Текст книги "Kobayashi Maru"

Автор книги: Andy Mangels

Соавторы: Michael Martin
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“A low‑yield photonic torpedo tuned to radiate anti‑gravitons might do the trick, Reed said.

Archer nodded. “Get on that with Mike, Malcolm. Were going to need to get the transporter up and running ASAP. The shuttlepods might not be enough to rescue all the survivors before whatevers left of their life‑support system decides to give up the ghost.

“Aye, sir, Reed said just before his attention became riveted to one of his tactical displays. “Captain! Im reading two incoming warp signatures. No, make that three. Theyre dropping out of warp, and just about right on top of us.

TPol hunkered over the hooded scanner built into her science console. “Configuration is Klingon, she said, immediately switching from what Archer recognized as the depths of Vulcan grieving back to no‑nonsense officer mode. “All three are D5‑type battle cruisers.

And if those ships really have Klingons behind the wheel, then Im Dorothy Gale from Kansas,Archer thought, recalling both the evidence hed gathered on QonoS and the mysterious warning about an imminent Romulan sneak attack.

Aloud, he said, “Tactical alert! Recall those shuttlepods. A heartbeat later, the bridge lights dimmed.

“Polarizing the hull plating, Reed said. “All weapon systems armed and tactical crews summoned to battle stations. Lieutenant Burch is preparing a photonic torpedo to disperse the graviton flux around the freighter.

“Shuttlepods returning to launch bays, Hoshi said.

“Give me a tactical display on the Klingon ships, Malcolm, Archer said, returning to his seat.

The image of the mortally wounded fuel carrier vanished from the viewer, replaced by a computer‑generated grid depicting the local region and all five ships that now maneuvered within it. The two white computer‑generated icons that represented, respectively, Enterpriseand the Kobayashi Maruwere so close they almost touched at the viewscreens center, while the three outlying long‑necked gray deltas that stood in for the approaching Klingon warships wasted no time deploying themselves in a loose triangle that encompassed most of the screen.

“Theyre trying to surround us, Archer said.

“And theres a good chance well never get away from them if they do, Reed said in strictly matter‑of‑fact tones. “Their weapons tubes all read as hot. The nearest vessel is at ten thousand klicks and closing rapidly.

“Are the shuttlepods docked yet? Archer asked, scowling.

“Shuttlepod Two reports successful docking capture, Hoshi said. “Shuttlepod One is making its final approach.

“The nearest Klingon vessel is opening fire with its main disruptor, said Mayweather.

The bridge rocked, but not nearly as hard as it might have had the gunner attacking them really meant business.

Archer turned toward Reed, who displayed a puzzled frown. “They should have hit us a hell of a lot harder than that.

Archer shook his head. “They wouldhaveif it really wasthe Klingons pushing the buttons on those ships.

“And if theyre really Romulans, Captain? TPol asked.

“If theyre Romulans, then theyll want to capture more of their enemies ships, Archer said. “The bastards will try every trick in the book to take Enterpriseintact.

“At least at first, Reed said with a gallows grin. “Once they realize they canthave her intact, theyd probably be inclined to make sure that nobody else can have her either. Present company included, of course.

Archer nodded. “Well have to gamble on whether their patience will run out before time is up for the Kobayashi Marus survivors.

“And on whether or not we can pull off a rescue and get out of here in one piece before bothdeadlines expire, Reed said. “I recommend we dont press our luck here, Captain. They might only be lobbing snowballs at us now, but were still outgunned and outnumbered three to one.

“We should stay long enough to rescue as many of the survivors as possible, Captain, said TPol. “That first shot bought us some time. The Romulans just showed us that destroying Enterpriseis not their top priority.

“Commander, Reed said, his voice raised slightly, “if we start taking serious hits, even with our hull plating polarization activated, the warp drive could go down. And if that happens

“If that happens, Malcolm, Archer interrupted, “then well all have a whole lot less paperwork waiting for us after the mission.

Reed nodded. “I suppose theres always an upside to everything, sir.

Archer grinned. “Thats the spirit, Malcolm. Lets get those residual gravitons cleared out and beam as many of the survivors as we can off that ship.

As Reed busied himself at his console, Hoshi said, “Shuttlepod One has just docked, Captain. Do you want to redeploy?

Archer shook his head. “No. Lets hedge our bets and leave em both docked, since we still might have to make a quick exit. Theres no way to know exactly when

The bridge was suddenly plunged into inky darkness, startling Archer into silence and prompting exclamations of alarm all around the bridge.

