone in the universe can alter an entire species and not always for the better. If they’re on the verge of building warp-capable ships, they will run into us sooner or later. It’s far better for them if we make the initial contact on their world. I’m not saying that it’s a perfect system, Arlam-Nevu, but it’s intentions are honorable.” Damn. Now I sound like I’m giving a lecture to first-year cadets at the Academy, she thought.
Arlam-Nevu’s smile remained the same. “That sounds like a well-rehearsed speech, Captain,” he said. “What about you? What do you believe in?”
Isabel made a mental note to explore the possibility that the Zelket were telepathic. Certainly, Arlam-Nevu seemed to know exactly what she was thinking. “I believe in the Prime Directive and I believe in the Federation,” she said. “I don’t believe that it’s always right but at the end of the day, it’s better than the alternative. And I know a little about the alternative, sir.” She found her posture straightening. If he wanted to have her feelings on the subject, he could have them. “I was five years old when my mother died but she told me of what life was for the average Romulan. How her uncle had vanished one night, never to return. How they lived in fear of the Tal’Shiar and how her dream of becoming a doctor was perverted because her teachers thought that she would be of more use to the state as a Science Officer aboard a Romulan military vessel. Whatever I wanted to do with my life was my choice. At the end of the day, that’s the best thing that I can say about the Federation.”
Calm down, Isabel. This is no time to rant.
“You asked for my opinion, Arlam-Nevu. I have given it to you.” She relaxed now, allowing a smile to appear on her face. “I hope that my candor doesn’t offend you.”
Arlam-Nevu laughed. “On the contrary, Captain, we of the Zelket value honesty as one of our highest virtues.”
“In that case, sir, I shall continue to be honest with you,” she said. There was a phrase that her father taught her, ‘I might as well be hung for a sheep as a lamp’. It had taken forever to explain it to her but it seemed to be oddly appropriate now. Diplomacy wasn’t her best attribute. Honest, however? She could do honesty as many people had found to their cost. “It is true that we are assigned to this area of space. It is true that we wish to develop ties with the Zelket. However, we have an ulterior motive for beginning this process today.”
“Really?”
“Yes. We’re looking for a Federation citizen who we believe was involved in the disappearance of a Federation ship.”
“And you have reason to believe that he is here?”
“We received some information that the man in question had mentioned visiting the Zelket. It’s a tenuous link but as we were planning to visit you anyways, it seemed wise to kill two birds with one stone.”
Arlam-Nevu seemed confused. “Birds? Stone?,” he asked.
“I’m sorry. They’re Human expressions,” Cardonez told him. “It means to accomplish two tasks at the same time.”
“Ah, I see. Who is this Human that you seek?”
“His name is Blake.”
Arlam-Nevu looked at her quizzically. “Although we are visited from the outside, it is usually regular visits from known traders. Occasionally, a new face appears but it is so irregular that I am sure that I would remember them. I personally greet all visitors.”
“Excuse my impertinence, sir, but what does the role of Grant Lan-Yiet entail?” Cardonez had assumed that she was speaking to one of the rulers of the planet. She hoped that he wasn’t just that ruler’s personal secretary!
“In your idiom, I would be President or more likely, a King.”
“And you greet every visitor personally?,” asked Cardonez, bemused.
“Oh, yes. It is a part of my duties. As I said, there really aren’t that many visitors. I’m sure that I would have remembered a man named Blake though.”
“Well, It was a long shot.”
“Do you have an image of him?”
“Yes,” Isabel said. “Transmitting it to you now.”
“Ah… He is not Blake. His name is Winston Moore. He visited us a few days ago. I believe he was traveling aboard a Pakled ship.”
“The Loyo?,” asked Cardonez. Suddenly their tenuous lead was paying dividends.
“Yes. Captain Glablok. His ship has visited a few times in the last few years. He is always trying to get us to part with our technology. We never do.”
“Arlam-Nevu, this is wonderful news because the Pakled ship is also involved with the loss of our ship.”
“Hmmm… This ship that you have ‘lost’, what was its name?”
“The USS Aora. Why?”
“Then I am pleased to announce that you have found it. It arrived with the Pakleds and as far as I’m aware, it is still within our system.”
Cardonez leaned forward in her chair. “Sir, with all due respect, our sensors would have located either ship if they had been in this star system.”
“I doubt it, Captain. The Aora was last seen entering close orbit around Nerthus, the third planet in our system.”
“The gas giant?”
“Yes. It is an evil world and it generates a highly radioactive magnetic field that not only makes it dangerous to approach but it also disrupts scans. If the Aora is still in such close proximity, I doubt that it’s crew could still be alive, given the radiation.”
“Is that where the Loyo is as well?”
“Oh, no! They left the system about twenty hours before you arrived here.”
“Arlam-Nevu, you have been incredibly helpful. I would like to ask your forgiveness if I pursue our lost ship now. I promise to return and begin more formal communications.”
“You are forgiven, Captain. I have enjoyed our conversation and I look forward to speaking to you again.”
With their communications ended, Captain Cardonez jumped out of her seat and rushed out onto the Bridge. “Mister Care, set a course for the third planet, maximum impulse,” she ordered, retaking her seat.
“Captain?,” asked Kandro.
“Course laid in,” reported Carter.
“Andale,” Isabel said before she glanced at Kandro. “We’re off to find the Aora.”
Interesting critter design and a fun conversant with the Zelrik. Kind of like fencing with words. And now an evil planet? Interesting... Thanks!! rbs
I’ll try to get more posted today.
Chapter Two
It took the Testudo forty-five minutes at full impulse speed to reach Nerthus. During that time, both Commander Masafumi and Lieutenant Kehen had been released back to their normal duties and they resumed their places on the Bridge.
“Captain, we’re approaching Nerthus,” the Yulani reported from the helm station.
“Okay, Lieutenant, we need to keep our distance. Maintain a position here.”
“Aye, sir.”
Yashiro Masafumi was sitting at the nearby Science Station. Cardonez rose from her seat and joined him. “So?,” she asked him.
“Well, Arlam-Nevu was right. It’s an evil place. It’s a gas giant that’s approximately one-point-five times the size of Jupiter. The atmosphere is forty percent hydrogen, thirty-one percent carbon dioxide and twenty-seven percent methane with the rest being made up of trace elements of oxygen, neon, helium and a few other gasses. The gravitational pull is tremendous. I have gravitational eddies that are playing havoc with some of my sensors. There are twenty-five moons that we can detect. The largest moon is about the size of Mercury and the smallest if forty miles across and little more than an asteroid. The intense radioactive field being generated by Nerthus means that I can’t detect anything smaller. There could be a hundred more moons that are too tiny to spot.”
Cardonez sighed. Glancing at the main viewscreen, she found it to be dominated by the huge swirling sphere. Storm activity seemed to pull the clouds of Nerthus in every direction at once. There were red clouds, yellow clouds, and a few white clouds as well. From the way that they were moving, she estimated that there must be winds of several hundred kilometers an hour affecting them. Several dark moons were silhouetted against the maelstrom.
“So, if the Aora is down there, we have no chance of finding it?”
“Correct. It’s far too small to scan for, under these circumstances. Our only hope is a visual examination but the planet is huge. If a moon obscured the Aora, we wouldn't see it. Presumably, that’s why the Pakleds chose Nerthus. It’s the perfect place to hide a starship. I didn’t think that they were that smart.”
“They aren’t. Blake is,” said Cardonez. “Damn, we’re so close. Could a signal penetrate the interference?”
“It’s possible if it were powerful enough,” said Masafumi,” but it would have to be a radio signal. We can’t use subspace communications because of the subspace inhibitors. Why? What did you have in mind?”
“Just a notion,” she said, scrunching her nose up in thought. “I have the prefix codes for the Aora. If its systems are online, we might be able to transmit a recall order to its main computer. Activate its thrusters and pop it up above the interference.”
“It’s possible…,” said Masafumi.
“But?”
“We’re still shooting blind without knowing where the ship is. Any signal would have to be highly compressed and on a very narrow beam.”
“So we shoot off a few hundred signals? Maybe even a few thousand, and maybe we’ll get lucky?,” she asked him. “Plus we’ll institute a manual search as well. How long will it take to set up the signal?”
It was the Commander’s turn to think now. “The modifications to the sensor array will take several hours, plus another hour to design a signal itself.”
Cardonez tapped her combadge. “Cardonez to Hollem.”
“Hollem here,” came the Doctor’s voice.
“Doctor, I take it that you’re monitoring the amount of radiation coming off of the planet?”
“Yes, sir.”
“How dangerous is it to remain in our current position?”
“It’s pretty safe, Captain. With the shields and the hull, we shouldn’t get any exposure at all for several days. Eventually, it will start to seep through and irradiate all of us but you’re looking at weeks.”
“Hopefully we won’t be here for weeks. Cardonez out.” She turned towards her First Officer. “Okay, Yashiro, get to work on the signal. Tell Lieutenant Tennyson to work on the sensor modifications.”
“Yes, Captain.”
“Mister Kandro, I want you to draw up a rotation of personnel to scrutinize the long-range telescopes to try and spot the Aora. It’s a long shot but it might pay off.”
“Aye, sir,” said Kandro.
* * * *
In Main Engineering, Liz Tennyson was working on modifying the sensors to transmit a narrow radio signal into the planet’s atmosphere. She hadn’t seen Reeves since he had stormed down to Deck Nineteen and every time that the doors to Main Engineering opened, her heart skipped a beat. She didn’t relish another confrontation so soon after the last one. The Chief Engineer was the sort of person who liked it when people liked her. She was also the sort of person who always saw the logic of any given situation. Never before had she had to deal with anyone like Bill Reeves before. Aboard the Osprey, everyone had been on the same page. She was in charge and if there was a disagreement about how to do anything, she had the final say. For about the hundredth time that day, Liz wondered if she was cut out for command.
Another heartbeat skipped as the doors opened. This time, Lieutenant Reeves did come in. She steeled herself and stood to face him. “Bill.. I’m sorry, Lieutenant Reeves. How does the hull look?”
“It’s okay but I’m not convinced. I’d like to recommend that we get to a Starbase soon and have them give us a look over.”
“I’ll suggest it to the Captain,” Tennyson said. At the moment, at least, he was being civil.
“Look, Lieutenant. I’m sorry about earlier. If I had a problem, I shouldn’t have shouted it out in front of everyone in Engineering.”
This apology caught Tennyson off-guard as she had been mentally preparing herself for a confrontation. “That’s okay. If you still want to have a talk, we can pencil in a meeting in a few days.” While everything was okay, the strawberry-blonde woman decided to change the subject. “Right now, we have to reconfigure the forward sensor array to direct a narrow radio signal into the atmosphere of the gas giant.”
“I don’t suppose you need any help?”
“Actually I’d love some,” Tennyson answered with a smile.
* * * *
Cardonez sat in her Ready Room, ostensibly looking at crew reports but she also had her desk monitor linked up to one of the ship’s long-range telescopes that was currently aimed at the planet. Although someone else was monitoring this telescope, she figured that an extra pair of eyes wouldn’t hurt. After all, they were looking for a needle in a haystack. Again, she was amazed by the raw power of nature as the planet’s clouds swirled in a myriad of patterns. No two of them were alike.
Her eyes ached from staring at the screen for too long and she decided that she had been sitting there long enough. Switching off the monitor, she stood up and walked out onto the Bridge.
“Any luck?,” she asked.
“Sorry, no,” Masafumi said from the Science station. “We’ve just sent out our ninety-sixth signal. So far, not a peep.”
Cardonez flopped down into her chair. “I’m open to suggestions,” she said to no one in particular.
“Ninety-seventh signal away,” said Masafumi.
Cardonez sighed. “Valian, any luck with the telescopes?”
“Well, if you count the discovery of two new moons, then yes,” Kandro said, grinning. His grin faded when he saw the look of disdain on his Commanding Officer’s face. He had quickly learned that if she wasn’t in the mood for jokes, it was healthy to stop cracking them. “If you mean, any luck in locating the Aora, then no, sir.”
“Ninety-ninth signal sent,” said Masafumi in a monotone voice.
“Damn it, Commander. Give it a rest,” she said sharply. She recovered quickly. “I’m sorry, Commander. I’m just frustrated. We know where the Aora is but we can’t get near it.”
“I understand. It’s also frustrating for me. I don’t know what else we can do. One hundred and first signal away… Sorry,” Masafumi said with a slight smile that Cardonez mirrored.
“We might not need to come up with a new idea,” Huntington said, all of a sudden. “I’m picking up a very faint metallic trace. It’s steadily increasing in intensity.”
Cardonez stood up. “The Aora?”
“Yes, it is. She’s clearing the interference now.”
“On screen,” she ordered.
On the main viewscreen, the planet loomed where a tiny dot was evident. “Magnify,” Cardonez said. The view changed to a battered-looking Nova-class starship that was slowly moving away from the planet. “Mister Kandro, scan the Aora.”
“Aye, sir. Sensors are detecting heavy residual radiation but her power systems seem to be functional. We have to decontaminate her but from what I can tell here, she’s in fair shape. We could put a crew aboard her and get her to a Starbase quite easily.”
“Lifesigns?”
“None,” said the Betazoid. “She’s completely deserted.”
“It turned out to be quite a good idea,” Masafumi said.
