Текст книги "In Tempest's Wake "

Автор книги: Dayton Ward

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NINE

Stardate 5822.6

U.S.S. Enterprise

Despite full power to the Enterprise’s shields, the effects of the first barrage of Tholian weapons fire were strong enough to lift Kirk from his seat. He clutched the arms of his command chair and planted his feet on the pedestal to keep from being pitched forward, but not everyone on the bridge was as fortunate. In front of him, Chekov was bounced from his own seat at the navigation console and went tumbling to the deck. Kirk was already pulling himself from his chair in order to help him when the younger man rolled onto his side, saw his captain, and held up a hand.

“I’m fine, sir,” Chekov said, pulling himself to his feet and reaching for his station.

“Maintain course and speed!” Kirk called out, his full attention already returning to other matters at hand. “Lock on targets and stand by to fire on my command!” Thanks to Sulu’s piloting skills, the Enterprisehad dropped out of warp almost in the midst of the armada of Tholian vessels swarming about Starbase 47. The image on the main viewscreen was saturated with the signatures of weapons fire from the enemy ships, Vanguard’s considerable armaments, and—so far as Kirk could see—a single Starfleet vessel attempting to assist the station. His eyes widened at the sight of the damage inflicted upon the starbase. Dark pits and twisted hull plating marred its surface, and the flames from plasma fires belched from within as compartments were sliced open, only to be extinguished as those sections were exposed to space.

Good God.

Reports of a fleet massing at the Tholian border of the Taurus Reach had been distributed by Starfleet Command and Starbase 47 almost from the moment the U.S.S. Endeavourdetected its inception weeks earlier. What remained a mystery, at least to most people, was the purpose or possible target of the mobilization. Nogura had informed Kirk of the deployment when he assigned the Enterpriseto rescue the freighter Ephialtesnear the Iremal Cluster, at the time adding that he was certain the target of any major Tholian offensive would be Vanguard. In the admiral’s opinion, it was not a matter of whetherthe Tholians would attack, but when.

And when is right damned now.The thought taunted Kirk as he gazed upon the scenes of bedlam, with Starbase 47 at its center. Whatever Nogura and his people had done to precipitate such a response, there could be no mistaking the Tholians’ intent: utter annihilation of the station along with everyone and everythingaboard it.

“What’s the story, Spock?” Kirk asked.

At the science station, the first officer did not look up from his instruments as he replied, “The Sagittariushas sustained heavy damage and is on a course away from the station, and sensors are detecting debris from at least one Starfleet vessel, possibly the Buenos Aires.The Endeavouris the only other ship, and their course and evasive maneuvers suggest they are attempting to remain within transporter range of the station. Its shields are compromised and losing power.”

“Trying to evacuate personnel, most likely,” Kirk said. If Captain Khatami was maintaining her ship’s position for that purpose, it would not take long for the Tholians to deduce that for themselves, at which time the Endeavourwould be little more than a sitting duck, and that was beforeit dropped its deflector shields in the hopes of transporting survivors from the station. “Move us toward them, Mister Sulu.”

“Aye, sir,” replied the helm officer, nodding without turning from his station.

Behind him, Kirk heard Uhura say, “Captain, we’re being hailed by the Endeavour.”

“On-screen,” Kirk ordered, and a second later the image on the main viewscreen depicting the chaos of battle was replaced by that of Atish Khatami. The Endeavour’s commanding officer seemed to be holding up well enough, all things considered, but he still saw the relief in her expression. Disregarding the usual greetings and other protocol, Kirk cut right to the point. “What’s your status, Captain?”

Her voice crisp and controlled, Khatami replied, “We need cover so we can beam survivors off the station. Can you buy us five minutes?”

Kirk’s mind raced through tactical scenarios. The Endeavourwould have to lower its shields to employ its transporters. For the Enterpriseto provide effective protection throughout that maneuver, it would have to be within close proximity to its sister starship. Very close proximity. He glanced at Sulu just as the lieutenant looked over his shoulder and realized from the other man’s expression that he already had surmised the situation for himself. Without saying anything, Sulu nodded, his expression one of utter confidence.

Returning the nod, Kirk looked back to Khatami. “You’ll have it. And I hope your pilot’s as good as mine, because we’ll have to be almost on top of you to pull this off.”