The surreal red glow of the emergency lights suffused the bridge a few frantic heartbeats later, turning the room into a colossal Hieronymus Bosch painting.

“What happened? Archer asked as the main viewer rebooted, dropping the tactical display in favor of an image of the wounded Kobayashi Maru.

Reed consulted one of his now dimly glowing displays before answering. Owl‑eyed, he said, “ Enterprises life‑support system has just failed. Complete shutdown.

Hoshis translation of a mortally injured Klingon womans dying words whispered anew in Archers ear: “The first thing they did wasto use some remote means of seizing and deactivating each of our systems, one by one. They started with life‑support

Over the fading echoes of that grim recollection, Archer recalled the warning message hed received more recently: “ROMULAN SNEAK ATTACK COMING, BY REMOTE CONTROL.

“Captain, the Klingon vessels nearly have us surrounded, Reed said. “But we still have full warp capability.

Archer heard the unspoken “for now at the end of Malcolms sentence loud and clear.

“Cant let em have Enterprise,he murmured.

He noticed then that Mayweather was looking up at him expectantly from the helm station. “Sir?

Looking around the faintly illuminated bridge, Archer saw similar looks of expectation on the faces of everyone there. The ruddy glow of the emergency lights cast harsh, bizarre shadows across the features of TPol, Reed, Hoshi, and Mayweather, greatly accentuating every anxiety they must have felt, as well as his own.

ARCHER, YOU ARE HEADED INTO A TRAP. ROMULAN SNEAK ATTACK COMING, BY REMOTE CONTROL.

But I cant just leave all those people here to die,he thought, anguished.

FREIGHTER NOT SAVABLE.

He slammed the side of his hand onto the intercom unit on the arm of his chair. “Archer to ONeill. Any luck transporting those survivors yet?

“Theres still too much graviton particle flux on the hull, Captain,ONeill said. “Im sorry. I wish I had better news for you, sir.

Damn.

FREIGHTER NOT SAVABLE.

I cant accept that!

“Captain! Reed cried. “The hull polarization system has gone down, just like life support did. I cant determine exactly why yet.

ButI can,Archer thought, recalling the dying Klingon woman. Defensive and tactical systems were the next dominoes to fall after life support.

TURNENTERPRISE ABOUT IMMEDIATELY, MAX WARP.

Forgive me.

But Archer seriously doubted he would ever develop a large enough capacity for self‑forgiveness to accept absolution for what he knew he had to do.

“Travis, get us out of here, Archer said. “Pedal to the metal.

Mayweather regarded him silently for a moment, his eyes widening into pools in which disappointment and relief commingled, as did both repugnance and understanding.

“Aye, Captain, the helmsman said, turning toward his console and bringing the ship into motion. The whine of the engines and the vibration in the deck plates signaled Enterprises quick transition from subluminal velocity to high warp speed.

Archer stared straight ahead at the viewer. The dying Kobayashi Maruimmediately fell away astern, dropping into the infinite, just another piece of flotsam on the cosmic ocean. Not wishing to see what he had already seen once in Traviss eyes and in the gazes of the rest of his crew, he continued staring straight ahead long seconds after the fuel carrier had completely vanished from sight.

“The lead vessel is pursuing, Reed said. “But shes slowly losing ground to us. The other vessels seem to be converging on the Kobayashi Maruand powering up their weapons.

Without tearing his eyes from the star field ahead of him, Archer opened an intercom channel. “Archer to engineering.

“Burch here, Captain.

“We need to get life support back up, Lieutenant.

“My people are already on it, Captain. We should have everything five‑by‑five before it even starts getting stuffy around here, sir.

“Captain Vance is hailing us again, Captain, Hoshi said quietly. After a long, pregnant pause she added, “What should I tell him?

He slowly turned to face her, and allowed his gaze to sweep the rest of the bridge. The eyes of everyone looked like small mirrors of shock and accusation.

He wondered if he could stand to see the same look in Admiral Gardners eyes, whether or not Starfleet Command ultimately vindicated the decision hed just made.

“The Klingons have opened fire on the Kobayashi Maru,Reed said, an audible quaver in his voice.

“One of the vessels neutronic fuel tanks appears to have exploded, causing a chain reaction, TPol reported a moment later from her science console. Then she drew away from her scanner and turned to face Archer directly. “Captain, the Kobayashi Maruhas been destroyed.

Archer closed his eyes tightly.

