by Andy Mangels
“You need to be treated first,” Phlox said. He didn’t like some of the readings his scans were showing, but with some medicinal cocktails, he felt that the Andorian might be restored to his usual strong and aggressive state.
“Help me get him to the bed,” Phlox said, gesturing toward one of the medical bays.
As the quartet transported Shran to the bed—Theras taking his feet and following the lead of the others—the wall-mounted com unit let out a loud whistle.
“Bridge to Captain Archer.”The voice belonged to Ensign Sato.
The four of them hurriedly put Shran down on a biobed, and Archer sprinted to the device, depressing a button on its lower edge. “Archer here.”
“You have a priority one communication from Admiral Gardner.”
Archer blanched visibly, then looked back at the others. “I’ll take it in my quarters in one minute,” he said, then let go of the button.
“I’ll make certain that Shran is able to function again as soon as possible, Captain,” Phlox said, trying to reassure him. “He’ll be examining star maps in no time.” He wished he was as certain of that as he sounded.
“Thanks, Doctor,” Archer said. “I’ve got to go figure out how much trouble I’m in now. After that, I’m probably going to need Shran’s help more than ever.”
“How do you mean?” Phlox asked.
“I just might end up having to apply for a job on hisship,” Archer said dryly as he crossed quickly to the door.
Phlox watched his superior officer exit. Given Admiral Gardner’s reputation,he thought, I’m not entirely certain he’s joking.
“Come again, sir?” Archer wasn’t quite certain he’d heard the admiral correctly.
“I said that our intelligence sourcesare reporting some new rumblings of war from Romulan space,”Gardner said, the expression on his face both officious and annoyed. “It’s possible that the warnings that you and Commander Tucker gave may have had some validity. Of course, we still need to find significantly more proof before we can take decisive action.”
Had the situation not been so dire, Archer might have been amused. What Gardner had said was the closest thing to an apology he’d ever heard from the man.
“What about my request to pursue the kidnapped Aenar, Admiral?”
Gardner shook his head. “I find pirates and slavers just as reprehensible as you do, Captain. But I’m not still sending Earth’s flagship halfway across the galaxy to catch them. Especially when doing so might rouse the Romulans into an active state of war.”
Though Archer wasn’t surprised, he found it difficult not to keep the anger out of his voice. “What about Coridan, then? The intelligence wereceived indicates that Coridan Prime is the likely first target of any coming Romulan attacks.” Of course, he wasn’t about to reveal his Coridan information was based on the Section 31 reports that Reed had relayed to him. “I’m prepared to take Enterprisethere at maximum speed once the word is given.”
Gardner stroked his salt-and-pepper beard as he leaned forward toward his own screen. “Captain, you will proceed back to Sector Zero Zero One, where you will assist in preparing a defense of Earth. There may be any number of attacks against us in the days leading up to the signing of the Coalition Compact. That event could be a lightning rod for the discontented across the quadrant. We need youhere .”
The Admiral leaned back again in his chair. “The Coridanites have ample ship and weapon resources to repel any Romulan attack. These…rumors you have heard may well be a feint by the Romulans intended to draw Starfleet resources to Coridan, thereby leaving Earth largely vulnerable. I’m certain that I don’t need to remind you what happened thelast time we let ourselves get caught with our pants down because our flagship was parsecs away.”
“Sir, Earth’s defense systems have been significantly improved since the Xindi attacks,” Archer said, irked by Gardner’s cheap shot.
“They’ve not been improved anywhere near enough to suitme ,”Gardner said brusquely, barreling forward before Archer could say anything further. “At this juncture in the Coalition’s development, now is definitelynot the time to put our faith in rumors and scraps of information about Coridan, or to second-guess Romulan intentions in a way that leaves our flanks exposed.”
He pointed toward Archer. “Let me be blunt, Captain. You are to getEnterprise back to Earth, double-time and posthaste. Do I make myself clear?”
