Star Trek - Pandora Principle

by Pandora Principle

  "A home. you lie. No one can give me that."

  "I can buy you mansions-worlds! Home is only where you're standing. Didn't your precious Vulcans ever tell you that?"

  "Yes. Today. And I stand here, Mr. Achernar. With these people, on this ship. Now go. You are wasting time."

  "And you, Little Cat, are a fool!" He dropped his hands and sighed. Then, with a swirl and billow of his black cloak, he was gone.

  After a moment Saavik left the sickbay, stepped over Nelson's unconscious form, and walked down the empty hall. Where it ended at Deck 7's outer corridor, she found what she was looking for, a small viewport set into the bulkhead. As her hand touched the window, another blast of phaserfire shuddered through the deck. She sensed a soul in this ship that should have flown forever, felt the fears and griefs of all aboard about to lose their lives. No sight of the enemy from here, not even when she pressed her forehead to the port and looked out at the night.

  A warm, familiar presence brushed against her mind. She knew it could only be a memory, but she held it close and sent it one last thought: I wanted to be a real Vulcan, Spock. I wanted to be. like you. Then she let it go. And when she stood alone to meet the end, there were only stars.

  "Computer may not execute, Mr. Scott, but we must try."

  "Aye, sir. An' take the villains with us, I'll warrant!"

  That was small consolation to Spock as he stared his ultimate failure in the face. After searching for a way out since those ships first shimmered into sight, all his calculations had dead-ended, and two constants remained: Enterprise must not fall into enemy hands; and despite the tempting offer to spare their lives, he knew too well what could happen to prisoners. If the computer refused the destruct codes, his failure would be compounded by disgrace: Enterprise turned against the Federation she was built to serve, and her people condemned to a life of servitude at best. Scott and Sulu stood behind him at the science station. The others watched, forgiveness in their eyes. But Spock did not forgive himself. Jim Kirk would not forgive him either.

  "Computer. This is Spock, first officer in command of Enterprise. Request security access, and confirm function."

  There was a long pause. "WORKING,"the computer finally said.

  "Computer. Destruct sequence one. Code one, one A."

  The words read out on screen; the computer waited.

  Will it hurt for long? Uhura wondered, and wondered if anyone else was wondering too. Captain, I'm not frightened anymore.

  ". Commander Montgomery Scott, chief engineerin' officer. Destruct sequence two. Code one, one A, two B."

  And again the code confirmed without a hitch. It's going to happen, Chekov thought, this time it's going to happen.

  "Computer. This is Lieutenant-Commander Sulu, weapons and helm officer. Destruct sequence three. Code one B, two B, three." Sulu looked across the bridge, saw Chekov watching him.

  "DESTRUCT SEQUENCE COMPLETED AND ENGAGED-"

  "Spock!" The lift doors were opening, their security alert dead. Red-faced and shouting, McCoy burst onto the bridge. "Don't do it! Stop that thing, dammit! I found the answer!"

  ". FOR ONE-MINUTE COUNTDOWN."

  "She saw them, Spock!" He shouldered his way past Sulu and Scott. "But she didn't die! Spock! Are you listening to me?"

  The bridge rocked as phasers hit the shields again.

  "Yes, Doctor, but as usual you make no sense. What answer?"

  ". SEQUENCE COMPLETED AND ENGAGED. AWAITING FINAL CODE-"

  "Stop that thing and listen, dammit! She was underground, the roof was falling in. She saw those things breaking-but she didn't die! She was choking, Spock! Her lungs were full of dust! Don't you see? There must be something in the DUST!"

  Spock did see. "Even if you are right, Doctor-"

  "Hell, yes, I'm right! Those things were going off, smashing on the ground! Their lights were going out, just like they did back home! But she's still alive-and half that mountain's all over our damn transporter room! We can find it, Spock! Whatever saved her, we can find it-in that dust!"

  "DESTRUCT SEQUENCE COMPLETED AND-"

  McCoy never let up. "We don't need to go to war, Spock! We can stop it! And save Earth-and Jim! We'll just analyze the-"

  "Doctor, we are about to be-"

  The ship pitched again. Damage indicators flickered to life this time, and a siren began to wail. Chekov turned to report.

  "A hit, sir. Shields two and three are down."

  "Doctor, enemy troops will board this ship. We have neither numbers nor weapons to resist them. Any suggestions?"

  "DESTRUCT SEQUENCE COMPLETED AND ENGAG-"

  "Yeah, Spock! Get us out of this!" McCoy glared at him and delivered a final shot. "That's what Jim would do!"

  "Sir," said Uhura, "they're hailing us again."

  "Dammit, tell them-" McCoy turned, then looked past her to the lift. "Wait a minute! What the hell is he doing here?"

  Achernar leapt from the opening doors, black cloak flying.

  "Stay where you are, friends!" He towered over Uhura at the comm station. "Answer them!" he told her.

  "Sorry," she lifted her chin, "I don't take your orders."

  "Answer the hail, Uhura," Spock said quietly. She did.

