Текст книги "Gods Above"

Автор книги: Peter David

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IV.

Spock was no longer walking around the conference lounge. Instead he was seated, his fingers steepled thoughtfully. “When we faced a creature that thrived on fear,” he said at last, “Captain Kirk gave the crew tranquilizers so that the crew no longer feared it—and the creature was weakened. Likewise an energy being that siphoned hostile energy during a manufactured series of battles with a crew of Klingons was thwarted when the Klingons and we ceased hostilities. What we need to do is find a way to sever these beings from their source of strength.”

“But it’s a very different situation here,” Si Cwan pointed out. “In your case, you simply had to deal with the minds and actions of the crew of the Enterprise.You’re essentially saying that the crews of the Excaliburand Trident,in going into combat with the Beings, cannot be concerned about defeat.”

“Basically, yes,” Calhoun said reluctantly. “If we fear failure ... if we believe that the Beings are superior to us, or can destroy us ... then we more or less guarantee our own defeat.”

“Now, there’s a challenge,” said Shelby with a significant lack of enthusiasm. “It’s like saying, ‘Don’t think of pink elephants.’ ”

“But it’s more involved than that,” said Mueller. “What you’ve been saying is that the Beings—if we’re correct about this—are drawing their strength from the Danteri. It almost doesn’t matter if we believe in them or not, because the Danteri do. In order to dampen the strength of the Beings ...”

“We would have to cut off their energy at the source,” said Spock. “We would have to—in short—obliterate the Danteri.”

There was a momentary silence, and then Calhoun said what he suspected they all figured he’d say: “I’m not seeing a downside of that.”

“Mac,” Shelby said, not without sympathy, “I know better than anyone here how you feel about the Danteri. But I can’t believe that even you would advocate genocide.”

He grimaced and then slowly nodded. “You’re right,” he admitted. “Besides, just to be pragmatic about it ... I very much doubt the Beings would simply stand by and allow us to annihilate their root of psychic sustenance. That still leaves us, though, trying to determine the best way to proceed.”

“We’d be wise to determine it sooner rather than later,” said Kebron. “My suspicion is that the Tholians weren’t bluffing. That they’ve forces and allies who will be showing up here before long to launch a full-out assault. Except they’ll already be showing up with the knowledge that the Beings easily destroyed one vessel. That will sow the seeds of doubt which the Beings will bring to full bloom, destroying those who oppose them, elevating Danteri worship, and very likely convincing assorted races that they should join the Danteri in bowing down to this pantheon of gods.”

They all stared at him.

“When the hell did heget so chatty?” demanded Si Cwan.

“Ah, Si Cwan,” laughed Kebron. “How I’ve missed you.”

“You hate me!”

“Oh, why drag along childish feuds into phases of maturity.”

Si Cwan turned to Calhoun and, indicating Kebron, asked, “Did he eat ambrosia, too?”

“I’ll explain it later, Ambassador.”

“Yes, it’s really an amusing story,” said Kebron. “You see, in the life cycle of—”

“Later!”Calhoun said in annoyance. He sagged into the nearest chair. “You know, I’m really of mixed feelings on that. Genocidal concerns aside, part of me would dearly love to just stand aside and watch these angry races show up, trying to blow the Danteri to hell and gone. Grozit,we could even justify it on Prime Directive terms.”

“Perhaps,” Shelby agreed. “But there’s every possibility the Beings would triumph, making matters even worse than they already are.”

“I know, I know.”

“Wait ... wait a minute,” Gleau said abruptly. He pointed at the bladed weapon that Kebron had laid in the middle of the table early on in the meeting. “That thing is one of their conduits?”

“As near as we can determine, yes. But apparently only they can actually utilize it—”

“We don’t have to utilize it,” said Gleau. “All we have to do is use it to determine the frequency patterns that it operates on and taps into.”

“What ... ?”

“Oh!”Burgoyne’s eyes widened. “I see where you’re going with this. Once we know those patterns, we can broadcast ‘white noise’ through the sensor arrays.”