Archer wasn’t happy with Gardner’s decision, nor with his chiding tone, but he nodded his assent to a superior officer, as he was trained to do. “You do, sir.”
“Good. Then I will expect to see you by this time next week. Gardner out.”A moment later, the viewscreen replaced the admiral’s frowning image with the blue-and-white logo of Earth’s Starfleet.
Archer’s stomach churned as he examined his ever-narrowing set of options. Because of everything they’d learned so far, he was convinced that the Aenar were indeed en route to the Romulans—if they weren’t already in the clutches of their military—and that one way or another, they were going to be used as deadly weapons against the Coalition. Beyond those concerns, and his debt to Shran, he was also keenly anxious about Trip’s covert spy mission into Romulan territory.
A part of him fantasized that Trip would find out some vital piece of information, break protocol, and contact Enterprise,and that they would swoop in not only to save the day, but to save Trip as well. He smiled ruefully at the thought, knowing it was as implausible as the plot to any bad holovid adventure he’d watched as a boy.
The door to his quarters chimed.
“Come in,” he said. He was surprised to see that it was T’Pol. “I didn’t expect to see you quite so soon. How’s Shran?”
“Still recovering in sickbay, Captain, though very quickly, according to Phlox,” T’Pol said.
“That’s good news,” Archer said, feeling real relief at the news. He hadn’t realized until this moment just how important it was to him to see the Andorian survive and succeed in his personal quest.
“His capacity to recall stellar cartographical details is evidently quite prodigious. He was also determined to relay the information to us as quickly as possible, regardless of the pain he was experiencing. Most importantly, he was able to pinpoint for us the exact region through which the transport ship was traveling when he made contact with Jhamel’s mind.”
She handed him a padd that displayed a navigational heading. “My calculations show that the slavers are less than a day ahead of us at our maximum speed. If Shran is correct, we should have little difficulty catching up with them.”
Archer rubbed his chin as he considered his next move. “The heading they’re on takes them right toward the heart of the Romulan Star Empire. In another day, they’ll be even closer. Going after them is incrediblyrisky.” He put the padd down on the table and looked up at T’Pol. “But that’s not the worstof our problems.”
The Vulcan first officer raised her eyebrow inquisitively, but said nothing.
“Gardner just ordered us back to Earth,” Archer said. “Now.”He related the rest of his conversation with the admiral, while T’Pol listened without comment.
“This puts us in a bit of a bind. We know that the Orions took the Aenar, but we have no solid proof yet of why. The only clear information we have on the Aenar’s current whereabouts comes from Shran’s psychic link to Jhamel.”
T’Pol moved one of the ready room’s other chairs out and sat down in it. “Captain, given everything we now know about the Aenar abductions, and the information you obtained on Rigel X about the Adigeons, the only logical answer is that the Aenar are being delivered to the Romulans. The Romulans have only one purpose for the Aenar: to pilot their telepresence drones in attacks against their enemies.
“So the question becomes, which world will be their first target? Will they attack Earth, in an attempt to disrupt or even destroy the Coalition? Or will their initial target be Coridan, a prospective Coalition member that possesses more dil
ithium wealth than the rest of the Coalition combined, and which reportedly has much faster ships?”
“Which do youthink it is?” Archer asked.
“The answer to that remains unclear, given our current information,” T’Pol said. “But we arerelatively certain that stopping the delivery of the Aenar to the Romulans could greatly hamper whatever plans the Romulans aremaking, whomeverthey are making them against. Securing the Aenar would therefore be an offensive tactic rather than merely a defensive one.”
Archer interlaced his fingers behind his head and leaned back in his chair. “If we go to rescue the Aenar, we’re disobeying a direct order. Which could have serious repercussions, even if we’re right.”
T’Pol tilted her head slightly, and the merest hint of mischief crept into her eyes. “Did the admiral give you explicit directions to begin your journey to Earth as soon as you broke contact?”
Archer smiled broadly. “Not explicitly.He said it would be in our best interests to do so, and noted that he’d see me within a week.”