  ". and abandon this foolishness!" A new, older face frowned at them on the screen. "Or prepare to die! I offer mercy, and-"

  "Greetings, Tahn!" Achernar called out. "I see you keep your appointments." The frown on the screen changed to astonishment.

  "Old friend! You've come! But how.?"

  "At great risk, friend Tahn. These idiots intend to-"

  Sulu and Scott went for him, then stopped short. Achernar had jerked Uhura from her seat. A phaser gleamed in his hand, rested at her temple, and the last shred of hope died on the bridge. Enterprise was out of time-and the enemy was already on board.

  ". SEQUENCE COMPLETED AND ENGAGED. AWAITING FINAL CODE."

  This is ridiculous! Uhura thought. At the corner of her eye the phaser blurred in her peripheral vision. She blinked-

  "They intend to destroy this ship! And that would be a pity, friend Tahn, because I have accomplished our mission!"

  -blinked again at what she saw: that phaser wasn't set to kill. It wasn't set at all. "Mr. Spock! He's not-"

  "Silence!" Achernar thundered. "I give the orders now!"

  And in the hush that followed:

  "Code zero, zero, zero." said Spock.

  Chapter Twelve

  "DON'T BE A FOOL!" Achernar hissed. "I can get us out of this! He does not want your ship-I know what he wants!"

  Spock paused, suspending time. No one moved.

  "What is that you say, old friend? How came you with these-"

  "I found what you seek, Tahn. And how I came to be here is a long, expensive story. But you will never get their ship. They will blow it up if you attempt to board. In fact, they may do so on general principles, even as I try to persuade them otherwise. So stop your target practice, and let us talk some business."

  One more blast burst against Enterprise's hull, causing the screen to snow and orders to be shouted on the Romulan bridge.

  "That's it, Mr. Spock," Chekov said; shields were down.

  The screen cleared, the channel crackled. "Talk, old friend," the words came through. "I am listening."

  "And so are they, Tahn. My ship was disabled in what they claim is 'their' space. They kindly took me aboard. So I am here-but what you want is on my ship. A pretty problem, is it not? Perhaps we can arrive at a mutual solution."

  "Computer," said Spock, very quietly. "This is Commander Spock of the U.S.S. Enterprise. Code one, two, three, continuity. Abort destruct order. Code one, two, three."

  A sigh went around the bridge, an exhalation of relief that suddenly stuck in every throat.

  "59." said the computer. "58. 57."

  Eyes went wide. Faces froze. This couldn't be happening.

  "56. 55." But it was.

  Achernar disregarded the situation he could not con
trol-and seized upon the one he could. He plunked Uhura back in her seat and strolled to the command chair, where he lounged with apparent unconcern. "But first, Tahn, the matter of my commission."

  Uhura thought fast: if the Romulans knew their danger, they would blow Enterprise to bits. She narrowed the viewer's angle, tried to damp the electronic voice counting them all down to destruction. No indicators registered to tell her if it worked.

  "Computer. Override." Spock's fingers were beating a tattoo over pads and toggles; his voice was calm, as if he were speaking to a wayward child. "Code one. Two. Three."

  ". 50. 49."

  "No overrides, sir!" Scott began hitting key combinations without results, muttering about core damage and random glitches.

  ". 47. 46. 45."

  Spock felt something bump against his knee. He ignored it, repeatedly keying commands. The computer refused to disengage.

  All of them knew ten seconds was the countdown's point of no return. Nothing in the world could stop it then-

  And nothing was stopping it now. The computer refused to disengage.

  ". 41. 40. 39."

  The bump at Spock's knee came again, became a tug. He looked down into glowing, neon-yellow eyes that peered through the forest of legs around the science station.

  "Eeeasy fix?" a small voice asked.

  "By all means!" He sprang from his seat as Scott boosted Obo up. Hands and feet flew to work prying up panel covers, playing over the components and circuitry above and beneath the counter. Obo's toes and fingers seemed not to be touching anything as their filament extrusions traced pathways, probed energy patterns. With instruments, that would take hours. Spock's hand rested on Obo's head, sending images, information. but there was no time, no chance.

  ". 29. 28. 27."

  "-but that is robbery!" Tahn shrieked. "We agreed-"

  "-that I could name my price, friend, and forty percent it is. If you knew what I have been through."

  "Quick, Obo!" Harper whispered urgently. "Just make it stop-any way you can!"

  "Thirty-five percent, Tahn-not a gram less!"

  "Outrageous! Fifteen! And even that-wait! What is that marking time? I want that ship-what are they doing?"

  ". 17. 16. 15."

  "Twelve seconds, Obo," Spock said.

  "Now it seems they are trying not to blow us up. So all our discussion may be in vain, friend." Achernar glanced over his shoulder. On the screen curses echoed behind Tahn's horrified face. The Romulan ships began falling back. "But in case it is not, I make a great concession: thirty-three percent."

  ". 11. 10."

  "That's it then," Scott said, defeated.

  Spock withdrew his hand. "A brave attempt," he murmured. Harper's eyes met his, glistened.

  ". 8. 7."

  "C'mon, Obo!" Harper kept urging, "You can do it!"