“A logical notion,” said Spock. “It might very well serve to scramble the Beings’ ability to ‘feed’ off the mental energies of the Danteri. Cut them off from their source of power.”

Burgoyne’s mind was clearly racing through the logistics. “The thing is, it’s going to need both of the starships, one to cover each side of the planet. Otherwise the planet’s own surface would block the white noise from affecting that side which is opposite the starship.”

“And if we do all that,” Calhoun said, “then the likelihood is that the Beings will come after us. Can this ‘white noise’ be used to block out whatever energies we might feed them ourselves, based upon doubts ... ?”

“We’d be spreading our resources too thin,” said Burgoyne. “We really need to focus on their prime energy source, the Danteri. We try to do too much, we’ll wind up accomplishing too little.”

“All right then. So they’ll be deprived of their initial energy source, but they’ll seek to draw energy from our own doubts and beliefs that they’re invincible. Is that basically it?”

“Why are you attacking them?” asked Moke.

The question brought everything to a halt. Calhoun looked at the boy and said, “Because they’re dangerous, Moke. Because they represent a threat to us ... to you ... to everyone and anyone who won’t live in a galaxy where the Beings are worshipped. They attacked and killed people on this ship. They’ve brainwashed Lieutenant Soleta ... and an entire world besides. One of them attacked and nearly killed Lieutenant Kebron ...”

“And Kalinda and I as well,” said Si Cwan.

“So you see, Moke, they have to be dealt with, before it gets worse.”

“I guess,” said Moke, then paused and added, “but it’s a shame.”

Calhoun tried to come up with a response to that, but couldn’t. Because he knew that Moke was right. It was a shame. A damned shame.

But it had to be done.

As long as they didn’t get themselves killed doing it.

V.

Mueller stood in the turbolift with Gleau as it whisked them toward the transporter room that would bring them back to the Trident.“That was good work you did back there,” she said. “I want you to be the point man between us and Excaliburon this. Work with Engineering Chief Dunn in making certain that he coordinates with Burgoyne and the Excal’schief, Mitchell.”

“This is killing you, isn’t it,” Gleau said.

She had been staring straight ahead, but now she turned and stared at him in open bewilderment. “Killing me? In what respect?”

“Between M’Ress and her complaints about me, and your own attitudes, you must have been hoping I would step aside, perhaps even transfer off.” He gave her a smarmy smile. “Yet now I turn around and prove my worth to the ship. Made myself look pretty good. My guess is that bothers you no end.”

“Your guess is completely wrong,” she informed him. “All I care about is the well-being of the Trident.You’re the science officer. You’re expectedto be of use, not to fail.”

“Expectations are one things. Hopes are something else. You were hoping ...”

“Do not tell me my own mind, Lieutenant Commander,” Mueller told him stiffly. “My hopes are my own. They are not for public dissemination, and they’re certainly not yours to assume. Do I make myself clear? And wipe that smirk off your face before I rip it off.”

“Oh, absolutely,” he said. The smirk diminished ... but was still there nevertheless.

VI.

Zak Kebron had remained behind in the conference lounge. He stared at the far wall for a long time, having turned the scythe over to Burgoyne so s/he could study it more closely. He rapped his thick fingers on the table for a while, and finally he managed to say, “I think you should know ... I’m sorry. Presuming you’re still standing there, that is. I’m sorry about what happened to you, Mark.

“The truth is, I had some suspicions about who and what you were, and what you were capable of doing. I was verysuspicious. But all I cared about was trying to ‘catch’ you somehow. Instead, I should have realized that you had some potentially great problems and tried to help you deal with it. Not just rat you out. You need a friend, and instead you got a suspicious head of security.

“I’m very, very sorry. And ... I hope it means something.”

Three decks away, watching the internal and external struggles of the Old Father, Mark McHenry was vaguely aware that something had been said that directly pertained to him, but he wasn’t sure what it might have been, and then dismissed it as not being of any real consequence.

VII.

