Текст книги "Kobayashi Maru"

Автор книги: Andy Mangels

Соавторы: Michael Martin
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The kid holding the knife took a fateful step forward, evidently not about to take Trip at his word.

Trip sighed. This was shaping up to be a complicated evening.

“Youre twenty minutes late checking in, Commander,said a frowning Captain Stillwell, imaged on the little security‑scrambled subspace transceiver that Trip had just retrieved from its strategic hiding place beneath one of his bedroom floorboards. Stillwell paused, blinking at his own screen as he studied the image there. “What the hell happened to you, anyway?

Trip grinned, ignoring the slight twinge of pain that lingered in his jaw. “Its all right, sir. Just ran into a little bit of trouble while I was walking home tonight, thats all.

“Looks like you were injured,Stillwell said, leaning forward slightly as he squinted at Trip from across the light‑years. Despite the extreme distance, the visual channel looked exceptionally crisp today, probably because of the adjustments Trip had just made to the official subspace array on the roof of Ehrehins lab, which lay only a few klicks away. On several occasions over the past month, Trip had succeeded in quietly piggybacking his own narrow‑beam, amplitude‑modulated subspace signals onto those of the labs multiband transceiver; this enabled him to send messages that blended in undetectably with both the never‑ending torrent of incoming and outgoing lab data and the natural background static of subspaceso far, at least.

“Lets just say you oughtta see the other guy. Although in actuality he had faced two attackers, Trip didnt want to sound as though he were bragging. Fortunately, the toughs who had tried to jump him had only been aggressive teenagers; since they hadnt had the benefit of Starfleet training, theyd been fairly easy to persuade to move on in search of easier prey. On the other hand, even young Romulans had a pretty significant advantage over humans in terms of sheer physical strength.

Stillwell appeared to be scrutinizing Trips bruised face in minute detail. “Youd better tend to those scrapes and bruises carefully, Commander. We cant afford to let these people see you shedding red blood, now can we?

Im so very touched by your concern,Trip thought, though he knew his new superior in the spy bureau was making an excellent point. Nevertheless, Stillwell made Harris, the enigmatic spymaster who had originally recruited him into the bureau, seem almost cuddly in comparison.

Its his job to develop Earths version of the warp‑seven drive before the Romulans manage to pull off the same trick,Trip reminded himself. Having spent four years laboring to keep Enterprises frequently beleaguered warp‑five engine running with its matter/antimatter needle always necessarily oscillating somewhere between offand kaboom, Trip had some natural sympathy for Stillwell. It wasnt hard to imagine what the crushing weight of so much high‑stakes responsibility might do to any mans sense of humor.

“Ive still got a good supply of sulfatriptan salted away, Captain, Trip said, nodding. Thanks to the drugs property of harmlessly binding its sulfur compounds to the human hemoglobin molecule, no cursory glance at Trips blood, mucus membranes, or internal organs would give him away as a red‑blooded Terraneven after the new red cells produced by his bone marrow had overwhelmed the initial green‑blood treatment hed received on Adigeon Prime. Regardless, he knew he had to remain vigilant about not making anybody curious enough about him to subject him to deep‑tissue scans or DNA tests of any sort, or else the jig would truly be up.

“I just took a booster dose, Trip continued. “By tomorrow my blood and innards will look as green as the Chicago River on Saint Pattys Day. I just hope I can avoid spilling any more of it any time soon,he added silently, with no small amount of gallows humor.

“Good,Stillwell said with a sober nod, apparently as unmoved as ever by Trips witticisms. “Now lets discuss your progress monitoring and regulating the activities of your target.

Trip suppressed a wince. Target. He hated that word. “Im still keeping very close tabs on Ehrehin, he said.

“I can see that, Commander. So close, in fact, that you and Doctor Ehrehin iRamnau trAvrak now seem to be on a first‑name basis.

Trips frown appeared unbidden, and he felt it creasing the artificially constructed brow ridge that formed a subtle V shape across his forehead. He hoped that Stillwell found it an imposing sight.

“Thats hard to avoid when youre posing as a scientists assistant. And he wasnt posing as just anyassistant; thanks to the skill of the plastic surgeons of Adigeon Prime, Trip had been passing himself off for months now as Cunaehr irRatleihfi trMandak, Ehrehins most beloved and valued aide. “Its part of my cover, remember?