“Well, my dad always did say that I was the smart one of the family,” Isabel said with a laugh that echoed across the Bridge.
Lieutenant Commander Huntington wasn’t laughing. “Commander,” he asked, nonchalantly,” just out of interest, where were you directing your signals?”
“Southern Hemisphere, lower eastern quadrant.”
“Why do you ask?,” asked Cardonez.
“It’s probably nothing but presuming the Aora is following a pretty straight course, she would have been anchored somewhere in the Northern Hemisphere.”
Cardonez stopped smiling. “Shields up! Red Alert!,” she barked, dropping back into her seat. “Commander Huntington, arm all weapons and load torpedo bays.”
“Aye, sir. Shields up. Weapons online.”
“What’s going on?,” Masafumi asked, confused by the sudden change in his Commanding Officer. He sat down behside her at the First Officer’s station.
“If the Aora was in the Northern Hemisphere, then there’s no way that she had gotten the signal. That means that someone else sent it.”
“There’s no other ships around,” said Kehen.
“None that we can see.”
“The Loyo?,” asked the Commander.
“The Loyo,” Cardonez repeated. “Mister Huntington, any suggestions on locating a cloaked ship?”
Adam thought for a moment. “During the war, the Dominion used polaron beams to locate Klingon and Romulan ships. We learned to beat it but the Loyo is using an older style of Klingon cloaking device. It’s doubtful that they’d have a defense.”
“Mister Kandro, modify the scanners to emit a polar beam and begin searching.”
“Sensors modified. Beginning sweep.” A moment passed before the Operations Officer spoke again. “Got her. She’s seventy thousand kilometers away at bearing one-four-eight, mark twenty-five.”
“Okay,” Cardonez said,” Mister Huntington, can we bring a torpedo to bear without altering our position?”
“Negative.”
“Okay, ready phasers. Valian, lock that bearing into the tactical systems. Mister Huntington, give me a full-strength blast. Let’s see if we can bring them out into the open.”
“Phasers ready.”
“Fire.”
Twin phaser beams arced around the saucer section’s upper phaser array from different sides before they converged into a flash of red energy that lanced out into empty space. The phaser beam struck something solid. With a small explosion, the Pakled vessel became visible.
“Report,” said Masafumi.
“Their cloak is heavily damaged. Their hull is breached and their power systems are fluctuating,” reported Huntington. “They’ve also raised their shields.”
“Hail them,” said Isabel.
“They’re firing!,” said the Tactical Officer as a bolt of energy leapt out at the Testudo.
Kehen was already inputting commands into her helm display as the Captain said,” Evasive maneuvers.”
The bolt narrowly missed the Testudo. “Return fire,” Cardonez shouted. As the New Orleans-class frigate swung around to face the Loyo, another phaser burst shot out and struck the Pakled ship.
“Direct hit,” Adam said. “Their shields are down.”
“Hail them.”
On the viewscreen, the face of Glablok, the Pakled commander, appeared before her.
“Ah, Glablok! I see that we’re meeting again. Thank you so much for bringing our ship back to us. Can I suggest that you tell your people to disarm so we can beam a boarding party aboard?,” Cardonez told him.
“No! Don’t board us!”
“Captain, they’re firing again!”
Two more energy bursts shot out at the Testudo. Kehen attempted to evade but the ship was sluggish by virtue of the close proximity of Nerthus. Both bursts struck, flaring against the shields.
“Shields are down to fifty percent.”
“That Borg weapon again,” said Masafumi.
“Yes,” Huntington agreed. Two more blasts struck the Testudo. “Shields are at twenty-percent. One more hit and we’ll lose them.”
“Commander, fire a quantum torpedo at the Loyo,” ordered Cardonez. She had enough.
“Torpedo away.
The pure-white quantum torpedo covered the distance within seconds. As the explosion cleared, they watched as a large crack appeared in the hull of the ship. Slowly, the Loyo split in two.
“Cardonez to Transporter Room Two. Lock onto any lifesigns from the Loyo and beam them aboard.”
“Aye, sir,” came Chief Leong’s reply. “I’ll need the shields dropped.”
Cardonez nodded at Huntington. “Shields are down. Beam the survivors aboard.”
For several tense seconds, the Bridge crew watched while the Loyo split apart completely before exploding. The scattered remains of the ship were already plummeting down towards Nerthus, dragged down by the high gravity.
“Transporter Room,” Cardonez asked nervously,” did you get them?”
“I’m sorry, sir. I thought I had grabbed three of them but their patterns were too degraded to reform.”
“Damn,” she muttered, curing the Pakleds for forcing her hand. “Commander, form a damage control team with full environmental suits and begin the decontamination process on the Aora.”
“Sir,” Masafumi said, standing up from his seat and beginning the short walk to the turbolift.
It was at that moment that Kandro shouted a warning that came too late. “Sir, the Aora just raised its shields and locked weapons on us!”
The first photon torpedo smashed into the port edge of the saucer section, smashing its way through crew quarters before veering off into space. The second torpedo smashed into the underside of the ship, burning off the ablative armor and ripping a large breach in the Testudo’s hull.
“Raise shields!,” Isabel cried out as exploding consoles rocked the Bridge. Despite the noise, she would later swear to the fact that she heard the sickening crunch of Commander Masafumi’s skull connecting with the back of Kandro’s chair.
“Shields aren’t responding,” Huntington said as phaser beams from the Aora cut into the ship. “Hull breaches on Decks Four, Five, Six, Fourteen, and Nineteen!”
“Zia, alter course. Come to heading zero-four-five, mark seven.”
“Captain, that takes us towards the planet,” Kehen said.
“That’s an order, Lieutenant! Do we still have weapons, Mister Huntington?”
“I have enough power to the aft launchers to launch one quantum torpedo.”
“Do it.”
As the wounded ship began its descent into the interference around the planet, a single torpedo launched from its rear. When it struck the Aora, it did no damage to its shields but it did manage to knock its next phaser blast off-target.
“We’re inside the planet’s gravitational and radioactive sphere, sir,” reported Kandro.
As if it was by magic, the ship’s computer suddenly intoned. “Warning. Radiation levels are increasing. Lethal dosage within three hours.”
“Lieutenant, alter course to random maneuvers. Keep us within the interference zone but try and get us lost behind one of the moons. Valian, is the Aora following us?”
“I can’t tell. However, they’re unable to use their sensors to locate us.”
With a momentary respite, Cardonez crouched down by Masafumi. His breathing was shallow and his eyes were moving rapidly beneath his eyelids. “Cardonez to Sickbay. I have an emergency situation up here. I need help now.”
“You realize that they don’t need to use sensors to find us?,” asked Huntington. “Eventually, we’re going to have to pop our heads up before all of us get a lethal dose of radiation.”
“All the Aora has to do is wait,” said Cardonez, her face a mask of cold rage.
It took the Testudo forty-five minutes at full impulse speed to reach Nerthus. During that time, both Commander Masafumi and Lieutenant Kehen had been released back to their normal duties and they resumed their places on the Bridge.
“Captain, we’re approaching Nerthus,” the Yulani reported from the helm station.
“Okay, Lieutenant, we need to keep our distance. Maintain a position here.”
“Aye, sir.”
Yashiro Masafumi was sitting at the nearby Science Station. Cardonez rose from her seat and joined him. “So?,” she asked him.
“Well, Arlam-Nevu was right. It’s an evil place. It’s a gas giant that’s approximately one-point-five times the size of Jupiter. The atmosphere is forty percent hydrogen, thirty-one percent carbon dioxide and twenty-seven percent methane with the rest being made up of trace elements of oxygen, neon, helium and a few other gasses. The gravitational pull is tremendous. I have gravitational eddies that are playing havoc with some of my sensors. There are twenty-five moons that we can detect. The largest moon is about the size of Mercury and the smallest if forty miles across and little more than an asteroid. The intense radioactive field being generated by Nerthus means that I can’t detect anything smaller. There could be a hundred more moons that are too tiny to spot.”
Cardonez sighed. Glancing at the main viewscreen, she found it to be dominated by the huge swirling sphere. Storm activity seemed to pull the clouds of Nerthus in every direction at once. There were red clouds, yellow clouds, and a few white clouds as well. From the way that they were moving, she estimated that there must be winds of several hundred kilometers an hour affecting them. Several dark moons were silhouetted against the maelstrom.
“So, if the Aora is down there, we have no chance of finding it?”
“Correct. It’s far too small to scan for, under these circumstances. Our only hope is a visual examination but the planet is huge. If a moon obscured the Aora, we wouldn't see it. Presumably, that’s why the Pakleds chose Nerthus. It’s the perfect place to hide a starship. I didn’t think that they were that smart.”
“They aren’t. Blake is,” said Cardonez. “Damn, we’re so close. Could a signal penetrate the interference?”
“It’s possible if it were powerful enough,” said Masafumi,” but it would have to be a radio signal. We can’t use subspace communications because of the subspace inhibitors. Why? What did you have in mind?”
“Just a notion,” she said, scrunching her nose up in thought. “I have the prefix codes for the Aora. If its systems are online, we might be able to transmit a recall order to its main computer. Activate its thrusters and pop it up above the interference.”
“It’s possible…,” said Masafumi.
“But?”
“We’re still shooting blind without knowing where the ship is. Any signal would have to be highly compressed and on a very narrow beam.”
“So we shoot off a few hundred signals? Maybe even a few thousand, and maybe we’ll get lucky?,” she asked him. “Plus we’ll institute a manual search as well. How long will it take to set up the signal?”
It was the Commander’s turn to think now. “The modifications to the sensor array will take several hours, plus another hour to design a signal itself.”
Cardonez tapped her combadge. “Cardonez to Hollem.”
“Hollem here,” came the Doctor’s voice.
“Doctor, I take it that you’re monitoring the amount of radiation coming off of the planet?”
“Yes, sir.”
“How dangerous is it to remain in our current position?”
“It’s pretty safe, Captain. With the shields and the hull, we shouldn’t get any exposure at all for several days. Eventually, it will start to seep through and irradiate all of us but you’re looking at weeks.”
“Hopefully we won’t be here for weeks. Cardonez out.” She turned towards her First Officer. “Okay, Yashiro, get to work on the signal. Tell Lieutenant Tennyson to work on the sensor modifications.”
“Yes, Captain.”
“Mister Kandro, I want you to draw up a rotation of personnel to scrutinize the long-range telescopes to try and spot the Aora. It’s a long shot but it might pay off.”
“Aye, sir,” said Kandro.
* * * *
In Main Engineering, Liz Tennyson was working on modifying the sensors to transmit a narrow radio signal into the planet’s atmosphere. She hadn’t seen Reeves since he had stormed down to Deck Nineteen and every time that the doors to Main Engineering opened, her heart skipped a beat. She didn’t relish another confrontation so soon after the last one. The Chief Engineer was the sort of person who liked it when people liked her. She was also the sort of person who always saw the logic of any given situation. Never before had she had to deal with anyone like Bill Reeves before. Aboard the Osprey, everyone had been on the same page. She was in charge and if there was a disagreement about how to do anything, she had the final say. For about the hundredth time that day, Liz wondered if she was cut out for command.
Another heartbeat skipped as the doors opened. This time, Lieutenant Reeves did come in. She steeled herself and stood to face him. “Bill.. I’m sorry, Lieutenant Reeves. How does the hull look?”
“It’s okay but I’m not convinced. I’d like to recommend that we get to a Starbase soon and have them give us a look over.”
“I’ll suggest it to the Captain,” Tennyson said. At the moment, at least, he was being civil.
“Look, Lieutenant. I’m sorry about earlier. If I had a problem, I shouldn’t have shouted it out in front of everyone in Engineering.”
This apology caught Tennyson off-guard as she had been mentally preparing herself for a confrontation. “That’s okay. If you still want to have a talk, we can pencil in a meeting in a few days.” While everything was okay, the strawberry-blonde woman decided to change the subject. “Right now, we have to reconfigure the forward sensor array to direct a narrow radio signal into the atmosphere of the gas giant.”
“I don’t suppose you need any help?”
“Actually I’d love some,” Tennyson answered with a smile.
* * * *
Cardonez sat in her Ready Room, ostensibly looking at crew reports but she also had her desk monitor linked up to one of the ship’s long-range telescopes that was currently aimed at the planet. Although someone else was monitoring this telescope, she figured that an extra pair of eyes wouldn’t hurt. After all, they were looking for a needle in a haystack. Again, she was amazed by the raw power of nature as the planet’s clouds swirled in a myriad of patterns. No two of them were alike.
Her eyes ached from staring at the screen for too long and she decided that she had been sitting there long enough. Switching off the monitor, she stood up and walked out onto the Bridge.
“Any luck?,” she asked.
“Sorry, no,” Masafumi said from the Science station. “We’ve just sent out our ninety-sixth signal. So far, not a peep.”
Cardonez flopped down into her chair. “I’m open to suggestions,” she said to no one in particular.
“Ninety-seventh signal away,” said Masafumi.
Cardonez sighed. “Valian, any luck with the telescopes?”
“Well, if you count the discovery of two new moons, then yes,” Kandro said, grinning. His grin faded when he saw the look of disdain on his Commanding Officer’s face. He had quickly learned that if she wasn’t in the mood for jokes, it was healthy to stop cracking them. “If you mean, any luck in locating the Aora, then no, sir.”
