Текст книги "The Sundered"

Do we have proof?The question reverberated through the Diplomatic Castemoot SubLink. Fekrene [The Gold] had posed the interrogative.

We have their ship and have examined their bodies,answered Benrene [The Gray], her inter-voice bright and tinkling. Fulskene’s ship captured the invader vessel after three of our other warcraft were destroyed. But even as their defeat arose to shatter them, our warriors inflicted great damage upon the enemy.

Tosrene [The Violet] chimed before projecting into the SubLink. I have the memories of the late Fulskene and his crew from the battle. Allow me to share them.

Then they all saw it, from twelve different points of view, all similar but slightly different. The multifaceted image was of a space battle. One Tholian ship was gutted nearby, wreckage and flotsam tumbling randomly in freefall, while another was on fire, with green spikes of energy crackling across its wedge-shaped hull.

The memory played in reverse, showing four Tholian craft as they engaged the enemy ship, energy bursts and charged missiles reentering the weapons banks from which they had come. The quartet’s energy web flickered and [112] broke apart, was disrupted by blasts which now returned to the aggressor’s tubular ship, then recovered, suddenly becoming strong and cohesive. The Tholians unwove the web around the enemy ship, then faced energy blasts which answered their own volleys of firepower.

Eventually, the memories rewound to the point at which the enemy ship had entered Tholian space, apparently tumbling out of the very same OtherVoid that the sentinel ships had begun to explore in earnest during recent times.

They come intent on invasion, as have so many others before them,Fekrene [The Gold] projected.

What of their ship now?asked Elkrene [The Ruby].

Benrene’s mind-line brightened a bit. The craft of the invaders is being brought to Tholia. The invaders are being de-structured and dissected, their components analyzed and catalogued.

Could the speculations of the physicians be correct?Kasrene asked. As multiple thoughts affirmed it, Kasrene’s mind took on a darker hue. We must not allow this information into the Lattice-at-large. Halt transport of the ship and confine the thoughts of those who know the truth of this matter.

Dinrene’s alarm was almost palpable. Why should we hide such information about the aggressors? The truth will empower both defense and unity among the castes.

Such a truth will not bring a wholeness to the Lattice,Mosrene said, his response glowing turquoise in the Sub-Link. It will more likely solidify the distrust so many already feel toward the Federation.

Conflict with the Federation while we are beset by formidable adversaries from the OtherVoid will deplete the energies of the Tholian Assembly,Tosrene [The Violet] chimed.

Kasrene spoke. If we make allies of the Federation first, and bring the Assembly into harmony with its greater power, we will then have aid rather than conflict. Such an arrangement may be our only chance.

[113] But the castes will not unite to ally with the Federation if they know the truth,Mosrene’s dark thoughts rang.

Energy from Fekrene [The Gold] washed in, and the Diplomatic Castemoot SubLink fell silent. The worlds of outside are coming to us, and we can choose to grow stronger thereby, or be shattered. I believe/know the time is now for an appeal to the Federation. Kasrene is correct.

Benrene echoed the earlier thoughts of many others. Mosrene is correct as well. And if we are to keep the truth from the Lattice-at-large, we must be aware that its implications increase the potential for conflict with the Federation. Particularly from the warrior caste.

Revelation may also breed trust,Kasrene offered serenely. The lower echelons of the warrior caste are accustomed to the Diplomatic Castemoot keeping its decisions and strategies concealed from them. But potential allies may not be so forgiving/understanding.

So do we fracture the facets of the Great Castemoot Assembly in favor of outsiders?The tones and colors that underlay Mosrene’s question were threatening.

The SubLink again went silent for a time as excerpts of the conversation—if not its most salient and sensitive facts—filtered down, out, and laterally across the complex webwork of the Tholian Lattice.

Sulu settled back into his chair just as the turbolift doors whisked open to deposit Chekov and Akaar onto the bridge.

Turning his chair to face them both, Sulu said, “Everything go smoothly?”