“Then I trust I dont need to remind you not to let it become anythingmore than that, Commander. The old mans work poses the most clear and present danger to Earth since the Xindi came gunning for us. Its a threat to the entire Coalition. Never forget that.

“Youre worried about me going native, like my old pal Sopek, Trip said, not asking a question. Though he had recently almost died at Sopeks hands, he still wasnt entirely certain whether Sopeks primary allegiance had been to Vulcan or Romulus.

“Its a very real hazard every deep‑cover agent has to consider, Commander. Youd do well to face that possibility honestly.

Trips jaw hardened in resentment, his sympathy for Stillwell notwithstanding. “Look, Captain. Ehrehin wants to rein in his peoples war making just as much as we do.

“The old man may be a genius whose expertise you admire,Stillwell said, a scowl creasing his already hard countenance. “But hes also a loyal Romulan. Youd do well not to forgetthat either, Commander.

You just cant admit the possibility that a Romulan could be the same as we are, can you?Trip thought, though he managed to hold his tongue.

“If Ehrehin believed in the aims of the Romulan military, he could have completed a working warp‑seven prototype long before now.

“Maybe. Or maybe thats just what youd prefer to believe. Whatever hehasnt achieved yet for the Romulan military might not be for lack of trying. Remember, Commander, Ialso have a pretty damned thorough understanding of just what has to go into any crash high‑warp research program,Stillwell continued.

“Starfleet didput you in charge of it, Trip said, keeping his expression guarded. Trying his best to be charitable, he supposed that Stillwells annoying tendency to try to micromanage and second‑guess his work on Romulus was an outgrowth of his management of Earths warp‑seven program, in addition to his covert duties seeking out related information from alien worlds under the auspices of the bureau. He didnt envy the man his job. Still, he couldnt help but wonder how badly Stillwell would have screwed up Trips task on Romulus were the two men to trade places.

Stillwell nodded. “They did indeed. And I find it hard to believe that I could fool them for any length of time into believing that my team was making significant progress if it really wasnt.

A sinking feeling developed deep in Trips belly, but he tried not to show any discomfiture. Had Stillwell just admitted that Earths warp‑seven research had reached some sort of impasse?

“How isthe project going, Captain? Trip wanted to know.

Stillwells scowl deepened. “Thats not a data point thatyou need to know at the moment, Commander.

Trips shoulders suddenly felt heavier as the weight of his own responsibilities bore down on him.

“My point is that I seriously doubt that the old mans superiors are fools either,Stillwell said. “Just as I doubt his claim that hes deliberately taking his research team down a blind alley to contain his peoples militarism. But if he isif then sooner or later Admiral Valdore will spot the lie and replace Doctor Ehrehin with somebody who will get the job done.

“For whatever its worth, Captain, I dont think there isanybody else here capable of getting the job done, Trip said. “Im a pretty fair warp engineer myself, and I cant make heads or tails of the technical gobbledygook hes been putting in his progress reports. I cant see how Valdores people will do any better.

“Lets hope youre right. Maybe Doctor Ehrehin is, as you once so colorfully put it, baffling Valdore with bullshit. But the old man knows who you really are. He knows your agenda. And he knows how impressed you are by his credentials, as well as by his alleged ideals.

“Therefore you must face the possibility that he is playing you, Commander. He may be conductingreal warp‑seven research behind your back as we speak. He might actually be making solid progress toward the creation of a prototype stardrive. Progress that you are unaware of, at least so far.

Trip fumed quietly. “If anything like that was going on, wed both know about it by now.

“I have no doubt of that, Commander.If you discovered it.

Trip was finding it increasingly difficult to avoid delivering a sharp retort. “So now youre worried that Im incompetent. On top of maybe having gone native.

Stillwell paused, then chuckled, his frown suddenly melting into a look of almost fatherly concern. “Not at all, Commander. But as long as you have vulnerabilities, Im going to remind you of them from time to time. Making the good‑faith error in judgment of trusting someone too much and the problem of going native are very similar pitfalls. Its very hard to know precisely when youve stepped into the former. And once youve done it, its deceptively easy to slide from there to the latter. The difference is a matter of degree, a line along the same continuum.

Hoping both to contain his own rising ire and to change the subject, Trip forced a smile and said, “You know, Captain, one of the main reasons Harris recruited me into this cockamamie secret bureau of yours was because Im a people person. A big part of that is being able to tell when somebody is lying to your face.