God forgive me.

FIFTY

Wednesday, July 23, 2155 San Francisco, Earth

P RIME M INISTER N ATHAN S AMUELS WOULDhave preferred to have a pleasantly dull and utterly uneventful morning, but he realized now that not only was it shaping up to be a most decidedly unpleasant day, it was likely only a sample of many weeks, or perhaps months, of similarly eventful days to come.

The Coalition Security Council had called yet another one of its now‑ubiquitous emergency sessions, and the decisions he expected todays meeting to yield had an even heavier air of gravitas than any action the body had taken during the previous several weeks. It was one thing to threaten war, but quite another to follow through and actually declare it. Regardless, the latest images Starfleet had relayed to the ministries of the United Earth government clearly showed that the nascent alliance had an extremely limited number of options.

All of the Coalition delegatesincluding those representing the most recently inducted members, Draylax and Alpha Centauriwere seated at their customary spots at the semicircular array of conference tables. Mounted on the wall at one end of the room was a wide, flat video monitor, which played and replayed an endless, grainy loop of the previous days debacle in the Gamma Hydra sector. Starfleet Admirals Sam Gardner and Gregory Black, MACO commandant General George Casey, and several other members of Starfleets top brass were seated near the giant viewscreen, their expressions uniformly grave and somber.

“I still believe that the Klingons mustbe involved in this, Gora bim Gral of Tellar said in his customary testy manner. “Note that only theirships have allegedly succumbed to this so‑called Romulan superweapon. Therefore I think they must be acting in collusion with the Romulans.

Samuels saw Vulcan Foreign Minister Soval glance toward Ambassadors LNel and Solkar, one eyebrow raised. But none of the three Vulcans made any audible response to Grals assertion, leaving the minister to wonder what they might be thinking.

“We concur, said Grethe Zhor, one of the two newest delegates to the Council. “Draylax has already been a target of one of these deadly attacks. Regardless of the so‑called evidence Captain Archer has gathered for this council, the fact remains that it was Klingon vessels that fired the volleys that killed so many of our people, and destroyed the Tau Cetan freighter Kobayashi Maru.

Anlenthoris chVhendreni rose to his feet, the Andorian foreign ministers cerulean antennae bent almost parallel to the white‑maned slope of his skull. “The images clearlyshow the presence of a Romulan ship, as well as the Klingon vessels that destroyed the Kobayashi Maru. Are any of you really nave enough to believe this to be a coincidence? That the Romulans just happenedto be at the site of an apparent Klingon attack? He glared around the assemblage, reinforcing his point with his icy gaze before sitting down again.

Gral snorted. “Has no one considered that if the Klingons areresponsible, that they may be using a Romulan ship in order to misdirect our retaliation? This is only the second piece of evidence we have seen that the Romulans might be involved in anti‑Coalition aggression, however peripherally, and yet we have seen manyexamples of Klingon barbarism!

“Two other attacks occurred just last night, including one in mysystem, Centauri IIIs Ambassador Jie Cong Li said. “Why has Starfleet not yet made even a preliminary report about either of them?

Interior Minister Haroun al‑Rashid cleared his throat, then spoke. “Two other attacks did indeed occur last night. One was directed at the science outpost on Calder II, and the second incident happened near Alpha Centauri. Starfleet dispatched Earths second NX‑class vessel, Columbia,to assist in Alpha Centauris defense.

“And what happened after that? Gral asked, wrinkling his porcine nose.

Samuels knew that al‑Rashid must have been squirming inside, although his exterior looked enviably cool and calm. Both men had been present at Admiral Gardners secret briefing, and therefore knew the potentially explosive secret that both Earth and Starfleet had deemed it prudent to conceal, at least temporarily, from their Coalition peers: the fact that both Columbiaand a source on Calder II had confirmed that Vulcan military ships had initiated last nights attacks.

Vulcan ships that Starfleet now firmly believed had acted under Romulan control, like the Klingon vessels that had attacked Draylax.

Samuels watched as al‑Rashid glanced toward the Starfleet brass before spreading his hands and addressing the other Coalition delegations. “We dont yet know exactlywhat happened last night, he said, dissembling only as much as absolutely necessary. “And we havent heard much from Columbiasince just before her engagement with the hostiles near Alpha Centauri.

“And how long ago was that? Thoristhe name that Anlenthoris chVhendreni used most commonly among his diplomatic peerslooked surprised, his antennae cued almost bolt upright.