“Ninety-ninth signal sent,” said Masafumi in a monotone voice.
“Damn it, Commander. Give it a rest,” she said sharply. She recovered quickly. “I’m sorry, Commander. I’m just frustrated. We know where the Aora is but we can’t get near it.”
“I understand. It’s also frustrating for me. I don’t know what else we can do. One hundred and first signal away… Sorry,” Masafumi said with a slight smile that Cardonez mirrored.
“We might not need to come up with a new idea,” Huntington said, all of a sudden. “I’m picking up a very faint metallic trace. It’s steadily increasing in intensity.”
Cardonez stood up. “The Aora?”
“Yes, it is. She’s clearing the interference now.”
“On screen,” she ordered.
On the main viewscreen, the planet loomed where a tiny dot was evident. “Magnify,” Cardonez said. The view changed to a battered-looking Nova-class starship that was slowly moving away from the planet. “Mister Kandro, scan the Aora.”
“Aye, sir. Sensors are detecting heavy residual radiation but her power systems seem to be functional. We have to decontaminate her but from what I can tell here, she’s in fair shape. We could put a crew aboard her and get her to a Starbase quite easily.”
“Lifesigns?”
“None,” said the Betazoid. “She’s completely deserted.”
“It turned out to be quite a good idea,” Masafumi said.
“Well, my dad always did say that I was the smart one of the family,” Isabel said with a laugh that echoed across the Bridge.
Lieutenant Commander Huntington wasn’t laughing. “Commander,” he asked, nonchalantly,” just out of interest, where were you directing your signals?”
“Southern Hemisphere, lower eastern quadrant.”
“Why do you ask?,” asked Cardonez.
“It’s probably nothing but presuming the Aora is following a pretty straight course, she would have been anchored somewhere in the Northern Hemisphere.”
Cardonez stopped smiling. “Shields up! Red Alert!,” she barked, dropping back into her seat. “Commander Huntington, arm all weapons and load torpedo bays.”
“Aye, sir. Shields up. Weapons online.”
“What’s going on?,” Masafumi asked, confused by the sudden change in his Commanding Officer. He sat down behside her at the First Officer’s station.
“If the Aora was in the Northern Hemisphere, then there’s no way that she had gotten the signal. That means that someone else sent it.”
“There’s no other ships around,” said Kehen.
“None that we can see.”
“The Loyo?,” asked the Commander.
“The Loyo,” Cardonez repeated. “Mister Huntington, any suggestions on locating a cloaked ship?”
Adam thought for a moment. “During the war, the Dominion used polaron beams to locate Klingon and Romulan ships. We learned to beat it but the Loyo is using an older style of Klingon cloaking device. It’s doubtful that they’d have a defense.”
“Mister Kandro, modify the scanners to emit a polar beam and begin searching.”
“Sensors modified. Beginning sweep.” A moment passed before the Operations Officer spoke again. “Got her. She’s seventy thousand kilometers away at bearing one-four-eight, mark twenty-five.”
“Okay,” Cardonez said,” Mister Huntington, can we bring a torpedo to bear without altering our position?”
“Negative.”
“Okay, ready phasers. Valian, lock that bearing into the tactical systems. Mister Huntington, give me a full-strength blast. Let’s see if we can bring them out into the open.”
“Phasers ready.”
“Fire.”
Twin phaser beams arced around the saucer section’s upper phaser array from different sides before they converged into a flash of red energy that lanced out into empty space. The phaser beam struck something solid. With a small explosion, the Pakled vessel became visible.
“Report,” said Masafumi.
“Their cloak is heavily damaged. Their hull is breached and their power systems are fluctuating,” reported Huntington. “They’ve also raised their shields.”
“Hail them,” said Isabel.
“They’re firing!,” said the Tactical Officer as a bolt of energy leapt out at the Testudo.
Kehen was already inputting commands into her helm display as the Captain said,” Evasive maneuvers.”
The bolt narrowly missed the Testudo. “Return fire,” Cardonez shouted. As the New Orleans-class frigate swung around to face the Loyo, another phaser burst shot out and struck the Pakled ship.
“Direct hit,” Adam said. “Their shields are down.”
“Hail them.”
On the viewscreen, the face of Glablok, the Pakled commander, appeared before her.
“Ah, Glablok! I see that we’re meeting again. Thank you so much for bringing our ship back to us. Can I suggest that you tell your people to disarm so we can beam a boarding party aboard?,” Cardonez told him.
“No! Don’t board us!”
“Captain, they’re firing again!”
Two more energy bursts shot out at the Testudo. Kehen attempted to evade but the ship was sluggish by virtue of the close proximity of Nerthus. Both bursts struck, flaring against the shields.
“Shields are down to fifty percent.”
“That Borg weapon again,” said Masafumi.
“Yes,” Huntington agreed. Two more blasts struck the Testudo. “Shields are at twenty-percent. One more hit and we’ll lose them.”
“Commander, fire a quantum torpedo at the Loyo,” ordered Cardonez. She had enough.
“Torpedo away.
The pure-white quantum torpedo covered the distance within seconds. As the explosion cleared, they watched as a large crack appeared in the hull of the ship. Slowly, the Loyo split in two.
“Cardonez to Transporter Room Two. Lock onto any lifesigns from the Loyo and beam them aboard.”
“Aye, sir,” came Chief Leong’s reply. “I’ll need the shields dropped.”
Cardonez nodded at Huntington. “Shields are down. Beam the survivors aboard.”
For several tense seconds, the Bridge crew watched while the Loyo split apart completely before exploding. The scattered remains of the ship were already plummeting down towards Nerthus, dragged down by the high gravity.
“Transporter Room,” Cardonez asked nervously,” did you get them?”
“I’m sorry, sir. I thought I had grabbed three of them but their patterns were too degraded to reform.”
“Damn,” she muttered, curing the Pakleds for forcing her hand. “Commander, form a damage control team with full environmental suits and begin the decontamination process on the Aora.”
“Sir,” Masafumi said, standing up from his seat and beginning the short walk to the turbolift.
It was at that moment that Kandro shouted a warning that came too late. “Sir, the Aora just raised its shields and locked weapons on us!”
The first photon torpedo smashed into the port edge of the saucer section, smashing its way through crew quarters before veering off into space. The second torpedo smashed into the underside of the ship, burning off the ablative armor and ripping a large breach in the Testudo’s hull.
“Raise shields!,” Isabel cried out as exploding consoles rocked the Bridge. Despite the noise, she would later swear to the fact that she heard the sickening crunch of Commander Masafumi’s skull connecting with the back of Kandro’s chair.
“Shields aren’t responding,” Huntington said as phaser beams from the Aora cut into the ship. “Hull breaches on Decks Four, Five, Six, Fourteen, and Nineteen!”
“Zia, alter course. Come to heading zero-four-five, mark seven.”
“Captain, that takes us towards the planet,” Kehen said.
“That’s an order, Lieutenant! Do we still have weapons, Mister Huntington?”
“I have enough power to the aft launchers to launch one quantum torpedo.”
“Do it.”
As the wounded ship began its descent into the interference around the planet, a single torpedo launched from its rear. When it struck the Aora, it did no damage to its shields but it did manage to knock its next phaser blast off-target.
“We’re inside the planet’s gravitational and radioactive sphere, sir,” reported Kandro.
As if it was by magic, the ship’s computer suddenly intoned. “Warning. Radiation levels are increasing. Lethal dosage within three hours.”
“Lieutenant, alter course to random maneuvers. Keep us within the interference zone but try and get us lost behind one of the moons. Valian, is the Aora following us?”
“I can’t tell. However, they’re unable to use their sensors to locate us.”
With a momentary respite, Cardonez crouched down by Masafumi. His breathing was shallow and his eyes were moving rapidly beneath his eyelids. “Cardonez to Sickbay. I have an emergency situation up here. I need help now.”
“You realize that they don’t need to use sensors to find us?,” asked Huntington. “Eventually, we’re going to have to pop our heads up before all of us get a lethal dose of radiation.”
“All the Aora has to do is wait,” said Cardonez, her face a mask of cold rage.
We're all just one big happy fleet... Nice callbacks to STII - With creative twists, but for all her tactical know-how, Cardonez suffers the same blind spot as Kirk. Great action sequence from the hunt to the escape from Aora.
Liking the rapprochement between Tennyson and Reeves.
Thanks!! rbs
Liking the rapprochement between Tennyson and Reeves.
Thanks!! rbs
Chapter Three
Isabel Cardonez stood over the biobed, watching Yashiro Masafumi’s chest rise and fall in time with her breathing. Doctor Hollem Azahn stood beside her.
“The skull fracture created pressure on the brain. I operated quickly enough to prevent any permanent brain damage,” explained the Bajoran doctor,” but he’ll be out of action for several days.”
She was holding her anger in check but just barely. “What are the casualty figures?”
“Fifteen dead. Another twenty-two are injured.”
“How long can we withstand the radiation?”
“About another two, two and a half hours. I’ve already begun replicating hyronolin shots for the crew. It’ll slow the degradation but it won’t halt it. If we’re not out of this area within the time scale, the damage to our cells will be irreversible.”
“Just concentrate on the wounded,” she told him with conviction before she turned and left Sickbay. “I’ll get us out of here.”
* * * *
“Is it my imagination or is it warm in here?,” asked Kehen. The Bridge was darkened and illuminated only by emergency lighting. Smoke hung in the air and it was eerily quiet.
“It’s your imagination,” Kandro said with a very forced smile.
“If anything, I think it’s gotten cooler,” Lieutenant Commander Huntington said from the Captain’s chair.
Looking out of the viewscreen, they could see the jagged form of one of Nerthus’ many moons. Beyond that was empty space. “Do you think the Aora is out there?,” asked Kandro.
“Probably. “They’ll want to complete the job.”
“But who?,” said Kehen, her voice rising slightly. “The ship was empty.”
“Who, indeed?,” asked Captain Cardonez as she strode onto the Bridge. “The sensors said that there were no lifesigns aboard the Aora. Keep your seat, Commander.” Huntington had begun to rise but she went and sat in Masafumi’s empty seat. “Could they have been blocking our scans somehow?”
“It’s possible but even if they were, how did they survive down there? The radiation that the ship received was beyond a fatal dose.”
“Remote control from the Loyo?,” asked Kehen.
“Possible but unlikely,” said Huntington. “If they had that much control, what wait until we had cripplied them before utilizing it?”
“Pakleds aren’t the brightest people in the Galaxy,” Kandro said.
“They’re not that stupid,” said Cardonez. “No, this is something else.” She looked off into the distance for a moment. Finally shaking her head, her wistful look was gone. “Irrespective of who’s running the Aora now, we have to assume that she’s probably up there. I’ve spoken to Liz and it’s going to take days and a Starbase to bring the Testudo back up to spec. We don’t have days. We barely have hours.”
“What can she give us in the immediate future?,” asked Huntington.
“Well, she had repair crews patching up the hull breaches. She’s also given priority to shields and weapons, but it doesn’t look good. The phasers are offline and she isn’t hopeful that she can bring them back online before tomorrow. The torpedoes are operational but the targeting system took heavy damage. We’ll be firing almost blind. She can get the shields up and running again but they won’t take much of a pounding before they collapse again.”
“Warp drive?,” asked Kehen.
“Warp drive is fully operational. The trouble is we can’t use it.”
“It’s a shame,” Huntington told her. “At warp, we could easily out-run the Aora.”
“Unfortunately, all we have is impulse and it’s damaged as well. Liz says that she can give us two-thirds impulse.”
“Not enough,” said Kandro. “At that speed, it’ll take us fifteen hours to escape the subspace inhibitors.”
“And the Aora is faster, better armed and she has full shields,” the Tactical Officer said. “We wouldn’t last ten minutes. What we need is a head start.”
Kehen shook her head. “That’s no good. As fast as they are, we would need a head start of hours to get a lead that we could maintain. Say that we decoyed them away at full impulse for one hour, then started running in the opposite direction? We’re looking at them catching us within five hours. That’s assuming that they fall for the ruse.”
“That’s also assuming that we run for open space,” said Isabel. “Suppose we ran for the Zelket? How much lead time would we need to get back to Jor’Ka’Hail?”
Kehen thought for a few seconds, working over the calculations in her head. “Okay, if we decoy the Aora off in the opposite direction for, say, thirty minutes, then we run for it. It’ll take us approximately seventy-seven minutes to get there. So…” She paused again. “We would reach Jor’Ka’Hail about three minutes ahead of them.”
“That’s cutting it close.”
“And it assumes that the Zelket will help us,” said Kandro.
“It’s not a perfect plan. Nevertheless, it’s the only plan that we have. If it comes down to it, at least, we can abandon ship to a habitable world,” Cardonez said. “Valian, any ideas on decoying the Aora?”
“Just one off the top of my head, sir. I can configure a Class-Nine probe to emit an impulse signature consistent with a New Orleans-class engine.”
“Why is this plan so familiar?,” Cardonez asked suspiciously.
“Uh, we used it during the war,” Kandro said shiftily. “We had raided a Dominion convoy in the Rokelan system and we were running from a couple of Galor-class cruisers.”
“As I seem to recall, your idea fooled them for all of a minute before they were back on our tail.”