“Then you still have some six days and twenty-three hours in which to arrive,” T’Pol said, looking out the viewport, her expression changing from mischievous to calculating. “We are within a day of catching up with the ship carrying the Aenar. If all goes well, that diversion should prove to be a brief one.” She paused for a moment, then turned to look directly into his eyes. “Should you decide to makethat diversion, of course.”
“I’m sure we’ll still catch hell for this, but Gardner wasn’tall that precise in his orders, now that I come to think of it,” Archer said, tugging the waist of his jump-suit down as he rose to his feet. “I don’t see any reason we can’t make a briefcourse diversion. We’ll just have to make up for the lost time double-quick on the way back home.”
Archer pushed one thought into the back of his mind. All of this supposes that we’re the ones who come out on top in the fight to free the Aenar. Can’t assume that the Romulans on that ship will be pushovers.
On the bright side, if wedon’t win, I probably won’t have to worry all that much about the wrath of Sam Gardner.
Thirty
Friday, February 21, 2155
Rator II
TRIP STARED,GRIMLY FASCINATED, as the barrel of the disruptor pistol swung in his direction and remained leveled directly at his face. Switching his grip so that he held the weapon in both hands, Ch’uihv regarded him through narrowed eyelids.
This is it, Charles,Trip told himself. Time seemed to slow down precipitously, the way clocks did aboard space vessels that accelerated nearly to light speed without actually going to warp. He was hyperaware that within another elastic moment or two he would be just as dead as Phuong, whose still smoldering corpse he had to continue studiously ignoring in order to avoid becoming violently sick.
Soon, he would be as dead as almost everyone in his life already believed him to be.
He judged the distance between himself and his executioner—about two meters—and decided he had nothing to lose by leaping straight at him. Maybe Ch’uihv would be surprised just enough to give him a fighting chance. Of course, he knew that wouldn’t save him from the armed guards.
But what the hell,he thought. Trip tensed his leg muscles and bent his knees slightly, preparing to take what would very likely be the last long-odds gamble of his life.
“Stop this!” came a shout from behind, disrupting Trip’s concentration and causing a look of mild surprise to cross Ch’uihv’s normally stoic features.
It took Trip a beat to recognize the frail Ehrehin as the source of the cry.
“Don’t take your foolish rage out on Cunaehr, you execrable coward,” Ehrehin said, his voice astonishingly calm and resolute. “There’s no reason for you to do any more killing.”
Ch’uihv chuckled and shook his head. “On the contrary, Doctor. There is indeed a very sound reason. I want something very badly, and unless you provide it immediately I will demonstrate precisely howbadly by killing your beloved Cunaehr—if that’s really his name—right where he stands.”
The new stardrive,Trip thought.
“Don’t do it, Doctor,” he said, turning toward the elderly scientist. Before he could react, a crushing blow came down against the side of his head, and he crumpled to the deck, stunned but still conscious.
“Give me detailed schematics of your avaihh lli vastamwork, Doctor. Or else I will apply more than the butt of my weapon to your aide’s skull.”
Sprawled prone on the unyielding hangar floor, Trip felt the cold barrel of Ch’uihv’s weapon pressing painfully into the back of his neck.
“Choose, Doctor,” Ch’uihv growled. “Now!”
“Ehrehin, don’t—” Trip said, his voice muffled by the deck and his words interrupted by a bout of nausea, no doubt caused by the blow to his head.
“I will begin counting now, Doctor. Sei.” Thanks to his internal translator, Trip recognized the Romulan word for “three.”
“This is absurd,” Ehrehin said.
“Kre.”
Two,Trip counted. The weapon continued jabbing painfully into the back of his neck.
“There’s no reason this has to happen.”
“Hwi.”
One.
Ch’uihv’s pistol clicked loudly, sounding to Trip like the rattle of a guillotine blade being drawn upward. He tried to persuade his body to roll to the side, even though he still felt stunned and nauseated from the blow he’d just taken. Besides, he knew there was no way he could outrun Ch’uihv’s weapon, even if he were in perfect condition.