“I certainly hope your faith in your own judgment is justified, Commander. As well as your faith in the old mans motivations. But if it turns out its not, youd better be prepared to do whats necessary.

Trip frowned again. “You know all my contingency plans, Captain. If I find the plans for a realwarp‑seven prototype here, Im gonna take it. Failing that, Ill destroy it, and wipe every computer I can find thats carrying the files.

“Very good. But youll need an additional contingency plan as well.

“What do you mean?

“Wiping computer files is an incomplete solution at best,Stillwell said. “You can never be sure you got to all the backup copies. Computer techs can often reconstruct files unless you out‑and‑out vaporize the hardware substrate. And original research can always be reconstituted as long as it still exists inside somebodys head.

Trip didnt like what he was hearing one bit. “What are you saying, Captain?

Stillwell spoke in a voice as sharp and cold and unforgiving as a guillotine execution on a January morning. “Im saying, Commander, that youd better be prepared to kill Doctor Ehrehin iRamnau trAvrak.

Trip could only nod his head numbly. He felt some sort of “spy autopilot take over for him during the remainder of his check‑in with Stillwell, as both men crossed a few routine matters off their respective lists for the next few minutes before the captain signed off.

Trip wasnt sure how long he just sat there afterward, simply staring into the dead black screen of his subspace unit. Had Stillwell allowed the weight of responsibility to crush the humanity out of him, to the point where he saw paranoiac conspiracies that didnt exist? There was no question in Trips mind that the man was entirely too jingoistic to see the universe as it really was, in all its subtle complexities and nearly indistinguishable shades of gray.

But Trip also knew that he had to face the possibility that Stillwell had judged Ehrehin correctly. He searched his soul. Had he allowed his own humanity, his own willingness to believe the best about people, to put the very existence of the human species in jeopardy? He truly didnt think so. Despite the fact that Ehrehin was unquestionably still a loyal Romulan, a man whose main priority was the welfare of his own people, Trip felt certain that the elderly scientists commitment to the larger morality of peace was a sincere one as well.

But he also knew that hed have to face squarely, sooner or later, the main question that Stillwell had raised: What if the security of Earth and the Coalition required the destruction of more than just Ehrehins research records?

FIVE

The Year of Kahless 781 The Klingon‑Romulan border

B ENEATH HIS LONG MUSTACHE, Nahtan smiled, displaying the grin of a toQvulture. Today was a glorious day. His DVagh‑class battle cruiser, the I.K.S. Veqlargh Jajlo,was in top shape, having just undergone a thorough refit and overhaul at the shipyards orbiting Praxis. His complement of weapons was full, and his crew was rested and ready for a battle.

And now they had one.

“Ready disruptor cannons! he ordered, standing up from his chair in the center of the ships bridge and stalking closer to the main viewer. Around him, the warriors at his service bustled to comply.

On the screen was a RomuluSnganvessel, though it wasnt a ship of the type most commonly seen in his ships database. They had first encountered the enemy vessel via long‑range scanners within the past kilaan,while searching for two missing Klingon battle cruisers, the I.K.S. SImyoHand the I.K.S. MupchIch.

“What progress have you made with the scans? Nahtan asked, stalking to the workstation of Nevahk, his most intelligent technician.

Nevahk barely glanced his way, concentrating instead on moving his blunt fingers over a multitude of blinking tactical screens. “They have been successful at blocking most of the scans, but we captured some fragmentary information nonetheless. He pointed a dusky‑hued finger at a diagram that was uploading to a hull‑mounted monitor to his upper left. “They have shields and weapons comparable to ours, though their skill in utilizing them no doubt pales beside the strength of the Empire.

He pointed to another area of his console, upon which the screens appeared blank. “We are unable to scan thissection of the vessel, which seems to be shielded heavily.

“Then that section shall be our first target, Nahtan growled, turning on his heel and striding back to the center of the bridge.

“Open channels again! he commanded, casting the most intimidating glower he could muster toward the central viewer. “Romulan vessel, you will stand down and prepare to be boarded. You stand accused of piracy and sabotage, and will answer to the laws of the Klingon Empire!