“Its been approximately ten hours, al‑Rashid said. “ Columbias silence may be due simply to transmitter damage, but Starfleet wont be able to confirm her status until another vessel can reach her and get a report on whats happened out there.

“What about Centauri IIIs defenses? Have you no fleet to protect your own? Gral asked.

Before an annoyed‑looking Ambassador Li could respond, Minister Soval stood, holding one hand out to preempt the discussion. “My government dispatched several Vulcan Defense Force vessels to Alpha Centauri III yesterday to reinforce the systems defenses. Like Starfleet, we have heard nothing conclusive from our vessels, as yet, regarding the outcome of the engagement. He sat back down, tucking his hands into his robe sleeves.

So much for Vulcans not being able to lie,Samuels thought, suppressing a sly smile. Even if Soval believes what hes saying, that only means that somebody higher up on Vulcan must have lied tohim.

Samuels saw Gardner and Black exchange inscrutable looks in response to Sovals words. He also noted that at least one of their subordinates had surreptitiously pulled out a datapad and was quickly entering something into it with his stylus. He sincerely hoped that the aide was merely researching the veracity of Sovals claim, rather than leaking something to the press; hed seen enough “Worlds at War?headlines during the past week to last several lifetimes.

“So we have missing or incommunicado Vulcan andStarfleet ships at Alpha Centauri, and we already know what happened with Enterprisenear Tezel‑Oroko, Thoris said. “What has become of the Calder II outpost?

Minister al‑Rashid shook his head again. “We have not heard all the details as yet, but the final, fragmentary transmissions Starfleet received hint that the entire outpost was probably destroyed.

“By whom? Gral demanded. “Or what?

“The scientists at the outposts apparently couldnt transmit any clear visuals of their attackers before the hostiles jammed their central transmitter, al‑Rashid said.

Grethe Zhor rose to her feet, scowling in evident anger as she crossed her arms beneath her triple bust. “I realize that I am one of the two newest inductees to this council, but I find I must question whether all the effort Draylax has expended in order to join this group can be justified. During the past week, there have been nearly a dozen smaller attacks that can be attributed to this same unfolding pattern of aggression, whether on the part of the Klingons, the Romulans, or perhaps even some never‑before‑seen alliance of the two. Almost allCoalition worlds and their colonies have been affected in some manner by these assaults.

“Yesterday, threesuch attacks occurred in or near Coalition space, she said, continuing with rising passion. “Starfleet was unable to stop any of them Znoc,Captain Archer fled with Enterpriselike a frightened childand the Vulcan fleet may have just proven equally useless at Alpha Centauri. We need to decide beyond all doubt and debate whothe aggressor is, and then go after that aggressor. All of our endless equivocating and discussion will only result in more death. More destruction.

Samuels watched the Draylaxian in silence, a few of her words sticking in his craw as she paused to pound her hand on the conference table in an effort to emphasize her point. “In case some of you have not been paying close attention, we are alreadyat war. An enemy has attacked us, and continues to do so even as we argue. It is already long past time for us to begin fighting back.

Sensing that the tension in the room was about to erupt, Samuels pounded his gavel loudly against the central lectern, breaking through the rising mixed gabble of assenting and dissenting murmurs.

“Ambassador Grethe Zhor is right about many things, he said. “However, I must object strongly to her characterization of Captain Archers actions. If the Romulans were indeed attempting to capture one of our most advanced starships, then he had no choice other than to withdraw as he did. Of course, given the admittedly ambiguous circumstances near Alpha Centauri, it may already be too late to get that particular horse back into its stable. For all we know, our mutual enemy may already have gained control of Starfleet, Vulcan, andKlingon technologies.

Samuels watched Soval flinch ever so slightly in response to his conjecture; he wondered if the idea truly hadnt yet occurred to the stoic Vulcan foreign minister, or if the Vulcans were simply hiding their knowledge that the worst had already occurred. As usual.

Samuels clenched his jaw tightly for a moment, grinding his back teeth slightly before he resumed speaking. He hated having to say what he was about to say, and had felt the words coiled in the pit of his stomach, like poisonous snakes preparing to strike.

“Circumstances force me to suggest that this Security Council may not be the most effective venue for many of the decisions that will have to be made in the very near future. I move that eachof our worlds prepare to convene a council of war immediately, with full input from each of our militaries.

Even as he said the words, the Council members all began getting to their feet, gesturing and shoutingmostly in agreementand Samuels wondered if this moment, rather than the signing of the Coalition Compact, might turn out to be the one for which history remembered him best.