Chekov stepped down toward the captain’s chair, near the bridge’s center. “As well as can be expected after transporting a group of alien diplomats who see no need to speak to us any further until after they take care of their leader’s funerary rites and consult with their superiors.”

[114] “Did Mosrene agree to speak with Burgess privately?” Sulu asked.

“If he did, she’s keeping it to herself. I get the distinct impression that she’s pinned the blame for Kasrene’s death on us.”

“Shocking,” Sulu said, deadpan. She blames me, because of my assignment to monitor the Tholian war machine,he thought with more than a little rancor. As though her own loose lips had nothing to do with Mosrene’s attack on Kasrene.

Akaar had taken his post at the main tactical station, which was located to the right of Sulu’s chair. “Security crews are doing a thorough sweep of all areas that the Tholians have occupied while aboard Excelsior,in search of listening devices or signs of sabotage.”

“Good,” Sulu said, nodding. Given the clandestine nature of his own mission here, Sulu thought Akaar’s actions were appropriate and prudent.

Turning to communications, Sulu caught Rand’s eye. “Please hail Yilskene’s vessel, Janice.”

“Aye, sir.”

Moments later, the multifaceted visage of Yilskene appeared on the main viewer. Sulu began to address him. “Admiral Yilskene, I trust that your diplomatic team and their belongings have made it back to your ship safely?”

“They have. Your transmission is breaking up, Captain. Please boost your signal if you have anything further to discuss.”

“I’m terribly sorry,” Sulu said, rising from his chair and looking to his left. “We seem to be having difficulty with some of our systems. I believe it may have to do with the local interphasic radiation. We’re not far from the region of interspace where our starship Defiantwas lost, after all.”

“Captain, your transmission is very garbled.”Yilskene’s eyespots seemed to glow brighter, but Sulu thought this [115] might have been his own imagination at work. Did the Tholian suspect subterfuge?

“I am withdrawing Excelsiorfrom the 15 Lyncis system to effect repairs on our systems. Please hail us when your diplomats are ready to resume their discussions with us.”

It seemed to take Yilskene a beat longer than necessary to respond. “I understand that you are withdrawing for repairs. We will contact you within a few of your diurnal cycles to discuss further diplomatic matters.”

Sulu dipped his head in a nod. “Very good, Admiral. Until then.”

The viewscreen replaced Yilskene’s image with that of his sleek flagship, cast against the star-bedecked backdrop of space. Sulu took his seat and glanced over at Rand. “Looks like your ‘interference’ worked like a charm.”

She flashed him a grin. “Piece of cake, sir. He heard just enough of what he needed to. I think those high-pitched subspace ‘whistlers’ I threw in over our transmission convinced him that he was dealing with a force of nature rather than an incredibly gifted Starfleet communications officer.”

Sulu smiled, then turned back to the center of the bridge where his helm and navigation officers awaited his orders. “Take us out, Lieutenant Asher,” he said. “And let’s make sure that everything’s coordinated with engineering, Commander Lojur.”

“Aye, sir,” the Halkan navigator said as he touched the control surfaces on his console.

Thirteen minutes later, Asher announced, “We’re out of range of Yilskene’s sensors, sir.”

Lojur tapped his console. “I detect no other ships in the area, and confirm no active sensor contact.”

Sulu toggled the comm button built into his armrest. “Chief Azleya, are we ready to switch over?”

“Affirmative, sir,”came the smooth, gregarious voice of the Denobulan chief engineer. “You need only to give the word.”

[116] “Then let’s become a Tholian ship,” Sulu said. Aside from a subtle, nearly imperceptible change in the vibration of the deck plates, nothing on the bridge was altered. But Sulu knew that Azleya and her crew had made some critical modifications to Excelsior’swarp generators. Now, anybody actively scanning the ship—or even passively examining her warp trail—would encounter only the telltale traces of a Tholian military vessel. The disguise Azleya had concocted was calculated to withstand all but the closest scrutiny.