Without missing a beat, the Endeavour’s captain said, “We can avoid hitting the station as long as you don’t hit us.”

Kirk smiled, encouraged by her composure and matter-of-fact demeanor even as the situation seemed hell-bent on collapsing around her. “Deal. We’ll follow your lead. Enterpriseout.” No sooner did the transmission end than another round of weapons fire slammed into the ship’s shields. Kirk felt the reverberations in the hull as they channeled through the deck plating beneath him. “I think the Tholians might know what we’re up to.” Looking to his helm officer, he said, “All right, Mister Sulu. It’s up to you.”

“Aye, Captain,” the lieutenant acknowledged, splitting his attention between his controls and the console’s tactical scanner. “Moving in to shadow the Endeavournow.”

Smacking the communications control on the arm of his chair, Kirk snapped, “Engineering. Scotty, we’ll need everything you’ve got to reinforce the shields. Take power from anywhere you need to, including life support, but keep the shields up no matter what.”

There only was the briefest of pauses before the voice of the chief engineer called out through the intercom from the bowels of the ship. “Aye, sir. We’ll hold things together with spit and baling wire if we have to.”

“Bridge out.” Kirk severed the connection and redirected his attention back to the main viewscreen. The image there depicted dozens of Tholian vessels streaking back and forth across the Enterprise’s path. Ahead of them, Starbase 47 hung in space, its multiple phaser ports and photon torpedo banks continuing to track and fire at the attacking enemy ships. Sulu keyed several controls on his console, and the angle on the viewscreen shifted as the helm officer guided the starship on a diving turn to starboard. The station loomed even larger as the screen now was dominated by the Endeavour, with Sulu maneuvering the Enterpriseever closer to it. Kirk and the bridge crew were provided with a stunning overhead view of the other vessel, now so near that Kirk felt he might reach through the screen and touch the ship’s hull. His stomach lurched in response to the Endeavour’s proximity.

This is going to be tight.

Sulu adjusted the Enterprise’s trajectory so that the starship fell behind its sister vessel as the Endeavourmoved into the shadows cast by the underside of the station’s massive saucer-shaped primary hull. Rolling so that the underside of its engineering hull faced the station, the Endeavourbegan to describe a circular path around the starbase’s core, using Vanguard itself for cover as it continued its restricted orbit.

“Whoever’s at the helm of that ship is pretty good,” Sulu said, and Kirk heard the tension in the lieutenant’s voice.

“Almost as good as you,” Kirk said, forcing himself not to react to the extreme nearness of the station’s hull even as he noted the copious battle scars inflicted upon it.

From the science station, Spock called out, “The Endeavourhas lowered its shields and is commencing transporter evacuation.”

“Good,” Kirk replied. “Let’s hope we can get this done fast and get the hell out of here. Chekov, fire at your discretion, but keep the Tholians off our backs.”

The ensign nodded without looking away from his console. “Aye, Captain.”

“Overlay tactical plot on the main viewer,” Kirk ordered, and a moment later a faint schematic was superimposed over the screen’s existing visual feed. At its center was Starbase 47, with two small blue dots representing the Enterpriseand the Endeavourcircling it. Red dots, far too many to count, swarmed about the station.

We just made their job that much easier for them.

Glancing toward the science station, Kirk asked, “What about Vanguard, Spock? What kind of shape is it in?”

“The primary hull section has sustained considerable damage,” answered the first officer. “Shields are down across the upper structure, including the Operations Center. I am picking up life readings throughout the station, though most of the remaining personnel appear to be in or near emergency evacuation stations.”

Kirk frowned. With its shields compromised, the starbase’s Ops Center was even more vulnerable to attack. If any sort of coordination with respect to the evacuation was originating from there, rather than a more secure location deeper inside the station, a strike at that point would hinder if not outright thwart the Endeavour’s rescue efforts. Eyeing the station’s immense cylindrical secondary hull, he asked, “What about the engineering sections?”

Once more looking into his sensor viewer, Spock replied, “Power reactors are approaching overload. Sensors are detecting several radiation leaks and power surges throughout the central core.”