God help us all,he prayed silently, closing his eyes in the forlorn hope of shutting out the tumult that had erupted in the Coalition Council Chamber, if only for an instant.

It was one thing to threaten war, to give speeches and to debate the merits and pitfalls of interstellar conflict. But even given historys inescapable lessons about the all‑too‑frequent necessity of going to war against aggressors, Samuels knew that hedid not want to lead humanityso recently unified and at peace with itselfinto a brand‑new age of conflict out there.

Just as he knew from those around himthose allies whose worlds and governments and societies and cultures and families were threatened with annihilationthat before the week was out, they wouldbe at war.

As always, none of the Vulcan diplomats spoke at all before they reached their heavily guarded consulate, and the interior chambers that they kept shielded from both listening devices and sensor scans.

Once inside, however, it was Solkar who spoke first. “How soon should we inform the Coalition Council about what became of our ships at Alpha Centauri? he asked.

Soval crossed to his desk, near the central wall of the pentagonal chamber. He decanted a vessel of TRukh spiced tea there, and poured some of the glowing orange liquid into a glass. “We are still investigating precisely what happened, and how it happened. The optimal time to inform the others, of course, would be sometime prior to theirdiscovery of the same truths.

LNel paced, agitation clearly showing on her smooth, unlined face. “Which depends on the status of Columbia,which our fleet reports as having been relatively undamaged at the time of their withdrawal from Alpha Centauri.

“Calm yourself, LNel, Soval said, calling upon his well‑honed Syrrannite disciplines to filter all emotion from his being as he spoke. “The commanders of those vessels were under strict orders to destroy evidence of any Vulcan involvement in the Alpha Centauri attacks, and to attempt to deploy countermeasures designed to prevent the Romulans from gaining any further access to our technology. They were notcharged with safeguarding Starfleet vessels after the Romulan threat had been neutralized.

“And what will happen if Columbiahas fallen into Romulan hands in spite of the efforts of our fleet? LNel said, clearly still struggling to calm herself. “They have already shown themselves quite adept at seizing control of both Vulcan and Klingon technology, our countermeasures notwithstanding.

Soval stared into his glass, then took a sip of the spiced liquid, feeling it burn his tongue as he swallowed. Finally, he answered.

“I feel confident that Vulcan will take part in the offensive against the Romulans that is to come. And if Starfleets technology hasbecome compromised, we will introduce new countermeasures to make certain that Vulcan remains, as always, insulated and protected.

Despite their relative youth, LNels and Solkars facial expressions told Soval that they understood what he was saying. Vulcan had played a larger role than humanity would ever know in moderating the breakneck pace of Earths development into an interstellar species. As with the secret listening post near Tezel‑Orokoa facility that still needed to be staffed, resupplied, and completedVulcan was good at keeping secrets.

Thursday, July 24, 2155

Keisha Naquase stared at the message that had come into her datapad seconds ago. She was tremendously protective of the deviceit was actually locked to her wrist with a tetherbut now, in the crush of other reporters outside Starfleet Headquarters, she gripped it even more tightly as she backed away from the other assembled members of the press corps.

They all knew somethingwas up. During the last thirty‑six hours, a significant number of new military personnel had arrived, representing every member of the Coalition: Vulcan, Andor, Tellar, Draylax, Alpha Centauri, and even members of several species that she and the other human media had only recently been able to identify as potential Coalition allies.

But security and secrecy had been tight, and Starfleet was taking every step to make certain that no leaks occurred.

Except that she hadone. He hadnt been in contact for several days, but he wason the inside.

And she had just gotten a message from him.

“Come on, Nash, pick up, she said to herself, hearing the chimes in her earpiece. She stole a quick glance in the direction of Gannet Brooks, who stood with several of the others; Brooks always seemed to scoop just about everybody when it came to Starfleet‑related news, but so far today she had been mum. And Keisha had been working her own contact for weeks now, setting him in place. It was amazing the kind of loyalty that good sex could inspireand the sob story shed given him about having a relative serving aboard the still‑missing Columbiahadnt hurt either.

Finally, just as she was about to try another editor at the sub‑net, Nash McEvoy picked up his comlink.

“What is it, Naquase?he asked breathlessly, as though hed just entered his office at a flat‑out run.

She toggled the headpiece vidcam she wore, activating it even as she turned her back to face the rest of the press gaggle. She didnt want them to see the “on light on the headset.