“Hey, Skipper, it’s all that I’ve got. Besides, this is a different situation. The Cardassians had intuition. I think that it’s a safe bet that whoever or whatever is controlling the Aora is an AI of some kind. If so, it’ll be a damn sight easier to fool. Plus if I irradiate the probe, it’ll add to the illusion and make scanning the object all the more difficult.”
“It looks like it’s our only option at the moment,” the Captain said. “How long?”
“Fifteen minutes to configure the probe.”
“Okay, get to it. Zia, work out the best possible course for us and the probe to give us the biggest escape margin.”
“Aye, sir,” said Kehen.
* * * *
Main Engineering was a hive of activity. People were working on every possible system and there were so many of them that they were getting in each other’s way. Tennyson knew that it couldn’t be helped though. She had conscripted anyone with engineering or scientific experience to aid in the repairs, knowing that it wouldn’t be enough. Not unless the Captain could pull a rabbit out of her hat. Right now, she had a painful duty to perform. Cautiously, she approached Lieutenant Reeves.
“Lieutenant?,” she almost whispered.
“Yes?,” he replied.
“I have some bad news. It’s not the ideal way to tell you but given the current situation, I don’t have any choice,” Tennyson said, steeling herself. “Crewman Matthews died in Sickbay, a few minutes ago.”
“I thought he might. I shouldn’t have left him down on Deck Nineteen. We had finished the stress testing but he wanted to double-check our findings.”
“You’ve known him for a long time, didn’t you?”
“Yes. For five years under Captain Lowe. He went through the war without a scratch. Then a few months under Captain Cardonez and he’s dead.”
“There’s nothing that the Captain could do,” Liz told him. “It was a surprise attack. I’m truly sorry.”
“So am I. I guess we’ll have to see if Cardonez is as good as you claim she is. If not, we’ll all be joining Simon Matthews, wherever he is.”
Tennyson was about to reply when the voice of Captain Cardonez boomed over the intercom system. “This is the Captain speaking. We are currently formulating a plan that will enable us to escape from our current situation. I know that we’ve been hurt and I know that a lot of you are scared right now. Well, so am I but we can get out of this if we stick together and work together like I know that we can. We’re about to launch a heavily-modified probe that should lead the Aora off on a wild goose chase while we make a run for the Zelket homeworld. In half an hour, we’ll be leaving the radiation zone. Doctor Hollem has assured me that there will be no medical effects from our time here. Captain out.”
Tennyson smiled. “I knew that she’d have a plan.”
* * * *
“How long since we launched the probe?,” asked Captain Cardonez.
“Approximately twenty-five minutes,” Kandro said. His throat was dry and he didn’t know if it was simple nerves or the effects of the radiation.
“Zia, are you ready?”
“As I’ll ever be,” Kehen said with a feeble smile.
Cardonez smiled back at her. “Just remember. If the Aora is still out there, don’t wait for my order. Get us back under cover as fast as you can.”
“Yes, sir,” the Yulani woman said. She was scared. Not of death but of screwing up. She had been lucky, graduating too late from Starfleet Academy to see much action during the war and she had seen very little ever since. The first time that she had fought the Pakleds, her adrenaline had kicked in and she had hardly enough time to consider the ramifications of her actions. This was different. Sitting here, waiting to go, it gave her plenty of time to think and consider that everyone’s lives were in her hands.
“Commander, what’s our tactical situation?”
Huntington was unflappable. “Shields are at twenty-five percent. Phasers are still offline. Forward and aft torpedo launchers are loaded but the targeting system is still down. I’ve set the launchers to fire a wide spread of five torpedoes. That will give us the best possible chance of hitting something.”
“Keep your trigger finger ready. Valian, how long now?”
“Twenty-seven minutes, Captain. How about we go now?” He tried to make it sound like a glib joke but Cardonez read between the lines. He was as nervous as Kehen.
“Not quite yet, Mister Kandro.” She was also raring to go but she knew that an extra minute or two of patience could mean the difference between life and death.
The next few minutes passed with agonizing slowness. Sweat trickled down the back of Kandro’s neck but he didn’t dare wipe it away. If this plan failed, it was down to him. He had gone over the modification several times in his head since the probe launched. He couldn’t see any faults since he had done it as well as he could. It didn’t help that as well as his own feelings of fear and worry, he had to put up with everyone else’s. Kehen, especially, was very worried and he hoped that it wouldn’t affect her abilities. The one thing that they needed right now was a good pilot. The irony wasn’t lost on him right now. He would have welcomed one of his attacks. Unfortunately, his telepathic and empathic powers were functioning just fine.
Finally, Cardonez asked,” How long, Mister Kandro?”
“Thirty-one minutes, sir.”
“Lieutenant Kehen, let’s go. Nice and slow until we get a fix on the Aora.”
“Aye, sir,” she said, grateful for something to finally do.
The Testudo gently nudged her way forward past the moon and into clear space. Using only thrusters, Kehen moved the ship higher and higher.
“Twenty seconds until we’re clear,” said Kandro.
“Steady, steady,” Cardonez said, gently gripping her armrests.
“Ten seconds.”
“Be ready to turn tail if we need to,” Cardonez told Kehen.
“We’re clear.”
“Any sign of the Aora?”
“Scanning. Nothing yet… No… wait,” Huntington said. “Damn it, she’s right above us!”
Suddenly, the shadow of the Aora passed overhead. Isabel was shouting,” Dive! Dive!” even as Kehen was maneuvering the ship back into relative safety. The Nova-class ship appeared on the viewscreen heading away from them. The Captain’s grip tightened on her armrests as a single photon torpedo fired from the stern of the Aora.
“Brace for impact!,” she shouted as the torpedo struck them. The ship shuddered under the impact.
“Shields are just barely holding,” Huntington reported. “They’re down to four percent.”
“Almost there…,” said Kehen.
On the viewscreen, a single beam of red energy launched out from the rear of the Aora. The single phaser beam easily burned its way through the remains of the Testudo’s shields, tearing a hole into the saucer section.
“We’re in,” the Yulani said with a relieved sigh.
“Don’t get complacent,” Cardonez snapped at her. “Evasive maneuvers! Get us as far away from here as possible. Damage report!”
“Shields are down. Hull breach on Deck Two,” said the Tactical Officer. “There are no fatalities but we have another five wounded.”
Isabel smashed her right fist into her armrest. “Damn it! How did they know that it was a trick?!,” she asked no one in particular. “Cardonez to Sickbay. Doctor, our attempt to escape was a little premature. How long have we got?”
“About an hour and fifteen minutes, Captain.”
“There’s no time for fancy plans then.” Isabel sank back into her chair, rubbing her temples as she thought. Finally, she tapped her combadge again. “Cardonez to Engineering. Liz, I need you to begin moving wreckage and spare parts into the Main Hangar Bay. Anything that’s nonessential. PADDs, uniforms… Hell, even furniture!”
“Uh, okay, sir,” replied a confused Chief Engineer. “Any reason why?”
“I have one last idea. We’re going to try and convince the Aora that we’re dead.”
“That’s a very old trick,” said Adam. “I can’t imagine anyone falling for it.”
“Like I said, Commander, it’s my last throw of the dice. Besides, as Mister Kandro said, I don’t think that there’s a living being on the Aora. Valian, the radio beam. Could it transmit out as well as into the interference?”
“Yes,” replied the Betazoid,” quite easily.”
“Do it. I want to send a signal as soon as possible,” she said. “Commander, if we tilt the ship forward and open the Hangar doors without decompressing…”
“The contents should be sucked out along with the air at a high velocity.”
“High enough velocity to escape the interference?”
“If we were right on the edge.”
“Zia, take us within ten kilometers of the known limit of the interference. Then position us with our aft section to the outside world.” Cardonez took heart from the tiny smile that Kehen gave her. “Lieutenant Kandro, have you got my radio beam or do I need to hire a new Bridge officer?”
“I’m afraid you’re stuck with me. Ready and waiting.”
“Send the following.” Cardonez cleared her throat. “This is Captain Cardonez of the Federation starship Testudo. We are heavily damaged and under attack from unknown forces. We require immediate assistance. Please respond. Most of our crew is dead and our ship’s hull integrity is failing. I repeat, we require immediate assistance. Our ship…” She made a cutting motion across her throat. “Valian, be ready to transmit it towards the Zelket homeworld on my mark.”
“I doubt it’ll reach that far,” Kandro reported.
Cardonez smiled. “It doesn’t matter. Zia, are we in position yet?”
“Aye, sir. Holding position ten kilometers from the edge of the interference.”
Cardonez tapped her combadge. “Cardonez to Tennyson. How’s it going?”
“We’ve transported some junk into the Hangar Bay. Even some furniture from one of the spare crew cabins.”
“Liz, is the Hangar Deck clear?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Cardonez out.” The Captain leaned forward in her seat. “Now or never, Mister Kandro. Send the radio signal.” When he nodded that he had done this, Cardonez turned towards Huntington. “Commander, do it.”
A moment later and the doors to the Testudo’s Main Hangar Deck opened. Without any prior decompression, all of the atmosphere in the Hangar was sucked out into space, along with everything that wasn’t nailed down. As the occupants of the Bridge watched, a small cloud of objects tumbled away from the rear of the ship. The Captain even noticed that Tennyson had included a shuttlepod within the morass of debris.
“Lieutenant, take us down again. Evasive course at your discretion.” Cardonez sat back as Kehen maneuvered the ship back under deeper cover. “Now we wait.”
Isabel Cardonez stood over the biobed, watching Yashiro Masafumi’s chest rise and fall in time with her breathing. Doctor Hollem Azahn stood beside her.
“The skull fracture created pressure on the brain. I operated quickly enough to prevent any permanent brain damage,” explained the Bajoran doctor,” but he’ll be out of action for several days.”
She was holding her anger in check but just barely. “What are the casualty figures?”
“Fifteen dead. Another twenty-two are injured.”
“How long can we withstand the radiation?”
“About another two, two and a half hours. I’ve already begun replicating hyronolin shots for the crew. It’ll slow the degradation but it won’t halt it. If we’re not out of this area within the time scale, the damage to our cells will be irreversible.”
“Just concentrate on the wounded,” she told him with conviction before she turned and left Sickbay. “I’ll get us out of here.”
* * * *
“Is it my imagination or is it warm in here?,” asked Kehen. The Bridge was darkened and illuminated only by emergency lighting. Smoke hung in the air and it was eerily quiet.
“It’s your imagination,” Kandro said with a very forced smile.
“If anything, I think it’s gotten cooler,” Lieutenant Commander Huntington said from the Captain’s chair.
Looking out of the viewscreen, they could see the jagged form of one of Nerthus’ many moons. Beyond that was empty space. “Do you think the Aora is out there?,” asked Kandro.
“Probably. “They’ll want to complete the job.”
“But who?,” said Kehen, her voice rising slightly. “The ship was empty.”
“Who, indeed?,” asked Captain Cardonez as she strode onto the Bridge. “The sensors said that there were no lifesigns aboard the Aora. Keep your seat, Commander.” Huntington had begun to rise but she went and sat in Masafumi’s empty seat. “Could they have been blocking our scans somehow?”
“It’s possible but even if they were, how did they survive down there? The radiation that the ship received was beyond a fatal dose.”
“Remote control from the Loyo?,” asked Kehen.
“Possible but unlikely,” said Huntington. “If they had that much control, what wait until we had cripplied them before utilizing it?”
“Pakleds aren’t the brightest people in the Galaxy,” Kandro said.
“They’re not that stupid,” said Cardonez. “No, this is something else.” She looked off into the distance for a moment. Finally shaking her head, her wistful look was gone. “Irrespective of who’s running the Aora now, we have to assume that she’s probably up there. I’ve spoken to Liz and it’s going to take days and a Starbase to bring the Testudo back up to spec. We don’t have days. We barely have hours.”
“What can she give us in the immediate future?,” asked Huntington.
“Well, she had repair crews patching up the hull breaches. She’s also given priority to shields and weapons, but it doesn’t look good. The phasers are offline and she isn’t hopeful that she can bring them back online before tomorrow. The torpedoes are operational but the targeting system took heavy damage. We’ll be firing almost blind. She can get the shields up and running again but they won’t take much of a pounding before they collapse again.”
“Warp drive?,” asked Kehen.
“Warp drive is fully operational. The trouble is we can’t use it.”
“It’s a shame,” Huntington told her. “At warp, we could easily out-run the Aora.”
“Unfortunately, all we have is impulse and it’s damaged as well. Liz says that she can give us two-thirds impulse.”
“Not enough,” said Kandro. “At that speed, it’ll take us fifteen hours to escape the subspace inhibitors.”
“And the Aora is faster, better armed and she has full shields,” the Tactical Officer said. “We wouldn’t last ten minutes. What we need is a head start.”
Kehen shook her head. “That’s no good. As fast as they are, we would need a head start of hours to get a lead that we could maintain. Say that we decoyed them away at full impulse for one hour, then started running in the opposite direction? We’re looking at them catching us within five hours. That’s assuming that they fall for the ruse.”
“That’s also assuming that we run for open space,” said Isabel. “Suppose we ran for the Zelket? How much lead time would we need to get back to Jor’Ka’Hail?”