He waited for several moments before turning his gaze toward Dekkven, his communications officer. The young warrior, a bekkwho had recently lost most of his lower teeth in a brawl over a spilled bowl of gagh,shook his head. “No response, Captain, he said, his words slightly lisped around his injuries.

“Repeat the message and continue sending, Nahtan barked. He knew that if he were to fire on the other ship unprovoked, it could be seen as an act of cowardice. But by openly accusing the RomuluSnganeven giving them a chance to surrender without a fighthe was protecting himself both tactically andpolitically. But soon, he would have no choice but to follow through on his threats. Other than that, his only concern now was whatever it was the Romulans were trying to conceal from his ships sensors.

“Captain, the Romulan ship is polarizing its hull plating, the comely Korind said from her station at the left of the viewer. “Its weapons tubes are powering up.

“Prepare to attack, Nahtan growled loudly, feeling his pulse quicken with the exhilaration of imminent combat. He felt certain that his crew was as excited as he was; they had done without the glories of battle for far too long.

“Tracking another ship coming out of warp, Korind said, even as the main viewscreen split into two images. On the left side was the Romulan ship, but on the right was a far more familiar vessel.

“The MupchIch. Nahtan was surprised but pleased. No trace of either of the missing Klingon ships had yet been found; no one had yet assumed the worst, though both vessels had been overdue long enough to cause some concern among the fleets command hierarchy.

Grinning with satisfaction, Nahtan now felt certain that he would see unequivocal and absolute victory this day. No Romulan vessel had ever been captured whole, and certainly not with its crew alive. But the enemy craft before him now was hopelessly outgunned, and might therefore be overwhelmed and seized intact. If the RomuluSnganwere smart, they would turn and run back to their sovereign space like a whipped targwhile they still stood any chance at all of doing so. The only choices that remained to them now were to display their cowardice, blow themselves up, or admit Doghjeyunconditional surrenderand await their just fate as jeghpujwI,lawfully conquered alien prisoners of the Klingon Empire.

“Hail the MupchIch,Nahtan said. “Invite her commander to share the spoils of our conquest.

“Communications are jammed, Captain, Dekkven said, his voice rising to a slightly higher than normal register.

Nahtan muttered a curse that might have shocked even his own brother. “Get them back online!

Abruptly, the yellowish lights on the bridge winked out, and the blood‑hued emergency lights replaced them. Nahtan whirled toward Nevahks station, where the technician was moving his hands across multiple screens, almost in a panic. “ QaStaH QIyah nuq jay?Nahtan roared, desperate to discover the cause and meaning of whatever malevolent influence was afflicting his ship.

“Weve just lost life support! Nevahk shouted. “Other systems are beginning to fail, shipwide!

A sound like a gong reverberated through the Veqlargh Jajlos hull, and Nahtan felt the hollow, dropping sensation of the artificial gravity cutting out beneath his boots. He scrabbled to grab hold of his chair as a variety of surprised shouts, random clatterings, and other less identifiable noises reverberated from across the bridge and from other parts of the vessel.

“Shields are down, and we have explosive decompression on three decks, from Sochto Hut! Korind screamed, her voice raised to a nearly frantic pitch as she drifted upside down and clutched at the console at her station for stability.

Suddenly, the central viewscreen switched images, showing a trio of what appeared to be vulqanganstaring forward from what was obviously a Klingon bridge. The female in the center smiled viciously, uttering but a single short phrase before the image disappeared.

“Boch ghlchraj, the woman said just before vanishing. “Your nose is shiny.

Captain Nahtan of the I.K.S. Veqlargh Jajlobarely had time to wonder why a Vulcan had hailed them with Klingon taunts from the MupchIchs bridge, or why the viewscreen now showed the MupchIchfiring its disruptors directly at the Veqlargh Jajlo.

His final thought, just before the smoke and fire and darkness took him, was one of disappointment. Perhaps today was not to be such a glorious day after all.

Day Twenty‑nine, Month of KriBrax Dartha, Romulus

The holographic image of the Romulan captain flickered lightly in the air as a small insect flew through it. The kekla‑gnats were ever‑present in the Romulan capital at this time of year, when the grekeklatrees were in fragrant bloom. Even here, within Admiral Valdores spacious office in the Romulan Hall of State, this tiniest member of the insect orders had insinuated itself.