For a moment, Kirk considered ordering the Enterpriseshields dropped so that it could participate in transporting survivors from the station, but he dismissed the notion. This crazy plan’s only chance of success was if he and his ship held their position and protected the Endeavourwhile it completed the evacuation. That conclusion was strengthened as he looked to Chekov, whose hands were alternating between his station’s weapons and targeting controls. On the main viewscreen, Kirk noted the extinguishing of several red dots, each a Tholian vessel falling victim to the weapons of the station, the Enterpriseor the Endeavour.It seemed that as each icon disappeared, three more moved into view, taking its place.

The ship shuddered around him, and Kirk tightened his grip on the arms of his chair as the Enterprise’s deflector shields absorbed yet another strike. Alarm indicators flared to life across the bridge, though he recognized most of them as pertaining to noncritical systems. Still, the message being sent by the Tholians was becoming clearer with each passing second.

I don’t think we’re going to get that full five minutes.

“Any estimate on how long until the Endeavourretrieves the rest of the survivors?” When Spock did not respond, Kirk looked over to see that the first officer seemed to be directing even greater concentration at his instruments. Frowning, he prompted, “Spock, what is it?”

“I’m picking up a massive new energy reading,” the Vulcan reported, “emanating from within the station’s central core. A significant matter/antimatter reaction has been enabled, which is not part of the primary or backup power systems.” Pulling himself away from the sensor controls and looking over his shoulder, he added, “Captain, based on these power readings, I believe someone on the station has activated a self-destruct mechanism.”

Kirk’s jaw went slack. “Are you sure?”

“I cannot be certain,” Spock said, “but the energy levels are too high and concentrated to be appropriate for simple power generation. Considering the security requirements surrounding the station’s activities and the current tactical situation, it seems a logical course of action.” An alert tone from his station made the science officer turn back to his console and adjust several controls. “Sensors now detecting yet another energy reading, from the same area. Its pattern is not consistent with any of the station’s power systems.” He paused, and Kirk noted his friend’s hesitation as he worked to interpret the data he was receiving. Then Spock turned and fixed his gaze on Kirk. “Captain, it is a Shedai energy reading, larger than anything we’ve previously encountered.”

“The Shedai?” Kirk repeated, not wanting to believe what he was hearing. Jerking his attention back to the image of the station rushing past beneath the Enterprise, he asked, “Where the hell did it come from?” What had the men and women of Starbase 47, toiling in secret to understand the Shedai, done to so anger the reclusive, fearsome beings?

Spock replied, “From inside the station, sir. I am detecting multiple Shedai life readings, within a very restricted area. The Shedai appear to be attacking it from within.”

TEN

Alarms were echoing throughout the Enterprise’s cavernous main engineering space, at least until Montgomery Scott touched a control on his station to mute them. Around the room, situation monitors flashed for attention, and gauges and other indicators provided the current status on systems throughout the ship. To the untrained eye and ear, it was an indecipherable cacophony conveying nothing but gibberish, but for Scott, it represented a heartfelt appeal from the vessel that had been entrusted to him. Each alert tone was a call for help; every light a statement of concern or—in many cases—a declaration that the starship was continuing to answer the demands being placed upon it. This, of course, was in addition to the very substantial effects of Tholian weapons fire making themselves known as the deck trembled beneath his feet, the bulkheads around him, and even his bones and teeth. Overhead, lighting flickered yet again as multiple enemy weapons struck the Enterprise’s shields, which were holding.

For now.

“Easy, lass,” Scott said under his breath, as he stood before the master situation panel that dominated the section of bulkhead over the chief engineer’s workstation. “We’ll get through this.” Thanks to this single station and the array of information it conveyed, he was able to discern nearly everything of note taking place within each of the ship’s major systems. There were other, less tangible signals, such as the sounds of the vessel’s immense power plant reverberating through nearly every surface in this chamber. The slight, almost imperceptible warbling emanating from the depths of the ship was more than enough to tell him that the Enterprisewas feeling the strain of the battle waging beyond its hull.

On an intellectual level, Scott knew that the ship, despite any romantic notions he or anyone else might have to the contrary, truly was nothing more than a sophisticated machine that was the physical manifestation of science, technology, and perhaps even art and dreams. Still, he liked to think that the bond between an apparatus and the engineer charged with its care was one that could be forged only over time and as a consequence of the care given to such complex mechanisms. No one ever would convince him that his years spent working in and around the myriad components that came together to form the heart, mind, and even soul of the starships they inhabited had not given him insight and an appreciation that extended far beyond manuals and technical schematics. Reaching for the workstation, Scott laid his hand upon the console’s smooth, polished black surface and gave it a reassuring pat.