“I promisedyou Id scoop your girl, she said, subvocalizing into her throat mic. “And I recorded your promises. So dont even thinkabout trying to back away from our deal.

“This had better bebig, or else you just torched your bridge while you were still standing on it,McEvoy said, hiding none of his testiness.

“Oh, its big,all right, Keisha said, holding the datapad up to where the cameras eyeand Nashcould see it.

Thursday, July 24, 2155 Grangeburg, Alabama

Albert Tucker balanced the four plates of waffles in both hands as he exited the kitchen. He had picked the strawberries in their patch of the communal garden at sunrise, then sliced them thinly in order to add them to the multigrain batter. He knew how much his dad loved strawberry waffles, and he and Mom visited so rarely these days that Bert wanted to make certain they both had a good time.

“All right, Dad, heres your favorite, he said, entering the dining room.

Seated at the table were his father, Charles, and his mother, Elaine, while Berts husband, Miguel, stood nearby. They all looked stunned and grief‑stricken.

What now?Bert thought. They had already lost Berts sister in a Xindi attack on Earth, and his brother, Trip, had been killed on the Starship Enterpriseonly a few months back. Today everyone in the room bore the same signature of tragedy hed seen on both of those other terrible occasions.

“What is it, Mike? he asked, holding the shifting stack of plates like an inexpert juggler.

Miguel pointed to the nearby wall‑mounted flatscreen, which he often left turned on as a soundless visual wallpaper. Though the sound was muted as usual, he could see the silent news anchor mouthing words, the screen split between him and a stern‑looking uniformed Starfleet official.

Bert watched as his father took his mothers hand. “Say goodnight, Gracie, said Dad, incorporating his nickname for Mom into what was doubtless some sort of obscure, centuries‑old pop‑culture reference calculated to cheer her up.

It didnt seem to be working, however; Moms misting eyes remained riveted to the image on the screen, which Bert finally began looking at closely.

Crawling across the screens bottom, in large white capital letters superimposed onto a red stripe, was a single ill‑omened phrase.

The stack of plates left Berts nerveless fingers in time‑dilated slow motion, smashing on the floor with the same silence as the screens three endlessly marching words:

COALITION DECLARES WAR!

FIFTY‑ONE

Friday, July 25, 2155 Enterprise NX‑01, Gamma Hydra sector, near Sataghni

E VERY TIME C APTAIN A RCHERand Commander TPol were off the bridge, Travis Mayweathers mind took him to the worst places imaginable. It wasnt significantly better for him when they were onthe bridge Enterprisehad been mostly stopped dead in space, undergoing a number of in‑place emergency repairs and systems diagnostics ever since the Tezel‑Oroko confrontation and the Kobayashi Marudisasterbut at least having command staff in place on the bridge meant that they werent sequestered away exchanging secret messages with Starfleet Command.

Malcolm Reed and Hoshi Sato had both tried to reassure him that even if Starfleet was calling with news, it wasnt necessarily related to the disappearance of the Horizon. That hadnt helped. He already knewthat; the specter of impending war had been haunting the ship like all of Charles Dickenss Christmas spirits wrapped into one.

He knew that things were bad everywhere. Columbiahadnt been heard from in days either, ever since she had gone to Alpha Centauri. And rumors were floating around that the Romulans had managed to get control of other kinds of ships besides those of the Klingons. But if those rumors were true, nobody had confirmed them yet.

But Columbiawasnt the Horizon. Mayweathers family wasnt on Columbia. Paul, Mom, where are you?he thought for perhaps the three‑thousandth time in the last few hours, his slightly shaking fingers manipulating the controls as he checked and double‑checked sensor readings to the limits of Enterprises resolution.

Mayweather knew from his conversation with the Kobayashi Marus first matethe man whom he had trusted to deliver his letters to his family and friends aboard the Horizonthat the Mayweather familys freighter was supposed to have met the Maruin the Coalition side of the Gamma Hydra sector. But the Horizonhadnt made her scheduled rendezvous, according to every port of call he had managed to contact. Nobody had heard from the Horizonfor over ten days; it was as if she just dropped off the edge of the star maps.

He couldnt believe that his family and their crew would allow themselves to fall prey to some stupid deep‑space accident, which meant that somebodyhad to be responsible for their disappearance. They were too tough and clever to become the victims of garden‑variety space pirates. And given the recent wave of remote‑control attacks that had caused so much grief across Coalition space lately, the Romulans seemed to be the best suspects.