Kehen thought for a few seconds, working over the calculations in her head. “Okay, if we decoy the Aora off in the opposite direction for, say, thirty minutes, then we run for it. It’ll take us approximately seventy-seven minutes to get there. So…” She paused again. “We would reach Jor’Ka’Hail about three minutes ahead of them.”
“That’s cutting it close.”
“And it assumes that the Zelket will help us,” said Kandro.
“It’s not a perfect plan. Nevertheless, it’s the only plan that we have. If it comes down to it, at least, we can abandon ship to a habitable world,” Cardonez said. “Valian, any ideas on decoying the Aora?”
“Just one off the top of my head, sir. I can configure a Class-Nine probe to emit an impulse signature consistent with a New Orleans-class engine.”
“Why is this plan so familiar?,” Cardonez asked suspiciously.
“Uh, we used it during the war,” Kandro said shiftily. “We had raided a Dominion convoy in the Rokelan system and we were running from a couple of Galor-class cruisers.”
“As I seem to recall, your idea fooled them for all of a minute before they were back on our tail.”
“Hey, Skipper, it’s all that I’ve got. Besides, this is a different situation. The Cardassians had intuition. I think that it’s a safe bet that whoever or whatever is controlling the Aora is an AI of some kind. If so, it’ll be a damn sight easier to fool. Plus if I irradiate the probe, it’ll add to the illusion and make scanning the object all the more difficult.”
“It looks like it’s our only option at the moment,” the Captain said. “How long?”
“Fifteen minutes to configure the probe.”
“Okay, get to it. Zia, work out the best possible course for us and the probe to give us the biggest escape margin.”
“Aye, sir,” said Kehen.
* * * *
Main Engineering was a hive of activity. People were working on every possible system and there were so many of them that they were getting in each other’s way. Tennyson knew that it couldn’t be helped though. She had conscripted anyone with engineering or scientific experience to aid in the repairs, knowing that it wouldn’t be enough. Not unless the Captain could pull a rabbit out of her hat. Right now, she had a painful duty to perform. Cautiously, she approached Lieutenant Reeves.
“Lieutenant?,” she almost whispered.
“Yes?,” he replied.
“I have some bad news. It’s not the ideal way to tell you but given the current situation, I don’t have any choice,” Tennyson said, steeling herself. “Crewman Matthews died in Sickbay, a few minutes ago.”
“I thought he might. I shouldn’t have left him down on Deck Nineteen. We had finished the stress testing but he wanted to double-check our findings.”
“You’ve known him for a long time, didn’t you?”
“Yes. For five years under Captain Lowe. He went through the war without a scratch. Then a few months under Captain Cardonez and he’s dead.”
“There’s nothing that the Captain could do,” Liz told him. “It was a surprise attack. I’m truly sorry.”
“So am I. I guess we’ll have to see if Cardonez is as good as you claim she is. If not, we’ll all be joining Simon Matthews, wherever he is.”
Tennyson was about to reply when the voice of Captain Cardonez boomed over the intercom system. “This is the Captain speaking. We are currently formulating a plan that will enable us to escape from our current situation. I know that we’ve been hurt and I know that a lot of you are scared right now. Well, so am I but we can get out of this if we stick together and work together like I know that we can. We’re about to launch a heavily-modified probe that should lead the Aora off on a wild goose chase while we make a run for the Zelket homeworld. In half an hour, we’ll be leaving the radiation zone. Doctor Hollem has assured me that there will be no medical effects from our time here. Captain out.”
Tennyson smiled. “I knew that she’d have a plan.”
* * * *
“How long since we launched the probe?,” asked Captain Cardonez.
“Approximately twenty-five minutes,” Kandro said. His throat was dry and he didn’t know if it was simple nerves or the effects of the radiation.
“Zia, are you ready?”
“As I’ll ever be,” Kehen said with a feeble smile.
Cardonez smiled back at her. “Just remember. If the Aora is still out there, don’t wait for my order. Get us back under cover as fast as you can.”
“Yes, sir,” the Yulani woman said. She was scared. Not of death but of screwing up. She had been lucky, graduating too late from Starfleet Academy to see much action during the war and she had seen very little ever since. The first time that she had fought the Pakleds, her adrenaline had kicked in and she had hardly enough time to consider the ramifications of her actions. This was different. Sitting here, waiting to go, it gave her plenty of time to think and consider that everyone’s lives were in her hands.
“Commander, what’s our tactical situation?”
Huntington was unflappable. “Shields are at twenty-five percent. Phasers are still offline. Forward and aft torpedo launchers are loaded but the targeting system is still down. I’ve set the launchers to fire a wide spread of five torpedoes. That will give us the best possible chance of hitting something.”
“Keep your trigger finger ready. Valian, how long now?”
“Twenty-seven minutes, Captain. How about we go now?” He tried to make it sound like a glib joke but Cardonez read between the lines. He was as nervous as Kehen.
“Not quite yet, Mister Kandro.” She was also raring to go but she knew that an extra minute or two of patience could mean the difference between life and death.
The next few minutes passed with agonizing slowness. Sweat trickled down the back of Kandro’s neck but he didn’t dare wipe it away. If this plan failed, it was down to him. He had gone over the modification several times in his head since the probe launched. He couldn’t see any faults since he had done it as well as he could. It didn’t help that as well as his own feelings of fear and worry, he had to put up with everyone else’s. Kehen, especially, was very worried and he hoped that it wouldn’t affect her abilities. The one thing that they needed right now was a good pilot. The irony wasn’t lost on him right now. He would have welcomed one of his attacks. Unfortunately, his telepathic and empathic powers were functioning just fine.
Finally, Cardonez asked,” How long, Mister Kandro?”
“Thirty-one minutes, sir.”
“Lieutenant Kehen, let’s go. Nice and slow until we get a fix on the Aora.”
“Aye, sir,” she said, grateful for something to finally do.
The Testudo gently nudged her way forward past the moon and into clear space. Using only thrusters, Kehen moved the ship higher and higher.
“Twenty seconds until we’re clear,” said Kandro.
“Steady, steady,” Cardonez said, gently gripping her armrests.
“Ten seconds.”
“Be ready to turn tail if we need to,” Cardonez told Kehen.
“We’re clear.”
“Any sign of the Aora?”
“Scanning. Nothing yet… No… wait,” Huntington said. “Damn it, she’s right above us!”
Suddenly, the shadow of the Aora passed overhead. Isabel was shouting,” Dive! Dive!” even as Kehen was maneuvering the ship back into relative safety. The Nova-class ship appeared on the viewscreen heading away from them. The Captain’s grip tightened on her armrests as a single photon torpedo fired from the stern of the Aora.
“Brace for impact!,” she shouted as the torpedo struck them. The ship shuddered under the impact.
“Shields are just barely holding,” Huntington reported. “They’re down to four percent.”
“Almost there…,” said Kehen.
On the viewscreen, a single beam of red energy launched out from the rear of the Aora. The single phaser beam easily burned its way through the remains of the Testudo’s shields, tearing a hole into the saucer section.
“We’re in,” the Yulani said with a relieved sigh.
“Don’t get complacent,” Cardonez snapped at her. “Evasive maneuvers! Get us as far away from here as possible. Damage report!”
“Shields are down. Hull breach on Deck Two,” said the Tactical Officer. “There are no fatalities but we have another five wounded.”
Isabel smashed her right fist into her armrest. “Damn it! How did they know that it was a trick?!,” she asked no one in particular. “Cardonez to Sickbay. Doctor, our attempt to escape was a little premature. How long have we got?”
“About an hour and fifteen minutes, Captain.”
“There’s no time for fancy plans then.” Isabel sank back into her chair, rubbing her temples as she thought. Finally, she tapped her combadge again. “Cardonez to Engineering. Liz, I need you to begin moving wreckage and spare parts into the Main Hangar Bay. Anything that’s nonessential. PADDs, uniforms… Hell, even furniture!”
“Uh, okay, sir,” replied a confused Chief Engineer. “Any reason why?”
“I have one last idea. We’re going to try and convince the Aora that we’re dead.”
“That’s a very old trick,” said Adam. “I can’t imagine anyone falling for it.”
“Like I said, Commander, it’s my last throw of the dice. Besides, as Mister Kandro said, I don’t think that there’s a living being on the Aora. Valian, the radio beam. Could it transmit out as well as into the interference?”
“Yes,” replied the Betazoid,” quite easily.”
“Do it. I want to send a signal as soon as possible,” she said. “Commander, if we tilt the ship forward and open the Hangar doors without decompressing…”
“The contents should be sucked out along with the air at a high velocity.”
“High enough velocity to escape the interference?”
“If we were right on the edge.”
“Zia, take us within ten kilometers of the known limit of the interference. Then position us with our aft section to the outside world.” Cardonez took heart from the tiny smile that Kehen gave her. “Lieutenant Kandro, have you got my radio beam or do I need to hire a new Bridge officer?”
“I’m afraid you’re stuck with me. Ready and waiting.”
“Send the following.” Cardonez cleared her throat. “This is Captain Cardonez of the Federation starship Testudo. We are heavily damaged and under attack from unknown forces. We require immediate assistance. Please respond. Most of our crew is dead and our ship’s hull integrity is failing. I repeat, we require immediate assistance. Our ship…” She made a cutting motion across her throat. “Valian, be ready to transmit it towards the Zelket homeworld on my mark.”
“I doubt it’ll reach that far,” Kandro reported.
Cardonez smiled. “It doesn’t matter. Zia, are we in position yet?”
“Aye, sir. Holding position ten kilometers from the edge of the interference.”
Cardonez tapped her combadge. “Cardonez to Tennyson. How’s it going?”
“We’ve transported some junk into the Hangar Bay. Even some furniture from one of the spare crew cabins.”
“Liz, is the Hangar Deck clear?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Cardonez out.” The Captain leaned forward in her seat. “Now or never, Mister Kandro. Send the radio signal.” When he nodded that he had done this, Cardonez turned towards Huntington. “Commander, do it.”
A moment later and the doors to the Testudo’s Main Hangar Deck opened. Without any prior decompression, all of the atmosphere in the Hangar was sucked out into space, along with everything that wasn’t nailed down. As the occupants of the Bridge watched, a small cloud of objects tumbled away from the rear of the ship. The Captain even noticed that Tennyson had included a shuttlepod within the morass of debris.
“Lieutenant, take us down again. Evasive course at your discretion.” Cardonez sat back as Kehen maneuvered the ship back under deeper cover. “Now we wait.”
Chapter Four
In Main Engineering, an ugly situation was brewing.
“What’s the Captain playing at?!,” Lieutenant Reeves shouted, a small group of officers and crew members hanging off of his every word. “We’re dying down here and all that she can do is shoot garbage into space? Well, I’ve had enough! Who’s with me?!”
“We are!,” came the chant from his followers.
“Lieutenant, what the hell are you playing at? This is no time for mutiny!,” Liz Tennyson said as forcefully as she could while walking up to him. “The Captain knows what she’s doing.”
“It doesn’t look like she does from down here!,” Reeves said, sweat running down his reddened face and there was a manic gleam in his eyes.
As he tried to brush past her, Tennyson put a hand on his chest to slow him down. Reeves pushed her as hard as he could, knocking her to the ground. “Come on! Let’s get to the Bridge!,” Reeves shouted.
Within seconds, Engineering was a melee as crewmen scuffled with each other. Reeves looked on. Grinning wildly, he pushed Tennyson down again as she tried to return to her feet. As she landed hard on the deck, she winced in pain as she noticed the hydrospanner clenched tightly in his hand.
“Now then, I’ve had enough of you and your Captain!,” he shouted, raising the spanner above his head. “Time to… gagk!” He wheezed when a large dark hand gripped his neck and lifted him a few centimeters from the deck. The hydrospanner fell from his hand.
“Is this officer bothering you, Lieutenant?,” asked Crewman Dru’sk.
Liz had never been so glad to see the young Klingon. “You could say that,” was her reply.
With a deft movement, Dru’sk threw Reeves to one side. Then he brought up his phaser rifle and emitted a deafening roar. At once, everyone in the room stopped fighting and looked his way.
“Right. I’m taking this man to the Brig. I’ll be back momentarily. If Lieutenant Tennyson has any more problems, I’ll deal with them personally.” He gestured towards Reeves. “You, up!” With his rifle in hand, he marched the prisoner out of Engineering.
Tennyson clapped her hands. “Okay, people! The fun’s over. Let’s get back to our repairs.” For a moment, everyone stood there as if frozen in the headlights. Finally though, Ensign Wilker returned to his station. Seconds later, everyone else followed his lead. The moment of madness was over.
At least, for now.
* * * *
On the Bridge, Isabel Cardonez was sitting, slouched in her seat. Like everyone else, she was starting to manifest the first signs of radiation sickness. She was tired, irritable, and she felt nauseous.
“How long since we sent the signal?,” she asked wearily.
“Twenty-seven minutes, sir,” said an equally tired Kandro. An attack had hit him in the last few minutes but rather than the blessing that he had thought it would be, it only added to his discomfort. The headache that was usually manageable only exacerbated the other aches and pains that he was developing.
Cardonez nodded. “Get us moving, Lieutenant.”
Kehen gave her no argument. She simply manipulated her controls to push the Testudo, once more, into open space. Although all of them knew that it was psychological, there was a feeling of relief when they saw clear space again. It lasted for only three seconds.