Seated behind his heavy sherawood desk, his hands steepled under his chin, Valdore listened to Commander Dagarths report with barely contained glee. The first full‑scale test of the Romulan Star Empires new tactical systemconceived by Valdore and designed and realized by the scientists under his commandhad been an outstanding success.

There had been some trepidation on all fronts, given the earlier failure against the first klivamvessel that Dagarths bird‑of‑prey, Nel Trenco,had attempted to seize, but their system reportedly had worked flawlessly in capturing and maintaining control over the MupchIchwhich Dagarths crew had then used to destroy the pursuing I.K.S. Veqlargh Jajlo. Had any serious operational errors occurredor had the Klingons somehow managed to summon reinforcementsthe considerable risk of causing an ill‑timed war with the Klingon Empire would have loomed. Instead, as matters stood now, the best evidence available would show that one Klingon vessel had been responsible for the destruction of the others. The Klingons would be more interested in concealing their embarrassment than in engaging in another war against Romulus.

“Your service will be commended, Valdore said, gesturing toward the holographic image of the female captain of the Nel Trenco. “History will mark this day well.

“I serve the Empire,Dagarth said, bowing her head. The image rippled slightly again, then disappeared.

On the other side of the desk, Doctor Nijil, Valdores chief technologist, approached, a triumphant smile playing upon his lips even as his hands were clasped behind him in a show of submission.

“ Youhave done well, also, Valdore said, pointing toward the scientist with one hand as he reached into a recessed area under his desk with the other. He noted that Nijil flinched just a little in response to the maneuver, as though Valdore might have been retrieving a concealed disruptor pistol rather than a celebratory bottle of carallunwine.

“Relax, Nijil, Valdore said in a deep voice intended to inspire calm, uncorking the wine as he spoke. “Youre in no danger from me. He stood and hoisted the bottle above the level of his head, allowing the light from the tall windows to glint through the green ehrieurhillhglass of the bottle.

“I know that you dont normally drink, but you willshare a toast to our success. Valdore took a swig of the tart liquor, not bothering to stop to look for drinking vessels. Then he passed the bottle to Nijil, who wasted no time following Valdores lead. The scientist seemed to try not to make a face at the bitter taste, but with little success.

Valdore stoppered the bottle again and returned it to its dusty spot beneath his desktop. A few khaidoaago, he had made a point of leaving that dusty spot undisturbed by notcelebrating the Romulan Star Empires devastation of Coridan. Even though he had played a part in the execution of the attack, it had not been a proud moment for him. Not only had it seemed a dishonorable action, it had also failed to disrupt the peace pact that now united the worlds of the fledgling Coalition of Planets. The sneak attack had, however, greatly curtailed the Coalitions supply of dilithium, a material that had long been crucial to the operation of Coalition starships. Many in the Romulan military thus saw the action as a success, and Valdore was happy to accept the resulting laurels and accolades, finding such unearned praise infinitely preferable to once again facing the prospect of political disfavor, imprisonment, or even execution. He reflected that his longtime friend and former senator, Vrax, who languished in Praetor Dderidexs dungeons during the long khaidoathat had followed the Romulan militarys most recent significant tactical defeat, might not be so fortunate.

Looking beyond Coridan, Valdore was glad to focus on his other plans for furthering the military goals of the Romulan Star Empires ambitious Praetor. The half‑crazy Doctor Ehrehin was still working on a singularity‑powered stardrive prototype, and Nijil and his team had been engaged with multiple projects, including a stable cloaking device capable of rendering large manned vessels effectively invisible to both scans and visual observation. Unfortunately, the invisibility cloaks that had been tested so far worked only to conceal small objects, or ended up quickly overtaxing the power‑production capabilities of large vesselsinvariably with explosive results. It appeared that significantly more timeor an unexpected breakthroughwould be necessary to find a truly workable solution to the cloaking problem.

Recently, however, Nijil and his team had succeeded in developing a new technology, one based in part on the principles that governed the operation of the telepathically controlled drone ships, whose recent failure had resulted in Valdores brief imprisonment alongside Vrax. This new tactical system was able to intuitively bypass ships control mechanisms, allowing the Romulans to seize control of enemy vessels.

Thanks to Valdores association with the former Vulcan Administrator VLas, Nijil had already succeeded in confirming that the tactical system would work well enough if deployed against Vulcan software, and the just‑concluded field experiments against the Klingons showed that their vessels were vulnerable as well.