“You’ve never let me down before; you won’t now.”

The sentiment was punctuated by another strike against the shields. This time the deck pitched and Scott gripped the console to maintain his balance. Lights flickered as the entire ship seemed to shudder, groaning in protest at this latest attack. Something snapped above and behind him, and he turned in time to see a stream of bright pink smoke jetting from one of the conduits running down the bulkhead near the main energizers. It was followed an instant later by a new alarm sounding in the compartment.

“Coolant leak!” someone shouted over the din, but Scott already was reacting to the new danger. His fingers found the controls to isolate the compromised conduit and contain the leak. He looked over his shoulder and saw that Crewman Hertzog, one of his engineering assistants working near the energizers, already had fallen victim to the coolant’s toxic fumes. Another crewman, a muscled young man named McLoughlin, had crossed the room and was pulling Hertzog away from the immediate danger, and Scott heard someone using the intercom to contact sickbay.

A few more commands entered to his console told Scott that the leak had been addressed, with coolant now being rerouted through an adjacent, secondary conduit designated for such emergency purposes. Automatic cleaning and decontamination protocols already were clearing the noxious coolant fumes from the compartment, though Scott still caught a faint scent of the harsh, hazardous compounds. Dividing his attention between his console and his fallen crewman, Scott looked to where McLoughlin and other engineers knelt over an unconscious Hertzog. “How is he?”

“I don’t know, sir,” McLoughlin called over his shoulder, his expression clouded with concern. “He was only a few steps from the conduit when it ruptured. I didn’t see it, but I think he might’ve gotten sprayed right in the face.” Indeed, Hertzog’s face, neck, and hands were discolored, indicating severe direct exposure to the coolant. The engineer kneeling next to McLoughlin, Lieutenant Donovan Washburn, was treating the affected areas with what Scott recognized as a medicinal spray from an emergency medical kit.

“What about you?” asked the chief engineer. “Did you get hit?”

McLoughlin shook his head. “No, sir. I didn’t breathe any of it in, and I didn’t touch him with my bare hands, just hooked him under his arms and dragged him away.”

“Good lad,” Scott said, “but let Washburn treat your exposed skin, anyway, and have the medics look you over.” That was all the helpful advice he was able to offer before the ship trembled again, and this time Scott was thrown off his feet. He landed hard on the deck, the wind forced from his lungs. Wincing at the pain in his hip where he had struck the unyielding metal, he looked up to see that other members of the engineering team also had been tossed into consoles or bulkheads or had fallen to the floor. “Everybody all right?”

There was a chorus of replies as the other engineers resumed their stations, and Scott saw a host of new alerts and status indicators illuminated on different monitors around the room. His gaze fell upon one of the displays at an adjacent station, which now showed a tactical plot as provided by Enterprisesensors. It depicted a large blue circle at its center representing Starbase 47, with two smaller circles—the Enterpriseand the Endeavour—orbiting it in a tight circuit around the enormous Watchtower-class space station’s core. With the Enterprisecommitted to covering its sister starship as its crew worked to transport survivors from the besieged starbase, both vessels were prime targets for the armada of Tholian warships currently laying waste to Vanguard and anything else in their sights.

“Mister Scott!” a voice shouted from across the room, and the chief engineer turned to see Lieutenant Cleary manning one of the consoles devoted to overseeing the Enterprise’s defensive systems. “Port side shields are buckling! We’ve got outer hull breaches in the saucer section!”

A glance at the master situation panel confirmed the younger engineer’s report. “Reroute all power from the ventral shields,” Scott called out, once more eyeing the tactical plot. With the Enterprise’s current orientation as it circled the station, its underside was protected from the majority of the incoming enemy fire. “Concentrate allocations dorsal and aft.” It was a risk, given the madness of the situation, but Scott knew James Kirk’s thinking processes well enough when it came to defensive maneuvering. Based on the Enterprise’s position relative to the Endeavouras it shielded the other ship, Scott could anticipate Kirk’s needs and appropriately allocate the ship’s resources.