“Take her right up to the far edge of the interspatial filament, Mr. Lojur. Don’tlet us dip into it, but make best speed alongside it until we reach the region of conflict at the far edge of Tholian space.” And let’s hope this region of space doesn’t force Christine to shoot us all up with theragen just to keep us from going insane and murdering each other.A chill ascended his spine as he recalled the horrible way Defiant’screw had died.

Enough worrying about the questions I can’t answer,Sulu told himself. It’s time to concentrate on the ones I can.

Sulu rose again and turned to Chekov. “You have the bridge, Commander. I’ll be in sickbay, checking on Tuvok.”

“Aye, sir.”

“Then I’ll look in on Ambassador Burgess,” Sulu added as he stepped into the turbolift.

The doors closed on Chekov’s silent, sympathetic, Go– with-Godexpression.

Tuvok sat on the biobed, doing his best to meditate in the bustle of sickbay. One orderly was still cleaning up the trauma area where Chapel and her crew had tried to save the Tholian ambassador, and being none too quiet about it.

Turning inward, he tried to find the thoughts and memories which Ambassador Kasrene had placed there. Could she have transferred part of herkatra to me?He rejected the stray thought almost as quickly as it had come. No, that is not[117]   logical . The concept ofkatra is a myth. Kasrene merely transferred some of her memory engrams to me, nothing more. I must find a way to access them.

He closed both sets of eyelids tightly. As he dug more deeply into his subconscious, the darkness was broken by flashes of color mixed with long, steady bursts of light. The discharges were random and chaotic, and Tuvok knew on some instinctive level that these were the messages from Kasrene. But how do I decipher them?

Tuvok envisioned himself as an immaterial form within the spaces of his own mind, and reached out with an imaginary hand toward the ever-changing displays of multicolored, fractally complex lights. At first, they passed through his hand, but then one stuck, as if glued there. Moments later, more colors swirled about his hand, wending their way down his arm. Then he began to see other flashes ...

... warm orange between trapezoidal structures ...

... a Tholian, still and unmoving, suddenly shattered by a blow from another Tholian, its thousands of shards commingling with crystals of every imaginable color in rolling hills constructed of great heaps of multiplanar gemstones ...

... Captain Sulu introducing his crew to the Tholians in the transporter room, amidst a glowing green hue ...

... vaguely humanoid figures lying on dull brown pedestals, their rough, gray skin peeled back from elongated chest cavities as Tholian doctors dissected them ...

... cool crimson fluid washing down the side of a metal wall ...

“Tuvok?”

And then, the lights fled from him, splintering into ever-tinier shards, as he felt himself being pulled out of his meditative state. With a shudder that might have been imperceptible to any but the most highly attuned Vulcan Master, Tuvok awoke. Opening his eyes, he saw Captain Sulu and Dr. Chapel regarding him with apparent concern.

[118] “Sorry to wake you, Mr. Tuvok,” Sulu said.

“I was not asleep, Captain. I was in a deep meditative state, attempting to discern what Ambassador Kasrene was trying to tell us just prior to her death.”

Sulu nodded. “Did you find anything new?”

“I found many color-intensive visual elements that were unfamiliar to me,” Tuvok said. “And when I attempted to examine them, I saw other images nested within them. I still have yet to make sense of them. However, I believe it is safe to assume that these are the specific memories the Tholian ambassador implanted in my mind.”

Chapel leaned forward and pried open Tuvok’s outer eyelids, peering intently into his pupils. Apparently not satisfied, she then began scanning him with a handheld tricorder. “Go ahead, Tuvok,” she said without looking up. “I’m just double-checking your neurological readings. Relax.”

But Tuvok felt anything but relaxed. His inability to completely access the memories Kasrene had placed into his mind had left him feeling restless and frustrated.

“What do you make of the images so far, Lieutenant?” Sulu asked quietly.