  ". 5. 4."

  "Lad," Scott touched Obo's shoulder. "It's over."

  "Nnnooo!" cried Obo. "Didn't fffin-"

  ". 2."

  Voltage arced through Obo's body as a shower of sparks sprayed from the console. Its eyes flew open, glowing bright. Its body jerked, stiffened as current danced blue around it, but one hand stuck fast inside the panel's workings. Acrid scents of ozone and burning flesh filled the air. Scott forcibly restrained Harper. Spock reached to pull Obo free, but the charge knocked him to the deck.

  ". 2." the computer said again. ". 2. 2. 2."

  Then power tripped. The science station's screen went blank.

  And neon eyes went dark. Hot smoke curled from the hand still adhering to the panel. As Obo slid from the chair, singed flesh and cartilage disintegrated, and fingers tore from their webs. Clear, iridescent liquid oozed onto the deck, and helping hands reached to break Obo's fall. Its limp form was icy cold.

  "Obo." Harper knelt beside it.

  "Medics!" Uhura shouted over inship. "To the bridge! Medics!"

  "Hold on, son. Let me." McCoy pushed forward, reaching for his medscan, swearing under his breath when he remembered where it was-on the table beside Saavik in sickbay. Of all the damn times. but his hands and experience told him what he already knew: internal injuries would be far worse than severed fingers. A sustained electrical charge inflicted massive tissue and brain damage, and Obo had absorbed too much current for too long. Even in stasis, there wouldn't be anything to save. No vital signs. he stopped probing and swore again; the hardest part of being a doctor was knowing when to let go.

  The computer began beeping and grinding. Its screen came back to life with code patterns racing in multicolored squares across the display, then resolving into the readout of sixty seconds ago. "WORKING,"it announced. "DESTRUCT SEQUENCE COMPLETED AND ENGAGED. AWAITING FINAL CODE FOR ONE-MINUTE COUNTDOWN."

  "Computer. This is Commander Spock of the U.S.S. Enterprise." He hauled himself up from the floor, clung to the counter, and took a deep breath. "Code one-two- three. Continuity. Abort destruct order." The whistles and grindings continued. "Repeat. Code one, two, three. Continuity. Abort destruct order."

  The noise stopped. The code sequence wiped off the screen.

  "DESTRUCT ORDER ABORTED."

  "Computer. Disengage. Screen off."

  Again, it obeyed. Obo had done the impossible, but McCoy looked up, shook his head, and his face said that the Belandrid's brave act had been its last. Spock sighed.

  ". out of the question, Tahn!" Achernar was protesting. "Damn you, man! I've had expenses! Thirty percent."

  "Obo," whispered Harper, gathering it gently into his lap. He held it like a child and began rocking back and forth. "I know it hurts, but you're gonna be all right."

  "Son-"

  ". 'cause we're gonna make you all well-aren't we, Doc!" Harper insisted, refusing to acknowledge McCoy's grief.

  "Mr. Harper, you do not under-"

  "No, Spock. Let him be."

  "Sir?" Harper smiled up at Spock as he cradled Obo on his shoulder. His eyes shone with tears and pride. "I just knew you wouldn't be sorry. See, Obo can fix anything, sir-honest."

  ". twenty-five percent, Tahn. And that is my final-"

  "-but the ship!" Praetor Tahn felt the mutinous stares of his commander, centurions, the soldiers on the bridge, who had no idea why they were ordered here, no idea that his fortune and his future were held hostage by these deadly foes. "What about the-"

  "They wait. To see what you will do. They can annihilate it at a moment's notice. They will never let you board-and need I remind you, Tahn, that this vessel's fate is also mine? Let us not play games here, friend! Twenty-five percent. Your silence until we cross the Zone, and I will return with what you seek."

  And what will I do then? Tahn wondered, sweating beneath his robe and staring out at planet Thieurrull in flames. The invader ships would come, reducing all his little plans to ashes. There would be no good life for him now-there would be no life at all. Even if his officers did not turn against him, even if he survived in this vile, airless night, the First would learn the truth and hunt him down-unless. unless.

  A desperate thought occurred to him, the beginnings of a plan so daring that his blood surged with the boldness of it. No ship, no prisoners, no glorious arrival home-but Tahn did have something to give the Empire: the reason for those massing ships, the treachery and purpose of the Grand Design. He could go and tell them-everything! He knew no names-but he knew something better: the time and place of that next meeting. All of them, together in one room, where soundshields could be tampered, doors could be broken down. There would be a chance then, for the Empire, for himself. A new life, on a new world, where sun was warm and wine was sweet-and perhaps no one would notice if he lived especially well. Yes, bargain first for mercy, and then there was a chance that he could have it all.

  "Twenty-five percent. Done!" he said. "Explain these terms to the Vulcan. Then I will speak. Advise him to listen well."

  "One moment, Tahn. I must ask if he will speak to you."

  "Lord!" His commander's eyes were dangerous. "T
his is treason to the Empire! These are our enemies! They have no weapons, no shields! We can destroy them-or let them destroy themselves! Whatever paltry thing you bargain for-"