But for how much longer?The thought echoed in the chief engineer’s mind as he regarded the ever-changing array of status displays. Despite the best efforts of his team, the Enterprisewas still outnumbered, outgunned, and almost out of time.

“Kirk to Engineering!”bellowed the voice of the Enterprise’s captain, exploding from the intercom system. “Scotty, how are we doing?”

His hand slamming down on the control to activate his console’s comm unit, Scott replied, “We’re taking quite a beating, sir.”

“We have to hold things together for another couple of minutes,”Kirk said. “TheEndeavour ’s warp drive is out, and they’re making some kind of quick repair. They expect to be ready any minute, but we need to cover them until then.”

Scott’s first thought was to offer his assistance to the Endeavour’s engineering staff, but he knew that was an impractical suggestion. He had his hands full here just keeping the Enterprisein the current fight. Still, he could not resist asking, “Can we do anything to help them?”

“You’re already doing it,”the captain said. “Just maintain our shields and weapons for another minute so we can keep the Tholians off their back. We’re almost home.”

Buoyed by Kirk’s comments, Scott already was setting to the process of rerouting power from systems across the ship. “Aye, sir, we’re on it.”

The connection was terminated, and he once more regarded the master panel, seeing the disturbing number of crimson indicators. Each of them begged for his attention, laboring to communicate to him the injuries his ship had sustained. Even with the damage the Enterprisehad absorbed, Scott knew it still was in far better shape than the Endeavour.He knew also that Kirk would not abandon the other ship and its crew, not while he still possessed any ability to fight.

All right, lass, Scott mused with renewed determination as he once more tapped the console before him. Let’s see this through.

•   •   •

The ache at the small of his back was beginning to work its way up his spine and toward his legs, and Kirk forced himself to shift positions in his chair. For the tenth time in less than two minutes, he glanced to each of the consoles around the bridge, starting with Lieutenant Leslie at the engineering station and proceeding clockwise. Each person’s attention was focused on his or her instruments as the crew carried out whatever task or function best supported the current tactical situation. For his part, Sulu seemed to have melded with the helm station, his eyes locked on the various controls and indicators before him. His hands appeared possessed of their own will, their every movement one of economy and tenacity as the lieutenant guided the Enterpriseon its unthinkable course. Despite the obvious tension permeating the bridge, Sulu’s demeanor was one of utter self-control, offering no hints that the slightest miscalculation or deviation on his part would doom the ship and everyone aboard it.

The man is a machine.

Sensing other eyes on him, Kirk turned his chair to see Lieutenant Uhura regarding him from her communications station. Her anxiety was obvious, even though she managed to mask that worry in her expression, and he offered what he hoped was an encouraging nod. Uhura returned the gesture, her features softening as she returned her attention to her console.

The ship lurched as more Tholian weapons fire struck the deflector shields, and everyone on the bridge gripped their consoles as the deck heaved. Despite the artificial gravity and inertial damping systems, the effects of the prolonged assault and the need to transfer ever-increasing amounts of power from other areas of the ship to strengthen its defenses were beginning to take their toll. The rescue maneuvers in which the Enterpriseand Endeavourhad engaged left the starships vulnerable to Tholian attack, but at the time the enemy vessels had seemed obsessed with pummeling Starbase 47. It was apparent now that the aggressors had deduced what the Endeavourwas attempting and were changing their tactics.

“More buckling in the starboard shields aft,” Spock reported from the science station. “Engineering is rerouting power from other sections to compensate.”

“Continue firing, Mister Chekov,” Kirk ordered, turning so that he once again was facing forward. He studied the image of the Endeavouras it raced ahead of the Enterprise, circling the space station in an orbit that was so close and dangerous that it had triggered every possible proximity sensor and collision threat alert. Near the edges of the viewscreen, Tholian vessels darted into and out of view, firing their weapons either at the station or at the pair of beleaguered starships. Kirk winced as a burst of energy plowed into the Endeavour’s hull, and his thoughts turned to the crew of the other ship as they labored to effect emergency repairs under such hellish conditions. How much longer could they last? During her last transmission to the Enterprise, Captain Khatami had said they needed only another minute to get their warp drive back online, but that interval had expired.

“Spock?” Kirk prompted. “What’s going on over there?”