“I have yet to find any imagery that seemed specific to our current situation,” Tuvok said. “But I remain convinced that the reason behind Kasrene’s murder—and the explanation for the Tholian military buildup—remains locked within me. And I am equally certain that some tangible danger threatens both the Tholian Assembly and the Federation, and that Kasrene wanted to warn us of this.”

Tuvok was surprised by the harsh voice he heard directly behind him, from the sickbay’s opposite entrance. “Perhaps it’s the threat of imminent war that had Kasrene worried,” Burgess said.

Tuvok watched as Sulu and Chapel turned to face the ambassador, whose arms were folded across her chest. She appeared to be almost livid with restrained anger.

[119] “Ambassador, I had planned to speak with you alone when I was done with Mr. Tuvok,” Sulu said.

“I see,” Burgess said, speaking with the exaggerated politeness humans often used to signal that they were actually quite angry. “I suppose that was when you intended to inform me that my outgoing communications capabilities have been disabled. And perhaps you were also going to explain why this ship is now headed deeperinto Tholian Assembly space, risking the lives of everyone aboard. Not to mention jeopardizing any chance for a Tholian-Federation peace agreement.”

Sulu stared at her for a protracted moment, as though carefully weighing how best to handle this volatile personality. Tuvok found it odd that she should accuse the captain of jeopardizing lives, when she had already done that herself by revealing Excelsior’ssurveillance activities to the Tholians.

“Since you’ve saved me the trouble of scheduling a private meeting with you, Ambassador,” Sulu said at length, “I’ll brief you and my science officer at the same time.”

Chapel moved away from Burgess and closer to Tuvok, holding her tricorder up again. But Tuvok noted that the doctor seemed to be paying the device scant attention, evidently repeating the same scans she had just completed. She was clearly uncomfortable with Burgess, and Tuvok could understand why. The diplomat was highly emotional, more so than most other humans he had encountered so far. She seemed unhappy not just with the way her diplomatic mission to the Tholians was unfolding, but also with something more fundamental. She seems discontent with her very life.

“Outgoing communications have been disabled for all but command-level Starfleet officers because we are currently on yellow alert status,” Sulu explained to the ambassador. To Tuvok’s ears, the captain’s politeness sounded every bit as forced as the ambassador’s. “We are now engaged in a highly sensitive mission that could easily be [120] compromised by accidental—or intentional—communications leaks.”

Burgess’s eyes widened. Tuvok surmised that she had taken the captain’s last statement as a reprimand for her earlier unauthorized revelations to the Tholians.

“All right,” she said. “But that doesn’t explain our current heading. Can’t you see that moving deeper into Tholian territory is likely to spark a conflict with them?”

Sulu spread his hands. “Believe me, Ambassador, a conflict with the Tholians is the lastthing I want. But the Tholians are already in the midst of hostilities with somebody,and the future stability of the Federation-Tholian border may well depend on our learning everything we can about their new adversary. And I strongly suspect that Ambassador Kasrene was murdered because Mosrene caught her trying to help us do just that.”

“You can’t know that for sure.”

“Of course not,” Sulu said. “But that’s why I’ve put us on our present course. To find out for sure. In fact, I think that by being out here, we may actually stave off a conflict rather than ignite one. We might even find a way to help the Tholians defend themselves from whomever is attacking them.”

“This all sounds pretty far-fetched to me, Captain. And I don’t think Admiral Yilskene will buy it either, once he discovers what you’ve done.”

“With a little luck, he won’t. Not until after we’re in a position to evaluate the tactical situation on the far Tholian border well enough for Starfleet to draft a practical plan to assist the Tholians. But the longer it takes us to do that, the more Tholian lives will be lost. Believe me, Ambassador, this is for the best.”

Burgess suddenly grew more intense, her icy politeness melted away by a fumarole of outrage. “Don’t you understand? The Tholian Assembly has an extremely rules-oriented culture. You have no business entering their space without [121] their express permission. Even if your stated intention is to aid the Tholians against some new foe, your actions still risk destroying anyhope of creating trust between their government and the Federation.”