“We must bring our new arrenhehwiuatelecapture system to bear against Coalition vessels, Valdore said, emerging from his reverie. “Other than those of the thaessu,that is: our distant Vulcan cousins. But we must do so in a way that does not implicate the empire.

Nijil nodded, then spoke. “It is easier to unravel a weave when one has pulled a single thread. If we target a Coalition vessel that is of little intrinsic importance, something that is not likely to be missed immediately, we will have grasped the very thread that leads us to other, more consequential ships.

Valdore raised one eyebrow as he considered his chief technologists words. The time to strike against the Coalition was coming, but to assure victory, whatever specific blow he was going to deal would have to be carefully considered and flawlessly planned.

He smiled. When the hammer finally fell, the Coalition would not even have time to wonder about what had hit it.

SIX

Monday, July 14, 2155 Enterprise NX‑01, near Altair VI

T O A RCHER, the regulation‑required inspection of the United Earth Space Probe Agencys port facilities at Altair VI had seemed all but interminable. The fact that the planets surface gravity, at least in the areas not outfitted with artificial gravity plating, was fifty percent higher than Earth normal didnt help matters any. And despite the protective eyewear that he and Malcolm Reed and everyone based at the Altair VI colony donned whenever the inspection checklist had required them to venture outside, the intense brightness of the sun had given Archer a nearly equally intense yearning for a welding mask.

Archer was thankful, at least, that the proceedings had gone largely without incident, and that the few areas in the central compound and its surrounding out‑buildings that werent quite up to Starfleet standards and UESPA code hadnt affected any critical systems. Fortunately for everyone concerned, Altair VIs mild and relatively Earth‑like climate, particularly at the high northern latitudes where the bulk of the settlements had been established, rendered the planets few thousand human colonists safe from pressure‑dome blowouts and other similar technological catastrophes, if not from distant Altairs intense, ultraviolet‑heavy brilliance. The few small problems that had been discovered during the inspection had been put right within a couple of hours with the aid of Enterprises new chief engineer, Lieutenant Mike Burch, and his able crew.

After he had finally finished with the inspection and the final exchanges of pleasantries with the ports command staff, Archer and Reed returned to Shuttlepod One and took it back into the green‑tinged sky that overlooked the northern seaside port facilities. Archer turned the shuttlepod as it gained altitude, allowing him to take in the welcoming vista of the Darro‑Miller settlement that had risen over the carbon dioxide‑in‑fused Altair‑water aquifers to the south. The pioneer town was still growing quickly, already home to nearly twenty‑two thousand humans; more than a few of these settlers would no doubt soon participate in the creation of other settlements, either elsewhere on this world or on the even more challenging surface of the systems still largely untouched fourth planet.

The magenta‑and‑white mountains beyond Darro‑Miller rolled into view next, fronted by an enigmatic jumble of ruined stone columns and temples that had been left behind untold eons ago by some long‑extinct sentient race. Archer looked on wistfully as the tantalizing ancient vista quickly vanished over the horizon and the shuttlepod arced upward toward a standard orbital insertion.

“They say the statues the archeologists found down there look almost human, Reed said, almost as though hed been reading Archers mind.

“Its amazing to find traces of anything that looks so much like we do almost seventeen light‑years from home, Archer said as he returned his full attention to the console before him. “I wish we had at least a solid week down there to go picking through those ruins. The mysteries of where those ancient people had gone, where they had originatedand whether they were cosmic cousins of humanity or had arisen independentlywere enticing almost beyond measure.

“A few uninterrupted days of shore leave for the crew wouldnt go down badly either, sir, Reed said, wearing an expression that was somehow both hopeful and fatalistic.

“Time and tide are impatient mistresses, Malcolm, Archer said with a weak smile. “Duty calls. Starfleet says weve got pirates and raiders to catch.

Roughly forty minutes later, Archer found himself back on Enterprises busy bridge, along with Reed, Mayweather, and Sato. After confirming that the engineering repair team was also back aboard and ordering Ensign Mayweather to break orbit for the starships next destination, the captain leaned back in his command chair and watched Altair VI begin making a swift descent into the void. Presented on the main viewer in an aft view, the blue‑green orb quickly began to shrink in apparent size, like a pebble falling in slow motion into a dark and bottomless pit.