“Lliu.”
That’s “zero,”Trip thought. The stench of Phuong’s charred flesh assaulted his nostrils, like a portent of what was to come. He closed his eyes tightly, preparing as best he could for the inevitable.
“If you kill him, I shall kill myself,” Ehrehin said impatiently. “And my knowledge will die with me.”
Trip opened his eyes and saw that the scientist was now standing so close to him that there was no way to hit Trip without taking them both down.
“Is that what you want?” Ehrehin continued, haranguing their captors. “Or would you prefer that we all sit down like civilized people, so that I can properly satisfy your curiosity about my work?”
At first, Trip had thought that Ehrehin had stood up to Ch’uihv; then he suddenly realized that the old man had just done the exact opposite, though he clearly had little choice in the matter.
The pistol withdrew from Trip’s neck, and a pair of Ch’uihv’s men hauled him roughly to his feet, manacling his wrists behind his back without showing an excessive amount of gentleness.
Though he was grateful still to be alive, he knew that Ehrehin had just made an enormous mistake—and very likely the final one of his long career.
A trio of guards dragged Trip unceremoniously out of the hangar, into the now brightly illuminated corridor, and finally into a nearby conference room, which was equipped with a large table, a half-dozen chairs, and several small desktop computer terminals.
Without exchanging any words with him—or so much as looking at him—the guards shoved Trip down into one of the chairs. He wasn’t sure whether the manacles that secured his wrists behind his back were making him more uncomfortable than the disruptor pistols that were now trained on him.
Scant moments after Trip’s entrance, the conference room door slid open to admit Ch’uihv and another pair of guards. The men, who were half carrying and half dragging Ehrehin between them, deposited their charge somewhat more gently into the seat beside the one Trip occupied.
Ch’uihv took the seat directly across the table from Trip and Ehrehin as the guards looked on vigilantly. The Ejhoi Ormiinleader turned one of the computer terminals so that it faced him. He quickly entered several commands, apparently activating both his own terminal and the one closest to Trip and Ehrehin.
“There is an electronic stylus attached to the terminal in front of you, Doctor,” Ch’uihv said, his intense gaze locked upon the eld
erly scientist. “You will use it to enter whatever formulae or diagrams my people will need to master in order to replicate your latest work on avaihh lli vastam.”
The elderly scientist sighed in resignation, though he didn’t seem quite able to pick up the stylus before him.
“Doctor. I thought I had made myself clear back in the hangar. Please do not force me to do to your assistant what I was forced to do to his associate, Terha.” To illustrate his point, he unholstered his weapon and set it down on the table before him, tantalizingly out of Trip’s reach.
He’s going to kill me anyway,Trip thought. Hell, he’ll probably give Ehrehin the very same treatment once he thinks he’s got what he needs from him. There’s just no trusting this bastard.
“Don’t do it,” Trip whispered, leaning toward the scientist. A large, rough hand shoved him hard against the back of his chair.
“I will be watching your every entry most attentively, Doctor,” Ch’uihv said.
You’re not the only one, pal,Trip thought, his engineering reflexes kicking in nearly as strongly as his instinct for self-preservation.
Ehrehin looked at Trip, a deep sadness in his rheumy eyes. With obvious reluctance and a trembling hand, the old man took up the stylus, then began slowly sketching directly on the monitor screen on the tabletop in front of him.
Trip watched in growing fascination as a detailed technical diagram began to take shape on the screen—an image that Ch’uihv seemed to be studying intently on his own terminal. Trip hoped that before Ch’uihv finally killed him, he’d develop at least a partial understanding of this new technology that purportedly allowed star-ships to reach warp seven.
Unfortunately, it was a technology that would soon be in the hands of a breakaway Romulan faction that was probably at least as dangerous to Earth and her allies as all the military power of the Romulan Star Empire itself.
Thirty-One
Friday, February 21, 2155