“Only if we’re caught,” Sulu said, holding up his index finger as if making a point. “And we’re doing our best to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

Burgess paused, then sighed in frustration. “I should have expected something like this from you, Captain.”

“Why?” Sulu asked.

“Because I researched your participation in the Khitomer affair of five years ago. You broke more than a few rules then, too, and only a happy outcome saved you from getting severely dressed down by Starfleet’s brass hats.”

Tuvok recalled that occasion with crystal clarity. He had been on Excelsior’sbridge when Captain Sulu, intent on rescuing Captain James Kirk and Dr. Leonard McCoy, had violated Starfleet orders by attempting to rescue them from the Klingon prison world of Rura Penthe. That day, Tuvok had protested the captain’s apparently reckless disregard for the official chain of command. Though the crisis had ultimately turned out well for all concerned, the science officer still sometimes rankled at the capacity of human Starfleet officers to set aside propriety when it appeared to suit the circumstances. Is this another one of those times?Tuvok thought.

He wondered if such questions could ever be answered save in retrospect.

Tuvok watched Sulu grin at Burgess. “Yes, Ambassador. Like you, I’ve been known to break a rule or two from time to time.”

“ Unlikeyou, Captain, I’ve never played dice with galactic peace,” she said.

“Really, Ambassador? What do you call revealing the presence of our probe drones to the Tholians?”

[122] “I call it trying to make the best of yet another Starfleet-initiated alien-relations cockup,” she said, almost snarling. “Frankly, I’m amazed that you haven’t been sentenced to a nice long stretch mining dilithium somewhere yourself.”

“I must live right,” Sulu said, his grin only broadening. If Tuvok didn’t know better, he’d think the captain was actually provoking the ambassador for the sheer perverse joy of it.

Burgess shook her head, now seeming more mystified than angry. “I really don’t understand this, Captain. What is it you hope to gain?”

Immediately adopting a more serious demeanor, Sulu said, “What I hope to gain, Ambassador, is a more complete understanding of exactly what it is that the Tholians are trying so hard to keep us from discovering. I think even youwould have to agree that it’s not in the Federation’s best interests to ally itself blindly with a people who are not only already engaged in an interstellar conflict, but are also trying their damnedest to cover it up.”

Burgess’s mouth opened and closed several times, but she said nothing. Tuvok was momentarily reminded of the Antedean with whom he had shared an apartment briefly during his StarfleetAcademy years.

Tuvok decided then to voice his thoughts regarding the matter at hand; although they might have been taken as overly subjective—perhaps even illogical—he was certain that they were correct and deserved to be heard.

“Ambassador Burgess, while I share your concerns and apprehension regarding our apparent breach of Tholian law, I have found that Captain Sulu is an entirely capable and trustworthy Starfleet commander. I myself have expressed doubt as to the advisability of his actions in the past, but have most often found that they areappropriate to the situation. Despite his possessing the all-too-common human [123] penchant for excessive emotionalism, Captain Sulu’s command decisions are, in the main, eminently logical.”

Sulu’s face twitched almost imperceptibly, but his overall expression didn’t change. Tuvok momentarily wondered what emotions had just gone through his captain’s mind before continuing. “Additionally, although I have not yet been able to ascertain the meaning of the information Ambassador Kasrene planted in my mind, I remain firmly convinced of two things: first, that she did indeed pass some of her memory engrams to me, and second, that any future peace we may achieve with the Tholians depends largely upon our taking decisive action at this time.”

Burgess stared at him for a lengthy interval, and Tuvok thought much of her rage had begun to dissipate. Perhaps she recognizes the logic of my words,he thought.

Nodding curtly to Tuvok and Sulu, Burgess turned to leave. Pausing in the doorway, she said, “I can see that your mind is made up, whether I agree with you or not, Captain.”

Sulu nodded. “That’s right, Ambassador.”

“Then would you do me a small favor?”

“By all means.”