Calhoun sat in his quarters on the couch, facing Moke in the chair opposite, watching the boy staring into space. “It’s going to be all right, Moke,” he said after a time.

“I’d ...”

“Yes?”

“I’d finally stopped wondering. Y’know? Finally stopped.” He looked up at Calhoun with a distant sense of bewilderment. “Spent my whole life wondering what my father was like, but because of you ... because of how nice you’ve been to me ... I stopped wondering. And even in all those years where I did wonder ... I never thought he’d be ...” He paused. “What is he? What am I?”

“He’s a different form of life, Moke. That’s all. Just as I am. Just as this ship is crowded with many different forms of life.”

“Yes, but ... the things he can do ...”

“I can’t do the things that Zak Kebron can do. And Kebron can’t do what Dr. Selar can do, and so on. Every different life-form is special, Moke. Grozit,even within the same life-form, everyone is special. Everyone has their own unique talents and abilities. There’s a lot to learn about Woden, and hopefully we’ll have the chance to learn it.”

“And me. What about me?”

“You’re a boy, Moke. A young boy.” He put a hand on Moke’s shoulder and smiled. “And you had some abilities that might have stemmed from him. Otherwise, nothing’s changed.”

“Do you ... ?”

He seemed stuck for completing the sentence. “Do I what, Moke?”

“Do you think he loves me? Y’know. Dads love their sons. Do you think ... ?”

“I could lie to you, Moke, but the truth is, I simply don’t know.”

“Do you think he loved my mom?”

Naturally Calhoun had no more idea of that than the previous question, but there was something in the boy’s face that seemed to indicate this answer was even more important. Calhoun nodded firmly. “I’m sure he did. And I’m sure he would have stayed with her if he could,” he added quickly, anticipating the next question.

“Do you love me?”

The question caught Calhoun off guard, although in retrospect he realized it shouldn’t have. “Me?”

“Well, you basically act like my father. But you don’t ... y’know ... say it much.”

“I’ve ... never been that demonstrative about such things, Moke. But ... yes. Yes, of course, I ... yes. I do. Like my own son. Actually ... I hardly ever got to know my own son. So you’re sort of a second chance to do things right.” He hesitated, then asked, “Okay?”

“Okay,” said Moke.

“Uhm ... look, Moke ... there are things I have to attend to now. Do you want to head over to—”

“Can I stay here? In your quarters?” asked Moke. “I won’t touch anything, I promise. ...”

“Sure. Absolutely,” said Calhoun. “If that’s what you want.”

“Yeah. I would.”

“Well ... all right.” He got up and walked out, leaving Moke still staring into space.

Except he wasn’t.

The Old Father stared back at him.

“You shouldn’t have left her,” Moke said softly. “You really shouldn’t. You could’ve made our lives so much better.”

Woden’s single eye looked wistful, and then he shrugged. “I’m sorry,” he said.

“Yeah, well ... sorry isn’t always good enough,” said Moke.

“I know,” said Woden. “But sometimes it’s all we have.”

And then he faded from sight, leaving Moke alone.

Meantime, Calhoun stood in the hallway just outside his quarters, leaning against the bulkhead. He suddenly felt more tired than he had in ages. It was obvious they were about to enter round two against the Beings, and it was more than likely there would not be a round three. There was no margin for error, and literally no room for doubt.

“Are you all right?”

He hadn’t even realized his eyes were closed, but when he opened them, Shelby was standing there. “I thought you were heading back to the Trident.”

“I was. But I thought I’d swing by on the way over. I’m worried about you.”

“About me. Why are you worried about me?”

“Because someone has to be,” she said with a shrug. “I figure I’m elected.”

He laughed softly and then rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I’m not entirely sure, but ... I think I may owe you an apology.”

“That’s impressive,” she said, folding her arms. “I don’t believe I’ve ever heard that many qualifiers in one sentence.”

“I think ... in some ways ... I feel as if I haven’t had a chance to get any solid ground beneath my feet since the first Excaliburblew up. As if I’ve just been flailing about, trying to get a hold on something firm, and not succeeding.”