“The Aora is still out there,” Huntington said,” bearing at zero-four-five, mark one-one-nine. Seventy thousand kilometers and closing.”
Cardonez sighed, her head dropping onto her chest. “Take us back, Lieutenant.” She tapped her combadge and asked,” How long, Doctor?”
In Sickbay, Doctor Hollem looked up from injecting another crewman with a vial of hyronolin. Every biobed was occupied and several crewmembers were laid out on the deck. “We have roughly forty minutes, Captain. Some of us will last a little longer. Say the Vulcans, for example, but at the most, only for an hour.”
“Thank you, Doctor.” Slowly, Cardonez stood up. Her head was hung low when she walked towards her Ready Room. Once she was inside, she walked over to the window and gazed outside. Below her, the planet looked like nothing more than the fires of Hell. Closing her eyes, she rested her head on the glass.
A few seconds later, the door to her Ready Room opened. She didn’t move a muscle since she was too tired to even inquire who it was. She heard footfalls heading towards the area of the room where the replicator was located. After a moment, she heard Adam Huntington say,” Two glasses of eliberry juice.” She turned around and found the Tactical Officer was sitting, smiling across from the front of her desk. There was a glass of juice in front of him and another glass in front of her empty chair.
She sat down. “Can I help you, Commander?,” she asked him, wearily.
Huntington took a sip of the pinkish juice. “I’ve been waiting to try that for days,” he said before he placed the glass back down on the table. “It’s a bit too sweet but I can see why you like it.”
“Commander?”
“Oh, yes. It was just a question, really. Well, two questions. First, why is it that you hear you refer to everyone by his or her first name at one time or another, except for me? Then, it’s all very formal. Lieutenant Commander Huntington or Commander Huntington or Mister Huntington.”
“We’re less than an hour from terminal radiation poisoning and you want to discuss why we’re not on first name terms?”
“Well, there’s one of the things that I wanted to discuss. It just seems strange. I thought it might be the fact that I’m older but then Commander Masafumi is older and you use his first name.”
“Well, I suppose, if I’m being honest, you intimidate me a little,” she admitted. She couldn’t believe that they were having this conversation now of all times. “You’ve had quite a long and illustrious career. I suppose I’m always worried that you’re comparing me to other Captains that you might have had.”
“Ah,” he said in a manner that implied that he understood perfectly. “Well, in truth, I do compare you with the other past Captains. I’m only Human after all.”
“You do?,” Cardonez asked nervously.
“Oh, yes, all the time. In fact, I’m comparing you now. Especially since you seem to be doing something that no other captain of mine has ever done. That brings me nearly to my second question.”
“Which is?”
“Why are you giving up?,” he asked, his smile gone now.
Isabel was taken aback and it took several seconds to find an answer. “I suppose because I can’t win. The Aora’s out there and we can’t get away.”
“I find it curious, having read a lot about your conduct during the war and that you considered ‘getting away’ in the first place. Your history suggests a more aggressive posture than that.”
“Yes. I’ll admit that during the war, I would tend to stand and fight but that was different. I had a crew of never more than forty. Now I have over a hundred and sixty-five people depending on me. I can’t just risk them on a foolhardy attack.”
“No offense, Captain, but those one hundred and sixty-five odd people are going to be dead soon unless you go on the offensive.”
“Don’t you think I know that!,” Cardonez barked, bringing her fist down hard onto her desktop. “Almost two hundred people are counting on me and I don’t know what to do next. Sixteen of them are already dead because I didn’t see the Aora as a threat. How many will I kill with my next brilliant command decision?,” she asked before calming down. “For the last few years, all I’ve felt like a fish out of water. I’m a soldier. During the war, I always knew what to do. Starfleet is now asking me to be an explorer and a diplomat. I don’t know how to do those things.”
“I disagree. You know how but you have to gain experience before you’re confident in doing them. That will come with time. I would suggest that, right now, the crew of the Testudo doesn’t need a diplomat or an explorer. They need a soldier.”
Cardonez smiled. Picking up her glass, she drained it in one long gulp. “That feels better,” she said. Whether she meant the drink or Huntington’s faith in her, she wasn’t sure. “We have torpedoes. How inaccurate is the targeting?”
“Very. You get me within point-blank range though and I won’t miss.”
“Thank you, Commander. I’ll be out in a minute.” When Huntington had left, she reached over to a small purple box that laid on her desk. Opening it, she stared at the contents for a few seconds. The silver cross bore a blue half-sphere at its center. Keeping the Pacifica Cross on her desk wasn’t arrogance. It was merely a constant reminder of her duties and responsibilities. She snapped the case shut.
All three Bridge officers snapped to attention when Cardonez strode onto the Bridge. Their spirits lifted slightly when they saw the determination in her eyes. She sat down in her command chair and tapped her combadge. “Cardonez to Tennyson. Liz, I want another load of debris in the Hangar Bay. You’ve got two minutes.”
“Aye, sir,” said Tennyson wearily.
“Captain, that didn’t work last time. Why should…” Kandro closed his mouth when Isabel raised her index finger in the air.
“Lieutenant, when I want an opinion, I’ll ask for it,” she told him. Rather than be offended, the Betazoid found comfort in the steel behind her words. “Answer me this. Would the Aora detect a probe set on passive scan?”
“Not the scan itself but they would detect the impulse engines easily and we would never receive a signal through all of this interference.”
“Don’t worry. The probe won’t be using its engines.” She tapped her combadge again. “Liz, I have an unusual request.”
“Go ahead,” the Chief Engineer said, her curiosity raising her spirits ever so slightly.
“I need some form of cabling that’s several kilometers long and capable of channeling data from a probe to our main computer.”
Kandro grinned. “Simple, yet effective,” he said and Cardonez winked at him.
“Well, we have several bundles of optical data wire. It’s only microns wide but it’s quite strong and it can carry a lot of data. We’ve got about fifty kilometers lying around in Cargo Bay Two.”
“Good. ring a length of it to a computer console in the Main Hangar Bay and the other end to a probe. Set it for passive scanning only before you place the probe in with the rest of the debris. How long?”
“Ten minutes,” Tennyson said, instantly.
“Do it.”
* * * *
Ten minutes later, the Testudo was close to the edge of the interference again with its aft section pointing outwards.
“We’re in position,” reported Kehen.
“Okay, Commander,” Cardonez said,” raise periscope.”
“Aye, aye, Cap’n,” the Tactical Officer said in his best pirate voice. In spite of the situation or perhaps because of it, they all laughed. The Hangar Bay released another load of debris. This time, a probe was nestled in amongst it, trailing a near invisible tether behind it.
Tense seconds passed by before suddenly, the computer intoned,” Warning. Fifteen minutes until fatal dosage.”
“Shut that off,” said Cardonez.
“With pleasure,” Kandro said. A moment later, the Operations Console chirped. “I’m getting sensor data. It’s working.”
Isabel stood up behind him. “Have you located the Aora?”
“Yes, here,” he said, pointing towards a schematic. “She isn’t moving, just scanning the area. They’re probably waiting for us to make a break for it.”
“Cut the tether loose. Zia, how long will it take to get us where we want to be?”
“We’re already on our way. Two minutes, sir.”
Cardonez sat back down in her chair. Activating the intership communication system, she began to speak to the crew. “All hands, this is the Captain speaking. In a few minutes, we’ll be going into battle. I can’t promise that we’ll win but I can promise you that the USS Testudo will not go down without a fight.”
All around the ship, crewmembers stood silently while their Captain spoke. In Sickbay, Doctor Hollem paused in his ministrations. In Engineering, a dozen people stopped what they were doing. In the Brig, Lieutenant Reeves sat with his head in his hands.
“We have a slim chance but even if we fail, we will die in free space with our heads held high, not hiding like frightened children. We have no shields. So it could be a rough ride. All crewmembers are ordered to evacuate to the innermost sections of the ship. Good luck to us all and if I don’t get an opportunity to say it again, it has been an honor to be your Captain. Cardonez out.”
In Main Engineering, Liz Tennyson smiled and said,” We’re going to make it.”
“How can you be sure?,” asked Ensign Wilker.
Tennyson’s grin widened. “Because the last time that she gave a speech like that, we were about to go in against a fleet of Jem’Hadar warships. Trust me. We’re going to make it.”
* * * *
“In position,” said Kehen.
“Stand by, everyone. Take us up.”
The Testudo began to rise, quicker than before. Surprise was their best ally now.
“Ten kilometers,” Kehen said. “Eight, six, four, two…”
“There!,” said Kandro.
The Testudo rose up less than five kilometers from the stern of the Aora. “They’ve spotted us,” said Kandro.
“Too late. Fire!,” ordered Cardonez.
“Torpedoes away!,” shouted Huntington. “Reloading.”
The five quantum torpedoes left the ship as one. Slowly they began to drift apart. By the time that they struck the Aora’s shields, they were several dozen meters apart.
“Their shields are down,” Huntington said,” but they’re returning fire.”
“Evasive maneuvers. Return fire!”
A phaser beam fired from the Aora’s stern away struck the Testudo on her port nacelles, releasing a cloud of hydrogen and warp plasma into space. As the ship maneuvered, another three torpedoes fired from the frigate and struck the science vessel’s port nacelle, vaporizing it.
“Got her!,” shouted Huntington. “She’s heavily damaged. She’s lost power to weapons and her impulse drive. There are hull breaches on every deck.”
Cardonez sighed. “Zia, set a course for Jor’Ka’Hail. We’ll come back for the Aora when we’re in better shape.”
“Captain,” the Tactical Officer reported with a tone of alarm in his voice,” I’m reading a power surge in the Aora’s warp core. It’s on overload.”
“Get us out of here!”
As the Testudo cruised away from the gas giant, the remains of the USS Aora disappeared in a violent explosion.
Epilogue
Captain’s Log, Stardate 54474.0;
We are still in orbit around Jor’Ka’Hail. The Zelket have been very helpful and Lieutenant Tennyson believes that we’ll be fit to leave within the next ten hours. We will proceed to the nearest Starbaser to complete the repairs. Doctor Hollem has confirmed that none of us received any permanent damage from our proximity to the radiation and the wounded are all recovering well, including Commander Masafumi who will be fit to return to duty in a few days.
Isabel Cardonez sat in her Ready Room. Liz Tennyson was with her when the door chimes rang. “Enter,” she called out.
Lieutenant Bill Reeves, looking more sane than the last time that Liz saw him, shuffled inside. “You wanted to see me, sir?”
“Sit down, Lieutenant,” said the Captain. “I won’t beat around the bush. Attempted mutiny is a serious offense.” Reeves’ eyes were downcast but he nodded that he understood. “The penalty is a court-martial and dismissal from Starfleet. There’s also the possibility of time in a penal colony.”
“I understand, sir,” Reeves said, looking up.
“I don’t think that you do. I’ve spoken lengthy with both Lieutenant Tennyson and Doctor Hollem. In this instance, I’m accepting the mitigating circumstances.” As Cardonez spoke, Reeves’ face brightened. “It was a highly pressured situation. In addition, you had just lost a friend. The Doctor confirmed that radiation sickness had a probable impact on your actions as well. In light of this, I’m entering a formal reprimand in your record but that’s all the action that I’m taking.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Don’t thank me. If it was up to me, you would be off of my ship,” Cardonez said, coldly. “Lieutenant Tennyson spoke on your behalf.”
Reeves turned towards Tennyson “Thank you, Lieutenant.”
“That’s okay,” she said.
“Be under no illusions, Mister Reeves. I’ll be watching you. Dismissed.”
After Reeves had left the Ready Room, Cardonez moved from the chair behind her desk and sat down next to Tennyson. “Are you sure about this, Liz? I can still authorize a transfer for him.”
Tennyson shook her head. “I can’t hide from people like him. I have to learn to deal with them.”
“Okay, Liz, but if you change your mind?”
“I know,” she said before she left.
After a moment, Isabel followed her out onto the Bridge. Engineer, both Starfleet and brown-garbed Zelkets, were working on repairing several consoles. She walked over to Huntington who was standing behind the Tactical console.
“Captain.” He nodded.
“Commander, did you learn anything from the scans of the Aora?”
“Nothing more, I’m afraid. As far as the scans are concerned, the ship was deserted. There wasn’t enough data to indicate whether an AI of some kind was aboard.”
“Another mystery for Sector 29004,” she said with a smile. She turned to walk away but turned back after taking a few steps.. “Do you really compare me to your other captains?”
“All the time,” he said with a sly smile.
Cardonez grinned. “Look after the Bridge for me, Commander. I’m going to go check on my First Officer. Oh, and just one more thing.”
“Yes?,” Huntington asked.
“Thanks for the pep talk, Commander.”
“You’re welcome. And it’s Adam.”
“Thanks, Adam,” she said with a smile before turning back towards the turbolift.
The End.
In Main Engineering, an ugly situation was brewing.
“What’s the Captain playing at?!,” Lieutenant Reeves shouted, a small group of officers and crew members hanging off of his every word. “We’re dying down here and all that she can do is shoot garbage into space? Well, I’ve had enough! Who’s with me?!”
“We are!,” came the chant from his followers.