The Vulcan, his face bathed in the cool blue light of the science console’s sensor viewer, replied, “The Endeavour’s warp drive is still off-line.”

“What about the station?” Kirk asked. “The Shedai?”

There was a noticeable pause as Spock continued to consult his instruments. “The Shedai life readings appear to be restricted to one area of the station’s central core. It is the same section as the elevated power readings we detected. Something seems to be keeping the Shedai contained there.”

Had Nogura and his people devised some means of combating the Shedai? It was a question Kirk was sure would never be answered to any degree of satisfaction, and dwelling on it now served no useful purpose. “If you’re right, and the station doeshave a self-destruct, whoever’s still over there is obviously holding off for us to get clear before they trigger it.” Was someone standing by, waiting until the last possible moment before being beamed out by the Endeavour? Were they trapped, unable to be rescued, or had they elected to remain at their post, working to prevent the Shedai from somehow interfering with the self-destruct? If that were the case, then the longer the Enterpriseand Endeavourremained here, the more their already untenable position possibly also served to undermine whatever crazy plan had been put into motion aboard the all-but-overwhelmed space station.

Come on, Kirk thought, his apprehension mounting with each passing second. Come on!

His stomach felt as though it might be trying to flip over on itself as the Enterprisewas rocked by another Tholian salvo. The deck lifted, the ship’s gravity and damping systems struggling to keep up as Kirk was pushed back into his chair. More alarms sounded around the bridge as various status and alert indicators flashed red. As the Enterprisesettled in the wake of the latest assault, Kirk glanced around the various stations, verifying that no one had been injured.

Spock, looking up from his sensor displays, said, “The Tholians appear to be redistributing their attack vessels, diverting a considerable number toward us and the Endeavour.”

“I think they’ve finally got us locked in,” Chekov added, casting a glance over his shoulder. “Shields down to sixty-four percent, sir.”

“Captain,” Spock said, “the station’s primary shield generators are off-line.” As though punctuating his report, the main viewscreen now displayed dozens of new impacts against the starbase’s hull. Unhindered by the station’s deflector shields, each new strike was inflicting far more damage as the enemy weapons chewed through duranium plating and found the less-resistant materials comprising Vanguard’s defenseless interior areas.

Whatever time remained to them could likely be counted in seconds, Kirk decided, and not very many of those. While the Enterpriseconceivably could outrun any enemy pursuers if he gave the order to withdraw, he had no intention of leaving Atish Khatami and her crew at the Tholians’ mercy. But beyond providing simple covering fire, there was precious little else he could do if the Tholians had decided to leave no survivors.

“Captain!” Uhura all but shouted, and when Kirk turned toward her he saw that the communications officer’s expression was one of fresh excitement. “The Endeavour’s signaling us. Their warp drive is back online!”

“Then let’s get the hell out of here,” Kirk snapped, once again offering thanks to those deities who chose to smile upon starship engineers. “Sulu!” Even as he spoke the helmsman’s name, he saw that the lieutenant already was taking action. His fingers moved at uncanny speed, manipulating the controls before him as he worked to guide the Enterprisetoward safety.

“The Endeavourhas broken orbit,” Spock reported from his station. “A few Tholian vessels are altering their attack vectors to pursue, but most appear to be continuing their assault on the station.”

“Watch our backs, Chekov,” Kirk said. “Keep the shields angled aft and concentrate firepower to cover the Endeavour’s withdrawal.” On the viewscreen, the image of the station fell out of the frame as the Enterprisebanked away, picking up speed and heading for open space. There still were far too many Tholian warships for his liking, but he saw that Chekov was addressing that issue as well. Concentrating the ship’s firepower forward, the navigator was not aiming for the enemy vessels so much as he was simply trying to scare them out of the starship’s flight path. His tactic, so far as Kirk could see, was having the intended effect.

“Warp eight,” the captain ordered. “Get us to the evacuation convoy.” Glancing toward the science station, he asked, “Spock? The Endeavour?”

Once more consulting his sensor data, the Vulcan nodded. “It has accelerated to warp and is on course for the convoy.” He then added, “Captain, I am detecting a massive power surge from within the station.” When he said nothing else, Kirk looked toward the first officer to see him turning from his console. Spock’s expression offered nothing, though the captain could see in his friend’s eyes what he had not said aloud.