She paused. “And is that what our marriage is? A failed attempt to get some footing?”

He chuckled. “No. No ... that’s the only thing I’ve done in the past year or so that I’m absolutely confident about.”

“You’re confident in everything you do, Mac. Even when you know full well that it’s absolutely indefensible. That’s what I love about you.”

“What you love about me?” He looked at her skeptically. “I thought it was the one aspect of my personality that always drove you the most insane.”

“Calhoun, you’ve been driving me insane ever since your handling of the Kobayashi Maruset my career back a year.”

“Ummm ... yes,” he sighed. “I’ve always felt kind of guilty about that.”

“No, you didn’t. You still don’t, even to this day. Don’t you lie to me, you smug bastard,” she admonished with mock gravity. “You can do just about anything else, but don’t lie to me. If there’s one thing I don’t deserve, it’s that.”

“You’re right. In fact, if there’s one thing you do deserve, it’s this.”

And he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her passionately.

Passing crewmen slowed, looked, and then walked quickly away, and one was heard to murmur, “Guess yellow alert means something different for officers than it does for us grunts.”

DANTER

SOLETA LAY BACK in the field of long grass, staring in leisurely fashion up at the sky. Her clothes were scattered about, but she wasn’t the least bit concerned over her lack of apparel. Thoth, similarly undraped, lay next to her, his head propped up with one hand. The sky was clear, no clouds, no hint of storms. It seemed one of those glorious days that would stretch on forever.

“Why me?” she asked Thoth at length.

“Why you what?”

“Why have you taken such an interest in me? Me, of all the females you’ve encountered ... of all the ones you could have ...”

“I was drawn to you by your intellect. And by your hurt. I sensed your inner turmoil and felt that you could truly benefit from the inner peace I could bring you.”

“And you were right.” She smiled and ran her hand along the strong angle of his chin. “You were so right. I feel as if I could—”

And suddenly Thoth pitched backward, grasping at his forehead. Soleta immediately sat up, consternation evident. “Thoth? What’s wrong? What—?”

He fell forward, gasping, clutching at his chest.

“What’s wrong?”she repeated, even more alarmed than before.

“I ... I don’t know. My head ... feels like ...” Suddenly he gripped her by the shoulders. “Love me.”

“What?” She tried to smile, although it wasn’t easy considering his agitated state. “In the mood again already? If you—”

“Love me! Believe in me! Do you?”

“You know I do!” Soleta was completely confused. “How could you not ... ?”

“I can’t feel it! I can’t feel you. It’s ... it’s as if I’m blind ... I—”

And suddenly there were flashes of light from all around them. One by one, then by the dozens, the Beings were springing into existence, all babbling in similar agitation to one another. Soleta quickly tugged on her clothes, but Thoth was wandering around, naked, looking like a flummoxed Greek statue, despite the fact that he was Egyptian.

The voice of Artemis cut above the rest of them. “You feel it? You all feel it?!” There were nods, confused babbles of assent.

“Feel what?” Soleta asked Thoth. “I don’t feel anything. Nothing’s changed. Nothing’s ...”

“Everything’s changed! How can you not feel it!” His temper flared and he grabbed Soleta and shook her fiercely. “How is this happening? How is this—”

“Stop it!”Soleta effortlessly yanked her arms out of his grasp. The move sent him off balance, and she came forward quickly and shoved him hard. Thoth stumbled back, and although he righted himself just in time to avoid falling over completely, he still gaped at Soleta as if seeing her for the first time.

Soleta blinked several times, and was then filled with mortification. “I’m ... I’m so sorry, Thoth. I’ve no idea what came over me ... I ...”

“Maybe she has had something to do with it,” Anubis said, pointing an angry finger at her. “Perhaps her dalliance with you, Thoth, has simply been a means of putting you off guard.”

“Don’t be an ass, Loki.”

“Anubis. I prefer Anubis—”

“And I prefer that you go straight to Hades!” shouted Artemis. Nearby her, Tyr the swordsman and Hermes the messenger were nodding in agreement.