“Lieutenant, what the hell are you playing at? This is no time for mutiny!,” Liz Tennyson said as forcefully as she could while walking up to him. “The Captain knows what she’s doing.”
“It doesn’t look like she does from down here!,” Reeves said, sweat running down his reddened face and there was a manic gleam in his eyes.
As he tried to brush past her, Tennyson put a hand on his chest to slow him down. Reeves pushed her as hard as he could, knocking her to the ground. “Come on! Let’s get to the Bridge!,” Reeves shouted.
Within seconds, Engineering was a melee as crewmen scuffled with each other. Reeves looked on. Grinning wildly, he pushed Tennyson down again as she tried to return to her feet. As she landed hard on the deck, she winced in pain as she noticed the hydrospanner clenched tightly in his hand.
“Now then, I’ve had enough of you and your Captain!,” he shouted, raising the spanner above his head. “Time to… gagk!” He wheezed when a large dark hand gripped his neck and lifted him a few centimeters from the deck. The hydrospanner fell from his hand.
“Is this officer bothering you, Lieutenant?,” asked Crewman Dru’sk.
Liz had never been so glad to see the young Klingon. “You could say that,” was her reply.
With a deft movement, Dru’sk threw Reeves to one side. Then he brought up his phaser rifle and emitted a deafening roar. At once, everyone in the room stopped fighting and looked his way.
“Right. I’m taking this man to the Brig. I’ll be back momentarily. If Lieutenant Tennyson has any more problems, I’ll deal with them personally.” He gestured towards Reeves. “You, up!” With his rifle in hand, he marched the prisoner out of Engineering.
Tennyson clapped her hands. “Okay, people! The fun’s over. Let’s get back to our repairs.” For a moment, everyone stood there as if frozen in the headlights. Finally though, Ensign Wilker returned to his station. Seconds later, everyone else followed his lead. The moment of madness was over.
At least, for now.
* * * *
On the Bridge, Isabel Cardonez was sitting, slouched in her seat. Like everyone else, she was starting to manifest the first signs of radiation sickness. She was tired, irritable, and she felt nauseous.
“How long since we sent the signal?,” she asked wearily.
“Twenty-seven minutes, sir,” said an equally tired Kandro. An attack had hit him in the last few minutes but rather than the blessing that he had thought it would be, it only added to his discomfort. The headache that was usually manageable only exacerbated the other aches and pains that he was developing.
Cardonez nodded. “Get us moving, Lieutenant.”
Kehen gave her no argument. She simply manipulated her controls to push the Testudo, once more, into open space. Although all of them knew that it was psychological, there was a feeling of relief when they saw clear space again. It lasted for only three seconds.
“The Aora is still out there,” Huntington said,” bearing at zero-four-five, mark one-one-nine. Seventy thousand kilometers and closing.”
Cardonez sighed, her head dropping onto her chest. “Take us back, Lieutenant.” She tapped her combadge and asked,” How long, Doctor?”
In Sickbay, Doctor Hollem looked up from injecting another crewman with a vial of hyronolin. Every biobed was occupied and several crewmembers were laid out on the deck. “We have roughly forty minutes, Captain. Some of us will last a little longer. Say the Vulcans, for example, but at the most, only for an hour.”
“Thank you, Doctor.” Slowly, Cardonez stood up. Her head was hung low when she walked towards her Ready Room. Once she was inside, she walked over to the window and gazed outside. Below her, the planet looked like nothing more than the fires of Hell. Closing her eyes, she rested her head on the glass.
A few seconds later, the door to her Ready Room opened. She didn’t move a muscle since she was too tired to even inquire who it was. She heard footfalls heading towards the area of the room where the replicator was located. After a moment, she heard Adam Huntington say,” Two glasses of eliberry juice.” She turned around and found the Tactical Officer was sitting, smiling across from the front of her desk. There was a glass of juice in front of him and another glass in front of her empty chair.
She sat down. “Can I help you, Commander?,” she asked him, wearily.
Huntington took a sip of the pinkish juice. “I’ve been waiting to try that for days,” he said before he placed the glass back down on the table. “It’s a bit too sweet but I can see why you like it.”
“Commander?”
“Oh, yes. It was just a question, really. Well, two questions. First, why is it that you hear you refer to everyone by his or her first name at one time or another, except for me? Then, it’s all very formal. Lieutenant Commander Huntington or Commander Huntington or Mister Huntington.”
“We’re less than an hour from terminal radiation poisoning and you want to discuss why we’re not on first name terms?”
“Well, there’s one of the things that I wanted to discuss. It just seems strange. I thought it might be the fact that I’m older but then Commander Masafumi is older and you use his first name.”
“Well, I suppose, if I’m being honest, you intimidate me a little,” she admitted. She couldn’t believe that they were having this conversation now of all times. “You’ve had quite a long and illustrious career. I suppose I’m always worried that you’re comparing me to other Captains that you might have had.”
“Ah,” he said in a manner that implied that he understood perfectly. “Well, in truth, I do compare you with the other past Captains. I’m only Human after all.”
“You do?,” Cardonez asked nervously.
“Oh, yes, all the time. In fact, I’m comparing you now. Especially since you seem to be doing something that no other captain of mine has ever done. That brings me nearly to my second question.”
“Which is?”
“Why are you giving up?,” he asked, his smile gone now.
Isabel was taken aback and it took several seconds to find an answer. “I suppose because I can’t win. The Aora’s out there and we can’t get away.”
“I find it curious, having read a lot about your conduct during the war and that you considered ‘getting away’ in the first place. Your history suggests a more aggressive posture than that.”
“Yes. I’ll admit that during the war, I would tend to stand and fight but that was different. I had a crew of never more than forty. Now I have over a hundred and sixty-five people depending on me. I can’t just risk them on a foolhardy attack.”
“No offense, Captain, but those one hundred and sixty-five odd people are going to be dead soon unless you go on the offensive.”
“Don’t you think I know that!,” Cardonez barked, bringing her fist down hard onto her desktop. “Almost two hundred people are counting on me and I don’t know what to do next. Sixteen of them are already dead because I didn’t see the Aora as a threat. How many will I kill with my next brilliant command decision?,” she asked before calming down. “For the last few years, all I’ve felt like a fish out of water. I’m a soldier. During the war, I always knew what to do. Starfleet is now asking me to be an explorer and a diplomat. I don’t know how to do those things.”
“I disagree. You know how but you have to gain experience before you’re confident in doing them. That will come with time. I would suggest that, right now, the crew of the Testudo doesn’t need a diplomat or an explorer. They need a soldier.”
Cardonez smiled. Picking up her glass, she drained it in one long gulp. “That feels better,” she said. Whether she meant the drink or Huntington’s faith in her, she wasn’t sure. “We have torpedoes. How inaccurate is the targeting?”
“Very. You get me within point-blank range though and I won’t miss.”
“Thank you, Commander. I’ll be out in a minute.” When Huntington had left, she reached over to a small purple box that laid on her desk. Opening it, she stared at the contents for a few seconds. The silver cross bore a blue half-sphere at its center. Keeping the Pacifica Cross on her desk wasn’t arrogance. It was merely a constant reminder of her duties and responsibilities. She snapped the case shut.
All three Bridge officers snapped to attention when Cardonez strode onto the Bridge. Their spirits lifted slightly when they saw the determination in her eyes. She sat down in her command chair and tapped her combadge. “Cardonez to Tennyson. Liz, I want another load of debris in the Hangar Bay. You’ve got two minutes.”
“Aye, sir,” said Tennyson wearily.
“Captain, that didn’t work last time. Why should…” Kandro closed his mouth when Isabel raised her index finger in the air.
“Lieutenant, when I want an opinion, I’ll ask for it,” she told him. Rather than be offended, the Betazoid found comfort in the steel behind her words. “Answer me this. Would the Aora detect a probe set on passive scan?”
“Not the scan itself but they would detect the impulse engines easily and we would never receive a signal through all of this interference.”
“Don’t worry. The probe won’t be using its engines.” She tapped her combadge again. “Liz, I have an unusual request.”
“Go ahead,” the Chief Engineer said, her curiosity raising her spirits ever so slightly.
“I need some form of cabling that’s several kilometers long and capable of channeling data from a probe to our main computer.”
Kandro grinned. “Simple, yet effective,” he said and Cardonez winked at him.
“Well, we have several bundles of optical data wire. It’s only microns wide but it’s quite strong and it can carry a lot of data. We’ve got about fifty kilometers lying around in Cargo Bay Two.”
“Good. ring a length of it to a computer console in the Main Hangar Bay and the other end to a probe. Set it for passive scanning only before you place the probe in with the rest of the debris. How long?”
“Ten minutes,” Tennyson said, instantly.
“Do it.”
* * * *
Ten minutes later, the Testudo was close to the edge of the interference again with its aft section pointing outwards.
“We’re in position,” reported Kehen.
“Okay, Commander,” Cardonez said,” raise periscope.”
“Aye, aye, Cap’n,” the Tactical Officer said in his best pirate voice. In spite of the situation or perhaps because of it, they all laughed. The Hangar Bay released another load of debris. This time, a probe was nestled in amongst it, trailing a near invisible tether behind it.
Tense seconds passed by before suddenly, the computer intoned,” Warning. Fifteen minutes until fatal dosage.”
“Shut that off,” said Cardonez.
“With pleasure,” Kandro said. A moment later, the Operations Console chirped. “I’m getting sensor data. It’s working.”
Isabel stood up behind him. “Have you located the Aora?”
“Yes, here,” he said, pointing towards a schematic. “She isn’t moving, just scanning the area. They’re probably waiting for us to make a break for it.”
“Cut the tether loose. Zia, how long will it take to get us where we want to be?”
“We’re already on our way. Two minutes, sir.”
Cardonez sat back down in her chair. Activating the intership communication system, she began to speak to the crew. “All hands, this is the Captain speaking. In a few minutes, we’ll be going into battle. I can’t promise that we’ll win but I can promise you that the USS Testudo will not go down without a fight.”
All around the ship, crewmembers stood silently while their Captain spoke. In Sickbay, Doctor Hollem paused in his ministrations. In Engineering, a dozen people stopped what they were doing. In the Brig, Lieutenant Reeves sat with his head in his hands.
“We have a slim chance but even if we fail, we will die in free space with our heads held high, not hiding like frightened children. We have no shields. So it could be a rough ride. All crewmembers are ordered to evacuate to the innermost sections of the ship. Good luck to us all and if I don’t get an opportunity to say it again, it has been an honor to be your Captain. Cardonez out.”
In Main Engineering, Liz Tennyson smiled and said,” We’re going to make it.”
“How can you be sure?,” asked Ensign Wilker.
Tennyson’s grin widened. “Because the last time that she gave a speech like that, we were about to go in against a fleet of Jem’Hadar warships. Trust me. We’re going to make it.”
* * * *
“In position,” said Kehen.
“Stand by, everyone. Take us up.”
The Testudo began to rise, quicker than before. Surprise was their best ally now.
“Ten kilometers,” Kehen said. “Eight, six, four, two…”
“There!,” said Kandro.
The Testudo rose up less than five kilometers from the stern of the Aora. “They’ve spotted us,” said Kandro.
“Too late. Fire!,” ordered Cardonez.
“Torpedoes away!,” shouted Huntington. “Reloading.”
The five quantum torpedoes left the ship as one. Slowly they began to drift apart. By the time that they struck the Aora’s shields, they were several dozen meters apart.
“Their shields are down,” Huntington said,” but they’re returning fire.”
“Evasive maneuvers. Return fire!”
A phaser beam fired from the Aora’s stern away struck the Testudo on her port nacelles, releasing a cloud of hydrogen and warp plasma into space. As the ship maneuvered, another three torpedoes fired from the frigate and struck the science vessel’s port nacelle, vaporizing it.
“Got her!,” shouted Huntington. “She’s heavily damaged. She’s lost power to weapons and her impulse drive. There are hull breaches on every deck.”
Cardonez sighed. “Zia, set a course for Jor’Ka’Hail. We’ll come back for the Aora when we’re in better shape.”
“Captain,” the Tactical Officer reported with a tone of alarm in his voice,” I’m reading a power surge in the Aora’s warp core. It’s on overload.”
“Get us out of here!”
As the Testudo cruised away from the gas giant, the remains of the USS Aora disappeared in a violent explosion.
Epilogue
Captain’s Log, Stardate 54474.0;
We are still in orbit around Jor’Ka’Hail. The Zelket have been very helpful and Lieutenant Tennyson believes that we’ll be fit to leave within the next ten hours. We will proceed to the nearest Starbaser to complete the repairs. Doctor Hollem has confirmed that none of us received any permanent damage from our proximity to the radiation and the wounded are all recovering well, including Commander Masafumi who will be fit to return to duty in a few days.
Isabel Cardonez sat in her Ready Room. Liz Tennyson was with her when the door chimes rang. “Enter,” she called out.
Lieutenant Bill Reeves, looking more sane than the last time that Liz saw him, shuffled inside. “You wanted to see me, sir?”
“Sit down, Lieutenant,” said the Captain. “I won’t beat around the bush. Attempted mutiny is a serious offense.” Reeves’ eyes were downcast but he nodded that he understood. “The penalty is a court-martial and dismissal from Starfleet. There’s also the possibility of time in a penal colony.”
“I understand, sir,” Reeves said, looking up.