“When my diplomatic meetings with the Tholians resume, I won’t be able to operate in the dark, Captain. Please keep me apprised of all further developments on the Tholian military front.”

“Of course, Ambassador,” Sulu said. “As long as I can rely on your discretion.” Tuvok sensed that the captain had only barely avoided appending the words “this time” to the end of that sentence.

Burgess laughed bitterly. “It looks like you’ll have to. After all, the lives of everyone aboard Excelsiordepend upon yours.” And with that, she strode out of sickbay.

Afterward, Tuvok noted that Dr. Chapel was shaking her head, a look of frustration evident on her face. “Maybe it’s [124] just me, Hikaru, but that woman could drive an El-Aurian ‘listener’ to grab a set of ear-plugs,” she said. Like Tuvok himself, Christine Chapel obviously placed a great deal of faith in Captain Sulu’s discretion and judgment.

As Sulu chuckled in response to the doctor’s quip, Tuvok wondered fleetingly just how deep the captain’s belief in his own judgment went.

Chekov was beginning to breathe a bit easier, though only a bit. Excelsiorhad managed to escape being identified not only by Yilskene’s ship, but also by three other Tholian patrol vessels whose rounds had taken them within a light-year of Excelsior’sroute of travel along the length of the interspatial filament. Each time a Tholian craft appeared on the Starfleet vessel’s passive scanners—equipment honed to exquisite sensitivity-levels during Excelsior’slengthy survey of Beta Quadrant gaseous anomalies several years earlier—Lojur and Asher edged the starship just out of Tholian sensor range.

One of these encounters had been an extremely close call. Probably after making a faint sensor contact with Excelsior,the Tholian patrol vessel had altered course. Asher had moved the ship counter to the path of the Tholian vessel, spiraling about the boundary of the interphase filament like thread on a spool. Each time they were directly opposite the Tholian ship, Excelsiorput on a slight burst of speed, drawing them further and further out of the other vessel’s sensor range. Eventually, they had placed enough distance between Excelsiorand the patrol ship to sustain a higher speed without creating undue risk of the Tholians penetrating the starship’s disguised warp signature.

Now Excelsiorwas rapidly nearing what the charts indicated was the far border of Tholian space, the very region where their probes had been sent—and destroyed—earlier.

[125] “Commander, sensors have just detected a warp signature from another ship,” said Ensign Fenlenn, one of the junior science officers.

“Tholian?”

“No, sir.”

“Range?” Chekov asked, eyebrows raised. Are we finally about to meet the enemy?

“Only light-days away, Commander. They’re in close proximity to a small planet orbiting an F-type star.”

“Where did it come from, Ensign?” Chekov wanted to know. A ship that close should have been visible much earlier, even via passive long-range scans.

“The sensors are picking up some very strange interspatial readings emanating from not far outside that system,” Fenlenn said. “It’s as though the interspatial filament has widened into some sort of terminus. Like a colossal rip leading straight into interspace.”

And maybe straight into wherever that ship came from.

“Mr. Akaar,” Chekov said. “Give me a tactical appraisal, please.”

“Aye, Commander,” came the Capellan’s rumbling response. “The vessel does not appear to be scanning us at the moment, but ... sir, they have just deployed their weapons.”

“Against whom? Scan for other vessels. There’s no way we could be within range of their weapons.” Chekov leaned forward in the command chair, even as Akaar’s fingers danced across his own console.

“They appear to be firing on the planet,” Fenlenn said. “It’s inhabited. Given the harsh class-N atmospheric conditions, I suspect that it’s a Tholian border settlement.”

“I confirm that,” said Rand, raising a hand to her earpiece. “I’m receiving several Tholian distress signals from the surface.”

“Maintain yellow alert status,” Chekov said. “Lieutenant Asher, bring us in closer. Let the attackers know we’re here.” [126] He turned his head slightly. “Commander Rand, hail them.” Rand looked quizzical. “Are we dropping our disguise, sir?”