“This is no time to turn against each other,” began Thoth.

“What’s happening?” Soleta interrupted. “Tell me what’s happening. Perhaps I can—”

Suddenly the combadge on Soleta’s uniform beeped at her. She looked confused, as if she’d forgotten it was there, or what it was for. She tapped it and said tentatively, “Yes?”

“Lieutenant, this is Captain Calhoun,” came the familiar voice. He sounded quite calm, even a bit amused. “Are any of your godly friends nearby?”

“We are all here!” shouted Artemis. “Calhoun, are you responsible—”

“For the weakness you’re no doubt feeling at the moment? Yes. Yes, I am. Or more correctly, we are.”

“You mortal bastard!”bellowed Anubis. “How dare you! Do you have any idea of the forces you’re unleashing? The retribution you’re bringing upon yourselves?”

“I have a fairly clear idea.” Calhoun’s voice crackled over the combadge. “You, however, have no idea at all. And unless you and your associates clear off Danter ... clear out of this sector of space, in fact ... and take your mind-sapping ambrosia with you ... then this mortal bastard and his wife, the mortal bitch, are going to kick your pseudo-Egyptian-Greco-Roman-Norse-Mesopotamian asses. Not only that, but we’ll tell every other existing race how to dispose of you as well, using the exact same techniques we’re using now.”

“And unless you, Captain, cease whatever you’re doing immediately,” and suddenly Artemis’ bow was unslung and an arrow was nocked and aimed straight at Soleta, “then your little pointy-eared lieutenant dies.”

Soleta gaped, staring at pointed death from less than ten feet away.

“No,” Thoth said sharply. “She’s an innocent in all this. Put it away, Artemis.”

“Stand aside, Thoth!”

“Put it away!”

Thoth stretched out his hand, and energy leaped through the air, enveloping Artemis. She staggered, swung her bow around, and the arrow flew off course ...

... and thudded straight into Thoth’s chest.

Thoth staggered, looking down at the shaft protruding from him, even as Soleta let out an alarmed shriek. He sagged to his knees.

“Thoth!” cried out Artemis, and she ran toward him. “Thoth, I’m sorry ... I ... I didn’t mean ...”

Soleta started toward Thoth, but he held up a hand and shouted “Stay away!” even as he gripped the arrow firmly. He gritted his teeth and then let out a howl of pain as he ripped the arrow from his torso. Soleta saw something glowing from within the hole, some sort of energy that appeared to be seeping out of him.

“You ... you have to be all right,” she said desperately. “You can’t die. ...”

“Oh ... we can,” Thoth said, his voice rattling. “If ... if we suddenly find ourselves bereft of energy ... if our own weapons are turned against us ... we can die quite well ...”

“Thoth ... !”

“Get away from him!” shouted Artemis, and she shoved Soleta furiously aside as she knelt down next to Thoth. “Thoth ... this ... this can be fixed ...”

“Can this, I wonder?” said Thoth, and the hand that was still holding the arrow jammed it upward into the pit of Artemis’ stomach.

Artemis screamed, a scream heard from one end of Danter to the other, and Thoth, his face a mask of fury, ripped the arrow upward through her body in a move that would have disemboweled anyone else.

But it was not internal organs that spilled from Artemis, at least nothing like any that Soleta had ever seen. Instead it was almost like solid light, twisting and turning from her, and Artemis shrieked and cried out and pounded upon Thoth, and howled at him in tongues that had not been spoken since the dawn of man.

“Artemis ... my sweet,” Thoth managed to say, his voice choking, “I remain a god of truth ... and I believe the truth is ... that we have overstayed our welcome ...”

Then the very air seemed to crackle, and Soleta fell back as a burst of light and heat blasted her, sending her sprawling flat ten feet away. She gasped, then scrambled to her feet, and she saw the two gods fading, fading ...

... and gone.

The rest of the Beings stood there for a long moment, more stunned than she would ever have thought possible.