“I don’t think that you do. I’ve spoken lengthy with both Lieutenant Tennyson and Doctor Hollem. In this instance, I’m accepting the mitigating circumstances.” As Cardonez spoke, Reeves’ face brightened. “It was a highly pressured situation. In addition, you had just lost a friend. The Doctor confirmed that radiation sickness had a probable impact on your actions as well. In light of this, I’m entering a formal reprimand in your record but that’s all the action that I’m taking.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Don’t thank me. If it was up to me, you would be off of my ship,” Cardonez said, coldly. “Lieutenant Tennyson spoke on your behalf.”
Reeves turned towards Tennyson “Thank you, Lieutenant.”
“That’s okay,” she said.
“Be under no illusions, Mister Reeves. I’ll be watching you. Dismissed.”
After Reeves had left the Ready Room, Cardonez moved from the chair behind her desk and sat down next to Tennyson. “Are you sure about this, Liz? I can still authorize a transfer for him.”
Tennyson shook her head. “I can’t hide from people like him. I have to learn to deal with them.”
“Okay, Liz, but if you change your mind?”
“I know,” she said before she left.
After a moment, Isabel followed her out onto the Bridge. Engineer, both Starfleet and brown-garbed Zelkets, were working on repairing several consoles. She walked over to Huntington who was standing behind the Tactical console.
“Captain.” He nodded.
“Commander, did you learn anything from the scans of the Aora?”
“Nothing more, I’m afraid. As far as the scans are concerned, the ship was deserted. There wasn’t enough data to indicate whether an AI of some kind was aboard.”
“Another mystery for Sector 29004,” she said with a smile. She turned to walk away but turned back after taking a few steps.. “Do you really compare me to your other captains?”
“All the time,” he said with a sly smile.
Cardonez grinned. “Look after the Bridge for me, Commander. I’m going to go check on my First Officer. Oh, and just one more thing.”
“Yes?,” Huntington asked.
“Thanks for the pep talk, Commander.”
“You’re welcome. And it’s Adam.”
“Thanks, Adam,” she said with a smile before turning back towards the turbolift.
The End.
For narratives purposes Cardonez's leniency toward Reeves does keep a ready antagonist aboard. Rather disturbing that he has followers. Quite liking the relationship between Cardonez and Huntington. Definitely a little gritty for Cardonez to have a crisis of consciousness and great storytelling that all the neat plans failed and the correct course of action was to attack.
Given all that, I'm hoping you tell another story about this crew - I would like to see how the relationship between Cardonez and Masafumi develops. And also test the wisdom of her leniency toward Reeves.
Thanks!! rbs
Given all that, I'm hoping you tell another story about this crew - I would like to see how the relationship between Cardonez and Masafumi develops. And also test the wisdom of her leniency toward Reeves.
Thanks!! rbs
I enjoyed these. Very nice work. Looking forward to more.
Star Trek: Into the Void
Episode 04 - ‘Aide Memoir’
By Jack D. Elmlinger
Prologue
As another flash of white light illuminated the interior of the runabout, Commander Yashiro Masafumi considered that it was almost like being in the middle of a thunderstorm. Almost, but a hundred times more powerful.
“The ion storm is increasing in severity,” he said, sitting at one of the rear science stations on the runabout’s flight deck. “It went up fifteen percent in the last strike.”
Suddenly another flash and the tiny vessel was rocked violently.
“Well, that wasn’t nice,” Lieutenant Kehen said, sitting at the pilot’s console. “I nearly lost her. It’s getting choppier out there. If it keeps getting more violent out there, I don’t know how long I can maintain control.”
“How much further is it to Primus III?,” Lieutenant Liz Tennyson asked her from the co-pilot’s seat.
“Too far,” the Yulani woman said. “Commander, I need to set her down somewhere so we can sit this out.”
Another bolt struck the ship. “Shields are at twenty percent,” Tennyson reported. “Some of our sensors are starting to become ionized. We might lose our instruments if we don’t get to safety.”
“We just passed by Primus IV,” Masafumi said, starting to feel nauseous as the ship rocked around. “Can we reach it?”
“Just about,” said Kehen. “I’m altering our course now. Is there any point in signaling the archaeological team on Primus III?”
“Negative,” said Masafumi. “The signal won’t penetrate a storm of this magnitude.”
There were two more flashes, separated by only a few seconds, that struck the ship. The console in front of Tennyson reacted to them, shorting out in a spray of sparks. She cried out and shielded her face with her hands.
“Lieutenant!,” Masafumi said, rising out of his seat but being thrown back into it as the ship shook again. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. It’s the ionization. We’ve lost shields and long-range sensors. The warp drive and life-support are also damaged.”
In the forward window, they now saw Primus IV loom up in front of them. It was a small world, colored in a dark shade of blue that was almost black. “Not the most inviting of places,” Tennyson commented.
“Those are sub-zero temperatures and a methane/carbon dioxide mixture for an atmosphere,” Masafumi said.
Kehen shivered. “I hate the cold.”
“Any port in a storm, Lieutenant,” the Commander asked with a thin smile.
“Going in,” Kehen said as the runabout began to burn through the atmosphere.
The ship shuddered and visibly groaned all around them. As it burst through the upper atmosphere, a wall of almost impenetrable darkness greeted them before hail peppered the window.
“Zia, we need to land quickly. Structural integrity is only just holding and the inertial dampeners are on the verge of failing,” Liz told her. “I’m diverting as much power as I’m able to but we’ll lose them in a few minutes.”
“According to the planetary surveys, the surface is fairly flat,” said Masafumi.
“Fairly?,” asked Kehen.
“Power to life-support is failing,” Tennyson spoke up.
“Almost there. Twelve hundred meters, eleven hundred… one thousand,” Kehen said, her voice rising slightly with every increment.
Masafumi stood shakily and moved over to the rear of the flight deck. Opening a locker, he started unpacking environmental suits.
“Seven hundred, six hundred, five hundred… Brace for impact!,” Kehen said, pushing herself back into her chair and preparing for a large jolt.
The USS Snohomish hit the surface, landing flat on its belly, sending a tidal wave of snow and ice in every direction as it careened along the ground. Inside the ship, everyone on the flight deck clung on for dear life. They had no way of stopping or even to maneuver the ship. Their only hope was that the ship’s inertia would quickly be absorbed by their course along the planetary surface. Consoles spat up sparks and lights flickered before they died. For a terrifying moment, the three officers were plunged into total darkness. Seeing nothing, they didn’t know what they were plunging towards. The red emergency lights activated and it seemed to make the experience even worse. They could all clearly see the looks of terror on each other’s faces.
Soon, the Snohomish began to slow down. With no controlling force, it also began to swerve until it was on one side. This maneuver slowed her down even faster and with a last, shuddering jolt, she stopped, embedded in a snowbank.
It seemed like an eternity in which no one spoke, each of them holding their breath as if they were expecting it to be a momentary respite before some grisly death overtook them. For Masafumi, the fear that the forward window would leak poisons into the runabout was paramount. Tennyson fully expected the ship’s reactor to collapse under the stress that it has recently taken, vaporizing them in a nanosecond. Kehen had designed the most outlandish fantasy. For some reason, she expected the ground underneath them to open up, dropping them into the waiting maw of a Krawdor, a mythical Yulani beast that was the size of a house.
As it happened, the Commander was the closest. Suddenly, a sharp hiss snapped them all out of their fear and forced them into action.
“Hull breach!,” yelled Tennyson.
Masafumi was already half-way into his suit before the others had even begun to clumsily step into theirs. From the back of the flight deck, he noticed that wispy white clouds were beginning to form. Already, Kehen was starting to cough and she was having trouble getting into her suit. He stopped what he was doing and began to help her into her suit. Soon after, she lost consciousness, slumping towards the deck and making it hard for him. By the time that he snapped her helmet into place, he was beginning to have trouble with breathing as well. He was coughing with his throat and eyes beginning to burn. Luckily, Lieutenant Tennyson had gotten into her suit and managed to snap his helmet into place, moments before he lost consciousness and slumped to the deck next to Kehen.
Episode 04 - ‘Aide Memoir’
By Jack D. Elmlinger
Prologue
As another flash of white light illuminated the interior of the runabout, Commander Yashiro Masafumi considered that it was almost like being in the middle of a thunderstorm. Almost, but a hundred times more powerful.
“The ion storm is increasing in severity,” he said, sitting at one of the rear science stations on the runabout’s flight deck. “It went up fifteen percent in the last strike.”
Suddenly another flash and the tiny vessel was rocked violently.
“Well, that wasn’t nice,” Lieutenant Kehen said, sitting at the pilot’s console. “I nearly lost her. It’s getting choppier out there. If it keeps getting more violent out there, I don’t know how long I can maintain control.”
“How much further is it to Primus III?,” Lieutenant Liz Tennyson asked her from the co-pilot’s seat.
“Too far,” the Yulani woman said. “Commander, I need to set her down somewhere so we can sit this out.”
Another bolt struck the ship. “Shields are at twenty percent,” Tennyson reported. “Some of our sensors are starting to become ionized. We might lose our instruments if we don’t get to safety.”
“We just passed by Primus IV,” Masafumi said, starting to feel nauseous as the ship rocked around. “Can we reach it?”
“Just about,” said Kehen. “I’m altering our course now. Is there any point in signaling the archaeological team on Primus III?”
“Negative,” said Masafumi. “The signal won’t penetrate a storm of this magnitude.”
There were two more flashes, separated by only a few seconds, that struck the ship. The console in front of Tennyson reacted to them, shorting out in a spray of sparks. She cried out and shielded her face with her hands.
“Lieutenant!,” Masafumi said, rising out of his seat but being thrown back into it as the ship shook again. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. It’s the ionization. We’ve lost shields and long-range sensors. The warp drive and life-support are also damaged.”
In the forward window, they now saw Primus IV loom up in front of them. It was a small world, colored in a dark shade of blue that was almost black. “Not the most inviting of places,” Tennyson commented.
“Those are sub-zero temperatures and a methane/carbon dioxide mixture for an atmosphere,” Masafumi said.
Kehen shivered. “I hate the cold.”
“Any port in a storm, Lieutenant,” the Commander asked with a thin smile.
“Going in,” Kehen said as the runabout began to burn through the atmosphere.
The ship shuddered and visibly groaned all around them. As it burst through the upper atmosphere, a wall of almost impenetrable darkness greeted them before hail peppered the window.
“Zia, we need to land quickly. Structural integrity is only just holding and the inertial dampeners are on the verge of failing,” Liz told her. “I’m diverting as much power as I’m able to but we’ll lose them in a few minutes.”
“According to the planetary surveys, the surface is fairly flat,” said Masafumi.
“Fairly?,” asked Kehen.
“Power to life-support is failing,” Tennyson spoke up.
“Almost there. Twelve hundred meters, eleven hundred… one thousand,” Kehen said, her voice rising slightly with every increment.
Masafumi stood shakily and moved over to the rear of the flight deck. Opening a locker, he started unpacking environmental suits.
“Seven hundred, six hundred, five hundred… Brace for impact!,” Kehen said, pushing herself back into her chair and preparing for a large jolt.
The USS Snohomish hit the surface, landing flat on its belly, sending a tidal wave of snow and ice in every direction as it careened along the ground. Inside the ship, everyone on the flight deck clung on for dear life. They had no way of stopping or even to maneuver the ship. Their only hope was that the ship’s inertia would quickly be absorbed by their course along the planetary surface. Consoles spat up sparks and lights flickered before they died. For a terrifying moment, the three officers were plunged into total darkness. Seeing nothing, they didn’t know what they were plunging towards. The red emergency lights activated and it seemed to make the experience even worse. They could all clearly see the looks of terror on each other’s faces.
Soon, the Snohomish began to slow down. With no controlling force, it also began to swerve until it was on one side. This maneuver slowed her down even faster and with a last, shuddering jolt, she stopped, embedded in a snowbank.
It seemed like an eternity in which no one spoke, each of them holding their breath as if they were expecting it to be a momentary respite before some grisly death overtook them. For Masafumi, the fear that the forward window would leak poisons into the runabout was paramount. Tennyson fully expected the ship’s reactor to collapse under the stress that it has recently taken, vaporizing them in a nanosecond. Kehen had designed the most outlandish fantasy. For some reason, she expected the ground underneath them to open up, dropping them into the waiting maw of a Krawdor, a mythical Yulani beast that was the size of a house.
As it happened, the Commander was the closest. Suddenly, a sharp hiss snapped them all out of their fear and forced them into action.
“Hull breach!,” yelled Tennyson.
Masafumi was already half-way into his suit before the others had even begun to clumsily step into theirs. From the back of the flight deck, he noticed that wispy white clouds were beginning to form. Already, Kehen was starting to cough and she was having trouble getting into her suit. He stopped what he was doing and began to help her into her suit. Soon after, she lost consciousness, slumping towards the deck and making it hard for him. By the time that he snapped her helmet into place, he was beginning to have trouble with breathing as well. He was coughing with his throat and eyes beginning to burn. Luckily, Lieutenant Tennyson had gotten into her suit and managed to snap his helmet into place, moments before he lost consciousness and slumped to the deck next to Kehen.
Great .007 jump start to the story - cliffhanger anyone? Thanks!! rbs
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