“Loki ... wha ... what do we do now?” said Tyr.

And Anubis looked heavenward and growled, “We get the bastards who did this. We destroy them, restore the balance to this world, and annihilate any else who come. We build our reputation as gods of destruction! They will fear us and bow down to us!”

“What about this one?” asked Hermes, indicating Soleta.

“Forget her. She’s meaningless. Only Calhoun matters. Calhoun and Shelby and their minions,”roared Anubis, “will know the fury of the gods unleashed!”

And then, from over Soleta’s still active com link, came Calhoun’s mocking voice:

“I can’t wait.”

EXCALIBUR

I.

MARK MCHENRY, standing in the sickbay and looking down at his own unmoving body, suddenly staggered and clutched at his chest. He felt as if something had suddenly been yanked away from him, and he had no clue what it was.

Then, suddenly ... he knew. He didn’t know how or why he did ... but he did.

“Artemis,” he whispered.

And from next to him, almost in his ear, came the voice of the Old Father.

“Yes. Artemis,” he confirmed. “She loved you, you know. Not in any manner that meets the standard definition of sanity ... but she loved you.”

“Now what?”

“Now,” said Woden, “it finally ends.”

And that was when Calhoun’s voice came across the ship’s loudspeaker.

II.

“I can’t wait,” said Mackenzie Calhoun.

He was staring at the image of Danter on the screen, turning leisurely in its orbit. Suddenly from the tactical station, Zak Kebron called out, “Captain. Detecting an energy burst from the planet’s surface.”

The face of Morgan Primus suddenly appeared on the screen. “Confirming,” she said. “Energy surge bearing eighteen mark five. Similar to the energy frequencies generated by the Beings in their previous attack.”

“You still have firm control of conn, Morgan?”

“Aye, sir.”

“Captain,” Robin Lefler spoke up, looking distinctly uncomfortable. “For a potential battle situation, wouldn’t it make sense to have, you know ... a living person at that station? No offense, Mom.”

“You had a living person at that station,” Morgan reminded her archly. “Fat lot of good it did him.”

“Captain ...”

“Lieutenant, your opinion is noted and forgotten,” said Calhoun. “Calhoun to Trident.Captain Shelby, you ready?”

“Ready, Captain Calhoun,” replied Shelby. The Tridentwas out of sight on the opposite side of the world, so her voice was a comfort to him.

“Robin ... put me on with the crew.”

Robin made a quick adjustment at the ops station and nodded. “Go ahead, Captain.”

“Attention all hands,” said Calhoun after a moment. “This vessel is about to be attacked by the same individuals who damaged us so badly in our previous encounter. We have, however, determined the source of their power ... and believe it or not ... the enemy is us. They will feed on any doubts, any reservations we have, and turn those doubts against us. We cannot permit that to happen.

“This ship ... this crew ... is more than just a Starfleet crew going through its paces. You are all, every one of you, heroes in your own right. The thing is, even heroes feel fear. They feel it, but they get the job done despite it.

“You have to be more than that. You must feel no fear. You must not waver in your confidence, even for a moment. Each and every one of you must visualize our triumph over these creatures. Visualize it, hold on to it for all it’s worth. Use it as a source of strength to overcome any hesitation or fear you might have, or might even think of having.

“And consider this: Throughout centuries, the greatest legends of mankind have been steeped in eras and times when mere mortals threw themselves against the will of the gods and triumphed over impossible odds. Those mortals are among the greatest, most epic of heroes that have ever existed. Rather than have a moment’s fear over our present situation, think upon the fact that you have the honor, the privilege, the pure joy of being here on an occasion that is positively epic. We face beings who purport to be gods. We fight a fight for control of our own destinies that began millennia ago and ends this day. And all of you, every single one of you, will cherish this opportunity and be able to hold your heads high and say, ‘I was there. I touched greatness. I am an epic hero. I served aboard a ship that carried me to greatness, and I was up to the journey.’

“And I know you are. As your captain, as your leader, as a man privileged to serve with you, I know that each and every one of you are.

“All hands, battle stations. This one is for the book of legends. Calhoun out.”

He paused a long moment then, allowing the silence to thicken. Then he said, “Captain Shelby ... you may want to give your own crew some sort of pep talk as well, just to make sure ...”

“I simply broadcast yours when you were speaking, Mac,” said Shelby, and even though it was only her voice, he could hear the smile in it. “I felt sure you could do the job for both of us. Good luck.”

“Same to you, Captain.” Then he turned to Ambassador Spock, who was simply standing there, stony-faced, looking at the planet below. “Is that what Captain Kirk would have done?” he asked.

“Perhaps,” said Spock. “Either that or he would simply have medicated the entire crew.”

“Oh,” said Calhoun. “Well ... that would have worked too, I suppose.”

“Captain,” came Morgan’s voice, “here they come.”

She was right.

They were visible on the screen, and it almost seemed a replay of the previous encounter. A sailing vessel of ancient origin, a trireme, coming straight toward them. Its battering ram protruded in the shape of a giant ram’s head, and it appeared on a collision course.

“Welcome to the party,” Calhoun said calmly.

“Captain,” said Spock, “it should be noted that, once battle is joined, anything can occur. And that the most difficult thing to fight ... is water.”

“Water?” said Kebron from tactical.

“Yes ... water, Mr. Kebron,” Calhoun agreed. “The ocean. The waves pound you, but you can’t hit it back because it moves wherever you try.”

“Enemy is preparing to engage. Evasive action, Captain?” came Morgan’s voice.

“Targeting incoming vessel,” said Kebron.

“Don’t do anything,” replied Calhoun.

“Nothing?”

“Morgan ... we’re going to need you for this, because nothing human can think fast enough. When they start firing, analyze where the missiles are going to hit, and simply roll with it. Preserve the shielding. Captain to all hands,” he continued without pause. “Just so you know, we’re going to be rocking a bit. But we’re not going to be hurt. Nothing they’re going to do can hurt us. And we’re going to rub their noses in that. In fact, if I were you, I’d start feeling sorry for them. Calhoun out.” He turned toward Burgoyne. “Burgy, make sure engineering is keeping the white noise going through the sensor dish.”

“Aye, Captain.”

“Here it comes!”called Lefler.

Just as before, arrows came hurtling through the ether of space. They hammered into the Excalibur’sshields, and the starship pitched and yawed with each new salvo. They did not, however, fire back.

“Status report, Mr. Kebron.”

“Shields holding, Captain.”

“Calhoun to all hands. Shields are holding firm. They’re not hurting us. Not at all.”

Again and again, as the trireme hurtled toward them, the darkness of space was alive with the glow of the arrows. And with computer precision, Morgan not only was able to roll with each new attack, but even began dodging some of them entirely. No starship was particularly graceful when it was under impulse power, but in the case of the Excalibur,under Morgan’s guidance, the vessel dipped, twisted, and turned about like a vast dancer.

Closer and closer came the trireme, and still the assault continued to have no effect. The entire time, Calhoun continued to speak to his crew, to exhort them to be utterly convinced that the Beings had no chance. He extolled their bravery, spoke condescendingly of the Beings, reminded them of all the challenges they’d faced before that they’d come through.

“They thought they could defeat us!”Calhoun called, his voice rising as if he were speaking to an array of troops spread across a field, and for the first time in ages, he felt the blood of what he once was, a warlord of Xenex, pounding through him. So sterile had been his time as commander, operating from a small room rather than being in the midst of his people, waving a sword, shouting encouragement to them and howling that no enemy could possibly stand in opposition to him. He hadn’t even realized it was missing until this very moment, but now, now he would never let it go again. “They thought they could batter us down! But they were wrong! We do not need to believe in them! We believe in ourselves! We will triumph! We will beat them down! We will show them that the United Federation of Planets does not bow, does not break to those who would try to deprive us of our very drive to achieve! Mr. Kebron: All phasers, fire!”